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Rangers drop second straight game against the Penguins
Alexandra Russo
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Rangers (39-23-7) and Penguins (36-24-8) played for the third time this season, but it was the Penguins winning for the second time in this season series, beating the Rangers in an intense game 5-3.
This also marked the first time that the Rangers lost back-to-back games since December 18th and 20th. They’ve won just two of their last six games (2-3-1) and they’re just three points ahead of the Islanders, but the Isles have three games in hand. They’ve also lost each of their last two home games.
The home team came out fast, recording four shots on goal in just the first three minutes of play. Brassard, who missed the game against Detroit to the flu, drove hard to the net. His long rebound went to Fast, but Fleury denied him. Read the rest of this entry
Raanta fantastic as Rangers fend off Sabres comeback to avoid back-to-back losses
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Yet again, the Rangers (39-22-6) answered a loss with a win taking down the Buffalo Sabres (27-32-9) by a final score of 4-2, extending their win streak to nine games against the Sabres.
The Rangers have now won 11 straight games immediately following a regulation loss, marking the longest stretch in one season in team history. The last time they lost back-to-back games was December 18 and 20.
This wasn’t the best played game of hockey for Alain Vigneault’s club. In fact, they didn’t play that well at all. The only time where the Rangers dominated play was the first six or seven minutes of the second period. Other than that, they were outplayed by the Sabres for a vast majority of the game. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers battling injuries as they take on Eichel and the Sabres
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Following a tough loss at home to the Islanders, the Rangers (38-22-6) will look to try and add points to their second place lead when they battle the Buffalo Sabres (27-31-9) at the First Niagara Center without their full lineup intact.
After the defeat at the hands of the Islanders, the Rangers lead in the Metropolitan fell to just three points. If they want to rebound with a win tonight, they’ll need to play a much more complete game than they did on Sunday. The Rangers didn’t show up for the first 10 minutes of the game and gave up three quick goals, and their late game comeback wasn’t enough.
The Rangers have lost two out of their last three games after winning five of six games, and the Islanders and the Penguins are now creeping up in the standings. On top of that, they’ll be playing tonight’s game without four of their key players. Henrik Lundqvist and Rick Nash are getting closer to returning but remain out, plus Dylan McIlrath and Marc Staal did not make the trip to Buffalo. The Rangers recalled Brady Skjei from Hartford on an emergency basis. Read the rest of this entry
Alain Vigneault criticism and properly re-assembling the Rangers lines
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After last night’s loss to the Islanders, Alain Vigneault was getting A LOT of criticism, from both fans and even some pointed questions from reporters. His team didn’t show up at the puck drop, played terrible defense and weren’t prepared for one of the biggest games of the season yet.
There was criticism about his usage of JT Miller, about why Stepan took the faceoff, and just about anything else people felt like complaining about.
JT Miller didn’t play because he wasn’t that good last night, plain and simple. Everyone is insisting he gets top line minutes because of the streak he went on, scoring practically a goal a game for a span of 12 or 13 contests. But he hasn’t scored 13 games now, and hasn’t been nearly as effective or dangerous as he was back in January.
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
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