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Rangers pick up a win at home in a battle of goaltenders
The Rangers picked up a big win on home ice, evening the series at one goal a piece with Game 3 in Washington DC on Monday. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Bobby Bevilacqua
In one of the most intense games played at Madison Square Garden this season, Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers prevailed in a battle of goaltenders to even the series at one game apiece with the series heading to the Verizon Center for Game 3.
This marked the ninth consecutive playoff game decided by one goal for the New York Rangers, dating back to Game 4 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals against the Los Angeles Kings. The win was also the first Game 2 win at Madison Square Garden following a Game 1 loss since 1994.
Following a heartbreaking loss in Game 1, the message from Alain Vignealt got through to the team, and the Rangers got off to a fantastic start, scoring the first goal of the game just 38 seconds into the opening period. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers need stronger effort in Game 2; Vigneault sets the tone for the series
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers and Capitals will play Game 2 in a matinee matchup at the Garden, with New York looking to even the series before heading to Washington D.C. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After a shocking 2-1 loss in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Washington Capitals, the Rangers have regrouped and look to put that game behind them in today’s matinee Game 2 at Madison Square Garden.
Friday saw the team have a full practice, as well as a meeting with reporters. Most of the players had the same message; forget about Game 1 and worry about the game at hand. Vigneault seemed irate following the loss, and it carried over into yesterday’s press conference as well. This team probably got a stern talking to, and they’ll likely come out blazing today.
Vigneault has also avoided directly talking about the hit from behind, but he did say something that conveys his feelings about the hit, as well as how the rest of the series may go. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers finish historic season with 4-2 win in DC; Hayes and Moore impress
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers and the Capitals battled it out in the final game of the season, with the Rangers coming away with their 53rd win of the season, breaking some franchise records along the way. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Rangers (53-22-7) closed out their remarkable season on a positive note, taking down the Washington Capitals (45-26-11) on the road, setting new franchise records in the process.
The victory established new franchise records in wins (53) and points (113) in a season, eclipsing the 52 wins and 112 points set by the 1993-94 Rangers team, a team that ultimately went on to win the Stanley Cup. This Rangers team knows that despite the fantastic regular season, they will ultimately be judged on what they do in the playoffs.
This marked the Rangers 28th road win of the season, also a franchise record, and tying an NHL record for most road wins an Eastern Conference team has earned in one season. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers close out season in Washington; Zuccarello a game time decision
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers and the Capitals have always had a bit of bad blood, and they will close out the regular season together this afternoon at the Verizon Center. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
In the final game of the regular season, the Rangers (52-22-7) are in Washington D.C. to take on the Capitals (45-25-11) in what could potentially be a playoff matchup if both teams advance to the second round.
Although this game has no playoff implications for the Rangers, the Capitals could really use the two points here. They’ve already clinched a playoff spot, but a win would clinch home ice in their first round matchup against the New York Islanders. The Islanders are just one point behind them, so there are other scenarios that would give the Capitals home ice in the first round, but they’ll want to win to make it guaranteed, and render the Islanders game at 7 PM meaningless.
This game does have some meaning for the Rangers. One more win would set a new franchise record for wins in a season, and two points would set a new franchise record for points in a season. Henrik Lundqvist, who will be in net for the Rangers today, is just one win shy of 30 for the season. If he gets the win, that means that Henrik Lundqvist would have a 30 win season for every full season that he participated in. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers shutout by Ottawa at the Garden; Ryan Bourque makes NHL Debut
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers fell short in a battle against the Ottawa Senators, snapping their five game win streak. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
In the last regular season home game, the Rangers (52-22-7) were shutout by the desperate Ottawa Senators (42-26-13), dropping just their 22nd regulation loss by a final score of 3-0. Ottawa’s win wound up being huge, propelling them into the first wild card spot with, ahead of the Penguins and Bruins. Boston lost tonight, putting them in a lot of danger of missing the playoffs.
The Rangers really used this as a rest game, giving Rick Nash, Marc Staal, and Mats Zuccarello the night off. Zuccarello missed his second straight game with “general body soreness,” and Nash and Staal are day-to-day with undisclosed injuries.
That meant that Ryan Bourque and Chris Summers were recalled from the Hartford wolf pack, with Bourque making his NHL debut. Both played relatively well tonight in what was an otherwise meaningless game for the Rangers. Read the rest of this entry
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