Kevin Hayes rejoins lineup as Rangers look to extend win streak against Anaheim
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
- New York Rangers (33-18-1, 67 PTS) vs. Anaheim Ducks (28-16-10, 66 PTS)
- The Rangers are coming off of a 4-3 win over the Calgary flames in the first game of their four game home stand. Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, Chris Kreider and Jesper Fast all scored goals and Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves. Grabner’s goal was his 23rd, and his 22 even strength goals leads the NHL. Chris Kreider scored his 21st goal of the season, tying his career high. JT Miller picked up two assists.
- The Ducks lost in the shootout against the Tampa Bay Lightning in their last game, giving them two straight losses and a 1-2-1 record in their last four games. Defenseman Brandon Montour scored his first career goal and Ryan Getzlaf also scored. Jonathan Bernier made 35 saves but got the loss.
Rangers Practice Report: Kevin Hayes expected to return tomorrow, Staal misses practice with the flu
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers kicked off their four game homestand yesterday with a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames, getting goals from Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, Chris Kreider and Jesper Fast. They skated today ahead of their matchup against Anaheim tomorrow in search of their third straight win.
Kevin Hayes participated in the full practice today and Alain Vigneault said that barring something in the morning skate, Hayes will rejoin the lineup.
Through 47 games this season Hayes has scored 35 points, and is just 10 points behind tying his career high of 45 set in his rookie season. His last game was Jan. 22 and he had been playing well at the time, with four points in four games. He’s been pretty consistent with his production overall, with 12 points (2-10-12) in the last 11 games he had played prior to his injury. Read the rest of this entry
The Rangers should try and trade for Shayne Gostisbehere
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of USATSI.
Last season saw the emergence of many good rookies, such as Jack Eichel, Filip Forsberg, Artemi Panarin and Connor McDavid. But Shayne Gostisbehere of the Philadelphia Flyers was one of the most exciting and promising players to emerge from last year.
Gostisbehere was coming off of a 2014-15 season where he tore his ACL and played just five AHL games. The Union College grad played in a full-time role for the first time last season, featuring in 64 games and scoring 17 goals and 29 assists (46 points). The 17 goals was a Flyers record for goals by a rookie defenseman. He also had a 15-game scoring streak, which was the longest by a defenseman in the last 20 years, and also was the first rookie to score four overtime goals.
He played on the top pairing against some of the top players in the league and was certainly a strong and effective defender. He was lauded for his ability to transition quickly, easily able to recover from a turnover and get back on defense. A great skater, an excellent passer and scorer, and a power play quarter back (8-14-22 on the power play last season), Gostisbehere had the look of an elite defenseman. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers kick off homestand against the Calgary Flames; Kreider looks to tie career high in goals
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
- New York Rangers (32-18-1, 65 PTS) vs Calgary Flames (27-24-3, 67 PTS)
- The Rangers won their last game, a 2-1 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres. They snapped a power play drought in the win thanks to Mats Zuccarello’s deflection goal, and Chris Kreider scored in overtime for his 20th goal of the season. Henrik Lundqvist was spectacular, making 36 saves in the win.
- The Flames have won three straight games after snapping out of a rough stretch that saw them lost six out of seven. Their last game was a 4-3 overtime win over the New Jersey Devils. Mikael Backlund scored the game winner, Sean Monahan found the back of the net and TJ Brodie tallied four assists.
Quick Hits: Kevin Shattenkirk rumors, Alain Vigneault contract extension, Rangers scouting the Kings?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Welcome back to Quick Hits, a series where I address some interesting topics about the Rangers and the league all in one article. The NHL is just coming out of the All Star Break and approaching the trade deadline. With a lot of teams competing for playoff spots, things should get pretty interesting very soon.
If there’s anything you want me to talk about in the next edition of Quick Hits, leave suggestions in the comments below.
Rangers one of the teams interested in Kevin Shattenkirk
This is a longstanding rumor linking these two teams, but they’ve come back again and it seems like the Rangers are interested in trading for him at the trade deadline. I have a ton of mixed feelings about this. Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 