Blog Archives
Rangers aim to end slump and clinch playoff spot on the road against Columbus
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.
The Rangers (43-26-9) have had two straight chances to clinch a playoff spot, and lost in regulation against non-playoff teams in both of those games. Tonight, they have another shot at putting that checkmark next to their names when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets (31-39-8).
Things have been bad for the Rangers lately. They’ve lost three straight games, including two bad losses to teams that they should have beaten. Defensive lapses, some bad goaltending, and poor play with the puck has doomed them. The defensive coverage has been embarrassing at best and the usual culprits have been the main offenders. The offense has been lacking at times, often sitting back and not pressing, or just not being able to transition the puck and create anything. Read the rest of this entry
Know the foe: Pittsburgh Penguins
John Dundon
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Next up in our “know the foe series:” the hottest team in the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
With just four regular season games remaining for the 2015-2016 New York Rangers, playoff matchups are still a bit cloudy. If there is a team we’d call the frontrunner for the Rangers to face in the first round as things currently stand, the Penguins would be the winner.
This certainly isn’t a blessing, though. Pittsburgh has taken off since they fired Mike Johnston and hired Mike Sullivan, former Rangers assistant under John Tortorella. Sullivan’s Penguins remind me a lot of the ’13-’14 Rangers: plenty of speed on the wing and star players that have been rejuvenated by a new system and a fresh start. The Penguins lead the NHL in just about every offensive category since Sullivan took over on Dec. 12, including an NHL high 3.46 goals per game in that span. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers look to clinch playoff berth tonight against Buffalo
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After failing to clinch a playoff berth on Tursday, the Rangers (43-25-9) will take another crack at it tonight as they enter the home stretch of the season, taking on the Buffalo Sabres (32-35-11) at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers last played on Thursday night, seeing their nine game win streak against the Hurricanes come to an end. They lost in overtime to the Penguins on Monday night as well, and with the Penguins winning again this week, the Rangers now sit in third place in the Metropolitan; one point behind the Pens and two ahead of the Islanders.
Including tonight, there are five games left in the regular season, with four of them coming on home ice for the Rangers. Clinching a playoff berth is obviously a goal, but the team also needs to work on establishing consistent play from the team. They got off to a lousy start in Carolina and then lost in regulation despite leading after two periods. Read the rest of this entry
It’s better to face the Capitals in the playoffs sooner rather than later
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Robert Sabo/New York Daily News
Outside of the Washington Capitals in first place, the Metropolitan Division is up for grabs, and the seeding of the team can still fluctuate and change. A few games ago, it looked like the Rangers would have the second seed locked up. But after two straight losses and late surges from the Penguins and Islanders, that’s not a guarantee anymore.
As it stands, the Rangers have about a 40% chance of finishing second in the division, a 39% chance of finishing third, and a 21% chance of getting the first Wild Card spot. So out of all three of those possibilities, which would be the most advantageous for the Rangers? What would give them the best chance of making another run in the playoffs?
Right off the bat, we can cross off the third place finish in the division. If you’re going to stay in the Metro for the first two rounds of the playoffs, you would like home ice for at least one of those rounds. So a third place finish wouldn’t be preferable. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers fail to clinch playoff spot after loss to Carolina
Alexandra Russo
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Rangers knew how important a win could be when they took on the Hurricanes, as they would have clinched a playoff berth with a regulation or overtime win. However, they fell short of that goal and lost 4-3 in Eric Staal’s return to Carolina.
This wound up being the first win for the Hurricanes against the Rangers in 10 games, with the Rangers nine game win streak coming to an end. That streak began in April of 2014. New York closed out the season series with a 3-1-0 record against Carolina.
Surprisingly, the Rangers started out slower than expected for a team that was competing for a playoff berth. Henrik Lundqvist came up big in the first five minutes of the game for his team. He went side to side to prevent a goal on a rebound by Brad Malone. Read the rest of this entry
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