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Rangers lose barnburner in OT to the Kings
John Dundon
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Tickets were worth the price of admission in what turned out to be a 5-4 loss to Anze Kopitar and the LA Kings.
A duel between backup goalies, both whom have not played in NHL action for an extended period of time, made for a high scoring affair in which Peter Budaj made one more save than Antti Raanta in OT.
The Rangers went down two goals early but battled back only to lose the lead late in the third. They would then lose the second point on a goal scorers goal from Tanner Pearson in the 3 on 3 overtime. This one was a high-paced affair that got off to a fast start when Anze Kopitar scored his first of three goals after Marc Staal arrived late for the 7:08 puck drop and had a really bad first shift. After Staal wasted an opportunity to exit the defensive zone with ease, he stood like a statue in front of Kopitar, who had all the time in the world to pick a corner and put the Kings up in the first minute of the contest. Read the rest of this entry
Raanta starts in net for the first time in a month as the Ranger battle the Kings
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Wednesday night’s game against the Penguins marked the fourth straight win for the Rangers, their longest win streak since they won nine games in a row back in October and November. Playing without Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh has forced them to face the adversity and rise to the challenge, which they’ve done admirably.
This is the first of two matchups between these two teams and the only one that will take place at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers will travel to Los Angeles on March 16th for a game at the Staples Center. Last season, the teams split the season series, with the road team coming away with a 4-2 win both times. Read the rest of this entry
Should the lines change even when Rick Nash is healthy?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Where should Rick Nash play when he comes back into the lineup? Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers have been without forward Rick Nash for seven games now. A 42 goal scorer last year, Nash has been the most consistent and perhaps the most dynamic forward since the start of last year. An extended absence without the Rangers best forward should have been devastating.
But instead, they’re 5-2-0 since he’s been out of the lineup. The scoring and offensive production has been fine, and the team has worked well together, apart from the fourth line.
The main reason for this is the surprising outburst of production from the new look top line; Derick Brassard centering JT Miller and Jesper Fast. The trio has combined for 21 points in the last six games, playing big time minutes and scoring crucial goals. Read the rest of this entry
Lundqvist Shutout Propels Rangers over Penguins
Ezra Kwestel
Kevin Hayes celebrates his goal with Daniel Paille (Photo via NY Rangers)
Tonight, the New York Rangers (31-18-5) defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins (27-19-7) by a score of 3-0. Let’s start off with the positives: The Rangers have now won four in a row and are 4-1 since the All-Star break and 7-3 in their last 10 games. Many people noted that tonight’s game was going to be a litmus test for the Rangers, going up against a Penguins team that has been clicking on all cylinders lately. It was also the Rangers first game against a team in playoff position since their tilt on January 17 at Washington. Although the Rangers went into Pittsburgh and shut out Crosby and Co. we can’t categorize tonight’s game as “signature win.” With that being said, there is still plenty of merit in winning a road game without Ryan McDonagh and Rick Nash. It should also be noted that the Penguins played tonight’s game without All-Star forward Evgeni Malkin. Read the rest of this entry
Miller, Brassard look to stay hot against Hagelin and the Penguins
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For the first time since the Rangers (30-18-5) eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins (27-18-7) in Game 5 of the opening round of the playoffs, these two bitter rivals will face off once again. Despite playing every other team in the Metropolitan Division, this is the first game between New York and Pittsburgh in this regular season.
The Rangers are currently riding a three game win streak, the first time they’ve won that many consecutive games since the middle of November. Things are starting to look up; more possession, more shots on goal, better defensive play, and less mistakes. That’s given the Rangers six wins in their last eight, and something to build off of.
The Penguins are also coming into tonight’s game playing extremely well. Under former Rangers assistant coach and now current head coach Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh has greatly improved their play, finding the right line combinations, scoring more and winning more. The Penguins have won six of their last seven games, outscoring opponents 23-14 in those games. Read the rest of this entry
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