Blog Archives
Rangers look for rebound win in the Windy City; Nash looking to get going again
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers are looking to continue their success on the road and against the Western Conference tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers (39-17-7) continue their road trip tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks (39-21-5), the only remaining team that the Rangers have not played yet. The Rangers had two days off at home before practicing Saturday afternoon and heading out to Chicago for the second game of their five game road trip.
Alain Vigneault stressed rest and recovery, especially with tonight’s showdown beginning a series of three games in four days. After tonight, the Rangers will head to Nassau for the final regular season matchup against the Islanders before going down to Washington D.C. to take on the Capitals.
New York has fared well away from the Garden, with a solid record of 18-10-2 on the road. The Blueshirts also have a seven game point streak (5-0-2) against Western Conference teams, their best since the 1996-97 season. They are also 5-1-1 in their last seven games on the road. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers fall in overtime to Red Wings in a defensive and goalie showdown
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers dropped an extremely competitive game to the Red Wings, losing in overtime but gaining a point in the standings. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Whenever the Rangers (39-17-7) and the Red Wings (36-15-11) face off, they always tend to be very close and exciting games. That was the case tonight, as both teams dueled all the way to overtime, with the Red Wings eventually coming away with a 2-1 victory.
The Rangers earned a point in the game, which ties them with the Islanders in points, but puts the Blueshirts in first place. The Rangers have two games in hand on the Isles, and they play tomorrow night.
While both teams had their fair share of chances, defense and goaltending was the name of the game. Despite the very tight checking, the Rangers managed to get 40 shots on goal, with Detroit firing 31 shots at Cam Talbot. After the game, the Rangers players said that they didn’t get enough traffic in front of Howard to jump on second and third opportunities. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers start road trip against surging Red Wings; Dan Boyle playing 1000th career game
Bobby Bevilacqua
Derick Brassard scored the overtime winner for New York back on November 5th, and will look to help lead the team past the Red Wings again. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers (39-17-6) will start a five game road trip tonight against another Original Six team, and one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, when they take on the Detroit Red Wings (35-15-11) for the third and final time this season.
The Red Wings won 3-2 back on December 6th in Detroit, with goals coming from Kevin Hayes and Rick Nash. The Rangers topped the Red Wings in overtime on November 5th, with goals from Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis, Lee Stempniak, and the overtime winner from Derick Brassard.
Cam Talbot was in net for the loss in Detroit, making 31 saves on 34 shots. He’s coming off of a very strong performance against the Predators, where he picked up his 13th win of the season, improving his record to 9-2-2 as a starter. Talbot will be making his sixth consecutive start. Read the rest of this entry
Signing Mats Zuccarello, at the right price, was the right move for the Rangers
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers made the right decision in re-signing Mats Zuccarello, keeping the Norwegian in NYC for the next four seasons. Photo courtesy of Paul J. Bereswill/NY Post.
On March 2nd during a press conference, Glen Sather formally announced the finalization of a four year contract extension with Norwegian winger Mats Zuccarello worth $18 million (4.5 AAV), and including a no trade clause in the first year of the deal. Rangers GM Glen Sather remarked on how much he liked and respected Zuccarello.
“I like everything about him – his tenacity, his hard work, his seeing the ice, the way he plays, the chemistry he brings to our team and the way he is in the dressing room,” said Sather. “He’s been a perfect player for us.”
Quite high praise from Sather. But Zuccarello truly deserves it. Last season, he was the Rangers leading scorer, with 19 goals and 40 assists, helping the team get into the playoffs. While he will not match that production this year, he is still having a solid year, and is a key reason that guys like Rick Nash and Derick Brassard are having tremendous success. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers win statement game over Predators; Zuccarello strong after extension
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers took down the top team in the NHL, dominating most facets of the game in a 4-1 victory. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
In the Rangers (39-17-6) first game since acquiring Keith Yandle and re-signing Mats Zuccarello to a four year deal, the re-energized Rangers shut down the best team in the NHL, handing the Nashville Predators (41-16-7) their third straight loss by a final score of 4-1.
With the win, the Rangers leap-frogged the Islanders for first place in the Metropolitan Division, tied with 82 points, but the Rangers have two games in hand. New York is 9-1-1 in their last 11 games, 21-5-5 at home since October 16th, and 28-7-2 since December 8th.
This was one of the most impressive showings of the season, with New York really muffling the Predators scoring ability, keeping the puck to the outside, and really controlling play for almost the entire game. It especially showed when the Predators pulled Rinne at the 16:00 mark of the final period, and barely got any shots on goal. The defensive effort was outstanding. Read the rest of this entry
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