Category Archives: Game Previews
Tonight is a make-or-break game for the Rangers and for AV as big changes loom
Bobby Bevilacqua
Rangers head coachAlain Vigneault (left), could be replaced by assistant coach Lindy Ruff (right) if things go awry in tonight’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images.)
This has sparked trade rumors, articles from beat reporters about tonight potentially being Alain Vigneault’s last game as head coach of the Rangers if things go wrong, and more following the game, especially if the result and the team’s play is similar to their last game against Montreal.
Last night also saw some of the Rangers highest members of their management attend the Ottawa-Canadiens game, including president Glen Sather and assistant general manager Jim Schoenfeld. It’s very rare for a team to send people as senior staff like them to one game, so something big might be in the works. Read the rest of this entry
Glass: Half Full or Half Empty? Rangers begin road trip against Tampa Bay
Marc Weissman
Welp, the stick finally hit the proverbial (Ranger) fan as Coach Alain Vigneault and GM Jeff Gorton apparently had enough of their own lip service as well as that spewing from their players ad nauseum. That’s right. None other than discussion-lightning-rod and AHL-banished forward Tanner Glass was recalled from the Hartford Wolfpack yesterday, along with defenseman Steve Kampfer.
Now, say what you want about Glass – and virtually everyone in Rangerland has – the current state of affairs for this team with only a month left to go in the regular season and the trade deadline in the rearview mirror is indisputable:
1) The team’s forte, its scoring prowess, has all but disappeared, case in point they’ve scored fewer than 2 goals per game over the last 9 while only playing wildcard worthy, .500 hockey. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers look to extend win streak against Columbus; Buchnevich back on the second line
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
- New York Rangers (36-18-1, 73 PTS) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (35-14-5, 75 PTS)
- The Rangers scored three unanswered goals to erase a 2-1 deficit against the Colorado Avalanche, securing Henrik Lundqvist’s 400th career win in the process. He became the quickest goalie in NHL history to reach that mark and the first non-Canadian to record 400 wins. Kevin Klein scored twice, Rick Nash scored the game winner and Kevin Hayes scored into the empty net to seal the win. That marked the Rangers’ sixth consecutive win.
- The Rangers won all four games of their homestand, a big accomplishment considering how lackluster they had been at MSG this season. They are now 18-11-1 at home and 18-7-0 on the road.
- Columbus won their last game, a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson both scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 35 of the 36 shots that he faced to secure the win. The Blue Jackets have been a .500 team since their franchise best 16 game win streak, not being able to string many wins together.
Rangers go for the homestand sweep against the Avalanche; Lundqvist in search of 400th win
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
- New York Rangers (35-18-1, 71 PTS) vs Colorado Avalanche (15-34-2, 32 PTS)
- The Rangers are coming off of a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators in the third game of their homestand. Chris Kreider, Michel Grabner and JT Miller scored the goals for New York while Henrik Lundqvist made some impressive and timely saves, stopping 34 of the 37 shots he faced while securing his 25th win of the season.
- Colorado has had a really tough season so far. After dismissing Patrick Roy in the offseason after the team had faltered in the two seasons after they went 52-22-8 in 2013-14. But now they have just 15 wins in 51 games and are firmly entrenched in last place in the league. They lost to the Penguins, 4-1, in their last game, with the only goal coming from Gabriel Landeskog. They had won two games in a row prior to the loss against Pittsburgh.
Rangers aim for fourth straight win against the Predators
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
- New York Rangers (34-18-1, 69 PTS) vs Nashville Predators (26-19-8, 60 PTS)
- The Rangers are coming off of a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks, giving them wins in three straight games as well as the first two games of the home stand. Oscar Lindberg, Mats Zuccarello and Michael Grabner all found the back of the net, with Grabner scoring twice. Henrik Lundqvist made 43 saves in the win
- The Predators also won their last game, a 4-2 home win over the Vancouver Canucks. Viktor Arvidsson, Calle Jarnkrok and Mike Fisher scored the goals for Nashville, with Arvisson scoring twice. Pekka Rinne made 31 saves for his 21st win of the season.
- The Predators are in third place in the Central Division right now, holding a one point lead over the St. Louis Blues. The LA Kings are just a point out of the wild card spot too, so Nashville has some competition. Points down the stretch will be very important if they want a playoff spot.
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