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Rangers weather the storm and snap losing streak; Kevin Klein injured
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
A hurricane came blowing through Madison Square Garden, but the Rangers weathered the storm.
Despite playing a similar type of hockey that saw the Rangers (17-6-2) lose three straight games, Alain Vigneault’s squad managed to come out on top, 4-3, against the Carolina Hurricanes (8-12-4), who have just two wins in their last 10 games.
It was a game that the Rangers were grossly outshot in, yet again, and it took some gifted goals from Cam Ward and an excellent performance by Henrik Lundqvist to come away with a win in this one. A win is a win, but the team needs to be better before they take on the Islanders in their next game. Read the rest of this entry
UPDATE: Derek Stepan out 4-6 weeks, Rangers lineup vs Carolina
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After the morning skate and during Alain Vigneault’s press conference, the head coach announced that Derek Stepan will miss four to six weeks due to his broken ribs.
Stepan was hit late into the boards by Bruins winger Matt Beleskey and suffered the injury on that play. This is just the second time in his career that he will miss regular season games, as Stepan has been one of the “iron men” on this team.
This is brutal. Saying that he is a big part of the team is an understatement. Stepan is the second line center, plays 17 minutes a night in all situations, scores points, plays excellent defensive hockey, and he’s been pretty clutch at times in his career. There are big skates to fill for the next month or so. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers need a big rebound win at home against the Hurricanes
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
“When you lose one, let alone two, you push the urgency button. Three is not acceptable for a team of our caliber.”
Those were the words that Rick Nash told reporters following the Rangers (16-6-2) following their shutout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden this Saturday, recording just 24 shots on goal, including 14 over the last 40 minutes. They’ll look to avoid a four game losing streak when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes (8-11-4) at the Garden tonight.
The Rangers are closing out the month of November, looking to end it on a high note. It’s been a successful month, with the team posting a 9-4 record, but they have lost three straight games in regulation, two of those coming on home ice. In those games, they’ve been outscored 12-4, with seven of those goals coming in the third period, a big surprise based on the team’s play in the third period all season long. Read the rest of this entry
Game Notes: Rangers blow away the Hurricanes on home ice
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
- The Rangers are red hot. They’re 11-2-2, and their 11 wins and 24 points are tied for the best start through 15 games in franchise history. They’ve won six games in a row, and have points in 10 straight games (8-0-2). Under Alain Vigneault, the Rangers have posted two 10 game point streaks in the past two seasons, just the fifth and sixth time that has happened in franchise history. Despite all of the record setting…
- The Rangers aren’t close to playing their best hockey. In fact, they’re not playing that well at all. That may seem stupid to say about a team with an 11-2-2 record, but it makes sense. Last night, the Rangers led 2-0 after the first period. But they had just three shots on goal, and eight shot attempts. The Hurricanes controlled the flow of the period and had more chances, evident by their eight shots on goal and 24 shot attempts. That’s been the norm in a lot of the games they play. They’re out possessed, out chanced, and even outplayed in some instances, but still coming away with wins. That really is a testament to….
- Their goaltending. The Rangers have the best goaltender duo in the NHL, hands down. Henrik Lundqvist has moved past his history of slow starts, beginning the season in playoff mode. Antti Raanta has been absurdly good in his three starts, allowing two goals in all of the games. He was four seconds away from a second shutout against the Coyotes, but he still finished with 39 saves. New York has the second best goal differential in the league (+20), behind only the Montreal Canadiens and their incredible +30 differential. The Rangers have allowed 24 goals or fewer in the first 15 games of the season for the first time since 1939-40 and for the sixth time in team history. Henrik Lundqvist’s .949 save percentage is the best mark that any NYR goalie has posted in their first 12 starts since the NHL began tracking that stat in 1975-76. Lundqvist has allowed just 20 gals this season, the fewest of any goalie that has started at least 10 games. He’s also faced the most shots against (384) than any NHL netminder this season. That speaks volumes about…
Hurricane Warning; Rangers back at MSG to take on Carolina, Nash “good to go”
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers (10-2-2) are back on home ice after sweeping their brief two game road trip, facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes (6-8-0), the first of four games between these Metropolitan Division foes.
New York has had tremendous success against Carolina in the past few years, winning all five games against them last season, outscoring the Hurricanes 13-5. Four of the five wins were one goal games, with three of the games ending in a shootout.
The Rangers are off to their best start through 14 games in franchise history, posting an impressive 10-2-2 record with 22 points, sitting atop the Metropolitan Division and winning five straight games. They’ve picked up a point in nine consecutive games, going 7-0-2 following their loss to the Montreal Canadiens on October 15th. Read the rest of this entry
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