Blog Archives
Keith Yandle trade rumor update and how Vigneault is wasting his talent
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For the past few weeks, trade rumors surrounding Keith Yandle have been flying around. He’s a UFA after this season, the Rangers don’t have much maneuverability under the salary cap, and Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are above him on the depth chart.
When the Rangers shipped Anthony Duclair, John Moore and some draft picks for Yandle, they got one of the best puck-moving defensemen in the NHL, a power play specialist, and a 50 point scorer. It gave Vigneault and the Rangers their best offensive-defenseman since Brian Leetch.
But flash forward to this season. Keith Yandle is a third pair defenseman. He averages 19:05 of ice time per game but plays under 17 minutes at even strength. He’s on the second power play unit and hasn’t been utilized with the best teammates. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers rally late for win over the Bruins; Girardi suffers lacerated hand
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers (23-14-4) like to make things exciting, and they were able to turn a thrilling third period into a 2-1 win over the rival Boston Bruins (21-15-4) at Madison Square Garden, getting back in the win column before heading on the road for three games.
After a heartbreaking loss with a late goal against the Capitals, it was the Rangers breaking hearts tonight, as Jesper Fast scored the game winning goal with under two minutes remaining. After some shaky and rather bland play in the first two periods, the Rangers rebounded nicely and secured a big two points.
The Rangers may have struggled a lot on the road, but they’ve been great on home ice so far. Vigneault’s squad leads the Eastern Conference with 34 home points, and they’ve posted a 16-5-2 record at the Garden. Read the rest of this entry
Kreider back as the Rangers take on the Boston Bruins; Lindberg a healthy scratch
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After a heartbreaking loss on Saturday against the Washington Capitals, the Rangers (22-14-5) will look to secure a win to close their homestand when they take on the Boston Bruins (21-14-5) tonight at the Garden.
Both teams with almost identical records are looking to gain a foothold in their respective divisions. New York sits in second behind the Metropolitan, 18 points behind the Capitals, tied with the Islanders and just two points ahead of the Devils. Boston holds the first wild card spot, but they’re just four points out of second place.
This is the second of three matchups this season, and the first of three at MSG. Back on November 27th, the Bruins won in a heated contest, as Matt Beleskey broke two of Derek Stepan’s ribs on what looked to be a late hit into the boards. The Blueshirts were up 3-2 after a goal from JT Miller halfway through the third, but two late goals, including the game winner from David Krejci with 1:46 remaining. Read the rest of this entry
Alain Vigneault is not using Keith Yandle effectively
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Keith Yandle isn’t doing enough this season.
Normally, this is where an article would begin to criticize the player for his play, what he isn’t doing enough of and what, in this case, Yandle would need to do better.
It’s true. Yandle hasn’t been doing enough. But it’s not his fault.
It’s Alain Vigneault’s fault. Read the rest of this entry
Make it 5! Rangers take down Coyotes thanks to Raanta’s goaltending
Alexandra Russo
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Although the Rangers haven’t really played their best hockey yet, they’ve been very consistent in collecting points and wins. They’ve gained 16 of a possible 18 points in their last nine contests, going 7-0-2 in the span, and a season-high five game winning streak has earned them a pretty comfortable seat atop the competitive Metropolitan Division standings, where they’ve posted a 10-2-2 record (22 points).
In the last 16 back-to-backs, the Rangers have improved their record to 14-1-1 in the second game. They’re also 158-1-9 when taking a lead into the third period, a streak dating back to February 6, 2010. Read the rest of this entry
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