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Rangers fall to Penguins on the road; Lundqvist injured
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After winning three games in a row, the Rangers (37-21-6) dropped the first game of their road trip, falling to the rival Pittsburgh Penguins (33-22-8) by a score of 4-1 in an important divisional matchup.
The Rangers opened up the scoring but fell victim to three Penguin goals in 1:39. That small lapse cost them the game, as they were pretty good for the rest of the night. The Penguins also scored on the penalty kill, an area where the Rangers continue to struggle.
The first period didn’t see any goals, but the pace and action was that of a playoff game. Both teams were skating quickly and efficiently, the passing was crisp and accurate, and there was a ton of big hits. Ian Cole laid out Viktor Stalberg, Dylan McIlrath obliterated Tom Kuhnhackl, and Viktor Stalberg hit Kevin Porter into the boards. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers begin grueling stretch against the Penguins: Jesper Fast a game-time decision
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After a fantastic February where the Rangers (37-20-6) posted a 10-3-1 record and tied the franchise record for wins in February, they begin the month of March with a grueling three game stretch against Division Rivals, starting with the Pittsburgh Penguins (32-22-8) at the CONSOL Energy Center.
This three game stretch starts out against the Penguins, immediately followed by a road game against the Capitals on Friday night. The Blueshirts will get a day off before they take on the Islanders at MSG. Considering all three teams are in the playoffs, and the Penguins and Islanders are not that far behind in the standings, it’s a very important stretch for the Rangers.
The Rangers come into this game playing very well, winning three in a row, five of the last six, and 10 of the last 13 games. On top of that, they added Eric Staal to their forward group without giving up any roster players, making them an even more versatile and dangerous team. This will be Staal’s first taste of the Ranger rivalry games, and he’ll be leaned on heavily. 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
The Rangers are being overlooked, and that makes them even more dangerous
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Despite finishing last season with 113 points, the Presidents’ Trophy, and coming within one win of returning to the Stanley Cup Finals, the New York Rangers have found a way to fly under the radar in a very competitive Metropolitan Division. And they’re all the better for it.
The Metropolitan Division is in contention for the strongest division in the entire league. Many people have predicted that they will send five of the eight teams to the playoffs. Teams like the Blue Jackets, Capitals and Penguins all improved their team, with a lot of fantastic scorers and defenders spread out amongst the eight teams.
The Metro really does have the talent to send five teams to the playoffs, with those teams being The Rangers, the Penguins, the Capitals, the Blue Jackets and the Islanders. All five of those teams are extremely good, and they all have potential to make a run in the playoffs. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers move on to Round 2 with thrilling overtime win at MSG
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers sent the Penguins packing on Friday night, securing a 2-1 overtime victory courtesy of Carl Hagelin. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
In front of a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden, Carl Hagelin’s wrist shot sent the fans into a frenzy, and sent the New York Rangers to the second round of the 2015 playoffs. For the second consecutive year, the Rangers eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins from the playoffs, this time doing it in just five games.
The Rangers haven’t really been able to close out series quickly in recent memory, so this gives some of the players who are banged up extra time to rest. The last time the Rangers won a series in less than six games was back in 2008, when they beat the New Jersey Devils in five games.
Every game in the series has been a one goal game, and all four Rangers’ wins were 2-1 victories. The Rangers became just the second team in NHL history to win a playoff series without scoring three goals in any of the wins, and the first team in the 2000’s to do so. Read the rest of this entry
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