Category Archives: Game Previews
Rangers open Conference Finals at home against familiar faces
Bobby Bevilacqua
Martin St. Louis faces off against his former team, a place where he accomplished so much, as they stand between him and a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers and the Lightning are meeting for the first time in five and a half months, as well as the first time ever in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as both teams battle for a chance to play in the Stanley Cup Final. The Rangers are looking to make it back to the finals for the second straight year, while the Lightning are in the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2011.
The connections between these two teams are well documented, especially following the captain for captain trade last season involving Ryan Callahan and Martin St. Louis. Anton Stralman and Brian Boyle both played on the Rangers last season, and Dan Boyle and Dominic Moore were both key members of the Lightning at one point.
But all of that is behind the two teams, who are focused on doing whatever they can to win. St. Louis said it best following Friday’s practice. “You try and approach it as any other team. They’re the team in the way of where we want to be.” Read the rest of this entry
Rangers and Caps set for another classic Game 7 matchup at the Garden
Bobby Bevilacqua
Ryan McDonagh and Alex Ovechkin, the two captains, will match up one last time in a deciding Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
When it looked like the Rangers were on the brink of elimination in Game 5, Chris Kreider scored with 1:41 left in the third period to send it into overtime, with Ryan McDonagh the hero in the end. They then got it done at the Verizon Center, with two goals from Chris Kreider, and one each by Rick Nash and Dan Boyle, backed up by 42 saves from Henrik Lundqvist.
All of these events sets the scene for a classic Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” a place where the Rangers have won all six Game 7s in their franchise history. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers look for a win in DC to keep postseason dreams alive
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers are in a must win situation again on Sunday Night, this time in DC, where the Capitals will be pushing hard to close out the series. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After an emotional comeback win at Madison Square Garden in Game 5, a game that saw the Rangers tie the game up with less than two minutes remaining and then win in overtime, the Blueshirts are back at it on Sunday Night, looking to extend their season again in a must-win Game 6 at the Verizon Center. They currently train the series three games to two.
With their backs against the wall, New York managed to get the win at the Garden, continuing their strong play overall throughout the series. Ryan McDonagh’s overtime goal gave the Rangers a chance to play one more hockey game, to get one more win and take it back to Madison Square Garden for a decisive Game 7.
New York is attempting to comeback from a 3-1 series deficit in the second round for the second consecutive season. The win on Friday gave the Rangers nine consecutive wins during elimination games at home, an NHL record. Those wins all belong to Henrik Lundqvist, who is 12-3 in elimination games dating back to the 2012 season. Read the rest of this entry
Confidence and resiliency is the locker room message for the Rangers in Game 5
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers are going to have to be at their best tonight, with an edge to their game and their offense at their best. The odds are against them, but they’ve done it before. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Rangers have scored just one goal on 59 shots against Braden Holtby in the two games away from home, suffering two losses despite playing good hockey. Holtby has been playing very well, the defensive effort from the Capitals has been strong, and the Rangers have not gotten consistent production from all over the ice.
All of this sums up to a 3-1 series deficit, and needing to win three straight games against the Capitals in order to advance to the Eastern Conference Final. While that’s obviously not easy to do, the Rangers do not need to search far for inspiration when it comes to overcoming significant deficits. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers seek a win in a crucial Game 4; Vigneault calls out top performers
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers and Capitals will meet again for Game 4 tonight, essentially a must win for the Rangers. They’ll need to combat the Capitals size and smothering defense, and score some goals. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
At 7:30 PM tonight at the Verizon Center, the Rangers will be playing their most important game of the season to this point, looking to even the series at two before heading back to Madison Square Garden for a pivotal Game 5.
Trailing the series 2-1, the Rangers would be in an extremely precarious situation should they lose in Game 4. This is the situation they are in after getting shutout in Game 3, with their offense struggling mightily throughout the first eight games of the playoffs.
After averaging over three goals per game in the regular season, the Rangers have found that number dip to just 1.88 in the playoffs, scoring just four goals in the first three games against the Capitals. Players like Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis and Derek Stepan have struggled to consistently provide offense for the Rangers, which is a big part of the reason why they are struggling against Washington. Read the rest of this entry
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