Blog Archives
Rangers motivated for rematch against bruised and battered Lightning
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Tonight in Tampa Bay, the red-hot Rangers (14-2-2) get their first shot at redemption against the Lightning (8-9-3), the very same team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season, just one win shy of a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.
While the Rangers are currently off to the best start in franchise history, the Lightning have failed to recreate their Eastern Conference Champion selves. After winning their first three games of the season, Tampa is 5-9-3 in their last 17 games, losing two straight games and four of their last five.
On top of that, they’re dealing with some substantial injures. Ondrej Palat has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, but Tyler Johnson and Cedric Pacquette have also been dealing with injuries, and will miss tonight’s game against the Rangers. On top of that, Jonathan Druin and former-Ranger Ryan Callahan are listed as day-to-day, and are not expected to play. Read the rest of this entry
John Tortorella selected to coach Team USA at the World Cup
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The aggressive demeanor and brusque stylings of John Tortorella are back in the hockey world.
Yes folks, get out your reporter’s notebook and recorder, because Tortorella, the former head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, has been selected as the head coach for Team USA for the upcoming 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
“There’s no greater honor than to represent your country, and I’m humbled to have this opportunity,” Tortorella said during a press conference. “We’ll have one objective and that will be to bring the World Cup championship back to the United States.”
Tortorella has not coached since the 2013-14 season, when he was fired after turning the Vancouver Canucks into a dumpster fire, but he is a very talented and accomplished coach. Read the rest of this entry
Martin St. Louis announces his retirement
Bobby Bevilacqua
Martin St. Louis has finished his Hall of Fame career as a Ranger. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After 16 seasons, 1,241 NHL games, 1,033 points, three different teams and one Stanley Cup Championship, Martin St. Louis has retired from the National Hockey League as a member of the New York Rangers.
St. Louis, 40, sees his career come to a close following a 16 year adventure that saw him play for the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, and finally the New York Rangers. In over 1,200 career games played, St. Louis totaled 391 goals and 641 assists, putting him in the exclusive 1,000 point club, with just 82 players ever accomplishing that feat.
“I have been blessed to play for 16 years in the NHL; it has been an amazing ride,” St. Louis said while making the announcement. “I would like to thank the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers organizations and owners for providing me the opportunity to play the sport I love for so many years. I could have never played for so long or accomplished all that I have without the unwavering love and support from my wife, Heather, our three sons, Ryan, Lucas, and Mason, and my parents.” Read the rest of this entry
Will Broadway Brad be headed back to New York this offseason?
Bobby Bevilacqua
After winning the Stanley Cup in Chicago, could Brad Richards be heading back to New York for next season? Photo courtesy of Nick Laham.
Now that the Stanley Cup Finals are over, with the Chicago Blackhawks crowned as champions for the third time in six years, it’s time for trade rumors, surprise signings and speculations. And today, I’m starting with my own speculation and prediction, something that I have said since before the start of the 2014-15 season.
Brad Richards will be a New York Ranger for the 2015-16 season.
Before I start, this is pure speculation. I don’t have an insider tip, I haven’t talked to Brad Richards or his agent or a family member, and I don’t have contact with any members of the Rangers’ front office. But I do think that I have some fairly strong arguments for my case.
After the Rangers were defeated by the Los Angeles Kings in five games in June of 2014, Glen Sather used his final compliance buy out on Brad Richards, terminating his contract after just three years in New York. It was a foolish contract by Sather, mainly because it kept Richards until he was 40, with a cap hit of $6.67 annually, and it was a contract that realistically never would have been completed. Keeping him at that hit would have handcuffed the Rangers when trying to re-sign younger, core players in the coming years. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers season comes to a close with shutout defeat in Game 7
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers lost a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden for the first time in history, coming just 20 minutes short of a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For the first time in franchise history, the Rangers lost a Game 7 on home ice, getting shutout by the Tampa Bay Lightning as they continue their quest for the Stanley Cup, and the Rangers go home for the summer.
Prior to tonight, New York was 7-0 in Game 7s played at Madison Square Garden. They earned the right to play tonight’s game on home ice by winning the President’s Trophy in the regular season. But that effectively went to waste, as the Rangers lost three of four games on home ice, and were shut out in Game 5 and 7. They scored just four goals at the Garden in this series.
The loss also snapped a 10 game win streak at Madison Square Garden in elimination games for the Rangers, as well as a six game win streak in Game 7s. Read the rest of this entry
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