Blog Archives
Zuccarello resumes skating, shooting drills; Have faith in Henrik
Bobby Bevilacqua
Mats Zuccarello was back on the ice for an optional skate Thursday afternoon, which is a very good sign for Rangers fans. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Thursday wound up being an off day for the Rangers’ skaters, but the team’s extra players all skated, which means Ryan Bourque, Chris Summers, Matt Hunwick and Cam Talbot. But this afternoon, there was another face on the ice, injured winger Mats Zuccarello.
Zuccarello has been out of the lineup since the conclusion of the series against the Penguins, when he was struck in the head with a puck in Game 5. It’s likely that he is sidelined with a concussion, although the team has not said anything about his injury.
Zucarello was in full gear for the optional skate, shooting on Cam Talbot and skating with Hunwick, Bourque and Summers. There wasn’t any contact, but seeing him skate, shoot and participate in basic drills is very encouraging. Read the rest of this entry
Why the Marc Staal signing was the right move for the Rangers
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers locked up Marc Staal for another six years, locking up their defensive core for the next few seasons. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
On Friday, January 16th, the Rangers signed 28 year old defenseman Marc Staal to a six year, $34.2 million deal that will pay him $5.7 million per season through the 2020-21 season. The deal also includes a no move clause through the first three years, and a modified no trade clause through the final three years.
It was also nice to see that the deal was done quickly and professionally, rather than being dragged out until the trade deadline or the offseason. Read the rest of this entry
New York Rangers have a true number one center in Derick Brassard
Bobby Bevilacqua
Derick Brassard has emerged as the Rangers number one center, and is second on the team in points behind fellow linemate Rick Nash. Photo courtesy of SNY Rangers Blog.
During the lockout-shortened 2012-2013 season, the New York Rangers traded away Marian Gaborik, a two-time 40 goal scorer in New York, to the Columbus Blue Jackets for some young talent, including Derek Dorsett, John Moore, and Derick Brassard.
Brassard was a highly-touted prospect in Junior Hockey, and was drafted sixth overall by Columbus in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He had his best season with them in the 2010-2011 season, putting up a career high 47 points (17-30-47).
Brassard came over to the Rangers, and in 13 games, tallied 11 points (5-6-11), as well as another 12 points (2-10-12) in the Rangers 12 playoff games.
Last season, Brassard had a very important role, centering what was arguably the Rangers most consistent line throughout the season, with Benoit Pouliot and Mats Zuccarello playing on the wings. Brassard had a career high 18 goals to go along with 27 assists, totaling 45 points in 81 regular season games. Read the rest of this entry
The growth and emergence of Jesper Fast
Bobby Bevilacqua
Jesper Fast has been a nice surprise for the Rangers this season, playing very strong defensively and showing glimpses of his offensive abilities. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers have been one of the league’s hottest teams over the last month, winning 10 of their last 11 games, vastly outscoring their opponents in that streak (40-17), and playing fantastic defensively, with some help from Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Talbot in net.
It’s easy to pick out players like Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis, who lead the Rangers in points, or to say that the strong defense from players like Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal have been the reason for the Rangers success. Read the rest of this entry
UPDATE: Friday’s Rangers vs. Sabres game postponed
Bobby Bevilacqua
As a result of the massive 
snowstorm that hit the Buffalo area this week, tomorrow night’s Rangers-Sabres game has been postponed in order to protect the players and fans. The makeup date for the game will be announced at a later date.
The Sabres did play their last game on Tuesday against the Sharks. Despite the piles of snow, over 6000 fans managed to make their way to the First Niagara Center to watch the Sabres cruise to a 4-1 victory. Read the rest of this entry
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