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Rangers stumble in New Jersey without Staal and Miller; Hrivik records first career point
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
On the first game of their three game road trip, Henrik Lundqvist was brilliant but the Rangers (34-20-6) were dominated by the New Jersey Devils (30-24-7) for the last 40 minutes, losing 5-2 and losing their third game this season to their rivals in Newark.
This game had everything. Lots of action and scoring chances early on, some great performances from each of the goaltenders, and goals galore. Plus an ejection for having tape too low on the hands (more on that later).
The Rangers wound up being without Marc Staal in this game after he tweaked something in his lower body. Brady Skjei was recalled from Hartford and he played pretty darn well, logging over 22 minutes of ice time. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers look to maintain winning ways against the Devils, Lundqvist looking for 30th win
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Kevin Klein scored the overtime winner on Sunday off of an excellent feed from Kevin Hayes, who probably should have had a goal of his own earlier in the game. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 22 shots to pick up the win, which put the Rangers at 7-1-1 in their last nine games, as well as two in a row. Their lead over the Islanders is not up to five points, and they’re holding off some of the surging division foes.
The Devils looked like they’d be a playoff team early on, but their starting to slow down a bit, losing to the Capitals on Saturday for their third straight defeat. They sit three points behind the Penguins for the last Wild Card spot despite playing two more games than them. The Devils are also just 8-11-2 against the Metropolitan Division, with two of them coming against the Rangers. Read the rest of this entry
McDonagh and Nash OUT as the Rangers rematch the New Jersey Devils
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Rangers (29-18-5) have an opportunity to put together a nice stretch of games, as they play host to the rival New Jersey Devils (26-20-7) for the second game between these teams in the past week.
After a rough start to the winter, the Rangers have finally started to play better and get the wins they need to stay afloat in a tight Metropolitan Division. Their come-from-behind victory on Saturday came following a dominant comeback win over the Minnesota Wild. It was just the second time since late November that the team has won two games in a row. They haven’t won three straight since their nine game win streak came to an end on November 15th.
The Rangers success couldn’t have come at a better time, since they will playing at Madison Square Garden for five of the next six games. They’ve already won 19 home games, tied for second in the NHL, and they’re 6-0-1 in their last seven games at the Garden. They’ve lost just once in regulation there since December 6th. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers look to start the second half strong in a division battle against the Devils
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
With the All Star Weekend in the rear view mirror, the Rangers (27-17-5) focus shifts to a battle for the playoffs. Thirty-three games spanning the next 68 days. Fifteen of those will come against Metropolitan Division opponents, including tonight’s matchup against the New Jersey Devils (25-20-5).
At this same point last season, there were six teams in the Eastern Conference ahead of the Rangers, but they had a comfortable eight point playoff cushion. This year, only six teams in the NHL have more points than the Rangers. But in a much more competitive Metropolitan Division, and a tight East, the playoff cushion is just four games.
The Rangers have reason to feel confident though. In the last 10 weeks of last regular season, Alain Vigneault’s squad went 25-7-3 and secured the President’s trophy with their play after March. These last 33 games are incredibly important, especially since many of the games come against Division foes looking to take over the Rangers playoff spot. Read the rest of this entry
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