Blog Archives
Hank Blanks Habs as Ranger D gets an A!
Marc Weissman
What a difference a night makes, eh? Just 24 hours after getting absolutely shelled by the Maple Leafs for 5 goals against in the 1st period alone, the rejuvenated Rangers and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist shook it off and turned in a big-time performance, shutting out the visiting Montreal Canadiens, 2-0, in front of a raucous October crowd at Madison Square Garden Sunday night. Lundqvist made 34 saves, several of the spectacular variety, to post his first shutout of the season and a Ranger-record 62nd blanking of his storied NHL career on Broadway. 2nd year D-man Brady Skjei came away with the fortuitous game-winner when his sharp angle pass intended for Michael Grabner caromed off Habs goaltender Carey Price and defenseman Shea Weber late in the first period to give the Blueshirts a lead they never relinquished. Meanwhile, $5.4M man Mika Zibanejad – now 2nd in the NHL in goals (4) and 1st in PPGs (3) – continued his amped-up play as the team’s new #1 center by snapping home a beautiful behind-the-net pass from sophomore linemate Pavel Buchnevich to seal the win in the 3rd period. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers look to rebound on the road against the Canadiens
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Following a loss in their first game out of the bye-week, the Rangers (28-14-1) are on the road to close out their back-to-back series when they take on the Montreal Canadiens (26-11-6) for the first time this season.
The Rangers were sloppy in the 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs last night, with some poor defensive coverage and decisions as well as some shaky goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist. Chris Kreider and JT Miller scored to make it closer, but Toronto had control of the game from the early stages.
The Canadiens were dominated in their last game, a 7-1 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Wild. Carey Price allowed all seven goals and it continued a trend of the team getting scored on a lot lately. Montreal has allowed four goals against in each of the last three games, and they’ve surrendered 21 goals in the last five games. However, their nine point lead atop the Atlantic Division makes things a bit more comfortable for them. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers take on the Montreal Canadiens with Raanta in net
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After securing two solid home-ice wins this week, the Rangers (42-24-8) are back on the road for one game, taking on the Montreal Canadiens (34-35-6) at the Bell Centre, one of the toughest stadiums to play in the NHL.
Most years, this would be a battle between two playoff teams. But the Canadiens have had to deal with injuries, a falling out between players and coaches and lackluster play, putting them in the midst of one of their worst seasons in recent history. Carey Price hasn’t played since November and that definitely hurt the Canadiens, but that injury shouldn’t affect the play of everyone else.
The Rangers are in a much better position than Montreal, winning their last two games and having the Penguins and Islanders lose on their off-days. Both teams have a single game in hand, and the Penguins and Islanders are four and five points behind the Rangers, respectively. With just eight games to go for the Blueshirts, every point is important. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers home win streak ends as Canadiens cruise to 5-1 win
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The issues that have been plaguing the New York Rangers (16-4-2) all season long finally caught up to them.
Following a surprising win over the Nashville Predators, despite playing poorly through two periods, the Montreal Canadiens (17-4-2) slapped around the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, cruising to a relatively easy 5-1 win.
It was easy because the defensive effort from New York was lackluster to say the least, and the likes of Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi and others left Henrik Lundqvist out to dry. The Swedish netminder was pulled in the third period after allowing five goals on 24 shots.
The loss was just the Rangers fourth in regulation this season and their second loss in the last 13 games, snapping their nine game home win streak, their longest since the 1971-72 season. The team’s record at MSG is now 10-2-1. Read the rest of this entry
Beasts of the East face off as the Rangers take on the Montreal Canadiens
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After taking down a strong but struggling Nashville Predator’s squad on Monday, the Rangers (16-3-2) take on the Atlantic Division leading Montreal Canadiens (16-4-2), a battle of two teams tied for the league lead in points.
Montreal and Boston has always been a heated rivalry, but the disdain between the Canadiens and Rangers is starting to grow. Following the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals, where Carey Price got injured and the Rangers won in six games to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years, these teams have played some close games with hard hitting, fights and a lot of fun action.
This is the second of three games between these two Original Six teams, and the first at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers were shutout 3-0 at the Bell Centre, and Henrik Lundqvist’s 29 saves were not good enough to fend off a ferocious Canadiens attack. Read the rest of this entry
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