Blog Archives
Six Questions the Rangers face heading into opening night
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Each season, fans and analysts have plenty of questions regarding their team as the season draws near. The Rangers are no different. While the preseason answered the questions about depth, lines and defensive pairings, a lot remains unanswered.
This is a very important year for the franchise, with new GM Jeff Gorton at the helm and the Rangers looking to get oven the final hurdle and win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1994.
Here are some of the biggest questions that the Rangers face heading into the 2015-16 season. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers roster decisions may hint at a future trade
Bobby Bevilacqua
Raphael Diaz cleared waivers, but where does his future lie? Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After a successful summer and some smart moves to improve the roster from top to bottom, the Rangers headed into training camp with some questions. Who would play center, would the prospects finally crack the roster, and what would the line look like? These were just a few of the questions that plagued Vigneault and his staff.
With the preseason over, there are still a fair amount of questions that remain unanswered.
The Rangers current roster situation doesn’t make much sense. During the preseason, Vigneault talked about wanting to keep eight defensemen and 13 forwards, but wasn’t sure if they could fit it under the cap. Instead, the Rangers decided to keep 14 forwards and push themselves right up against the salary cap. Read the rest of this entry
McIlrath, Lindberg proving their worth, lineup for final preseason game
Bobby Bevilacqua
Dylan McIlrath and Oscar Lindberg are two rookies who are seriously pushing for am opening night roster spot. Photos courtesy of MSG Photos.
It’s going to be very tough for Alain Vigneault to go against the youth movement for this upcoming season.
Like Anthony Duclair did last season in training camp, Oscar Lindberg and Dylan McIlrath, both rookies, have opened the eyes of the coaching staff, make a significant case for them to be on the opening night roster.
The strong performances from many of the youngsters has Vigneault perplexed too, stating that he has not finalized the roster heading into the final preseason game tonight against the Boston Bruins.
“I can tell you right now we have not come up with a definite answer yet,” Vigneault told Blueshirts United. “These are all questions we are right now debating within our group. This player brings this element, this player brings that element. How do we look with a certain guy in the lineup? Young versus older? We’re working through the process and I can tell you right now we haven’t come up with a definite answer on any of those things.” Read the rest of this entry
NHL Division Preview: The Metropolitan
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers and the Capitals will be two of the Metropolitan’s best teams this season. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The upcoming NHL season is less than two weeks away, and the excitement is palpable. The rosters are almost finalized, preseason is almost over, and the grind for a Stanley Cup Championship is about to begin.
This is the first post in a series of four where I will preview each division in the NHL, make my predictions, and choose who I think will be in the playoffs. There will be an article for each division in the league.
The Metropolitan Division is shaping up to be the best in the entire league. Many of the teams have either maintained their strong roster or drastically improved, meaning that this division is very likely to send five teams to the playoffs.
The Rangers were the champions of the Metropolitan last season, in the regular season and after the first two rounds, and they’ll look to defend their divisional prowess against some surging teams such as the Penguins, the Capitals, and the Islanders. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers set lineup for preseason clash with Philly, Glass and Megna scratched
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers have announced the starting lineup for tonight’s game at Madison Square Garden after making some significant roster cuts, leaving the team with just 15 forwards and eight defensemen.
Here were the lines from the morning skate, and the expected lineup for tonight.
Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash
JT Miller-Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello
Jesper Fast-Kevin Hayes-Viktor Stalberg
Jarret Stoll-Dominic Moore-Emerson Etem
Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Marc Staal-Dan Boyle
Keith Yandle-Dylan McIlrath
Antti Raanta Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 