Author Archives: robertbevilacqua95
Bold Predictions: The Rangers will have a strong powerplay this season
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers should have a much improved power play for this upcoming season, and Keith Yandle is a big reason why. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Call me crazy, but I think we will finally see the Rangers have an effective and reliable power play during the 2015-16 season.
It seems like every single year, the Rangers sign someone or shake up the power play units in an attempt to start getting more consistent production out of the forwards when they have the man advantage. But every season, they have been unable to do so, failing to capitalize during crucial moments.
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, the Rangers have never ranked higher than 17th in the league on the power play, and never posting a percentage higher than 18.2%. In the 2013-14 playoffs, when Alain Vigneault led his team to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Rangers scored on just 12.6% of their power play advantages, which was only 13 goals in 103 power play opportunities. Read the rest of this entry
Which NHL teams improved the most this offseason?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of psdcovers.com
Expect some new playoff challengers for the 2015-16 NHL season.
Every season, there are a few teams that surprise everyone, surge into the playoffs and have an improved season overall. This past year we saw the Winnipeg Jets, the Calgary Flames and the Ottawa Senators all climb their way into the playoffs, bringing new blood into the chase for the Stanley Cup.
This year, it will be no different, and there will be new teams rising in the standings, catching everyone off guard and making a push to get into the playoffs. A few teams have made huge strides in improving their teams, and could be surprise contenders during this upcoming season.
Here are some of the most improved teams heading into the upcoming season. Read the rest of this entry
Mailbag Monday: Bottom Six depth, Rangers prospects and more
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Welcome to the first edition of Mailbag Monday, something that is popular around the web but new to The Ranger Zone. It’s something that I’ve wanted to start up for a while and increase interaction with the readers, so I’m very glad to be starting it this week.
I want to make this into a weekly or bi-weekly thing, so if you ever have questions you’d like me to answer, leave them in the comments section on Facebook or on this article, message me on twitter @The_RangerZone, or send an email using the Contact Me tab at the top of the site.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
What’s going to happen with Patrick Kane? – Ian M.
There hasn’t been too much news on Kane since the investigation was announced. In the last Quick Hits article (LINK), I mentioned how his grand jury hearing was pushed back for two weeks. Usually, this means that a settlement is being discussed, but that isn’t confirmed either. Read the rest of this entry
The backup battle: Antti Raanta vs Magnus Hellberg
Bobby Bevilacqua
Who will backup Henrik Lundqvist for the 2015-16 season? Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After the Rangers traded away Cam Talbot, their backup goalie for the past two seasons, Jeff Gorton was left to search for someone else to sit behind Henrik Lundqvist on the depth chart. Over the past two seasons, the Rangers learned the importance of having a quality backup, and the team did their best to fill that vacancy in the offseason.
Shortly after the NHL draft, the Rangers acquired Finnish netminder Antti Raanta from the Chicago Blackhawks for prospect Ryan Haggerty, a relatively low price to pay for a backup. It seemed as if that role would be his by default, but Gorton traded for another goalie just a few days later.
Jeff Gorton made a great depth trade, snagging 24 year old goalie prospect Magnus Hellberg from the Predators for just a sixth round pick, and signing him to a two year deal shortly after. Nashville had a log jam of goalies in their system and needed to clean house, which the Rangers took advantage of.
So the question that remains is who should backup Henrik Lundqvist when they open the season on October 7th? Read the rest of this entry
The Ranger Zone is looking for writers
Logo made by zjograffix on Instagram.
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Ranger Zone is looking for new, experienced writers that are knowledgeable about the Rangers or about the National Hockey League and are willing to dedicate a few hours a week to writing opinion articles, game previews and recaps and anything else that is approved.
I posted on my Facebook and Twitter yesterday explaining my current situation, but in case you don’t follow me there, I’ll explain it again here. Read the rest of this entry
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