Blog Archives
Chris Drury named Rangers Director of Player Development
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Goldfield/New York Daily News.
On September 4th, New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton announced that former Rangers captain and 12 year NHL veteran was named the Director of Player Development, where he will help mentor the Rangers’ young prospects in the AHL and throughout the organization.
Throughout his career, Drury has always found success. Starting at Boston University, where he played for four years, winning the Hobey Baker as the best college hockey player in his senior season. The next year, he won the Calder Trophy with the Colorado Avalanche in the 1998-99 season, and then winning the Stanley Cup in Colorado in 2001.
He would wind up playing a total of 12 seasons in the NHL, starting in Colorado, then going to Calgary and Buffalo before finishing his career with the Rangers. In 892 games, he scored 255 goals and 360 assists, adding another 89 points in 135 playoff games, earning him the reputation of being a clutch performer. And last month, he was elected to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Read the rest of this entry
The Rangers are being overlooked, and that makes them even more dangerous
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Despite finishing last season with 113 points, the Presidents’ Trophy, and coming within one win of returning to the Stanley Cup Finals, the New York Rangers have found a way to fly under the radar in a very competitive Metropolitan Division. And they’re all the better for it.
The Metropolitan Division is in contention for the strongest division in the entire league. Many people have predicted that they will send five of the eight teams to the playoffs. Teams like the Blue Jackets, Capitals and Penguins all improved their team, with a lot of fantastic scorers and defenders spread out amongst the eight teams.
The Metro really does have the talent to send five teams to the playoffs, with those teams being The Rangers, the Penguins, the Capitals, the Blue Jackets and the Islanders. All five of those teams are extremely good, and they all have potential to make a run in the playoffs. Read the rest of this entry
What to expect: Projecting the Rangers scoring for 2015-16
The Rangers were a strong offensive team last year. Can they score at the same pace in 2015-16? Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Last season, the Rangers were one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL, scoring a total of 248 goals, behind only the Dallas Stars (257) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (259). Carried by a prolific top line and some strong depth forwards, Alain Vigneault created a potent offensive team.
But like every other season, there is always change, this year coming mostly among the depth forwards Martin St. Louis, Carl Hagelin, James Sheppard and others. With all of the new faces coming into the lineup, that brings uncertainty.
It’s fair to expect that the remaining members of last year’s top six (Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan) will post similar numbers. Players like Kreider and Stepan may even see some improvement. Read the rest of this entry
Injured Rangers recovering well ahead of training camp
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
While every team certainly deals with injuries in the playoffs, the Rangers had quite a lot of significant health issues to some of their key players during their run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The captain Ryan McDonagh broke his foot in Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dan Girardi and Marc Staal had procedures done on their ankles, and Derick Brassard had to undergo wrist surgery. And of course, Mats Zuccarello missed the last two rounds of the playoffs with the worst injury, after being struck on the side of the head by a puck.
The puck came off of the stick of Ryan McDonagh, as a slap shot went awry and hit Zuccarello upside the head during Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nobody officially knew the extent of the injuries until after the playoffs. Read the rest of this entry
Kevin Hayes and avoiding the sophomore slump
Bobby Bevilacqua
Kevin Hayes will be entering the second season of his NHL career, but will he fall victim to the dreaded Sophomore Slump? Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For example, Nathan McKinnon scored 10 less goals and 15 less assists this season after capturing the rookie of the year award for the 2013-14 season with his 63 point (24-39-64) season. Jonathan Huberdeau had a strong showing with 14 goals and 17 assists in the lockout shortened 2012-13 season, but failed to match that mark the next year despite playing in 69 games. However, he finished this last season with 15 goals and 39 assists, and is starting to show flashes of what the Panthers saw in his rookie season.
The Rangers have a few second year players in their lineup, such as JT Miller and Jesper Fast, but perhaps the most important one is Kevin Hayes, the big man out of Boston College. Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 