Blog Archives
Adam Huska, Igor Shestyorkin solidify Rangers’ goaltending future, allow for moves to be made
Bobby Bevilacqua
Adam Huska in net for the Green Bay Gamblers. Photo courtesy of Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette Media
In last year’s NHL Draft, the Rangers selected 6’3” Slovakian goaltender Adam Huska with their seventh round pick, a selection that people didn’t think twice about considering the talent the Rangers already have in their goaltending prospect pool.
Brandon Halverson was considered the brightest goalie prospect in the Rangers organization, winning 40 games with the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds last season in the OHL, and getting regular reps with the USA Juniors team. Mackenzie Skapski was an excellent goalie in the AHL last season, making two NHL starts before a hip injury caused him to rehab for most of this year. Add that with Magnus Hellberg, the goalie prospect acquired from the Nashville Predators in the offseason, and the Rangers are stacked.
So it’s understandable why nobody batted an eye when the Rangers took Adam Huska with the 184th pick of the draft last season. But after being selected, he played well for Slovakia in the WJC, carrying that momentum into an excellent first full season with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. Read the rest of this entry
BREAKING: Antti Raanta signs two year deal with the Rangers
Bobby Bevilacqua
The first move of the Rangers offseason was a good one.
The Rangers announced via Twitter today that they had agreed to terms on a new contract with backup goaltender Antti Raanta. The terms were not disclosed, but it is rumored that it is a two year deal with a cap hit of $1 million.
#NYR backup goalie Antti Raanta’s new contract is reportedly two years, $1M AAV. Good deal for both player and club.
— Sean Hartnett (@HartnettHockey) May 2, 2016
Raanta, who turns 27 this month, appeared in 25 games for the Rangers in the 2015-16 season, tying a career high. He finished with a record of 11-6-2 with a 2.24 GAA (8th in the NHL) and a .926 save percentage.
Raanta won each of his first four starts of the season, becoming the first goalie in franchise history to accomplish that feat. He also finished the season on a tear, closing out the year with a 7-1-0 record in his last eight games along with a 2.13 GAA and a .931 save percentage in that span.
Among goalies that have appeared in a minimum of 15 games in each of the last two seasons, Raanta ranks second in the league in GAA (2.10) and fourth in save percentage (.926). He’s also been fantastic on home ice, posting a 19-4-4 record in 31 career home appearances to go with a 1.80 GAA, a .934 save percentage and four shutouts.
This is a really good deal for the Rangers. Raanta played very well for the majority of this season, especially down the stretch. Also, a $1 million cap hit for Raanta for the next two seasons is very affordable, and a good price for what he can bring to the table. The Rangers may need to use him more often and rest Lundqvist down the stretch, especially after a tough outing in the playoffs for him this season.
Good deal for both sides.
Great feeling to come back to @NYRangers thanks to the fans for a great first year and everybody who made NY feel like home! #family 😊😊
— Antti Raanta (@ARaanta31) May 2, 2016
Change is coming for the Rangers, but how much is necessary?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Since the Rangers were eliminated from the playoffs, the talk has been about the inevitable changes that this team will see happen this offseason. The Rangers themselves admitted that they will have to shake things up when talking to reporters on break up day.
“When you don’t meet expectations and don’t meet our fans’ expectations there are definitely going to be changes,” Alain Vigneault told reporters. “I think we’re at the stage now where we need to look at some changes. I think with any NHL team today status quo is not possible. You need to keep changing pieces, bringing in different players to add a different dynamic to your group. It is certainly time now to look into what we can do to improve, and that’s what we are going to do here moving forward.”
After a disastrous showing against the Penguins, where the team was totally outplayed and outclassed in a five game series, there is a need for change. Some things need to be shaken up and new players should be brought in or giver bigger roles. But a knee-jerk reaction to the loss could be the wrong way to approach things. Read the rest of this entry
Season ending embarrassment is exactly what the doctor ordered
John Dundon
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Rangers were one minute away from walking into the locker room with a one goal lead after two periods in game three. Instead, Sidney Crosby deflected a puck over the outstretched leg of Henrik Lundqvist with 42 seconds remaining in the period to tie that pivotal game at one.
Pittsburgh would go on to win 3-1, take a 2-1 series lead and never looked back. Alain Vigneault called it the turning point of the series. Perhaps he’s right in some regard.
The Rangers season ended the second Crosby got a stick on that pass. Through a maze of ineffective Rangers penalty killers, Phil Kessel was easily able to make a pass to the best hockey player in the world, sitting wide open on the doorstep. It was a goal the Rangers couldn’t let up at that point in the game, series or season. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers season comes to a close with 6-3 thrashing in Pittsburgh
Alexandra Russo
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Alain Vigneault said before the game that his team has been there before, and they’ve been successful by staying in the moment. Unfortunately, that success didn’t carry over to this season, as they lost this game, this series, and their season, by the final score of 6-3.
One of the things the Rangers said they needed is the strong presence and scoring of Rick Nash, and he opened up the scoring for his team 1:01 into Game 5. Brady Skjei made a fast pass to Dan Girardi, who took a shot from the point. That got deflected by Nash in front for the early Rangers’ lead.
But the Blueshirts didn’t stop there. They proceeded to harass Murray and were able to get quite a few quality opportunities. Specifically, they had an odd-man rush where Nash made a great pass to Girardi in front of the net, but Murray made a good save to prevent a bigger lead. Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 