The New York Rangers are headed to the playoffs!
The Rangers cliched the 8th and final seed in the Eastern Conference on the last day of their season. The Rangers jumped ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes after defeating the New Jersey Devils 5-2 earlier today. And to seal the deal, the Tampa Bay Lightning managed to keep the Canes at bay with a 6-2 defeat.
The Rangers are seeded to face the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs. The Rangers have beaten the Capitals in three out of four of their games this season. More info on the playoffs will be brought up as the start of the first round approaches. For now, give yourself a pat on the back, Rangers. You deserve to make the playoffs after your hard fought season!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Recapping the Rangers/Devils 4/9/11
The Rangers closed out the 2010-2011 with a victory on Garden ice against the New Jersey Devils to the score of 5-2.
I did not sleep a second last night. I was too busy thinking about last year, and which ending of the season will hurt more: this year or last? I was considering not watching the game, I was too scared to see what could possibly happen to this team. But I am very, very glad I decided to tune in and see the end to the regular season, but possibly not the entire season.
The game began rocky, with the Devils getting an early deflection from Nick Palmieri two-minutes into the game. However, a minute and eleven seconds later, the Rangers tied the game back up coming off the stick of a player probably many people didn't even know was an option for today's game: captain Chris Drury. Drury scored his first goal of the season sliding it backhand five-hole on Martin Brodeur, underlining why he has been given the title of "Captain Clutch."
The Rangers lost the lead late in the 1st period after Ilya Kovalchuk snapped a bullet past Henrik Lundqvist, but did not waver in the face of intimidation. Nearly two minutes into the 2nd period, Wojtek Wolski scored his first goal in 18 games to tie the game at two. The trend of dark-horses scoring for the Rangers would continue in the 2nd as rookie defenseman Ryan McDonagh scored his first goal of his NHL career to give the Rangers the lead for the remainder of the game.
Brandon Prust would chip in one more goal after collecting a rebound off of a Brandon Dubinsky shot. And finally, Vinny Prospal would get the Rangers their final goal to tuck in the win half way through the 3rd period.
I would like to give credit to the Devils, though. The Devils looked dead in the water at the half-way point of this season, but showed a lot of heart and determination to try and pull something positive out of a dismal start. The fact that the Devils were once in a position of being four points away from the Rangers this season after the start they had is very commendable and I tip my hat to their perseverance.
Now, the Rangers need some help. The Rangers have put some pressure on the Carolina Hurricanes, who play the Tampa Bay Lightning later on tonight. If the Lightning win tonight, in either regulation, overtime, or shootout, the Rangers will lock an 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Rangers end this season with a 44-33-5 record. They scored 233 goals, and allowed 198, finishing with a +35 in the goals for/goals against ratio. Henrik Lundqvist set a career-high, league-leading number of shutouts with 12. The Rangers had five separate twenty goal scorers, and the young defensive core for the Rangers managed to hold their own when faced with so many injuries to the lineup. In all, the Rangers did a very commendable job this year. Whether Carolina wins or loses tonight, I will still be proud of the Rangers team. This Rangers team showed grit, determination, and guts all season long, and played an honest, hard-working game all season long, and for that, I thank them. I am proud to be a Rangers fan, and I hope that this is not the end of their season. Tonight, we cheer for the Lightning to give the Rangers a little help in the standings!
Lets Go Rangers! And just for tonight, lets go Lightning!
I did not sleep a second last night. I was too busy thinking about last year, and which ending of the season will hurt more: this year or last? I was considering not watching the game, I was too scared to see what could possibly happen to this team. But I am very, very glad I decided to tune in and see the end to the regular season, but possibly not the entire season.
The game began rocky, with the Devils getting an early deflection from Nick Palmieri two-minutes into the game. However, a minute and eleven seconds later, the Rangers tied the game back up coming off the stick of a player probably many people didn't even know was an option for today's game: captain Chris Drury. Drury scored his first goal of the season sliding it backhand five-hole on Martin Brodeur, underlining why he has been given the title of "Captain Clutch."
Brandon Prust would chip in one more goal after collecting a rebound off of a Brandon Dubinsky shot. And finally, Vinny Prospal would get the Rangers their final goal to tuck in the win half way through the 3rd period.
I would like to give credit to the Devils, though. The Devils looked dead in the water at the half-way point of this season, but showed a lot of heart and determination to try and pull something positive out of a dismal start. The fact that the Devils were once in a position of being four points away from the Rangers this season after the start they had is very commendable and I tip my hat to their perseverance.
Now, the Rangers need some help. The Rangers have put some pressure on the Carolina Hurricanes, who play the Tampa Bay Lightning later on tonight. If the Lightning win tonight, in either regulation, overtime, or shootout, the Rangers will lock an 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Rangers end this season with a 44-33-5 record. They scored 233 goals, and allowed 198, finishing with a +35 in the goals for/goals against ratio. Henrik Lundqvist set a career-high, league-leading number of shutouts with 12. The Rangers had five separate twenty goal scorers, and the young defensive core for the Rangers managed to hold their own when faced with so many injuries to the lineup. In all, the Rangers did a very commendable job this year. Whether Carolina wins or loses tonight, I will still be proud of the Rangers team. This Rangers team showed grit, determination, and guts all season long, and played an honest, hard-working game all season long, and for that, I thank them. I am proud to be a Rangers fan, and I hope that this is not the end of their season. Tonight, we cheer for the Lightning to give the Rangers a little help in the standings!
Lets Go Rangers! And just for tonight, lets go Lightning!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
3/7/11 Rangers vs. Thrashers
One ring to rule them all.
Rangers against the Atlanta Thrashers.
Game #81 of the 2010-2011 season. The Rangers have battled valiantly in the final weeks of this season, most recently pulling off a stunning comeback after being down 3-0 to win 5-3 against the Boston Bruins for a very important two points to keep them in front of the ever persistent Carolina Hurricanes. However, their victory over the Bruins came with a very major loss as Ryan Callahan went down with a fractured leg after blocking a slap shot from Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. However, the loss of such a major cog in this team hasn't wavered the Rangers' confidence. Derek Stepan told reporters after finding out Callahan was injured,
"Guys sacrifice their body and we haven't missed a beat. These guys go out, guys get injured, they're buying into the system. It's just the way we've played. Guys that are hurt, I've got a lot of respect for them. They're doing it the right way. It's been hard, but we've found a way to continue to play."
Even after learning that Callahan may not return this season, coach John Tortorella has implicated the mood of "keep moving forward" to the rest of the team. The Rangers have managed to right the ship when many of their key players went down to injury all season, so there is no doubt that it's possible for them to do it again.
The Thrashers have already been eliminated from the playoffs, but like every team that is, that will not mean that they will just roll over and let the Rangers have this game. A team that is already eliminated is more dangerous than any team thats already clinched, just ask Detroit last night (jerks...). Blake Wheeler has been stepping up for the Thrashers as of late. since getting traded from Boston, Wheeler has seven goals and eight assists. The Thrashers, however, are dealing with injury issues of their own. Tobias Enstrom and Radek Dvorak are both day-to-day with upper-body injuries.
My Diagnosis
First, I'm not going to predict this game because it's way too scary to think about the Rangers losing. the key players for the Rangers tonight are going to have to be Marian Gaborik and Marc Staal/Dan Girardi. Gaborik has yet to score this season against the Thrashers, and with Callahan gone, Gaborik really needs to turn on his jets in order to keep the Rangers ahead of the Hurricanes. Along with him, Girardi and Staal need to get gritty on defense, like they have been all year, and stop the pucks from ever getting into the Rangers zone. Henrik Lundqvist is making his 25th consecutive start for the Rangers, and only he knows how fatigued he is. Also, players like Evander Kane NEED to be shut down all night in order for a win to happen. the the Rangers can execute this game this way, they have a very good chance of winning this game and moving one game closer to the playoffs.
Enjoy the game!
Rangers against the Atlanta Thrashers.
"Guys sacrifice their body and we haven't missed a beat. These guys go out, guys get injured, they're buying into the system. It's just the way we've played. Guys that are hurt, I've got a lot of respect for them. They're doing it the right way. It's been hard, but we've found a way to continue to play."
Even after learning that Callahan may not return this season, coach John Tortorella has implicated the mood of "keep moving forward" to the rest of the team. The Rangers have managed to right the ship when many of their key players went down to injury all season, so there is no doubt that it's possible for them to do it again.
The Thrashers have already been eliminated from the playoffs, but like every team that is, that will not mean that they will just roll over and let the Rangers have this game. A team that is already eliminated is more dangerous than any team thats already clinched, just ask Detroit last night (jerks...). Blake Wheeler has been stepping up for the Thrashers as of late. since getting traded from Boston, Wheeler has seven goals and eight assists. The Thrashers, however, are dealing with injury issues of their own. Tobias Enstrom and Radek Dvorak are both day-to-day with upper-body injuries.
My Diagnosis
First, I'm not going to predict this game because it's way too scary to think about the Rangers losing. the key players for the Rangers tonight are going to have to be Marian Gaborik and Marc Staal/Dan Girardi. Gaborik has yet to score this season against the Thrashers, and with Callahan gone, Gaborik really needs to turn on his jets in order to keep the Rangers ahead of the Hurricanes. Along with him, Girardi and Staal need to get gritty on defense, like they have been all year, and stop the pucks from ever getting into the Rangers zone. Henrik Lundqvist is making his 25th consecutive start for the Rangers, and only he knows how fatigued he is. Also, players like Evander Kane NEED to be shut down all night in order for a win to happen. the the Rangers can execute this game this way, they have a very good chance of winning this game and moving one game closer to the playoffs.
Enjoy the game!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Callahan Out For Season
In the hard fought game against the Bruins earlier this week, assistant captain Ryan Callahan took a slap-shot by none other then the monstrous Zdeno Chara that fractured his leg, and is said to be sidelined for the remainder of the season. Callahan was noticeably shook-up after taking the shot, but remained on the ice for the remainder of his shift.
Now, the Rangers are in a tough spot at the worst possible time. With the playoffs so close, and the race for the final two spots still up for grabs, the Rangers lose possibly their most valuable player.
The Rangers have been without Callahan for quite a stretch earlier this season after he broke his hand blocking a shot. The Rangers did not seem to waver that much in the loss of Callahan, but at a time like now where every point is necessary, it really creates a hole for the Rangers that is deep, but not uncontrollable.
The question that has been going around is: who is going to take Callahan's place? The Rangers have apparently moved defenseman Matt Gilroy to the wing to try and fill the hole. Another option for the Rangers could be Mats Zuccarello who was sent down earlier this week. the only question with Zuccarello would be is he big and durable enough to last the playoffs?
In all, this is a huge blow to the Rangers lineup, but not something that cannot be overcome. If the Flyers can make it to the Cup Finals on the back of six goaltenders last season, the Rangers can find a way to work past this injury. Stranger stuff has happened in the NHL.
Now, the Rangers are in a tough spot at the worst possible time. With the playoffs so close, and the race for the final two spots still up for grabs, the Rangers lose possibly their most valuable player.
The Rangers have been without Callahan for quite a stretch earlier this season after he broke his hand blocking a shot. The Rangers did not seem to waver that much in the loss of Callahan, but at a time like now where every point is necessary, it really creates a hole for the Rangers that is deep, but not uncontrollable.
The question that has been going around is: who is going to take Callahan's place? The Rangers have apparently moved defenseman Matt Gilroy to the wing to try and fill the hole. Another option for the Rangers could be Mats Zuccarello who was sent down earlier this week. the only question with Zuccarello would be is he big and durable enough to last the playoffs?
In all, this is a huge blow to the Rangers lineup, but not something that cannot be overcome. If the Flyers can make it to the Cup Finals on the back of six goaltenders last season, the Rangers can find a way to work past this injury. Stranger stuff has happened in the NHL.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Rangers Pull Off Comeback, Beat Boston 5-3
I'm telling you, this team is trying to kill me.
The Rangers pulled off a remarkable comeback at Madison Square Garden tonight, erasing a 3-0 deficit to win 5-3. The Rangers, who were separated by no more than two points from the Carolina Hurricanes who sit in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, have jumped into the 7th place spot, four points away from the trailing Hurricanes and have tied with the Montreal Canadiens.
The Rangers looked deflated to start the game, having played in a shootout win over the Flyers. the Rangers surrendered two goals in the 1st period from Daniel Paille and Nathan Horton. The Bruins held the Rangers to just five shots in the first period. The Rangers then carried the same drudge over to the 2nd period, giving up a goal to Chris Kelly to make it a 3-0 game.
A minute and two seconds later though, Vinny Prospal decided it was time to stop messing around, slapping home a goal that managed to get through the legs of Tim Thomas. Seven-minutes later, Prospal did it again cutting the lead to just one to end the 3rd period.
The Rangers came onto the ice in the 3rd a better team then the one that started the game. Henrik Lundqvist stood tall when needed to, and the defense really shut down the opposition. With four minutes remaining in the game, Brandon Dubinsky got the puck directly in front of Tim Thomas, and slid a backhander underneath him to tie the game up. Less than a minute later, Michael Sauer got a shot off that managed to squeak between the legs of Thomas yet again, and trickled just over the goal line to give the Rangers the lead with three minutes to go in the game.
Derek Stepan sealed the victory with an empty netter to win the game 5-3. The Rangers had never come back to beat Boston after trailing by three goals since the league began. the Rangers showed courage, passion, and will in this victory as they improve their chance of making the playoffs with a big regulation win with only two game remaining in the season.
The Rangers pulled off a remarkable comeback at Madison Square Garden tonight, erasing a 3-0 deficit to win 5-3. The Rangers, who were separated by no more than two points from the Carolina Hurricanes who sit in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, have jumped into the 7th place spot, four points away from the trailing Hurricanes and have tied with the Montreal Canadiens.The Rangers looked deflated to start the game, having played in a shootout win over the Flyers. the Rangers surrendered two goals in the 1st period from Daniel Paille and Nathan Horton. The Bruins held the Rangers to just five shots in the first period. The Rangers then carried the same drudge over to the 2nd period, giving up a goal to Chris Kelly to make it a 3-0 game.
A minute and two seconds later though, Vinny Prospal decided it was time to stop messing around, slapping home a goal that managed to get through the legs of Tim Thomas. Seven-minutes later, Prospal did it again cutting the lead to just one to end the 3rd period.
The Rangers came onto the ice in the 3rd a better team then the one that started the game. Henrik Lundqvist stood tall when needed to, and the defense really shut down the opposition. With four minutes remaining in the game, Brandon Dubinsky got the puck directly in front of Tim Thomas, and slid a backhander underneath him to tie the game up. Less than a minute later, Michael Sauer got a shot off that managed to squeak between the legs of Thomas yet again, and trickled just over the goal line to give the Rangers the lead with three minutes to go in the game.
Derek Stepan sealed the victory with an empty netter to win the game 5-3. The Rangers had never come back to beat Boston after trailing by three goals since the league began. the Rangers showed courage, passion, and will in this victory as they improve their chance of making the playoffs with a big regulation win with only two game remaining in the season.
3/4/11 Rangers vs. Bruins
And just like that, were back again.
Rangers against the Boston Bruins.
For the final time this season, these two rough and tumble teams will take the ice against one another. The Rangers have managed to take two of the three games played against the Bruins so far this season, most recently, Henrik Lundqvist getting his eleventh shutout of the season on March 26th in a 1-0 hard fought and brilliant game by both the Rangers and Bruins. The Rangers have fought, and fought, and fought to stay in the playoffs these past two weeks. With two more games remaining after tonight, and the standings being so close with the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the Rangers by one point, Montreal ahead by two, and Carolina sticking around two points behind the Rangers, every point matters. The Rangers proved that in another classic yesterday against the Philadelphia Flyers. In deja-vu circumstances, the Rangers went to a shootout against the Flyers like the way they were eliminated last season, only this time coming out victorious and earning that very valuable extra point. One Ranger that has caught my eye recently has been Artem Anisimov. Anisimov has been noticeable a majority of the times he's on the ice, and has been doing fairly well recently despite not scoring. Anisimov has managed to make something out of nothing in a few circumstances over the past three games, so I would look out for him to be a big catalyst in tonights game.
The Bruins have already clinched their division and a spot to go to the post-season, their only job now is getting there in one piece. Two out of the three times the Rangers have faced the Bruins this season, Tuukka Rask has been between the pipes. Rask has been the goalie that has lost both games against the Rangers this season, while Tim Thomas has the only win. Therefore, I would believe that it would only be logical for Thomas to get a start tonight due to Rask's track record.
My Diagnosis
The Rangers and Bruins are two very similar teams. Both are very physical, and have a solid foundation in the goaltending department. In fact, the Rangers and Bruins are first and second for least goals allowed this season, the Bruins getting the 1st place slot. I expect a lot of what I saw from the last meeting between these two teams: a low-scoring, hard-hitting game of hockey. Tonight is a true test of courage and grit for the Rangers, and if they execute the way they did last time, they can come out with a victory once again.
My Predictions
Rangers win 2-1.
Brian Boyle will tally the first goal for the Rangers early in the 1st.
Milan Lucic will get the only goal for the Bruins to tie it in the 2nd.
And finally, Artem Anisimov will get the game winning goal for the Rangers half way through the 3rd.
Enjoy they game, its bound to be a real doozy!
Rangers against the Boston Bruins.
For the final time this season, these two rough and tumble teams will take the ice against one another. The Rangers have managed to take two of the three games played against the Bruins so far this season, most recently, Henrik Lundqvist getting his eleventh shutout of the season on March 26th in a 1-0 hard fought and brilliant game by both the Rangers and Bruins. The Rangers have fought, and fought, and fought to stay in the playoffs these past two weeks. With two more games remaining after tonight, and the standings being so close with the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the Rangers by one point, Montreal ahead by two, and Carolina sticking around two points behind the Rangers, every point matters. The Rangers proved that in another classic yesterday against the Philadelphia Flyers. In deja-vu circumstances, the Rangers went to a shootout against the Flyers like the way they were eliminated last season, only this time coming out victorious and earning that very valuable extra point. One Ranger that has caught my eye recently has been Artem Anisimov. Anisimov has been noticeable a majority of the times he's on the ice, and has been doing fairly well recently despite not scoring. Anisimov has managed to make something out of nothing in a few circumstances over the past three games, so I would look out for him to be a big catalyst in tonights game.
The Bruins have already clinched their division and a spot to go to the post-season, their only job now is getting there in one piece. Two out of the three times the Rangers have faced the Bruins this season, Tuukka Rask has been between the pipes. Rask has been the goalie that has lost both games against the Rangers this season, while Tim Thomas has the only win. Therefore, I would believe that it would only be logical for Thomas to get a start tonight due to Rask's track record.
My DiagnosisThe Rangers and Bruins are two very similar teams. Both are very physical, and have a solid foundation in the goaltending department. In fact, the Rangers and Bruins are first and second for least goals allowed this season, the Bruins getting the 1st place slot. I expect a lot of what I saw from the last meeting between these two teams: a low-scoring, hard-hitting game of hockey. Tonight is a true test of courage and grit for the Rangers, and if they execute the way they did last time, they can come out with a victory once again.
My Predictions
Rangers win 2-1.
Brian Boyle will tally the first goal for the Rangers early in the 1st.
Milan Lucic will get the only goal for the Bruins to tie it in the 2nd.
And finally, Artem Anisimov will get the game winning goal for the Rangers half way through the 3rd.
Enjoy they game, its bound to be a real doozy!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Recapping the Rangers/Flyers 4/3/11
I need a heart-doctor on hand every time I watch this team play.First off, I think I'm going to begin doing only post-game analysis on weekends. Mostly because I like to mix it up, and I usually sleep a lot on the weekends, and usually end up waking up ten-minutes before each game so I never get a chance to do pre-games.
But for today, this is a positive post, and a first in what seemed like an eternity. At this stage of the season, every losing streak feels like an eternity. But, today the Rangers managed to pull out a victory in reverse fashion of the way the season ended for them last year, in a 3-2 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Erik Christensen and Wojtek Wolski both tallied in the shootout against rookie goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky as Henrik Lundqvist turned away former Ranger Nikolai Zherdev, who had one goal in the game, and Claude Giroux who won the shootout for Philadelphia last year.
It was a very physical game, like most would expect from these bitter rivals. Prust and Boyle both fought for the Rangers. Checks were thrown, and shots were blocked. All things that have given the Rangers success in their games today paid off and got them a big two points as both Carolina and Buffalo play one another today.
The Rangers goals came from Bryan McCabe, who scored with .07 seconds left in the 1st period on a 5 on 3. Following McCabe's goal was Ruslan Fedotenko who found the puck in front of the net after killing off a Vinny Prospal penalty.
The Rangers have kept the boat afloat for a while longer. Boston, Atlanta, and New Jersey are the final three games remaining for the Rangers, all of them at home. Despite New Jersey and Atlanta being mathematically eliminated, there is not a chance in the world that they are just going to roll over and lose. the Rangers need to keep their foot on the gas pedal and truck through these final three games. Points are too valuable now for them to play a half-effort game.
Enjoy your Sunday, and hope Buffalo wins in regulation!
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