Monthly Archives: March 2015
Rangers need to get back on track in Winnipeg with Lundqvist back in net
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers need to get back on track tonight when they take on the Winnipeg Jets, looking to snap a two game losing streak. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After a rough weekend which saw the Rangers (47-21-7) drop two games in two days, the Blueshirts will be aiming for a rebound win when they take on the Winnipeg Jets (39-25-12) at the MTS Center up in Canada, a team that is desperate to cling onto their wild card spot.
The Rangers and the Jets will be meeting for the second and final time this season, with the first meeting coming way back on November 1st, a 1-0 shootout victory for Winnipeg in that game. Henrik Lundqvist picked up a shutout in that game, stopping all 25 shots that he faced.
The Jets have been playing very well, with a 6-2-0 record in their last eight games. They have been red hot at the MTS Center as well, posting a 12-3-2 record in their last 17 road games. Ondrej Pavelec is expected to start in goal for the Jets, and is aiming for his 20th win of the season. Pavelec had a six game win streak snapped on Sunday in a heartbreaking late loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Read the rest of this entry
Kevin Klein not close to returning; Rangers may be trying to sign Buchnevich and Skjei
Bobby Bevilacqua
Unfortunately, Kevin Klein is not close to returning to the Rangers lineup, and could be out for a total of six weeks with a broken arm. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Following the Rangers 5-2 home loss to the Washington Capitals, fans received some more bad news when it was discovered that Kevin Klein would not be making the trip to Winnipeg and Minnesota. At first, Klein was expected to miss three to four weeks, but according to Vigneault, Klein is two weeks into what will be a four to six week injury. Klein broke his arm blocking an Alex Ovechkin shot late in a 3-1 Rangers win in D.C.
This is troubling news for a Rangers squad that has struggled defensively lately, giving up four or more goals in three of the last four games. Matt Hunwick has done a serviceable job filling in, but having the always steady Kevin Klein back in the lineup would certainly help solidify the back end.
Losing Klein also left the Rangers missing a natural righty, forcing Vigneault to shift guys like Keith Yandle, Ryan McDonagh, and Matt Hunwick to the right side, creating some unorthodox defensive pairings that haven’t worked tremendously well. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers drop second straight against Capitals; Hayes and Brassard both score
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers fell short yet again, losing a handle of things in the third period due to turnovers and sloppy play. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For the first time since January 29th, the Rangers (47-21-7) dropped their second straight game in regulation, losing by a final score of 5-2 to the Washington Capitals (41-25-10), giving the Rangers losses in three of their last four games.
The day started out with some surprising news, learning that Matt Hunwick was a late scratch due to an upper body injury sustained in yesterday’s game against the Bruins. As a result, Chris Summers was an emergency call up, and played in his first game as a Ranger. Summers was acquired in the trade that sent Keith Yandle to the Rangers.
Despite the score, the Rangers played better than it indicates, at least for the first half of the game, consistently out-chancing the Capitals, but they were undone by a few bad mistakes and sloppy play in their own end. The Capitals capitalized on the few quality chances that they had, and made the Rangers pay. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers looking for better performance against Capitals; Talbot in net
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers will be hoping for a better performance today when they take on the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden, trying to build off of a poor performance in Boston. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After a poor showing yesterday afternoon, the Rangers (47-20-7) will be looking to sharpen and solidify their game when they take on the Washington Capitals (40-25-10) back at Madison Square Garden continuing their march towards a potential President’s trophy and home ice advantage.
Both teams are coming off of losses on Saturday as well. The Rangers gave up four straight goals in Henrik Lundqvist’s debut, playing very poor defensively before tightening up and scoring two goals in the final 25 minutes. The Capitals got off to a similar start, pulling starting goaltender Braden Holtby after three goals in the first period before rallying to a 4-3 defeat.
This is the third of four games between these two teams, with New York coming away with wins in the first two meetings. The Rangers edged a 4-2 victory at MSG on December 23rd, with Rick Nash scoring his first hat trick as a Ranger, and Lundqvist making 30 saves. Just 18 days ago, the Blue Shirts won 3-1 down in D.C., as the Rangers third line got things going, with goals from JT Miller and Carl Hagelin, while Martin St. Louis iced the game late. Cam Talbot picked up a win, finishing with 28 saves on 29 shots. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers disappointing in Boston in Henrik Lundqvist’s return
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers were unable to come away with a win in Henrik Lundqvist’s return, plagued from the start due to turnovers and poor play. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Rangers (47-20-7) were not sharp today, dropping their last game of the season against the Boston Bruins (37-25-13) by a final score of 4-2, with a downright embarrassing effort in front of Henrik Lundqvist at times, who was making his first start in 25 games since a vascular injury.
Boston is fighting for their playoff lives, and played like it, playing hard from the start, and really controlling play for the first 35 minutes of the game. They threw pucks at Lundqvist, got a bit of luck and some help from the Rangers defense.
Henrik Lundqvist did not have the return he was hoping four, although he was practically left out to dry from the start. Lundqvist allowed four goals on 30 shots, although one was very controversial. Another two were off of turnovers, and another slipped through his legs. He looked a bit uncomfortable in the first period, leaving rebounds and struggling a bit, but settled in nicely after that. Read the rest of this entry
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