Blog Archives
The state of the Rangers: Gorton faces a crossroad this offseason
Pat Rice
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers season came to a disappointing close, falling in the first round to the Pittsburgh Penguin in just five games. This is the earliest they were eliminated since 2011. The bad part is they were completely outclassed, losing by a combined score of 11-3 in the last two games, 19-6 in their four losses, and 21-10 for the series.
Pittsburgh had their way on the special team units, scoring on 8 of 21 power plays for a 38% success rate, while the Rangers were 2 of 19, just over 10%.
The Penguins were the better team. They had energy and execution, while the Rangers didn’t. This did not come as a surprise because Pittsburgh played very good hockey the second half of the season, while the Rangers have been inconsistent since Thanksgiving. The series was a combination of losing to a better team and the Rangers tank being empty. Read the rest of this entry
NYR-PIT Game Two proves the kids are alright
John Dundon
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Rangers responded in a big way by beating the Penguins 4-2 and evening the series at one game a piece.
The series shifts now to Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers went 27-10-4 in the regular season. The momentum would figure to be playing right into the Rangers’ hands. They’ll now control on-ice player personnel matchups, a huge plus for sure.
Henrik Lundqvist continued his recent playoff dominance over Pittsburgh. Lundqvist, feeling no ill effects from the eye injury suffered in game one, stopped 31 of 33 shots faced. The real story from a Rangers perspective in this one wasn’t king Henrik, though. Read the rest of this entry
Series Preview, Round 1: Rangers vs Penguins
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
This matchup seems quite familiar.
For the third consecutive season, the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins will face off in the playoffs, as the long time rivalry between the teams continues to intensify through intense playoff matchups.
The Rangers have won both of the playoff series in the past two years, including a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit in 2014 after rallying around the death of Martin St. Louis’ mother. That series saw the double goal in overtime from Benoit Pouliot, a St. Louis goal on Mothers’ Day, and a clutch Game 7 win with some excellent goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist. Read the rest of this entry
5 Keys to a New York Rangers Stanley Cup Championship
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
It’s that time of year again. The records are wiped, every team is equal ground, and 16 teams begin their quest for the greatest trophy in professional sports.
And for the sixth consecutive season, the Rangers are a part of that quest, looking to capture their first championship since 1994. They’ve come close in recent years, reaching the Eastern Conference Championship in three of the last four seasons and reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2014.
Despite playing 44 playoff games since 2014, the most in the entire league, Alain Vigneault and his team are ready to make another run at the title. The team is loaded with experience, all the way from their veterans down to their youth. Everyone has big game experience which prepares them well for the high pressure situations. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers close out the regular season with a home win over Detroit
Bobby Bevilacqua
Dan Boyle celebrates after scoring his 10th goal of the season in the first period. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Despite already having their ticket punched to the postseason, the Rangers (46-27-9) came out strong and won their last game of the regular season, escaping some late drama and taking down the Detroit Red Wings (41-30-11) by a final score of 3-2.
The Rangers could have knocked the Red Wings out of a playoff spot, but luckily for Detroit, the Boston Bruins were blown out by the Senators, 6-1, in their last game of the season. That means that the Red Wings clinch a playoff berth for the 25th consecutive season, and the Flyers need two points to get back into the playoffs.
Despite a lackluster record on the road, the Rangers finished the season with a 27-10-4 record at MSG, and secured a point in 19 of the last 25 home games. Unfortunately, they will not have home ice advantage in the playoffs, but that record is still encouraging heading into the postseason. They also finished with 101 points, marking the first time since the 1971-72 season and the 1972-73 season that they have earned 100 points in back-to-back seasons. Read the rest of this entry
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