Category Archives: Game Previews
No love lost for Valentine’s Day rematch between the Rangers and Flyers
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
It may be Valentine’s Day, but there will be no love or affection shown on the ice when the Rangers (38-16-6) take on the Philadelphia Flyers (24-20-10) as they rematch back at Madison Square Garden in what is likely to be a physical, high intensity contest.
The games between these two rival clubs always have another level of intensity to them, but it will be even higher tonight following Wayne Simmonds giving Ryan McDonagh a concussion following a sucker punch to the face. Simmonds received a match penalty and Ryan McDonagh remains out of the lineup.
The Rangers lost in their last game on Friday, surrendering a late goal to the Los Angeles Kings and falling in overtime. The Blueshirts trailed 2-0 after 12 minutes, and wound up scoring three straight goals, and then making it 4-3 late. Viktor Stalberg, Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes all scored. Read the rest of this entry
Raanta starts in net for the first time in a month as the Ranger battle the Kings
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Wednesday night’s game against the Penguins marked the fourth straight win for the Rangers, their longest win streak since they won nine games in a row back in October and November. Playing without Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh has forced them to face the adversity and rise to the challenge, which they’ve done admirably.
This is the first of two matchups between these two teams and the only one that will take place at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers will travel to Los Angeles on March 16th for a game at the Staples Center. Last season, the teams split the season series, with the road team coming away with a 4-2 win both times. Read the rest of this entry
Miller, Brassard look to stay hot against Hagelin and the Penguins
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For the first time since the Rangers (30-18-5) eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins (27-18-7) in Game 5 of the opening round of the playoffs, these two bitter rivals will face off once again. Despite playing every other team in the Metropolitan Division, this is the first game between New York and Pittsburgh in this regular season.
The Rangers are currently riding a three game win streak, the first time they’ve won that many consecutive games since the middle of November. Things are starting to look up; more possession, more shots on goal, better defensive play, and less mistakes. That’s given the Rangers six wins in their last eight, and something to build off of.
The Penguins are also coming into tonight’s game playing extremely well. Under former Rangers assistant coach and now current head coach Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh has greatly improved their play, finding the right line combinations, scoring more and winning more. The Penguins have won six of their last seven games, outscoring opponents 23-14 in those games. Read the rest of this entry
McDonagh and Nash OUT as the Rangers rematch the New Jersey Devils
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Rangers (29-18-5) have an opportunity to put together a nice stretch of games, as they play host to the rival New Jersey Devils (26-20-7) for the second game between these teams in the past week.
After a rough start to the winter, the Rangers have finally started to play better and get the wins they need to stay afloat in a tight Metropolitan Division. Their come-from-behind victory on Saturday came following a dominant comeback win over the Minnesota Wild. It was just the second time since late November that the team has won two games in a row. They haven’t won three straight since their nine game win streak came to an end on November 15th.
The Rangers success couldn’t have come at a better time, since they will playing at Madison Square Garden for five of the next six games. They’ve already won 19 home games, tied for second in the NHL, and they’re 6-0-1 in their last seven games at the Garden. They’ve lost just once in regulation there since December 6th. Read the rest of this entry
Kevin Klein good to go as Rangers battle the Flyers; Nash still sidelined with bone bruise
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Despite what he called one of the most painful injuries he’s ever had, Kevin Klein is expected to play as the Rangers (28-28-5) play another important divisional matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers (23-18-8), who are currently riding a three game winning streak.
On the other hand, the Rangers are coming off of a nice bounce back win, as well as some of the most dominant hockey they have played all season long. The last 40 minutes of the game saw the Rangers totally control possession, pepper Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk with tons of shots and shot attempts, and shutting down Minnesota’s forward group. It was an excellent bounce-back performance after a really disappointing loss in New Jersey on Tuesday.
This is the fourth game in the season series, with the fifth and final game taking place in eight days. The Flyers won the first two games, shutting out the Rangers in New York back in November, and winning in the shootout on October 24. New York got their first win of the season against Philly on January 16th, a 3-2 shootout victory. Read the rest of this entry
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