Category Archives: Game Previews
Big night for Sather, AV as Rangers take on the Edmonton Oilers
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
When the Rangers (18-8-3) take on the Oilers (12-15-2) at Rexall Place for the final time, it will not just be a regular season clash between the two teams. Tonight is a special night for both Glen Sather and Alain Vigneault.
Glen Sather cemented himself in Oilers history by coaching the team to four Stanley Cups during their dynasty years of the 1980s, and overseeing a fifth as the team’s GM. He played a major role in attracting players like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and others by building through the draft. Sather will be honored in a pre-game ceremony and have a banner raised to the rafters.
For Alain Vigneault, the Rangers head coach will be behind the bench for his 1000th career NHL game, coming with the Canadiens, Canucks and now the Rangers. Vigneault was very reflective leading up to the game tonight, and has spoken fondly about his time with the Rangers – where he is the franchise leader in points percentage with a record of 116-61-16 and a winning percentage of .646 since the start of the 2013-14 season. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers begin three game road trip in Vancouver; McDonagh slowly improving
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Following a big rebound win over the Ottawa Senators, the Rangers (18-7-3) head out on a three game road trip to Western Canada, starting their trip against the Vancouver Canucks (10-11-8), a team that has struggled to win games lately.
New York have played a lot of their games at home to begin the season, but will play five of the next six games on the road, with five of those games coming against Canadian teams. Last season, the team’s trip through Western Canada kick started their season, sweeping Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary, outscoring the teams 12-3 along the way.
Since Alain Vigneault joined the Rangers as head coach, the team has been very good away from home. The Blueshirts are 17-1-1 during road trips of three games or longer since the start of last season, and they’re 15-2-0 against Western Conference teams since last season. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers must get back to winning against Senators at the Garden
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers are slumping, badly, and a breakout performance is desperately needed before they head out on a three game road trip.
The Rangers (17-7-3) will take on the Ottawa Senators (14-7-5) for the second of three games this season. New York took the first game in a shootout, 2-1, back on November 14th, with Chris Kreider scoring the lone Rangers goal. The Blueshirts enter having won five of their last seven games against Ottawa.
After a nine game win streak early in the season, the Rangers have not been nearly as effective, posting a 3-5-1 record in their last nine games, as well as a 1-4-1 mark in their last six. The defense hasn’t been strong, the goal scoring department is starting to dry up, and their analytic numbers are beginning to regress towards normal. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers look to continue strong play and rebound against Colorado
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Despite their strongest performance in at least a month, the Rangers (17-6-3) came up on the short end of the stick against the Islanders, and they’ll look to get back on track with a win over the Colorado Avalanche (10-14-1), sitting in last place in the Central Division.
The Rangers will be playing the second game of yet another back-to-back series, losing in the shootout in their first game at the Barclays Center. The Avalanche won their last game on Tuesday, coming away with a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.
This is the second and final meeting between these two teams this season, and the only one at Madison Square Garden. New York came away with a 2-1 win in a goalie battle, as Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 29 shots while Avalanche goalie Reto Berra allowed just two goals on 35 shots. Derek Stepan and Oscar Lindberg scored for the Rangers, Ryan McDonagh had two assists, and Nathan McKinnon scored for the Avs. Read the rest of this entry
Historic matchup as Rangers travel to Brooklyn to take on the Islanders; Glass in lineup
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
For the first time in both team’s history, the storied rivalry between the Rangers (17-6-2) will take on the New York Islanders (13-8-4) in a stadium other than the Nassau Coliseum, traveling a few boroughs over to Brooklyn and the Barclays Center instead.
A smaller venue with some obstructed view seats and the chance to get really loud, the environment should be extremely lively, with fans of both teams shouting and cheering for their respective teams.
It hasn’t been the best of starts for the Islanders in their new home. Despite last season’s success and their young, talented roster, the attendance has been pretty poor. They average 12,393 fans per game, which is 29th in the league, and the numbers occasionally dip around 11,000 too. Part of this has to do with the many obstructed view seats, where an entire third of the ice can be blocked out, the high concession and ticket prices, and the long trip for Long Island fans into Brooklyn. Read the rest of this entry
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