Category Archives: Game Recaps
Rangers fall short in Cup Final rematch; Zuccarello snaps goal drought
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers bench looks dejected after a disappointing home-ice loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Concluding a brief two game homestand, the Rangers (48-19-7) getting beat in most facets of the game, and taking 4-2 loss against the Los Angeles Kings (36-23-14) by a final score of 4-2.
The Rangers were simply outmuscled, outworked, and outplayed in this one. They weren’t sharp, often losing puck battles and giving up silly turnovers. Vigneault said it best in the postgame interview, saying, “We were second on the puck, and second on one-on-ones. Our execution wasn’t what it needed to be against a strong opponents. We paid the price.”
It wasn’t a lack of effort, it was simply the fact that the Kings played like a team desperate to get into the playoffs. It was a great performance on their part, and they didn’t let the fatigue factor from their game last night get to them. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers offense explodes in win over Anaheim and break out of scoring slump
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers got a huge win on home ice, scoring a season-high seven goals over the Anaheim Ducks, and moving back into the top spot in the NHL. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After struggling to score for most of the month, the Rangers (46-18-7) offense exploded on Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks (46-21-7), finding the back of the net seven times en route to a 7-2 statement victory for New York.
Anaheim came into the game with a four game win streak, and they were tied with the Canadiens with 99 points for first in the NHL. But the Rangers did not let that fact faze them, dominating one of the best teams in the league on home ice.
New York has been impressive on home ice this season, posting a 23-8-5 record at MSG, with points in 10 of their last 11 games at Madison Square Garden (9-1-1). They are 13-3-2 in their last 18 games against against Western Conference teams, and 16-4-5 against the West this year. The Blueshirts are 11-1-1 versus the mighty Pacific Division this season. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers escape with shootout win in Raleigh; Fast and Miller both score
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers celebrate JT Miller’s second period goal, one of two in the period for New York as they went on to win in the shootout. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Despite getting outplayed for the better parts of two periods, the Rangers (45-18-7) managed to come away with a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes (26-36-9) in the shootout, capturing their 45th win of the season, the eighth time in team history that they have reached that win total.
The win gives now have 97 points this season, surpassing last year’s point total by one. They remain five points ahead of the Islanders, and are tied with the Montreal Canadiens, but have two games in hand.
The Rangers also swept the season series against Carolina, coming away with five wins in the five games they played. They have won 16 of the last 17 games against the Hurricanes, the best 17 game span versus one opponent in franchise history. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers blanked at home by the Blackhawks; Talbot sharp in net again
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers came up on the short end of the stick in tonight’s game, falling to Chicago by a final score of 1-0. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers (44-18-7) were unable to extend their win streak to six games, falling short to the Chicago Blackhawks (43-21-8) in what felt like a playoff game. The defense was top-notch, as well as the goaltending, and Chicago scored the game’s only goal, coming off the stick of former Ranger Brad Richards.
It was the second time in 10 days that these two teams faced off, and both games finished with a final score of 1-0. These are two of the elite teams in the NHL, and the Blackhawks and Rangers showed that again, battling in an extremely close game tonight.
It was pretty even in both quality scoring chances and shots on goal, although the Blackhawks had a slight edge in that category, edging the Rangers 31-25 in shots. The Rangers were unable to get any pucks past Scott Darling before the whistle blew (we’ll get to that later), and Darling picked up his first career NHL shutout. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers win again over tough Panthers team; Sheppard and Hunwick score
Bobby Bevilacqua
Cam Talbot and the Rangers fourth line stole the show, providing the spark the Rangers needed to get past the Panthers. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers (44-17-7) managed two survive 40 minutes of swarming Florida Panthers (31-24-14), earning their fifth straight win thanks to strong play from the fourth line and superb goaltending from Cam Talbot. New York skated away with a 2-1 home ice victory.
With the win, the Rangers improved their record to 44-17-7, with a 14-1-3 record in the last 18 games. Since December 8th, the Rangers are 33-7-3, propelling them to five points ahead of the Islanders in the division, and first place in the entire league.
Tonight marked the first time in franchise history that the Rangers have allowed one goal or fewer in regulation in seven straight games. Read the rest of this entry
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