Category Archives: Game Previews
Rangers look to extend win streak against Chicago with new lines in place
Bobby Bevilacqua

The Rangers will turn to Kevin Hayes on the second line to pick up the scoring slack in the absence of Martin St. Louis as the team goes for its sixth straight win. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After two days off, the Rangers (44-17-7) are hoping to extend their win streak to six games when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks (42-21-6) for the second time in less than two weeks, with both teams playing quite well as of late.
New York and Chicago last faced off on December 8th in a game that went into overtime scoreless. Derick Brassard scored the game winner on a short-side slap shot, which also happened to be the last goal that he scored. Cam Talbot stopped 29 shots for the shutout.
Chicago did play last night, handing the Islanders their fourth straight loss and coming away with a 4-1 victory. Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa each scored twice, and Corey Crawford stopped 38 shots. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers back home for game against Jagr and the Panthers; Talbot back in net
Bobby Bevilacqua

The Rangers are heading back to MSG to take on the Florida Panthers, with New York in search of their fifth straight win. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After a successful road trip, the Rangers (43-17-7) are back on home ice where they will take on the Florida Panthers for the third and final time this season. New York is hoping to extend their win streak to five games, as well as extend their lead over the Islanders to five points.
The last time that these two teams faced off was on February 2nd in New York, with the Rangers skating away with a 6-3 victory. Rick Nash scored twice, Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist, and Kevin Hayes, Marc Staal, and Dan Boyle also found the back of the net.
Both teams also played last night, and won. Mackenzie Skapski earned his first career shutout in a 2-0 win over the Sabres, and Dan Ellis of the Panthers shut out the Carolina Hurricanes during a 2-0 Panthers victory. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers close out road trip in Buffalo with Skapski back in net
Bobby Bevilacqua

Mackenzie Skapski will make his second career NHL start tonight, giving Cam Talbot an opportunity for a night off. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Rangers (42-17-7) will close out a season-high five game road trip tonight when they take on the Buffalo Sabres (19-42-6) for the third and final time this year, with the Rangers looking to sweep the season series.
These two teams played back on February 20th in Buffalo, which was a makeup of a postponed game from November. Carl Hagelin and Mats Zuccarello both scored goals, and Rick Nash had a goal and an assist. Mackenzie Skapski made his NHL debut, and made 24 saves to earn his first career win.
On this road trip, the Rangers are 3-0-1, winning their last three games. The Rangers are 8-1-1 in their last 10 road games, and lead the NHL in road wins with 21. Their last game was Wednesday night, a 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. They got some bad news after the game, learning that Kevin Klein will be out at least 3-4 weeks with a broken arm. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers take on the Capitals in D.C.; NHL’s leading goal scorers face off
Bobby Bevilacqua

Rick Nash had his first hat trick as a Rangers when these two teams last faced off, and is hoping to keep providing offensive support for the Rangers. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After a huge win over the Islanders, the Rangers (41-17-7) will look to stay hot when they take on the Washington Capitals (36-21-10) at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C, another Metropolitan Division matchup.
The Rangers and Capitals have met just once this season, with the Rangers coming away with a 4-2 victory at Madison Square Garden. Rick Nash scored his first hat trick as a Ranger, and Derick Brassard had three assists. Henrik Lundqvist started, stopping 30 of the 32 shots that he faced.
The Rangers have been really successful against Metropolitan Division opponents, with a 17-3-1 record in their last 21 interdivisional games. The Rangers will take on the Capitals two more times this season after tonight. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers look for rebound win in the Windy City; Nash looking to get going again
Bobby Bevilacqua

The Rangers are looking to continue their success on the road and against the Western Conference tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers (39-17-7) continue their road trip tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks (39-21-5), the only remaining team that the Rangers have not played yet. The Rangers had two days off at home before practicing Saturday afternoon and heading out to Chicago for the second game of their five game road trip.
Alain Vigneault stressed rest and recovery, especially with tonight’s showdown beginning a series of three games in four days. After tonight, the Rangers will head to Nassau for the final regular season matchup against the Islanders before going down to Washington D.C. to take on the Capitals.
New York has fared well away from the Garden, with a solid record of 18-10-2 on the road. The Blueshirts also have a seven game point streak (5-0-2) against Western Conference teams, their best since the 1996-97 season. They are also 5-1-1 in their last seven games on the road. Read the rest of this entry