Blog Archives
Rangers take on the Bruins at MSG; Nash recovering following “maintenance day”
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
It’s an Original Six matchup at Madison Square Garden tonight as the Rangers (41-24-8) battle the Boston Bruins, with both teams looking to strengthen their positioning in the standings as the playoffs draw closer.
Both teams have had some rough stretches lately, making today’ game important as both teams are looking to get back on track. The Rangers are just 4-4-2 in their last 10 games following Monday’s win, but they’ve managed to hold onto second place in the Metropolitan Division; two points ahead of the Penguins and five points ahead of the Islanders.
The Bruins were just swept on their three game road trip, losing to the Sharks, Ducks and Kings and getting outscored 9-3 in those games. Boston is also in a pretty good position in their division, sitting in third place but just three points behind the Panthers and the Lightning. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers rally late for win over the Bruins; Girardi suffers lacerated hand
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers (23-14-4) like to make things exciting, and they were able to turn a thrilling third period into a 2-1 win over the rival Boston Bruins (21-15-4) at Madison Square Garden, getting back in the win column before heading on the road for three games.
After a heartbreaking loss with a late goal against the Capitals, it was the Rangers breaking hearts tonight, as Jesper Fast scored the game winning goal with under two minutes remaining. After some shaky and rather bland play in the first two periods, the Rangers rebounded nicely and secured a big two points.
The Rangers may have struggled a lot on the road, but they’ve been great on home ice so far. Vigneault’s squad leads the Eastern Conference with 34 home points, and they’ve posted a 16-5-2 record at the Garden. Read the rest of this entry
Kreider back as the Rangers take on the Boston Bruins; Lindberg a healthy scratch
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After a heartbreaking loss on Saturday against the Washington Capitals, the Rangers (22-14-5) will look to secure a win to close their homestand when they take on the Boston Bruins (21-14-5) tonight at the Garden.
Both teams with almost identical records are looking to gain a foothold in their respective divisions. New York sits in second behind the Metropolitan, 18 points behind the Capitals, tied with the Islanders and just two points ahead of the Devils. Boston holds the first wild card spot, but they’re just four points out of second place.
This is the second of three matchups this season, and the first of three at MSG. Back on November 27th, the Bruins won in a heated contest, as Matt Beleskey broke two of Derek Stepan’s ribs on what looked to be a late hit into the boards. The Blueshirts were up 3-2 after a goal from JT Miller halfway through the third, but two late goals, including the game winner from David Krejci with 1:46 remaining. Read the rest of this entry
Quick Hits: The Florida Panthers are legit, Winter Classic, Changing the Playoff format
Bobby Bevilacqua
Welcome back to Quick Hits, a series where I talk about anything and everything around the NHL. The NHL is approaching the halfway mark of the season, and there are some really interesting storylines. The Panthers are in first place in the Atlantic, the Ducks are one of the worst teams in the league, and the Canadiens can’t win without Carey Price.
If there’s anything you want me to talk about in the next edition of Quick Hits, leave it in the comments section below.
The Florida Panthers are legit
Photo courtesy of Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images.
Before the season started, I predicted that the Panthers would make the playoffs as a wild card team. I didn’t foresee the Canadiens falling off without Carey Price, or the Lightning struggling, or Detroit playing around .500 hockey.
So to the surprise of just about everybody, it’s the Florida Panthers that lead the Atlantic Division. Dave Tallon has constructed a team with an excellent blend of youth and veteran leadership, constructed through the draft and some smart offseason acquisitions. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers drop third straight, blanked by Flyers at home
Alexandra Russo
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After two pretty disappointing effort against the Canadiens and Bruins, the Rangers (16-6-2) continued their losing streak to three straight with a 3-0 loss at the Garden with Raanta in net. It was the second meeting of these teams. The Flyers took the 3-2 win in the last game in a shootout in Philadelphia and have now gone 2-0-0 on the season. They broke an eleven game losing streak at the Garden with the win.
In Friday’s matchup against Boston, Derek Stepan took a hard hit, and two of his ribs were broken. He is out indefinitely as of right now. Coach Vigneault’s decision was to give Hayes a chance at center in Stepan’s absence, with Kreider on the left and Etem on the right.
A bitter rivalry between the Rangers and Flyers reared its head in Saturday’s contest. The fighting started early when McIlrath dropped the gloves with Luke Schenn early in the period. But the physicality didn’t stop there. The Rangers, who aren’t a very physical team, recorded 15 hits in the first period alone to the Flyers’ 11. Read the rest of this entry
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