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Rangers battle NHL best Columbus before the bye-week; Updates on Nash, Buchnevich, Zibanejad
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers (27-13-1) played one of their most complete games of the year on Wednesday, a 5-2 win over the Flyers, but now they face a tall task when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets (27-6-4) on the road, their last game before the league-mandated “bye-week.”
These two teams have become real rivals over the last few years, with each game featuring a bit of nastiness and an edge that each skater is playing with. Now that Columbus has the most points in the league and sit atop the Metropolitan Division, these games have even more meaning.
The Rangers got two goals from Kevin Hayes and Michael Grabner, as well as one from Chris Kreider, in a win over the Flyers in their last game. Henrik Lundqvist was fantastic, making 30 saves, and the Rangers defense also looked good as Vigneault switched up the pairings with Marc Staal out. Read the rest of this entry
Halfway there: Evaluating the Rangers at the midpoint of the season
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
We’re officially halfway through the Rangers season, and it’s been a pretty good start despite some injuries, rough stretches and a lot of new players for Alain Vigneault to figure out and utilize properly.
With a 27-13-1 record along with practically same defensive unit as last season, the Rangers have probably exceeded most people’s expectations. Their 55 points are tied with the Penguins for second in the division, as well as being tied for the second most points in the entire league (Pittsburgh has played three fewer games). The Blue Jackets sit in first in the division and the league thanks to their incredible 16 game win streak that stretched from late November into January.
Given the situation with all of the forward injuries, the first half of the season has been a big success. There have been some issues and rough patches, like with just about every team, but it’s hard not to come away with more positives than negatives. Read the rest of this entry
Lundqvist stellar as Rangers take down the Flyers; New defense pairings work well
Bobby Bevilacqua
After an awful game against the Sabres yesterday, the Rangers (27-13-1) took down the Philadelphia Flyers (20-15-5) with one of their best all-around efforts this season, getting some stellar goalkeeping from Henrik Lundqvist, an offensive outburst and great defense and forechecking that led to the 5-2 victory.
The Rangers looked absolutely nonexistent and asleep against the Sabres, but the effort was there tonight. Everyone was playing with an edge and also making smart, decisive plays and creating chances while effectively shutting down Philadelphia for most of the game.
This marked the fifth straight game the Rangers beat the Flyers, and it was also their 21st win in the last 28 games against Philadelphia. The Rangers also secured their league-leading 14th road win of the season, and they are now 7-0-0 in the second game of back-to-backs this season. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers battle the Flyers in crucial division matchup; Vigneault fuming after yesterday’s loss
Bobby Bevilacqua
Yesterday was an embarrassing game for the Rangers (26-13-1), who lost 4-1 to the Buffalo Sabres after showing almost no effort or fire in their game. The team needs a quick turnaround, because they take on the Philadelphia Flyers (20-14-5) on the road tonight in what could wind up being an important one for the Metropolitan Division standings.
The Rangers did almost nothing right last night, and were outworked and out-executed by one of the worst teams in the league. Alain Vigneault normally keeps his cool, but he was fuming after last night’s loss.
“There’s no doubt we didn’t do a good enough job in preparing our team for tonight’s game,” Vigneault told reporters. “I mentioned it many times. There are no easy games in this league. We weren’t ready when the game started, our execution was nonexistent. We didn’t have a ‘D’ that could make a pass, and our compete level was not good enough. I haven’t said this very often about this group since I’ve been here, but this was a very bad game where we got outworked badly, and we’re going to need to respond here.” Read the rest of this entry
Rangers begin the new year against the Sabres at MSG; Nash and Buchnevich back to practicing
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After a successful two game road trip, the Rangers (26-12-1) head back to Madison Square Garden to take on the Buffalo Sabres (13-15-8), the first of two games over the next two days before heading to Philadelphia tomorrow.
The Rangers took care of business last week, beating the Arizona Coyotes and the Colorado Avalanche, two games they were supposed to win. The game against Arizona was a lot closer than it should have been, but they beat the Avalanche handily in their next game, scoring six goals. Now with games against the Sabres and the struggling Flyers over the next two days, the Rangers have a chance to secure some points before the league mandated bye-week.
The Sabres dealt with some injuries to start the year, but it’s been a pretty disappointing start considering some of the signings they made this offseason. Buffalo enters the game tonight with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and are just 1-4-2 in their last seven games. Read the rest of this entry
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