Blog Archives
Rangers play the season’s biggest game against the Penguins at MSG
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
In arguably the most important game of the season, the Rangers (43-24-8) will battle the Pittsburgh Penguins (41-25-8) in a divisional rivalry that could decide the home ice advantage in a likely first-round playoff series between these two teams.
The Rangers currently hold the second place position in the Metropolitan Division, sitting four points ahead of the Pens, although they have a game in hand. Both teams have also been playing very well as of late. New York has won three straight games while Pittsburgh has won seven of their last eight games after losing Evgeni Malkin to injury.
Following a statement win over the Canadiens, tonight marks a great opportunity for the Rangers to gain a foothold in the division and make things easier for themselves as the season comes to a close. Points against the Penguins could secure home ice advantage in the first round. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers win statement game over the Canadiens; Kreider scores twice
Alexandra Russo
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
It’s been extremely tight in the Eastern Conference, and in a tight push the playoffs, the Rangers recognize how important these points are. John Giannone mentioned before the game that Stepan said the Rangers just want to enjoy the games and play them with passion. They did exactly that, winning big over the Canadiens by a final score of 5-2.
And on a night where both the Islanders and the Penguins picked up wins, tonight’s win was crucial. The Rangers remain four points ahead of Pittsburgh and five ahead of the Islanders.
Just three minutes and four seconds into the game, Keith Yandle recorded his 38th assist of the season as JT Miller gave his team the lead with the game’s opening goal. Derek Stepan took a hit to make a play, and was able to make the pass to Miller to send him flying up the ice. He put the puck on his backhand and slid it past Condon for his 21st goal of the season. 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 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 aim to get back on track with important game against the Panthers
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After a disappointing California road trip that exposed many of the team’s flaws, the Rangers (40-24-8) enter the home stretch with just 10 games remaining, playing three of the next four games at MSG. They start tonight against the Florida Panthers (40-23-9), who sit in first place in the Atlantic Division.
In their last game out, Henrik Lundqvist kept his team in the game for a long time despite being completely outplayed. The Sharks totaled 52 shots on goal, two times as many shots as the Rangers had, and scored four times. That put the Rangers at 3-4-2 in the last nine games.
And while the Rangers are significantly cooling down, other teams are starting to heat up. The playoff picture in the Metropolitan is very tight. The Rangers currently sit in third place, tied with the Penguins in games played, wins and points. But Pittsburgh have won six straight games and eight of the last 10. The Blueshirts are three points ahead of the Islanders for the first wild card spot, but the Isles have two games in hand. And the Red Wings trail the Rangers by five points with no games in hand for the last Wild Card spot. Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 