Rangers Fall Short In Beantown

Despite outshooting the Bruins in the game, the Rangers were unable to get a puck past Bruins third string goaltender, Tukka Rask. The Blueshirts played an outstanding game defense wise, one of their best in a while, but the team's inability to clear the puck late in the second period was the difference in the game. Lundqvist led that pack by having a great bounce back game after the mess in Pittsburgh the other night. He was much more positive in his post game interview than he was in the previous game, as players and fans should be as well.

The Rangers played a fairly good road game in Boston, they had a sound defensive game, didn't take many penalties, and produced offensive opportunities, they were just unable to capitalize. They hit posts numerous times in the third period, but overall they played well offensively in the final stanza, by pinning the B's in their own zone for majority of the period. Coach Tom Renney was double-shifting Nik Zherdev in the third and "Z" responded by flying around the ice and producing many scoring chances.

Also, Daniel Girardi, I thought, played a great game. He was very physical in this game and was really a positive stand out in the game. Dmitri Kalinin left in the second period because of what is being called an upper body injury. He did not return in that game. So this means that there is a possibility that we can see Erik Reitz lace up the skates for the first time Tuesday night at the Garden. Only time will tell.

The Rangers come home to play the Atlanta Thrashers Tuesday Night, in what promises to be a very exciting and emotional night as Adam Graves's number 9 will be raised to the Garden rafters in his retirement ceremony. I will be among the Garden attendance for the ceremony and the Game. Hopefully the Rangers will carry the excitement from the ceremony into the game and find a way to defeat the Atlanta Thrashers.

(Photo taken from Rangers Official Website)

Rangers Go Head To Head With B's (UPDATE)

Hopefully the Rangers will have a big bounce-back game this afternoon in Boston, after the disaster in Pittsburgh Wednesday Night. It will not be easy to do so as they will have to defeat the first place Bruins who are playing the best hockey in the Eastern Conference as of now. The Bruins sit atop the Eastern Conference with 76 points, 35 wins, only 8 regulation losses, and 6 losses when going into extra time. Where as the Rangers are 4th in the East, going 29-17-4, four months into the season.

The lineup for the Rangers should be the same as it was in Pittsburgh, which means Petr Prucha and Erik Reitz would be healthy scratches. Ryan Callahan will be back in today, as he watched the last one on account of the flu. Henrik Lundqvist will be between the pipes for the Rangers and across the rink from him will be Bruin goaltender, Tim Thomas Tukka Rask. It is key that the Rangers D doesn't leave Hank out to dry in this game because this Bruin team will punish you for your mistakes. From an offensive standpoint, the Rangers really need to capitalize on their chances when they come because there won't be many against the solid Defense of the Bruins.

In the previous meeting at the Garden, the Blueshirts edged the B's in a come from behind shootout win, 3-2. I would expect this to be a low scoring game as well, being that both teams are defensive minded and both have top goaltender's in net to support them. That is, if the Rangers D can be successful in giving Lundqvist some help back there in the defensive zone, unlike in the third period in Pitt. This game will be one of the Rangers biggest challenges this season.

(Photo taken from Rangers Official Website)

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UPDATE(2nd Intermission): Well I was wrong on the Bruins starting goalie, as Tukka Rask is in net. Anyway, the Rangers find themselves down by a goal through two periods in Beantown. Sort of a flukey play, Dawes was unable to clear and a shot from the point was deflected by Mark Savard and bounced into the net. Despite that, the Rangers have had a defensively sound game and hopefully will continue that and also find a way to get a puck past Tukka Rask. Also, Dmitri Kalinin left in the first period with an injury and did not return since. No word yet on what the injury actually was.

Rangers Prepare For Boston

After holding their team practice in Westchester this morning, the Rangers will now fly to Boston where they will go head to head with the first place Bruins. Henrik Lundqvist will get the start in this game, hopefully he will have a big rebound after Wednesday night's disastrous third period.

Ryan Callahan, who sat the last one out on account of the flu, skated in practice this morning and is expected to play in tomorrow's game against the B's. Wade Redden also had special body treatments performed on him because of aching, but he too, is expected to play tomorrow.

Also, newly acquired D Erik Reitz was assigned the number 4 today as he practiced with the team for the first time, and will most likely travel to Boston with the group. Besides knowing Girardi and Voros from junior hockey, Reitz said he also knows Chris Drury, they were surfing partners in L.A. when Chris lived there in the off season. He also said that he would like to find a way to work himself into the lineup and that he can bring physicality to the ice when it is needed.

I also heard that coach Tom Renney might be switching up the powerplay combos again, after the team was unable to capitalize on the man advantage Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.

More later.....

Reitz Named Team's Seventh Defensemen

Well, a lot of talk pertaining to the Rangers adding a seventh defensemen has been swirling around since Dan Fritsche was placed on waivers. The rumour is now true. After the trade earlier today, sending Fritsche to Minnesota, coach Tom Renney announced that the Rangers' acquisition in the trade, Erik Reitz, will be with the team as a seventh defensemen.

Renney proclaims that he will bring a physical presence to the defensive squad and Aaron Voros, who played with Reitz in Minnesota last year, stated that Erik is willing to fight and has a hard shot. No hard feelings toward Corey Potter or any other Hartford d-men, as Renney said the reason for Reitz being added as the extra man over a player from the Wolfpack, is because the organization feels the 6-1, 210 pounder has more experience at an NHL level, and therefore will be ready to go immediately.

Dan Fritsche Traded To Minnesota for D-Man Erik Reitz

One day after clearing waivers, winger Daniel Fritsche has been shipped out from New York to the Minnesota Wild, in return the Rangers gain a 6-1, 210 pound defensemen in Erik Reitz. A 6th round draft pick in 2000, the 26 year old was born in Detroit and played for the Houston Aeros in Junior Hockey.

Reitz went 1-1-2 in 31 games with the Wild, and recorded 45 penalty minutes in 37 career games. He is a restricted free agent after next season and was making $500,000 in Minnesota. It has not been reported whether he will stay up with the Rangers as a seventh defensemen, or if he will be sent down to Hartford to play with the Wolfpack.

More Later.....

Missed Opportunities Result In Loss For Rangers

Once again, the Rangers failed to capitalize on big opportunities in key parts of the game. Now don't get me wrong, the boys played well in the first and second, but had a complete collapse in the third. Anyway, they Rangers had sustained pressure, well executed puck movement, and powerplays, but none of those assets helped the Rangers put the puck in the net. They got the puck to the net, they just were unable to put it in. The pucks that were buried were scored by two men who broke a long scoring drought, Nik Zherdev and Marc Staal.

The defense also had a collapse in the third period which led to a an explosion by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Some of those the pucks that went in for the Pens were lucky bounces, but give them credit, they had sustained pressure for most of the third and really grabbed the momentum. The Rangers penalties in third period didn't help with that either.

The Rangers look ahead to Saturday afternoon where they will play the first place Bruins at 1pm. This game will be the ultimate challenge for the Rangers after the mess tonight in Pittsburgh. The last time the Rangers met up with the Bruins was at the Garden, where they recorded a comeback shootout win.

(Photo taken from Rangers Official Website)

Rangers Seek Revenge in Pittsburgh (UPDATE)

After being embarrassed on National Television two weeks ago, the Rangers revisit Pittsburgh tonight, where they will face the hungry Penguins. Sidney Crosby and the Pens find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture. The Rangers hope to keep it that way with a win tonight. The Blueshirts will have their hands full though. One reason for that is because they are playing at Mellon Arena, a place that has become somewhat of a house of horrors for the Rangers.(We all know why!)

The Rangers are coming off of a hard fought win last night at the Garden, but that shouldn't give them an excuse for a lack of fire power and jump in their game. They are well rested after the break and Henrik Lundqvist is back in goal tonight, as he did not play last night in New York solely because coach Tom Renney knew he would have to be at his best in tonight's contest.

The lineup is expected to be the same for the Rangers as it was last night, with the exception of Hank in net. Petr Prucha will be the only healthy scratch, being that Dan Fritsche passed through waivers earlier this afternoon.

From a Penguin standpoint, Sidney Crosby is expected to return to the lineup tonight, after missing a few games due to a nagging knee injury. Even with his return, the Penguins Injured Player list remains a long one.

(Photo taken from Rangers Official Website)

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UPDATE: Petr Prucha will be playing on the top line, the Gomez line, in place of Ryan Callahan, who has been overcome by the flu. With a win tonight, the Rangers will surpass the Devils to be in first in the Division and will tie a dormant Washington for second place in the East, the Caps do have a game in hand on the Rangers though.

Fritsche Clears Waivers

As per TSN, winger, Daniel Fritsche has cleared waivers and is being sent down to Hartford.
I am kind of surprised he passed through, I mean, if he is given ice time, he possibly could flourish and become a third liner, but I guess other teams didn't feel the same way. So for now, Fritsche stays with the Rangers organization and will be playing for their AHL Affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack. More around game time...

Gomez, Valiquette Lead Rangers To Win Over 'Canes

In a game full of energy and excitement, key players stepped up at key times tonight at the Garden. Steve Valiquette and Scott Gomez where among those key players. Steve Valiquette, once again, came in after not having played for a long stretch of time, and was nothing short of stellar between the pipes. At times in this game, Carolina's forecheck was in full effect and forced the Rangers deep in their own zone. When those times of pressure came, so did shots, Valiquette rose to the equation and made the big saves when they were needed. Scott Gomez, the other key player mentioned, had noticeable jump to his game and skated better than he has in months, signs of a well rested player. Gomez was all over the ice tonight, making plays, cutting to the net, and backchecking. His efforts in tonight's game led him to a goal and an assist and the first star of the game.

Other noticeable factors in tonight's game for the Rangers were the play of Nik Zherdev, and the play of the Gomez, Naslund, and Callahan line. First on Zherdev, Nikki definitely came out with fire power tonight, he was looking to shoot a lot more, a very good sign, and he made a beautiful play on the Dubinsky goal. When Zherdev has his game going, he always seems to get Brandon Dubinsky going as well. Also Gomez, Naslund, and Callahan are beginning to form incredible chemistry, it is beginning to remind a lot of the chemistry Dubinsky, Jagr, and Avery had last season as the top line. Anyway, that line is showing very good signs at a time when they are going to be needed.

Well it was a great start to the beginning of the unofficial second half of the season. We are expecting many of these close game wins as the Blueshirts close in on the final months of the season. All of these wins will be vital in the Rangers climb in the standings and maybe they will get them the home ice advantage in the playoffs that they have not had in a great amount of time.

The Rangers will fly to Pittsburgh tonight, as they will face the Penguins at Mellon Arena tomorrow night. Revenge will be in the minds of the players going into tomorrow's game as the Rangers were shutout on National television in their last meeting with the Pens. Henrik Lundqvist will be in net for the Rangers in this game.

(Photo taken by Getty Images)

Crunch Time Begins Tonight For Rangers(Fritsche Waived)

As the eighth place Carolina Hurricanes come to the Garden for the second meeting of the season tonight, the Rangers look forward to the coming months. It is that time again. The time right after the All-Star break when the run for the playoffs really begins. From a Ranger standpoint, this time of the season, for the most part, has been a successful one in the post lockout era, making the playoffs three years straight. Once in the playoffs, they have not played past the second round. There goal is to end that streak and make it the Conference finals(Possibly the Cup), but first, they have to focus on making it to the high anticipated postseason. This starts tonight, with the Rangers currently in 5th place, 10 points ahead of the ninth place spot, much better than they were this time, last year.

In their previous meeting, the Rangers were victorious in a close game that Chris Drury decided in a shootout, that was back in December at the Garden. Going into tonight's contest, both the Rangers and the Hurricanes have won their last two games, but the Canes will most likely be hungry tonight, as they are just barely in the playoff picture, hanging on to an eighth place spot by just a point. Cam Ward will most likely be in goal for Caroline tonight.

On the other side of the ice, Steve Valiquette is getting the call tonight. Coach Renney said it is simply because this is the first of back to back games and Lundqvist will need a rest, being that he will be playing tomorrow night in Pittsburgh. Other noted lineup changes are Lauri Korpikoski and Aaron Voros will be in tonight, in place of Petr Prucha and Dan Fritsche. Voros will again be playing with Zherdev and Dubinsky, while the Korpedo is on wing with Drury and Dawes. Renney stated that Voros is in the lineup for his size and that the they had a talk about his 3 penalties taken against Anaheim.
(Photo taken by Getty Images)
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UPDATE: It has been announced today that forward Dan Fritsche has been placed on waivers. Fritsche was acquired in the trade that involved the addition of Nik Zherdev and the departing of Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman. Playing in only 16 of a possible 58 games, Fritsche was a minus 2 in this span. Waiving Fritsche relieves the Rangers of around $360,000 in cap space.

Rangers Return To Action/ All-Star Weekend Pictures

Today marked the first official practice after the break. The practice ran for about an hour long and a team meeting was also held prior. The message given in the meting was not to get comfortable and that the coming months will be diffucult and they must rise to the occasion and move up in the standings to secure a great playoff spot instead of a good one. I think the whole team knows that their record could be better, and I am sure that was also pointed out in the team gathering this morning.

Steve Valiquette is getting the call for tomorrow's game against the Canes.
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As promised, I finally got around to posting all the pictures I took in Montreal duering the All-Star break. Attached is the link to the photobucket page where I uploaded them to, the password is rangers. Also, I ran into Eric Staal in the montreal airport, great guy, I asked for him not to score on us Tuesday night.
Photos:http://s399.photobucket.com/albums/pp72/nkmonte94/

2009 All-Star Weekend Update 2

Exhibited by Alex Ovechkin's creative shootout attempt, last night's skills competition was filled with fun and enthusiasm as the league's best competed in various events. Words cannot describe some of the talent that was shown Saturday Night, Chara's 105mph shot, Ovechkin's shootout performance, Blake Wheeler's performance in the youngstars game, just to name a few.

It is extremely cold on this Sunday Morning in Montreal, but people are still out and about showing off their team colors. Nothing seems to stop this town from being involved with hockey, it is one of the best hockey towns, and the atmosphere here is simply incredible.

I am looking forward to the game tonight, hopefully it will be more intense and exciting than the the youngstars game was. Also, I will be taking more pictures from Montreal today and I hope to combine the many pictures I took yesterday and the ones I take today and post them all tomorrow on this blog.

Enjoy the game tonight!

2009 All-Star Weekend Update 1

Bonjour from freezing Montreal. I just saw Joe Micheletti in the hotel lobby, he said he has been here since Thursday, he is assisting in the NHL Network coverage of the weekend. I also heard Mark Messier is in town for the festivities as well. Anyway, here are some of the pictures I took when I was out and about outside of the Bell Centre. I will post more pictures later tonight after the Skills competition and after party.






It was also announced Friday, the shooters Henrik Lundqvist will be going head to head against in the elimination shootout competition, and there are some tough ones amongst the group. Henrik Lundqvist will be facing Shane Doan (Phx.), Dustin Brown (L.A.), Stephane Robidas (Dal.), Andrei Markov (Mtl.), Zdeno Chara (Bos.), Keith Tkachuk (StL), Jeff Carter (Phi.), Rick Nash (CBJ), and Vincent Lecavalier (T.B.).

2009 ALL-STAR WEEKEND

As Brandon Dubinsky, Henrik Lundqvist, and Marc Staal prepare for the weekend in Montreal, so do I. I will be in Montreal for all of the events including open practices, after parties, skills competition, and the game itself. While I am there, I will be taking many pictures that I will post on this blog when time permits. Along with the pictures, I will post many updates while in Montreal. So come right here for all of your updated All-Star Weekend updates, pictures, and inormation. I am looking forward to the experience and sharing it with you.

More Information Released On Cherepanov Case

Sources from the KHL are blaming Avangard Omsk for the doping charges that were put on Cherepanov after his death. As they further investigated the case, the KHL found out that the young prospect was suffering from chronic myocarditis, and that his cause of death was acute heart failure.

When asked about the topic, Avangard denied having any knowledge of Alexei's condition. The Kontinental Hockey League states that they have information that says otherwise. They feel that the team's doctors and physicians knew of the cardio disease that Cherepanov was dealing with, and they proceeded to treat him with systematic blood doping, in attempt to cure Alexei on their own. So what KHL investigators are trying to prove is that the team tried to take matters into their own hands, not knowing they were dealing with a condition that can only be treated by trained Cardiologists. Why they wouldn't have sent Cherepanov to a cardiologist in the first place is beyond me. Anyway, the drugs inserted into Alexei's bloodstream, could have played a role in causing the acute heart failure.

Well, the good news out of all of this is that Chereapnov was not taking the drugs on his own, and is no longer accused of blood doping. It was hard to swallow when I first found out that they were accusing Alexei of blood doping, he seemed like a responsible intelligent kid that had a bright future ahead of him. I had much doubt that he actually was taking the drugs, and now, we are being told that it wasn't him injecting the hormones, it was team doctors. It seems as if the story gets more and more twisted as time progresses. I am sure more information on the case will slowly leak out as time goes on, and they will eventually be able to put a finger on exactly what was going on in Russia.

When you add this to the long list of problems coming out of Russian hockey, it is just another reason why the KHL is no where near as organized and advanced as the NHL, and why North American Hockey should not be threatened by the corrupt league being run overseas.
(Photo taken by Getty Images)

Special Teams Gives Rangers Edge Over Ducks

Two powerplay goals and two shorthanded goals were the difference for the Rangers tonight at the Garden. The Penalty Kill was, and had to be, very good in this game. Blair Betts lead the pack in killing off the man advantage by putting his always present, 100% effort into it. The Garden crowd erupted when his stick was broken and he still put his body down to block a shot, it was only deserving that he later scored the empty-net goal to stone the win for the Rangers. He received the first star for his efforts for the first time in his career. Frederick Sjostrom also scored short-handed on a beauty of a shot that beat Hiller top corner.

On the other side of the rink, the Blueshirt powerplay produced 2 goals, one in the first and another in the third. The first was scored by Markus Naslund, who had his best game this month. The other was buried by Scott Gomez late in third to put the Rangers ahead 3-2 at the time. At times the powerplay looked like a disaster in this game, but the Rangers pulled it together twice to post 2 big goals on the board.

Henrik Lundqvist, again, played amazingly well, proving that he deserves his spot on the Eastern All-Star team. He made the big saves when they were needed, especially the Perry redirection save made in the second period. Outstanding game for Hank.

Tom Renney's line-up changes didn't prove too much tonight. Fritsche was ineffective and Aaron Voros took 3 penalties throughout the game, which led to him being benched by Renney for the second half of the third period.

So overall this was a great bounce back game for the Rangers after the mess in Pittsburgh last Sunday. The team seemed to put that loss behind them and as a result, played a solid defensive game, led by Marc Staal, who had a great game holding off Getzlaf and Perry. The offense seemed to produce many more quality scoring chances in this game than they did in Pittsburgh, and Hank was great once again. The Rangers are now back on top of the Atlantic Division for now, with tonight's victory.

The Rangers are now off until next Tuesday, when Eric Staal and the 'Canes come to town, but in the mean time, Marc Staal, Brandon Dubinsky, and Henrik Lundqvist will be taking part in the All-Star weekend festivities in Montreal, this coming Saturday and Sunday.

I once again remind you that I will be in Montreal for the weekend and I will be updating my blog, so stay tuned for updates and pictures from All-Star Weekend.

(Photo taken by Getty Images)

Rangers Host Ducks In Last Game Before All-Star Weekend

The Rangers final opponent before the All-Star break will be the Anaheim Ducks, who sit in 5th place in the Western Conference. The Blueshirts are coming off of a loss they will want to throw away, where as the Ducks defeated the Minnesota Wild in their last game coming into tonight's contest.

The line change rumours I reported about in my prior post will be in effect for tonight's game. That is Voros and Fritsche being put in for Petr Prucha and Lauri Korpikoski. Coach Renney stated that he implied these changes to match the Ducks in a physical/size aspect of the game. Renney expects Aaron Voros and Dan Fritsche, who hasn't played in 20 games, to be extremely hungry. Voros will be rejoined with his former mates, Nik Zherdev and Brandon Dubinsky, and Fritsche will be on the wing playing with Drury and Dawes. I will assume that Henrik Lundqvist will be between the pipes tonight for the Rangers, but I cannot assure you that just yet.

In their last meeting, the Rangers defeated the Ducks 2-1, with Nigel Dawes scoring a big goal late in the game, that later turned out to be the winner. That game was played in Anaheim during the Rangers West Coast swing in December. Hopefully the Rangers will have such magic in them to pull of a win to enter the break on a good note.

(Image taken by Getty Images)

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Update: Henrik Lundqvist will be in net for the Rangers tonight and will most likely play a big role in trying to get the Blueshirts the win.

Possible Line Changes & Shanny's First

It has not been assured just yet, but Tom Renney is considering replacing Lauri Korpikoski and Petr Prucha for Aaron Voros and Dan Fritsche in tomorrow's lineup against Anaheim. My guess is this is a result of the team's lack luster offense last game in Pittsburgh. As I mentioned in my former post, the offensive incapability could have been a result of fatigue. Who knows, maybe the change will be a plus, being that both forwards would be expected to be very hungry.

Also, I just saw Brendan Shanahan score his first goal as a Debbie. It was a pp goal and not such a bad move for a player of his age.

It Could Have Been Worse

Although falling to the Penguins, 3-0 early Sunday afternoon, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist played pretty well. Yes he might want the Kennedy goal back, but despite being left out to dry by the Defense, Hank stepped up and made big saves when they were needed. If it wasn't for him, this game, no doubtedly, would have been worse.

As Lundqvist did his part in trying to keep the Rangers in the game, the team just couldn't respond. Part of the team's lack of response is due to the long-term effects of a road trip. You could see it, the whole team was fatigued, no jump, no energy, no excitement. I am not trying to make excuses here, but I am just pointing out what I noticed.

The Rangers must get back to the way they have been playing before this game. That is a strong forecheck and solid defense, neither of which, were present today. But remember, the team was fatigued after the emotional game on Friday Night, just something to keep in mind when thinking of this lost.

So hopefully the team puts this one behind them, don't think much of it, and return to the way they were playing before this game. They will need to in order to defeat an Anaheim team on Tuesday at MSG, the Ducks are a team who has also had both its ups and downs this season. They are coming of a big win over Minnesota going into Tuesday's contest. The Ducks are the final team the Rangers will play before the All-Star break next weekend.

Also, I will be at the All-Star game in Montreal next Saturday and Sunday. I will be updating my blog with posts and pictures during the weekend, so come here for all your up to the minute All-Star news.

Rangers Meet Pittsburgh For Early Afternoon Game (UPDATED)

After a very emotional win over Chicago on Friday night, the Blueshirts will go head to head with the struggling Penguins Sunday afternoon at Mellon Arena. Despite winning their last game, the Penguins have not been able to post the wins on the board as of late. The Rangers on the other hand, have been solid, going 3-0-1 in their last four.

The Rangers will again, have to play shut down defense in order to defeat the Pens. We hope the Rangers will play the same way they did last time they met up with the Penguins at the Garden, when they posted a 4-0 win. The only question going into Sunday's game will be if Sidney Crosby will be dressed or not, after suffering an injury earlier this week.

The same lineup will be in place tomorrow, meaning Voros and Fritsche will be the healthy scratches. Also, Daniel Girardi, who suffered an upper body injury Friday night, is expected to play in tomorrow's game, so that will play a role in stopping the Penguins. Lundqvist will be starting in goal for the Rangers, as he has been red hot during the Rangers road trip.

If they come out on top in this game, the Rangers will capture 9 out of a possible 10 points on their trip.(Knock on Wood) The Rangers would love to go 2 for 2 while their fathers are in attendance, as tomorrow's game will mark the end of Dad's Weekend.

Update(Gameday): Daniel Girardi is said to be in the lineup for today's contest. The fact that a seventh defensemen has not been called up reassures that. Crosby remains questionable for the game, but either way, the Rangers will have to play on their toes against the quick and explosive offense of the Penguins. The Rangers are 3-0 when playing the Pens this season, although those games were at MSG, and this one is being played on Pittsburgh ice. The last time the Rangers played at Mellon Arena was when they were eliminated from the '08 playoffs last season.

Rangers Show Character In Win Over Hawks

Well, a lot can be said about last night's game in Chicago. The foremost topic to be discussed was the Rangers composure throughout the game. They could have complained and took fits over penalty calls and not focus on the pk, but they did just the opposite, the kept calm and killed 4/5 5 on 3's and many other penalties as well. They did that without defensemen Dan Girardi, who left in the second period after apparently hitting his head on the ice in a fight. That penalty kill was lead, once again, by King Henrik, who's performance was nothing short of amazing last night at the United Center.

Drury really has stepped up his game as of late, picking up another two goals last night and one the OT Winner. "Dru" now has 3 goals in his last 2 games. Brandon Dubinsky also picked up another goal off of a beauty of a play by Lauri Korpikoski. I also am noticing a big improvement in all of the defensive player, especially Wade Redden, who has been playing at All-Star Caliber as of late. Dmitri Kalinin has been a plus player in recent games. Michael Rozsival and Paul Mara have looked fantastic, and Giradi and Staal have been themselves, which is youngsters playing like 10 year vets. A lot of good signs have been shown in this road trip, which is 4/5ths out of the way.

A couple other topics of discussion about last night's game was the play of the first line. Gomez, Naslund, and Callahan, despite not scoring a goal, show a lot of effort and sustained offensive pressure. Also, I give coach Renney credit for showing fire when it was needed. Dan Girardi also left the game for what is being called an upper body injury, no notice of when he is expected to return.

The Rangers will arrive today, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where they will complete their road trip, Sunday Afternoon, against the struggling Penguins, who will most likely be playing without an injured, Sidney Crosby.

Rangers Visit Chicago To Play High-Flying Hawks

For the second time this season, the Rangers will go head-to-head with the Chicago Blackhawks. Two differences, Chicago is playing much better hockey as a group than the first time we saw them in October, and the other, This one is at the United Center. Both will cause the Rangers to play a strong game tonight. Chicago has been winning games like there is no tomorrow, and the United Center has been filled to capacity for almost every home game this season.

The Rangers must have a strong defensive game against the Hawks if they would like to stay in this one. The group led by youngster and Captain, Jonathan Toews, is extremely fast and very dangerous. If the Rangers Defense can play the way they have played as of late, we should be in good shape. Hopefully we can net a few more goals than we did against the Isles, though.

The Rangers lineup will remain the same with Voros and Fritsche the healthy scratches, and Lundqvist anchoring the "shut down" defense that was mentioned above.

Dad's Weekend

The Rangers are holding their annual Bring Your Dad Roadtrip, this coming weekend when they head out to Chicago and then to Pittsburgh. Lauri Korpikoski has his father coming from Finland and both Lundqvist's and Naslund's dads will be making the trip from Sweden. Those are only 3 of the 18 fathers that will be joining their sons on the trip.

Also, Staal and Rozsival both said they will be ready to go for friday night as they were sore after last night's game on the Island. Renney gave the players the day off from the ice today and the opportunity to do off-ice excercises and activities, which for Drury and Lundqvist was Yoga.

Lundqvist Allows Rangers To Come Out On Top Of Isles

Two quick goals were the difference for the Rangers tonight, but there were many more factors that propelled the team to the win. One of which was the play of Henrik Lundqvist, what else is new? Yes the Isles found a way to score during a frantic play, but Hank was hands down amazing after that goal. The Isles kept pushing and pushing and Hank stood tall and got the Blueshirts through the first period.

That leads me to the other game defying factor, the adjustment the team Defense made in the first intermission. Half way through the second, the Rangers only allowed 1 shot on Lundqvist, opposed to 19 in the first period. The tight D enabled the Rangers to put up goals on the board. The first was of a play that moved from the blueline to the slot in less than a second. Gomez dropped to Drury who ripped a wrist shot passed Yan Danis who came in for Joey MacDonald, who strained his groin 5 minutes into the game. The other goal was started by a missed shot short-handed by the youngster Comeau. Callahan than turned it on into the offensive zone and made a beautiful, fake-shot-pass to Nigel Dawes for the tap in. That changed the momentum and the Rangers were all Defense from there.

I also noticed that Brandon Dubinsky was a demon on the ice tonight, he was flying, hitting, shooting, he looked great. Zherdev and Callahan were also very noticeable tonight as well.

When Wade Redden cleared the puck out of the madness in front of the net with the final seconds ticking off of the clock, all Rangers fans took a deep breath. That deep breath represents what this team has done with their game lately. Take a deep breath, get back to basics, and win games. So far, it has payed off.(Knock On Wood)

The Rangers now head out to Chicago to face the up and coming Blackhawks Friday Night at 8:30.

Rangers Look To Get Two On Long Island

While leading the series 2-1, the Rangers head into Uniondale tonight for a rivalry game against the Islanders. Despite the fact the Isles have struggled to find wins this season, the Rangers will do anything but take them lightly.

I expect the Blueshirts to come out hard early, so they get the cushion and focus on Renney's defensive style that has been strongly enforced the last few games. Isles coach Scott Gordon stated that he will be giving his core youth more ice time than they have been getting, so on the Rangers part, we should be on our toes and prepared for speed.

Lundqvist is expected to be between the pipes for the Rangers after recording his second shutout in 3 games thanks to the disciplined Rangers defensive play. Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro continues to be out of the lineup and part of a long list of Injured players. Being so, the Rangers will once again face backup goaltender, Joey MacDonald. The Rangers are going with the same lineup as Saturday night, which puts Aaron Voros and Dan Fritsche in the press box as healthy scratches.


Update: It has been reported that the Rangers are in the process of negotiating a new contract with right winger, Nikolai Zherdev, being that he is a restricted free agent at the end of the season. "Z" says he does not want to play anywhere, but in New York with the Rangers. So my guess is that Nik's agent and Glen Sather will come to terms on a contract before the season's end. I will be following this story and updating as it progresses.....

Just Like Good Old Times

Based on the last few games, the Rangers seem to be returning to their defensive style that propelled them in the beginning of the season. Yes, this is good and bad news to fans. Good because, based on history, we win more games that way, and bad because it is a bit on the boring side to watch. But when you get right down to things, it is much better watching a winning team than a losing one.

Markus Naslund said he also felt comfortable and content going back to the ,what it seems like, old style. No more sloppy plays and more on their toes.

So this has been a big adjustment for the Rangers that needed to be made, now if only a such adjustment would be considered for the powerplay, all our games under the defensive style might not be 2-1.

Also, Naslund did not skate with the team in practice today because of, what he called, a tweaked groin. He is fully expected to play in tomorrow's game against the Isles. Bobby Sanguinetti was sent back down to Hartford after his appearance in warm-ups with the Rangers.

Lundqvist's Perfection Leads Rangers To Win Over Ottawa

Redemption would be the best word to sum up Saturdy night's win over Ottawa. Lundqvist made up for his shaky game against Montreal, by posting his second shutout in three games. Brandon Dubinsky broke a 20 game scoring drought and awoke his dormat offense, as did Lauri Korpikoski by breaking a 21 game drought.

The Rangers defense that has been criticized by fans as of late, played their best game in months. Hank did not have to do much to do much to shutout the Sens, due to the tight defensive play led by Wade Redden who played a spectacular game against his former team.

The Rangers hope to carry the momentum of this win back to Long Island when they play another struggling team in the Islanders. The Rangers lead that series 2-1.

Rangers Look To Get Back On Track Against Struggling Sens

The Rangers have been playing as if they have been straightening out their game as of late, but still haven't found ways to win. Tonight that opportunity is bigger than it has been, as the Blueshirts head into Ottawa to play the a Senator team that has had nothing but problems so far this season.

The Senators have been getting hit hard by the media and fans in Ottawa, that being said, it is crucial that the Rangers get on the board first and take the crowd out of the game, which is easy to do when a team is struggling like the Senators are.

A couple other notes for tonight's match up are that 1st round draft pick Bobby Sanguinetti will be in Ottawa with the team today for precautionary reasons, being that Michal Rozsival might sit this one out after hitting his head on an open bench door in Buffalo a night ago. Also the Sens have called up Rookie goalie, Brian Elliot to start between the pipes against the Rangers tonight.

Shanny to Devils

It was announced today that Lou Lamoriello and the New Jersey Devils have signed free agent, and former Ranger, Brendan Shanahan. Shanny looked a bit slow toward the end of the season for the Rangers in 2008. The Devils feel that he will be in better condition and a big asset to the team. So, it looks as if Brendan Shanahan will end his career where he started it...

The Rangers will be playing Shanahan for the first time this season on February 9th.

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