Blog Archives
Rangers back on the ice at informal skate; Zuccarello “As good as new”
Bobby Bevilacqua
Mats Zuccarello is healthy and ready to have an impact on the ice with the Rangers this season. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For the first time in quite a while, the New York Rangers were back on the ice, participating in an informal skate while getting re-acclimated to the ice at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, New York.
Almost all of the Rangers players were on the ice for the Tuesday afternoon scrimmage, excluding Henrik Lundqvist and Captain Ryan McDonagh, who are both away participating in the NHL Player Media tour. Amongst the mainstays and newcomers at the scrimmage was Mats Zuccarello, five months removed from a scary head injury.
In Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Zuccarello was struck upside the head by a puck, causing him to miss the remaining 14 games of the playoffs, and leading to some scary symptoms. He suffered a brain contusion, a skull fracture, and the loss of speech for four days.
Thankfully, Zuccarello has said that all of the symptoms stemming from his head injury have subsided, and that he will not have any side-effects heading into the season. Although he still needs to get accustomed to skating and playing hockey again, his health is fine, which is most important. Read the rest of this entry
Chris Drury named Rangers Director of Player Development
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Goldfield/New York Daily News.
On September 4th, New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton announced that former Rangers captain and 12 year NHL veteran was named the Director of Player Development, where he will help mentor the Rangers’ young prospects in the AHL and throughout the organization.
Throughout his career, Drury has always found success. Starting at Boston University, where he played for four years, winning the Hobey Baker as the best college hockey player in his senior season. The next year, he won the Calder Trophy with the Colorado Avalanche in the 1998-99 season, and then winning the Stanley Cup in Colorado in 2001.
He would wind up playing a total of 12 seasons in the NHL, starting in Colorado, then going to Calgary and Buffalo before finishing his career with the Rangers. In 892 games, he scored 255 goals and 360 assists, adding another 89 points in 135 playoff games, earning him the reputation of being a clutch performer. And last month, he was elected to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. 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
Quick Hits: Henrik Lundqvist ready for next step, Antti Raanta talks Chicago, and Patrick Kane could be traded?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Quick hits is back! There still isn’t really anything new happening in the hockey world, especially surrounding the Rangers, at least not until the Traverse City Tournament starts up. So here’s somethings going on in the hockey world.
Henrik Lundqvist ready to take next step with New York
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Everybody knows that Henrik Lundqvist is the most determined, passionate, and hard-working players on the Rangers, and maybe even in the NHL. His work ethic is unquestionable, he wears his heart on his sleeve, and it’s his effort and his success that has carried the Rangers since he made his debut in 2005.
Unfortunately, he has never been able to hoist that elusive Stanley Cup trophy, a prize that has eluded the Broadway Blueshirts for the last 21 years. Despite numerous close calls over the past four years, Lundqvist remains without a championship to his name. Read the rest of this entry
What to expect: Projecting the Rangers scoring for 2015-16
The Rangers were a strong offensive team last year. Can they score at the same pace in 2015-16? Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Last season, the Rangers were one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL, scoring a total of 248 goals, behind only the Dallas Stars (257) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (259). Carried by a prolific top line and some strong depth forwards, Alain Vigneault created a potent offensive team.
But like every other season, there is always change, this year coming mostly among the depth forwards Martin St. Louis, Carl Hagelin, James Sheppard and others. With all of the new faces coming into the lineup, that brings uncertainty.
It’s fair to expect that the remaining members of last year’s top six (Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan) will post similar numbers. Players like Kreider and Stepan may even see some improvement. Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 