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McDonagh hurt as Rangers mount late comeback to take down the Flyers
Alexandra Russo
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
With 30 games left in the regular season, the playoff race is getting tight, and the Rangers (29-18-5) know how important these remaining games are. Rick Nash was still out of the lineup with a bone bruise, but Kevin Klein returned after missing the previous game with a fractured thumb. After a wild back-and-forth contest, the Rangers came away with a 3-2 shootout win on the road.
The rivalry was felt in the early stages of the game as both teams traded chances. Stepan had a takeaway at the blueline, but his pass was stolen, and the Flyers came down the ice. Mark Streit skated in on Lundqvist, but he shot it wide. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers down Flyers on the road; Kevin Klein potentially injured
Alexandra Russo
After a disappointing loss to the Islanders to start the road trip, the Rangers (24-15-5) won
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
against the Flyers (19-15-8) in a shootout, the final score 3-2.
The Flyers came out fast. Kreider had a chance to drive to net, but Mason robbed him and left a long rebound. Braden Schenn received a pass in front of the net that he slipped past Lundqvist for the one goal lead.
Hayes had a breakaway chance but was denied as Mason kicked out the pads. A few minutes later, Nash retrieved the puck behind the net while Mason was out of place but sent the puck onto the opposition’s stick with an empty net in front. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers look for rebound game against the Flyers; Girardi expected to play
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Setup:
The Rangers (23-15-5) are coming off of a tough 3-1 loss at the hands of the Islanders, playing well for almost the entire game but suffering a few miscues that led to both of the Isles’ goals. They will remain on the road to face another divisional foe, taking on the Philadelphia Flyers (19-15-7) at the Wells Fargo Center.
The loss dropped the Rangers into third place, meaning they will likely be in a fight for a playoff spot for the rest of the season. They have a three point lead over the next team in their division, which is surprisingly the Carolina Hurricanes. Pittsburgh and the Devils are just four points behind, and the Flyers are looking to move up and claim a playoff spot of their own. Philadelphia trails the Rangers by six points, but they have two games in hand. That makes this game very, very important.
Season Series:
The Rangers and Flyers will be meeting for the third game of their five game season series, and the Rangers have only managed to capture one point in the first two games. The Flyers won the first game in Philadelphia in a shootout by a final score of 3-2. Henrik Lundqvist was remarkable, making 46 saves in a losing effort. The Flyers also blanked the Rangers on home ice, 3-0, back on November 28th. Antti Raanta stopped 31 of the 33 shots that he faced. Derick Brassard and JT Miller are the only two Rangers to score against Philadelphia this season, with just one of those goals coming at even strength. The Flyers are outscoring the Rangers 5-1 at even strength.
Team Scope
Philadelphia Flyers:
The Flyers enter this game on a four game win streak, as well as a six game win streak on home ice dating back to December 15th. Jakub Voracek leads the team with nine points (2-7-9) in that span, while Sean Couturier and Wayne Simmonds each have four goals. They also have gone 8-1-3 at the Wells Fargo Center since November 17. Against the Rangers, the Flyers have won five of the last six meetings at home.
The Rangers will want look out for Wayne Simmonds today, because he typically has the Rangers’ number. In just two games this season against New York, he has four points (2-2-4), a plus-4 rating and eight shots on goal. He has 10 goals and 17 points in 25 career games against the Blueshirts, and Philadelphia is 9-0-0 when he scores a goal. He’s physical, he’s a net-front presence, and an agitator.
Sean Couturier is known primarily for his excellent defensive play as one of the league’s better defensive centers and a strong penalty killer. But he’s turned into an offensive weapon for the Flyers lately, scoring three goals and five points during their four game win streak. He’s also tallied 12 points (6-6-12) in the last 11 games. He’s third on the team with nine goals and fifth with 20 points, and he leads the team with a +8 rating.
New York Rangers:
The Rangers have been struggling for quite some time now. They’ve won just seven of the last 22 games, and they’ve failed to win consecutive games in nearly two months. They’re in the midst of a three game road trip, and they’ve really struggled on the road too, dropping 10 of their last 11 games away from MSG (1-8-2), including the game against the Islanders.
Henrik Lundqvist will start his 11th straight game for the Rangers, and he’s been playing much better lately. He made some spectacular saves against the Islanders and did everything he could to give his team a win. He was even better against Boston, allowing one goal on 33 shots for his 19th win. Lundqvist is looking for his 20th win of the season, which would give him 11 consecutive 20 win seasons to start his career, the only goaltender in NHL history to do so. Against the Flyers, he has a 28-13-4 record in 47 career appearances, but in his last 18 appearances since March 6, 2011, he has posted a 14-3-1 record with a 1.83 GAA and a .941 save percentage.
JT Miller is one of two Rangers to score against the Flyers this season, and he’s been one of the team’s best players on the road this season. Miller leads the team in points (14), is tied for the team lead in assists (eight), and tied for second on the team in goals (six) on the road this season.
Kevin Hayes had a good game against the Islanders apart from a terrible turnover that led directly to Brock Nelson’s goal. It’s been a weird season for him coming off of a fantastic rookie season. His play has been inconsistent, but the talent level is definitely there, evident by his no look, spinning pass to set up Marc Staal’s goal. Hayes has three points (1-2-3) in four games since being scratched, so his production could be on the rise. I really like the line he is on with Lindberg and Fast, because it gives him some pretty quick wingers with good hands, but they’re also very responsible defensively.
Wrap-Up
The Rangers and the Flyers will face off at the Wells Fargo Center at 1 PM. The game will be broadcasted on MSG Network.
TODAY’S LINEUP
Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash
JT Miller-Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello
Oscar Lindberg-Kevin Hayes-Jesper Fast
Tanner Glass-Dominic Moore-Viktor Stalberg
Ryan McDonagh-Kevin Klein
Keith Yandle-Dan Girardi
Marc Staal-Dan Boyle
Henrik Lundqvist
Rangers drop third straight, blanked by Flyers at home
Alexandra Russo
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After two pretty disappointing effort against the Canadiens and Bruins, the Rangers (16-6-2) continued their losing streak to three straight with a 3-0 loss at the Garden with Raanta in net. It was the second meeting of these teams. The Flyers took the 3-2 win in the last game in a shootout in Philadelphia and have now gone 2-0-0 on the season. They broke an eleven game losing streak at the Garden with the win.
In Friday’s matchup against Boston, Derek Stepan took a hard hit, and two of his ribs were broken. He is out indefinitely as of right now. Coach Vigneault’s decision was to give Hayes a chance at center in Stepan’s absence, with Kreider on the left and Etem on the right.
A bitter rivalry between the Rangers and Flyers reared its head in Saturday’s contest. The fighting started early when McIlrath dropped the gloves with Luke Schenn early in the period. But the physicality didn’t stop there. The Rangers, who aren’t a very physical team, recorded 15 hits in the first period alone to the Flyers’ 11. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers take on Flyers in first game without Derek Stepan
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After two disappointing losses, the Rangers (16-5-2) were handed another tough pill to swallow, losing center Derek Stepan for an indefinite amount of time after he broke some ribs following a late hit from Bruins winger Matt Beleskey.
That means that Vigneault will have to adjust his squad accordingly as they prepare to take on the Philadelphia Flyers (8-10-5) for the second of five matchups between the longtime rivals, and the first of two games at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers did have their nine game home win streak snapped against the Canadiens on Wednesday, but they still have been superb at MSG, posting a 10-3-1 record. They have not lost three consecutive games in regulation since very early last season, a stretch from October 11 to the 14, so they’ll aim to end their mini slide today. Read the rest of this entry
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