The Rangers are taking a 2-1 series lead into Newark this evening, in hopes of taking a commanding lead in the series, after their shutout victory in Game 3 of this series. Game 3 was Henrik Lendqvist’s fourth shutout of the playoffs, and second in this series. He stopped every one of the 36 shots that came his way throughout the game. If his hot goaltending can continue, the number one seeded Rangers could be on their way to the Stanley Cup.

In tonight’s game, the NHL Odds Makers have the Rangers as underdogs at +110, and a huge -355 on the puck line. Will the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist be able to take both games in New Jersey, or will the Devils be able to regain their poise, and rebound from their Game 3 defeat?

continue reading…

The Rangers landed a convincing first punch in their Eastern Conference Finals showdown. The Rangers blanked their rivals, 3-0 behind goals from Dan Girardi, Chris Kreider, and an empty net special from Artem Anisimov. Henrik Lundqvist bested Marty Brodeur in the battle of the goalies. The Rangers out shot the Devs, 28-21, holding the Devils to just four shots in the third period. The Rangers have won with stifling third period defense thus far so expect that to continue. 

We all know that this series will come down to goal tending and defensive play. The Rangers have superior talent in both facets and should advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1994. 

For the second time this post-season, the Rangers rose to the occasion and won a decisive Game 7. Brad Richards wasted little time in the first period, netting the game’s first goal at the 1:14 mark. For the next forty minutes, the two teams failed to register a goal before Michael Del Zotto gave the Blue Shirts a 2-0 lead. The Caps wasted little time, scoring their own goal two minutes later. However, the Ranger defense and Henrik Lundqvist really locked down on the Caps, as they held onto a 2-1 Game 7 victory.

To put it in perspective, the Capitals only managed four shots in the third period. Compared to Ottawa’s 15 shots in their last Game 7, the Rangers third period defense was stellar and they are moving on to face the NJ Devils in the NJ Transit Series.

As a regular commuter on the NJ Transit train lines, I’m not happy at all about this pairing. These two teams are separated by a mere 13 minute train ride from MSG to The Rock in Newark. Fans from both sides will be giving me a headache all week long. However, I expect well-played hockey, so I’ll deal with it.

On the surface, both teams have yet to face a top goaltender this post-season. You could make the argument that Capitals goalie, Brandon Holtby has had his coming out party, but realistically, neither team has faced a proven, veteran goal tender…until now. Marty Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist are still two of league’s very best. This series will likely come down to goal tending and defensive play. Luckily for the Rangers, their back line has been pretty good and will likely slow down the attack of Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk. Remember, there is a lot of bad blood between these teams so expect a lot of rough play and fights. 

As for the Western Conference, I really don’t know too much about the skill position players. However, I do know that Kings’ goalie, Jon Quick, and Coyote goalie, Mike Smith have been dominant this post-season. As the #8 seed in the West, the Kings have won 8 of 9 post-season games rather easily against the conference’s top two teams. ESPN’s Barry Melrose is picking the Kings in six and Rangers in six, so that’s good enough for me. 

As a whole, the NHL would like a Rangers-Kings Stanley Cup Final. The two largest markets in the country squaring off for the Cup. The Rangers are starved for the Cup while the Kings have never won it. The Kings made it in 1992-93 when they had The Great One, but fell to the Canadiens. 

Playoff hockey will be really exciting in the NY Metro area for the next two, three weeks. Buckle up, it’ll be a bumpy ride. 

Just win, baby. The Rangers took care of business at home tonight as they disposed of the Senators, 2-1. The third period was a roller coaster ride with the Rangers clinging to a one goal lead. It felt like Senators took about 100 shots in the last ten minutes of the game as the Rangers were clearly playing defensive hockey. I can’t tell you how many times I saw Alfredsson, Spezza, Karlsson, and that jerk Neil take open looks at Henrik. Without fail, Henrik stopped all comers and the Rangers stymied the potent Ottawa attack. The Garden was rocking and the Rangers are advancing.

The Rangers won’t have much time to regroup as Game 1 against the Caps will be this weekend. The Caps impressed a lot of people with their play against the Bruins. The Rangers will need to figure out Braden Holtby and slow down the dangerous Alex Ovechkin. The Caps and Rangers split the season series at two games a piece which included a non-contest on April 7th that the Caps won, 4-1. None of that matters now and the Rangers must win another four games before advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Stealing the Giants’ famous ‘All In’ saying, the 2011-12 Rangers are putting all of their chips on the table for tonight’s Game 7. As we saw last night, home ice advantage has no impact on the outcome of the game. The Boston Bruins were pushed aside as the Washington Capitals shocked the world by eliminating the defending Stanley Cup Champions. A date with Mr. Ovechkin and the Caps awaits the Rangers if they can get by the Ottawa Senators tonight. 

Like I said before Game 6, the Rangers need to keep attacking the net and put the pressure on Senator goalie, Craig Anderson. Carl Hagelin’s return made a huge difference in Game 6 as he was the fastest man on the ice. Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan need to set the tone early. An early Ranger goal will create an absolute frenzy at The Garden. More importantly, an early lead will help Henrik Lundqvist relax and settle in. Lundqvist needs a Game 7 win in the worst way to silence his critics. 

The Ranger season comes down to sixty minutes in Game 7. Will this team spend Friday preparing for Ovechkin and the Caps? Or will this team be ripped to shreds by the New York media as it heads to the golf course? Tensions will be high and that’s the beauty of sudden death, playoff games. It all comes down to tonight. 

The Ottawa Senators have yet to obtain a lead during regulation. Yet, with the series tied at 2-2, a lead in the third period may prove to be the decisive blow that swings this series in their favor.

While the Rangers have lost their last seven overtime playoff games, this team plays extremely well at Madison Square Graden. The Rangers were 27-12-2 at MSG during the regular season, second best in the East. The Rangers have scored only nine goals in the first four games, so more offense will be needed in Game 5. Coach Tortorella has altered the first two lines, having Marian Gaborik skate with Derek Stepan and Artem Anisimov while having Brad Richards skate with Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky. The trio of Richards-Callahan-Dubinsky, who scored 71 goals this season, could ignite the offensive output for the Rangers.

Luckily for the Rangers, Daniel Alfredsson will not travel to New York for Game 5. Alfredsson missed Games 3 and 4 after suffering an injury a devastating blow from Carl Hagelin in Game 2.  

For the Rangers, success starts and ends with goalie, Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist must deliver a huge performance to keep his team in the game. Lundqvist gave up the decisive overtime goal in Game 4, a shot that many believe he should have stopped.

With the series knotted at two, there’s no doubt that the Garden will rocking tonight. The Rangers must play off the crowd and an early lead could be huge to allievate any concerns from Game 4. Game 4 was a bad loss for the Rangers and the loss effectively killed their momentum. A win tonight will put them firmly back into the driver’s seat.

Prediction: Rangers win, 2-0

In pivotal playoff games, teams look for their super starts to step up and answer the call. Luckily for the Rangers, their best player was on top of his game in Game 3. Henrik Lundqvist led the Ranger defensive effort as they shut out the Senators, 1-0. Brian Boyle scored the decisive goal in the third period, but Lundqvist’s spirited play was the difference. His 39 saves were his most this post-season. 

After the NHL unfairly suspended Carl Hagelin for the three games, his Ranger team mates responded with emotional, captivating play. The Rangers will have the opportunity to give themselves a commanding 3-1 series lead on Wednesday night. Same teams, same place. 

I’ll be brutally honest–I don’t know anything about hockey. I don’t pretend to know anything, either. Plus, I often defer to Mike, Joe, and the guest writers for the site’s hockey info. But when Mike Francesa is talking hockey and flirts with has Henrik Lundqvist on Mike’s On, I have to get up to speed. 

Ranger-Themed Subway in NYC

Going into this post-season, I couldn’t name more than four current players. (Apparently, Eric Lindros hasn’t been in the league for a few years.)

Anyway, after doing some research and subsequently deciding to play in a playoff pool, the Stanley Cup Playoffs have officially grabbed my attention. Sure, you can say that the Yankees had an off-night and I didn’t have much to watch, but I learned that playoff hockey is pretty sweet. Aside from the Ranger blowout (I’ll get to it), the other two games I watched went into sudden death overtime. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat, watching the Blues and Sharks battle it out and seeing the Bruins make quick work of the hapless, overrated Capitals. What would make this post-season even better is seeing another New York team bring home a championship. The Rangers took that first step tonight.

I don’t have to write much of a back story about the Rangers. You can read that stuff here and here, but the Rangers are clearly the toast of the town right now. Expectations are huge for this team after finishing first in the Eastern Conference. Lundqvist took the first step in shedding his playoff demons by saving 30 of 32 shots. The Rangers moved the puck pretty well for 2.5 periods before getting a little sloppy at the end, but a 4-2 win is a 4-2 win. Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik, and Brad Richards all found the back of the net, so any and all playoff jitters should be gone. 

On the surface, momentum in hockey seems to be predicated by emotion and strong goalie play. The Rangers were successful in both aspects and will look to build on that in Game 2.

P.S. Big ups to the Garden crowd tonight. Place was BUMPIN’.

Another great guest posting from Dave Thomas. Enjoy.

Will the Rangers Choke or Send the Sens Packing?

While the New York Rangers were not able to secure the President’s Trophy and the overall top seed in this year’s NHL playoffs (Vancouver), they are the frontrunners in the Eastern Conference.

continue reading…

Just a heads-up. I received a great article on the New York Rangers from Mike Smith. Mike will be contributing on a part-time basis for us. Enjoy…

With all the excitement the Giants have created over the past few weeks, the New York Rangers have flown under our radar, even though they are arguably the best team in the NHL. Now that football season is over, the Rangers deserve our attention.

It has been 18 years since their magical Stanley Cup run in 1994 (exactly one-third their previous Cup drought, but I digress) and for the first time in the post-Gretzky era, the Rangers are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

If this is the year that the Rangers make another magical run, it will be four these reasons:

The Rangers Need Henrik to be Henrik

continue reading…