Blog Archives
Rangers suffer late collapse in defeat to Islanders, slip to third in the Metropolitan
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of the Getty Images.
On November 23rd, the Rangers (23-15-5) were up in the standings by seven points. After tonight’s loss to the rival Islanders (24-15-5), they trail the Capitals by 18 points. That’s a 25 point swing in less than two months.
The Rangers are no longer in first place, they sit in third in the Metropolitan. The Rangers are no longer a lock for the playoffs, because they’re just four points away from being kicked out of a wild card spot.
What’s worse? They totally deserved to win tonight. They Dominated, with a capital D, for the first two periods, and Jaroslav Halak stole the show. Three bad minutes in the third period undid everything they did in the rest of the game and handed the Rangers their 15th loss in the last 22 games. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers look for consecutive wins when they take on the Islanders; Girardi a game time decision
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The last time the Rangers (23-14-5) won two games in a row, the Rangers had won their 16th game of the season in just 21 games, sitting atop the Metropolitan Division and amongst the league leaders in points.
Flash forward almost two months, and the story is completely different. While they have been playing better lately, with a 4-2-1 record in the last seven games against some tough competition, they’re just 7-11-3 in the last 21 games.
So tonight’s matchup against the Islanders (23-15-5) presents an opportunity to not only gain ground in the division, since both teams are tied with 51 points, but also for the Rangers to get their first win streak going in over seven weeks. Read the rest of this entry
Keith Yandle trade rumor update and how Vigneault is wasting his talent
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For the past few weeks, trade rumors surrounding Keith Yandle have been flying around. He’s a UFA after this season, the Rangers don’t have much maneuverability under the salary cap, and Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are above him on the depth chart.
When the Rangers shipped Anthony Duclair, John Moore and some draft picks for Yandle, they got one of the best puck-moving defensemen in the NHL, a power play specialist, and a 50 point scorer. It gave Vigneault and the Rangers their best offensive-defenseman since Brian Leetch.
But flash forward to this season. Keith Yandle is a third pair defenseman. He averages 19:05 of ice time per game but plays under 17 minutes at even strength. He’s on the second power play unit and hasn’t been utilized with the best teammates. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers rally late for win over the Bruins; Girardi suffers lacerated hand
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers (23-14-4) like to make things exciting, and they were able to turn a thrilling third period into a 2-1 win over the rival Boston Bruins (21-15-4) at Madison Square Garden, getting back in the win column before heading on the road for three games.
After a heartbreaking loss with a late goal against the Capitals, it was the Rangers breaking hearts tonight, as Jesper Fast scored the game winning goal with under two minutes remaining. After some shaky and rather bland play in the first two periods, the Rangers rebounded nicely and secured a big two points.
The Rangers may have struggled a lot on the road, but they’ve been great on home ice so far. Vigneault’s squad leads the Eastern Conference with 34 home points, and they’ve posted a 16-5-2 record at the Garden. Read the rest of this entry
Kreider back as the Rangers take on the Boston Bruins; Lindberg a healthy scratch
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After a heartbreaking loss on Saturday against the Washington Capitals, the Rangers (22-14-5) will look to secure a win to close their homestand when they take on the Boston Bruins (21-14-5) tonight at the Garden.
Both teams with almost identical records are looking to gain a foothold in their respective divisions. New York sits in second behind the Metropolitan, 18 points behind the Capitals, tied with the Islanders and just two points ahead of the Devils. Boston holds the first wild card spot, but they’re just four points out of second place.
This is the second of three matchups this season, and the first of three at MSG. Back on November 27th, the Bruins won in a heated contest, as Matt Beleskey broke two of Derek Stepan’s ribs on what looked to be a late hit into the boards. The Blueshirts were up 3-2 after a goal from JT Miller halfway through the third, but two late goals, including the game winner from David Krejci with 1:46 remaining. Read the rest of this entry
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