Monthly Archives: November 2015
New York Rangers: Wolf Pack and Prospect Report
Drew Williams
Notable Prospect Notes
Pavel Buchnevich
- Buchnevich has been excellent with Severstal of the KHL, playing on the top line as one of the leading scorers. Buchnevich has six goals and 10 assists in 23 games.
-
Photo courtesy of Andreas Hillergen/AFP/Getty Images.
Brian Gibbons:
- Leading in points for the Wolf Pack with eight points in ten games played (3G, 5A)
- Signed in free agency; Played for the Penguins and Columbus
- Likely to be called up if a third-line player is injured
Brady Skjei
- Highly touted 1st rounder taken by the Ranger 28th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft
- Has played in all ten AHL games so far
- Statline: 0G, 3A, 3P; +1 with 0 PIM
Rangers cruise past Capitals to the top of the Metro; Hayes and Lindberg impress
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
This game was billed as a low scoring, physical and heated battle between two bitter rivals, but it didn’t really turn out that way.
The edginess was there, but the Rangers (8-2-2) seemed to effortlessly cruise past the Washington Capitals (8-3-0), ending the Caps’ four game road winning streak and extending the Rangers personal win streak to three games.
The Rangers came away with a 5-2 victory in an entertaining and tense contest, with five different goal scorers helping them claim sole possession of first place in the Metropolitan Division. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers make changes before Metropolitan clash with red-hot Capitals
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For the first time since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the New York Rangers (7-2-2) will battle Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (8-2-0), in search of their eighth win in the past nine games.
This is the first of five games between these two teams, bitter rivals that have seen a lot of each other over the past five years, meeting in the playoffs yet again last season. In one of the greatest goaltending battles the NHL postseason has ever seen, the Rangers came away with the series win after seven one goal games.
The Capitals will be out for revenge, looking to climb to the top of the Metropolitan Division and stake their claim as one of the best teams in the East. Looking at their roster, the Caps should be considered a top team. Read the rest of this entry
Keith Yandle, Kevin Klein solidifying a struggling defensive corps
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
With a group consisting of Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, I don’t think anyone expected Kevin Klein and Keith Yandle to be the best defensemen on both sides of the puck through 11 games.
I will gladly eat my words when it comes to Kevin Klein. Along with a good amount of other writers, I was pretty convinced that Klein had a fluke offensive season, and although he was solid defensively, he was a third pair defensemen at best. Gorton would be able to easily replace him and they should ship him out while his value is highest.
Well it turns out that Kevin Klein is shaping up to be a $2.9 million top pairing defenseman that has been the most reliable in his own zone, as well as being the best at driving possession. Who would have guessed it? Read the rest of this entry
Unlike last season, Rangers depth and bottom six is a reason for their success
Bobby Bevilacqua
Dominic Moore and Viktor Stalberg both help provide a lot of depth on this Rangers squad. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
What a difference a year can make.
Last season, the biggest issue discussed and written about by bloggers, reporters, analysts and fans was the lack of depth in the Rangers lineup. Tanner Glass was an everyday player on the fourth line, while Lee Stempniak, Jesper Fast and JT Miller all competed for ice time.
Once the Rangers traded away Stempniak, they really didn’t have a spare forward that could step in and produce. That came into play during the playoffs when Mats Zuccarello went down with an injury, and James Sheppard had to step into the lineup. He didn’t have much of an impact, totaling two points (1-1-2) in 13 playoff games.
More importantly, the fourth line was terrible. Tanner Glass and James Sheppard did nothing to help out Dominic Moore, they struggled against the Lightning’s top players, and spent minimal time on attack. They didn’t do what a fourth line is supposed to do. Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 