Blog Archives
Rangers Practice Report: Klein OUT for opener, Vesey and Buchnevich in top six
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After being held out of practice for the last few days, Kevin Klein will miss the season opener tomorrow against the Islanders at Madison Square Garden after an MRI revealed a back strain.
Klein had been experiencing back spasms but fortunately this injury is not too serious. Alain VIgneaut said it’s “day-to-day” and that “he’ll be back soon.”
Klein has scored nine goals and 17 assists in each of the last two seasons while providing a steady defensive presence and surprisingly improving his possession and passing each year. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers Recap: Observations following the preseason opener
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The offseason moves seem to already paying off, and the Rangers played differently than they did last year based on their personnel. For the preseason I won’t be doing goal breakdowns or a period-by-period summary, but instead a bullet list with observations.
- It’s too early to tell for sure because it’s only been one game, but the team played differently. Last year, speed was noticeably lacking and the team didn’t have an identity. The offseason moves made show that the team is looking for speed and youth. There was a lot of excellent transition, puck movement and breakaways, and I’m excited to see this team come together on the final roster.
Brady Skjei: What to expect and how to best utilize him
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
When the Rangers were deciding whether or not to re-sign Keith Yandle, Rangers GM Jeff Gorton said that the emergence of Brady Skjei factored into whether or not Yandle factored into their future plans.
“You need good players that are coming that don’t make a lot of money,” said Gorton. “Brady [Skjei] looks on the cusp of being an NHL player. I think that will help our decision.”
I could write a whole article about why that logic is flawed and why Skjei shouldn’t have been factored into the decision on re-signing Yandle or not, but I’ll hold back. Instead, just a concise statement on it; While Skjei is an excellent talent and performed well in his brief NHL stint, it’s not fair to expect Skjei to come close to Yandle’s offensive production, since he’s not the same type of player and he’s a rookie, and hampering him with those expectations could put a lot of unnecessary pressure on him. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers should go after Brian Campbell in the offseason to help defensive woes
Bobby Bevilacqua
Brian Campbell with the Panthers. Photo courtesy of Steve Mitchell/US PRESSWIRE.
Just three days ago, the Florida Panthers announced that they had agreed to a one year deal with 24 year old defenseman Erik Gudbranson. On the surface, it didn’t seem like a big deal at all.
But signing Gudbranson means that the Panthers now have seven defensemen under contract (Ekblad, Gudbranson, Kampfer, Kindl, Kulikov, Matheson and Petrovic). The team is fully embracing the youth movement, going with a roster that is full of newer and younger players, and they’re keeping a select few veterans around.
One of the vets that now seems like a lock to leave Sunrise, Florida is defenseman Brian Campbell. “Soupy” has been one of the offensive leaders from the blue line in his five seasons with the Panthers, scoring 27 points or more in each season, and recording a career high 53 points (4-49-53) in the 2011-12 season. This past year Campbell scored six goals and 31 points in 82 games. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers Practice Report; McDonagh practices in full contact jersey, defensive decisions to be made
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Following a few drills and practices on his own, captain Ryan McDonagh skated in a full contact jersey alongside all of his teammates, marking the first time he’s returned to the ice with everyone since blocking a shot against the Columbus Blue Jackets two weeks ago.
McDonagh was ahead of schedule, and his return was a surprise to his teammates and his coaches. He skated on a defensive pair with Raphael Diaz, who was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack, and he had no limitations.
After practice, head coach Alain Vigneault said that McDonagh returning for Game 3 tomorrow night is, “doubtful, but stranger things have happened.” Read the rest of this entry
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