Blog Archives
Rangers Practice Report: Buchnevich may have more than back spasms, Jooris ready and NYR lines
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers practiced this afternoon ahead of their game against the Panthers tomorrow, but Pavel Buchnevich did not take the ice with his team. Alain Vigneault alluded to the fact that it might be more than back spasms for the rookie.
“Not a set back. Today he came in and wasn’t feeling the way we expected him,” Vigneault told Matt Calamia of NYRangers.com. “Right now we’re going to have our doctors take a good look at him. This obviously might be more than just back spasms. We’re going to take a look at this and we’ll come up with a plan and I’ll share that plan with you.”
This means that Buchnevich will miss his fourth straight game with these so-called back spasms. Earlier this season he missed five games with “back spasms,” which could mean that it’s a chronic issue. It’s been tough for him, but he’s been good while healthy, tallying four goals and four assists in eight games. Read the rest of this entry
Kreider expected to return as the Rangers take on the Blue Jackets
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Following a stretch of three games in Canada that all resulted in wins, the Rangers (13-4-0) will look to keep on rolling and sweep their four game win streak as they head to Columbus tonight to take on the Blue Jackets (8-4-2).
The Rangers most recent victory was a 7-2 thrashing over the Canucks, with JT Miller and Kevin Hayes each scoring a pair of goals, and Mats Zuccarello recording a three point night. Henrik Lundqvist made 36 saves to improve to 8-1-0 in his last nine starts and 9-4-0 this season.
The Blue Jackets have won three of their last four games, including an 8-4 win over the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 12. They also dominated the Canadiens in a 10-0 win back on Nov. 4, the only team to score 10 goals in a game. Columbus has scored 47 goals this season, but 18 of them have come in two games. So despite their good record, they have had some issues scoring goals at times. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers Mailbag: Trading for a defenseman, the Kreider injury, and is this team for real?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
This is the first Mailbag of the 2016-17 season, a series of articles I do where I ask my readers to submit questions and I answer them to the best of my ability.
This series is all about you, so I urge you to ask any questions you have, especially about the Rangers, to help this series become full of content.
Thanks to everyone that participated, and be sure to keep your eyes out for my next edition of the Mailbag article. I’m hoping to do this every two or three weeks.
On to the questions!
Do you feel like the Rangers need to add a solid defenseman in order to make a legit Cup run? – Jason Fristensky
Marc Staal defends against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 19. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
This is a question that has come up often over the last few years, and especially during this offseason. Almost every year I would answer with a resounding yes. But this year, my answer varies depending on your definition of “solid defenseman.”
Two years ago, we saw the Rangers trade for dynamic offensive defenseman Keith Yandle. He was very effective for them, but ultimately was not a difference maker when it came to trying to win a Cup. Most of that has to do with how Alain Vigneault uses defensemen, and how he tends to lean on his shutdown guys.
I am also impressed with how the defense has played to this point. At first, I was expecting this season to look something like how the Rangers played during last season’s winter months, which was a disaster on the backend. But a full season has had a positive effect on Dan Girardi and Marc Staal, as well as for keeping guys like Ryan McDonagh fresh. Nick Holden has improved over the last few weeks and Brady Skjei has been miles better than anticipated, which certainly helps. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers sweep Canada trip with 7-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks
Bobby Bevilacqua
Despite playing their third game in four nights and getting shelled in the first period, the Rangers (13-4-0) managed to come out of Vancouver with a 7-2 win thanks to an incredible offensive outburst from the team.
The Rangers got two goals apiece from JT Miller and Kevin Hayes, plus a three point night from Mats Zuccarello with a goal and two assists. Brandon Pirri (GWG) and Nick Holden also found the back of the net, while Mika Zibanejad, Kevin Klein and Jesper Fast each recorded two assists. Henrik Lundqvist was spectacular, making 36 saves to pick up his ninth win of the season.
For a box score, click here. Keep reading for my recap and thoughts on the game; Read the rest of this entry
Rangers take on the Canucks as road trip continues; Nieves expected to make NHL debut
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Following a grind-it-out type of win over the Oilers with just 17 skaters being used, the Rangers (12-4-0) continue their road trip in western Canada as they take on the Vancouver Canucks (6-9-1) in their search for a three game win streak.
The Rangers have been red hot lately, winning 11 of their last 14 games (11-3-0), including seven of their last eight games. Michael Grabner’s two goals against Edmonton gave him 10 on the season, and Dan Girardi netted his third of the season. Antti Raanta made 38 saves in a spectacular performance to improve to 4-0-0.
The Rangers only loss in their last eight games came at the hands of the Canucks, who beat the Rangers, 5-3, at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 8. Pavel Buchnevich had three points (1-2-3) while Rick Nash scored his 400th goal as a Ranger and Mika Zibanejad scored in the dying minutes. Henrik Sedin had a goal and an assist, and Loui Eriksson scored his first goal of the season. Jacob Markstrom made 23 saves in the win. Read the rest of this entry
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