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Rangers look to start the second half strong in a division battle against the Devils
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
With the All Star Weekend in the rear view mirror, the Rangers (27-17-5) focus shifts to a battle for the playoffs. Thirty-three games spanning the next 68 days. Fifteen of those will come against Metropolitan Division opponents, including tonight’s matchup against the New Jersey Devils (25-20-5).
At this same point last season, there were six teams in the Eastern Conference ahead of the Rangers, but they had a comfortable eight point playoff cushion. This year, only six teams in the NHL have more points than the Rangers. But in a much more competitive Metropolitan Division, and a tight East, the playoff cushion is just four games.
The Rangers have reason to feel confident though. In the last 10 weeks of last regular season, Alain Vigneault’s squad went 25-7-3 and secured the President’s trophy with their play after March. These last 33 games are incredibly important, especially since many of the games come against Division foes looking to take over the Rangers playoff spot. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers must bring in reinforcements for bottom six forwards
John Dundon
Dominic Moore needs some help on the fourth line. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
It is impossible to predict what rookie GM Jeff Gorton will do with the trade deadline looming exactly one month away this Friday. One thing is certain: a team dressing Danny Paille is not one that is going to contend for a Stanley Cup. Sure, Paille is only playing because Rick Nash is out with a leg injury, but injuries happen in the playoffs too. If the Rangers first answer for an injury is Danny Paille, or Jayson Megna for that matter, they are in trouble.
The thrusting of Paille into the lineup by head coach Alain Vigneault seems like a desperation move. Paille was passed up for over a full season by all other 29 NHL clubs and putting up mediocre numbers in the AHL when Gorton came calling and offering him an NHL job. He’s been really bad since he was brought in on Jan. 22nd to play in what was a 4-1 Rangers win against Carolina. It’s a small sample size, but the Rangers have been out-chanced 10-2, and outshot 47-20 while Daniel Paille has been on the ice in the last three games. Gross. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers need to avoid a bridge deal and extend JT Miller now
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
So in his third season, instead of signing him to a bridge deal, the Panthers went all in, inking him to a six year, $34.5 million extension, an average of $5.75 million per year. This isn’t the first time the team has signed a young forward to a big extension right off of their ELC. Florida did the same with Nick Bjugstad last year after he scored 24 goals, giving him a six year extension with a cap hit of $4.1 million.
The thought process here is to immediately lock up the most talented young forwards, and get them under contract before they get better and can command more money. If Bjugstad pans out and becomes a consistent 20 goal, 50+ point scoring center, $4.1 million will seem like a very reasonable price. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers sign Daniel Paille to two-way deal; How this affects the lineup
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Steve Babineau/Getty Images.
This afternoon, Ryan Kennedy announced that the Rangers had signed veteran winger Daniel Paille to a contract. It was later reported by Sean Hartnett that the deal was a one year, two way deal valued at $575,000 in the NHL and $110,000 in the AHL.
Paille has been in the AHL this season with the Rockford Ice Hogs after spending the last six seasons with the Boston Bruins. He was drafted 20th overall by the Buffalo Sabres, and has appeared in 570 NHL games, scoring 85 goals and 172 points in that span. Last season he had six goals and seven assists in 71 games.
He also won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins back in 2011, scoring three goals with three assists and only four penalty minutes as the Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks. Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 
Rangers need rebound win in matchup against Buffalo; Lunqvist and AV infuriated
Jan 25
Posted by robertbevilacqua95
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After two very strong and promising performances by the team against Vancouver and the Hurricanes, Vigneault’s squad came out almost entirely flat, barely pressuring Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson and showing a lack of effort. It’s not often that you can criticize the Rangers’ effort, but it wasn’t there last night.
That led Henrik Lundqvist to question his team’s preparation in his postgame interview when questioned about the topic. Read the rest of this entry →
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Tags: Alain Vigneault, Antti Raanta, Buffalo Sabres, Chad Johnson, Chris Kreider, Daniel Paille, Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard, Dominic Moore, Henrik Lundqvist, Jack Eichel, Lundqvist Interview, Madison Square Garden, Mats Zuccarello, MSG, New York Rangers, New York Rangers blog, NYR, Rangers, Rangers blog, Rangers vs Sabres, Rick Nash, Ristolainen, Robin Lehner, Ryan O'Reilly, Tanner Glass, Vigneault interview, Vigneault Post game comments