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Lundqvist Shutout Propels Rangers over Penguins
Ezra Kwestel
Kevin Hayes celebrates his goal with Daniel Paille (Photo via NY Rangers)
Tonight, the New York Rangers (31-18-5) defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins (27-19-7) by a score of 3-0. Let’s start off with the positives: The Rangers have now won four in a row and are 4-1 since the All-Star break and 7-3 in their last 10 games. Many people noted that tonight’s game was going to be a litmus test for the Rangers, going up against a Penguins team that has been clicking on all cylinders lately. It was also the Rangers first game against a team in playoff position since their tilt on January 17 at Washington. Although the Rangers went into Pittsburgh and shut out Crosby and Co. we can’t categorize tonight’s game as “signature win.” With that being said, there is still plenty of merit in winning a road game without Ryan McDonagh and Rick Nash. It should also be noted that the Penguins played tonight’s game without All-Star forward Evgeni Malkin. Read the rest of this entry
Miller, Brassard look to stay hot against Hagelin and the Penguins
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For the first time since the Rangers (30-18-5) eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins (27-18-7) in Game 5 of the opening round of the playoffs, these two bitter rivals will face off once again. Despite playing every other team in the Metropolitan Division, this is the first game between New York and Pittsburgh in this regular season.
The Rangers are currently riding a three game win streak, the first time they’ve won that many consecutive games since the middle of November. Things are starting to look up; more possession, more shots on goal, better defensive play, and less mistakes. That’s given the Rangers six wins in their last eight, and something to build off of.
The Penguins are also coming into tonight’s game playing extremely well. Under former Rangers assistant coach and now current head coach Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh has greatly improved their play, finding the right line combinations, scoring more and winning more. The Penguins have won six of their last seven games, outscoring opponents 23-14 in those games. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers head into the holidays with an OT win against the Ducks
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers and their fans got a Christmas present a couple of days early.
With both teams desperately searching for a win, it was the Rangers (20-12-4) who came out on top, taking down the 30th place Anaheim Ducks (12-15-6) by a score of 3-2 in the final game before the holiday break. It was a win the Rangers really needed, giving them a bit of a confidence booster as they get ready to unwind over the next five days.
I’m not going to be overly critical, but it wasn’t the most prolific offensive performance from Vigneault’s squad. They clearly focused on defense first, and that worked for the most part. The Ducks had very few good scoring chances and they only managed 19 shots on goal. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers look to finish first half strong against Ducks: Hagelin returns to MSG
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Tonight at MSG, the Rangers (19-12-4) will take on the struggling Anaheim Ducks (12-15-5) in the last game before a six day Christmas holiday break. It may look like a meaningless mid-December game, but Alain Vigneault will be looking for a way to snap his team out of their funk and try and right the ship before the break.
This is the first of two games between the Rangers and Ducks this season, and the only one at MSG. The Rangers owned the season series last year, winning both games by a combined score of 11-3, including a 7-2 win at the Garden.
Winning has not come easy for the Rangers lately. Their 7-3 loss on Sunday, surrendering six straight goals to the Washington Capitals, saw them hit a new low. In their last 14 games, they’ve won just three times, collecting a total of eight points in the standings out of a possible 28. Read the rest of this entry
Unlike last season, Rangers depth and bottom six is a reason for their success
Bobby Bevilacqua
Dominic Moore and Viktor Stalberg both help provide a lot of depth on this Rangers squad. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
What a difference a year can make.
Last season, the biggest issue discussed and written about by bloggers, reporters, analysts and fans was the lack of depth in the Rangers lineup. Tanner Glass was an everyday player on the fourth line, while Lee Stempniak, Jesper Fast and JT Miller all competed for ice time.
Once the Rangers traded away Stempniak, they really didn’t have a spare forward that could step in and produce. That came into play during the playoffs when Mats Zuccarello went down with an injury, and James Sheppard had to step into the lineup. He didn’t have much of an impact, totaling two points (1-1-2) in 13 playoff games.
More importantly, the fourth line was terrible. Tanner Glass and James Sheppard did nothing to help out Dominic Moore, they struggled against the Lightning’s top players, and spent minimal time on attack. They didn’t do what a fourth line is supposed to do. Read the rest of this entry
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