Monthly Archives: November 2014

Dan Boyle expected to play tomorrow against the Avalanche

Bobby Bevilacqua

dan-boyle rangers

Dan Boyle is expected to start for the Rangers tomorrow night against the Avalanche. It will be his second game for the Rangers this season, his first game since injuring his hand on October 8th.

For the first time since the Rangers season opener against the Blues, offseason acquisition Dan Boyle is expected to return to the Rangers lineup when they take on the Avalanche at Madison Square Garden.

During the second period of the season opener, Dan Boyle fractured his hand blocking a slap shot, and was replaced with Matt Hunwick, who will still be in the lineup due to the absence of Captain Ryan McDonagh. Read the rest of this entry

Rangers stomp Penguins at home in a shutout victory; Nash picks up League leading 12th goal

Bobby Bevilacqua

stempniak big hit 11-11

Tonight’s games against the Penguins was fast, physical, and aggressive, bringing back memories of the intense playoff series that these two teams played last season. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.

The Rangers (7-6-2) responded to Sunday’s loss in a big way, shutting out one of the best teams in the NHL by a final score of 5-0, handing the Penguins (10-3-2) their first loss in eight games.

Henrik Lundqvist was sensational again, earning his 53rd career shutout and his third this season with 33 saves against arguably the best offense in the entire league. Henrik stoned numerous Pens throughout the night, including another fantastic save, this time on Chris Kunitz. Lundqvist earned his seventh win of the season tonight.

All five goals came from five different Rangers, which is always great to see from any team. New York also managed to score on the power play, the first time that has happened against the Penguins in the last 11 games. As Rick Nash said, the defensive aspect of the game was excellent, with all of the goals coming from good defense and off of the forecheck. Read the rest of this entry

Rangers face off against division rival Pittsburgh Penguins; Duclair a healthy scratch

Bobby Bevilacqua

new-york-rangers-vs-pittsburgh-rangers-stanley-cup-playoffs-2014-game-1

The Rangers will face off against Sidney Crosby and the high-powered Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at 7 PM. This is the first time that the two teams are facing off since the Rangers eliminated the Pens in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs.

After a disappointing weekend where the Rangers (6-6-2) lost both of their games against Toronto and Edmonton, the Blueshirts will match up against the Pittsburgh Penguins (10-2-1) for the first of four times this season in a rematch of the second round of last season’s playoffs.

The last time that these two teams played was back on May 13th, when the Rangers capped a comeback from being down 3-1 in the series, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Read the rest of this entry

Jesper Fast recalled from Hartford; Malone and Allen reassigned

Bobby Bevilacqua

Carolina Hurricanes v New York Rangers

Jesper Fast has been recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack, and will likely slot into the fourth line for New York when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins tomorrow night.

This evening, the Rangers made a few roster moves, recalling Jesper Fast from Hartford and reassigning Ryan Malone and Connor Allen to the Wolf Pack.

Connor Allen was sent down as a result of John Moore finishing his five game suspension. Allen didn’t look out of place at the NHL level, but it was basically a choice between him and Matt Hunwick or Michael Kostka, who have been steady replacing the injured Rangers’ defensemen.

Ryan Malone, who never really fit into Vigneault’s system according to the head coach, has struggled to find a consistent place in the Rangers’ lineup. Malone has not registered a point, and has 14 hits so far. Read the rest of this entry

Rangers dominated at home by Edmonton; Lundqvist shines in loss

Bobby Bevilacqua

lundqvist 11-9

Henrik Lundqvist was one of the lone bright spots for the Rangers tonight, making 30 saves to keep New York in the game until the end. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.

The Rangers (6-5-2) came home to face the Edmonton Oilers (5-8-1), but were completely overwhelmed by an Edmonton team that is 29th in the NHL in goals allowed average, and fell by a final score of 3-1.

The Rangers only managed to put 21 shots on net, and made Viktor Fasth look like Johnathan Quick, as they never really pressured him throughout the game. New York felt a step behind the entire game and couldn’t establish a lot of puck possession throughout the game. Read the rest of this entry