Author Archives: robertbevilacqua95
Rangers open the season with a win over the Islanders; KZB line impresses
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers (1-0-0) opened the season at Madison Square Garden for the first time since 2007, and they didn’t disappoint, winning a thriller by the score of 5-3 over the rival New York Islanders.
The goals for the Rangers were scored by Michael Grabner, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Brandon Pirri and JT Miller on the empty net. Eleven different Rangers recorded a point, while three players (Kreider, Zibanejad, Buchnevich) each scored two points.
The Rangers outshot the Islanders 39-28, won the faceoff battle 33-31, were 1-5 on the power play and they were 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers open their 90th season at the Garden against the Islanders; Pirri gets the start
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images.
After an early exit in the playoffs and a lot of change on the team, the Rangers are finally back in action tonight when they take on the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden.
This marks the first time that the Rangers begin the season at home since 2007, which makes tonight’s game even more exciting.
There’s a chance that the team will have a total of seven players skating for the first time as Rangers, with two players, Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich, making their NHL debuts. The fourth line still has not been announced yet, but there’s a good chance it will be a completely different look. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers Practice Report: Klein OUT for opener, Vesey and Buchnevich in top six
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After being held out of practice for the last few days, Kevin Klein will miss the season opener tomorrow against the Islanders at Madison Square Garden after an MRI revealed a back strain.
Klein had been experiencing back spasms but fortunately this injury is not too serious. Alain VIgneaut said it’s “day-to-day” and that “he’ll be back soon.”
Klein has scored nine goals and 17 assists in each of the last two seasons while providing a steady defensive presence and surprisingly improving his possession and passing each year. Read the rest of this entry
BREAKING: Rick Nash named an Alternate Captain
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
This afternoon the Rangers announced on their Twitter that Rick Nash has been named one of the alternate captains alongside Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Derek Stepan, as well as captain Ryan McDonagh.
Rick Nah was the captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets during his time there, and has shown exemplary leadership qualities in his time there as well as with the Rangers. Nash has filled in at as an alternate captain for the Rangers in the past and has been one of the veteran leadership presences in the locker room since coming to New York in 2012. Read the rest of this entry
Buchnevich has earned a spot on the Rangers’ top line
Bobby Bevilacqua
Pavel Buchnevich, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad celebrate a goal in a preseason game against the Flyers. Photo courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images.
The three best forwards during the Rangers preseason all happened to play on the same line. Mika Zibanejad looks like everything Derick Brassard was plus more while Chris Kreider has been playing like a man on a mission, aggressively skating and looking to expand on two consecutive 20 goal seasons. But the biggest surprise has been rookie Pavel Buchnevich.
Buchnevich looks like a lock for the opening night lineup, marking an NHL debut for the 21 year-old after spending parts of the last four seasons in the KHL. Despite the culture shock that comes from moving to North America, as well as adapting to the smaller ice, Buchnevich has looked like a poised NHL veteran and looks ready to contribute with the Rangers.
While it was Harvard grad Jimmy Vesey that won the Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award for the best Rookie at training camp, Buch had to be a close second. It took him until the final preseason game to score his first goal, but he could have had a lot more than that. In terms of creating chances, Buchnevich may have been one of the best at creating chances for others, putting himself in good positions, and getting shots on goal. If it wasn’t for the extraordinary play of some of the goalies that he faced, there probably would have been a few more goals on his stat sheet. He did finish with a goal and two assists in four games.
therangerzone.com 