Whale Go 1-1 on the Week
The Connecticut Whale hosted the Worcester Sharks last Thursday at the XL Center in Hartford and thanks to goaltender, Cam Talbot, the Whale stunned the Sharks with a 3-0 win. Rookie Ranger prospect, Christian Thomas, scored at 1:23 of the 1st on the power play from defenseman Logan Pyett and Mike Vernace for Thomas’ 18th of the season.
The Rangers’ top prospect currently in Connecticut, Christian Thomas, dives for a loose puck. Thomas scored the eventual game-winner Thursday on the power-play.
That would be it for the 1st and the 2nd was mainly quiet with the exception of a Brandon Mashinter fight.
In the 3rd, Brandon Segal, picked up his team-leading 21st goal of the season from rookie forward Andrew Yogan and Nick Palmieri. Then to finish off the game’s scoring, defenseman Sam Klassen scored his first career AHL goal off a pass from Kelsey Tessier. Michael Haley also had an assist on the goal.
Cam Talbot made 29 saves in the shutout, while the Whale’s power-play was 1/4 and the penalty-kill was 5/5.
Next up was arch-rival, the Springfield Falcons and unfortunately, the Whale fell short as Springfield defeated the Whale 2-1 in Springfield. Brandon Segal scored his 2nd in as many games while Nick Palmieri was credited with his 2nd assist in as many games. Stu Bickel also had an assist on the goal, his first point since being returned to the Whale last week.
Winger Nick Palmieri, who had an assist in both Whale games this past week. Palmieri was acquired by the Rangers in the Mike Rupp trade.
The Whale were 0/5 on the power-play and 3/5 on the penalty-kill, while backup, Jason Missiean, made 26 saves.
The Whale are back at it this weekend with three games in three days as they host Springfield on Friday, are in Bridgeport Saturday, and return home to face Providence in their final home game of the regular season.
For all the latest on the Whale be sure to follow me on Twitter @marychuk47
Game 34; Can the Rangers break “the curse of the Bell Centre”?
(Graham Hughes/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
New York Rangers (16-14-3) @ Montreal Canadiens (21-7-5)
The Rangers continue their 3 game roadtrip tonight when they visit the Canadiens at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens are coming off from great shootout win over their division rival Boston Bruins. The Rangers found their offense in Philly but couldn’t found it in Ottawa. and they were beaten 3-0 by the Senators. Montreal has been the horror house for the Rangers during the last few years and tonight’s game won’t be any easier! The Rangers and the Canadiens!
MON:
The Canadiens have won 8 out of their 13 games in March. With two losses coming against the Penguins, the Canadiens have played great month of March. They are currently at the 2nd place in the conference with 7 points behind the leading Penguins. They are just one point ahead of the Bruins, so the race for the division is still on. Carey Price have been playing well lately and their offense is rolling. The Canadiens will play next 5 out of their next 6 games on their home ice. Jeff Halpern, who was placed in the waiwers by the Rangers and claimed by the Canadiens, will meet his former team tonight.
NYR:
At this stage of the season, your special teams needs to get it done. The Rangers didn’t capitalize on their 4 PP chances and they gave up a powerplay goal for the Senators. After a great win in Philly, the team looked kind of lost again. Andre Benoit started the scoring for the Senators with a PP goal in the 2nd period. The Rangers had a few changes to tie the game but the Senators used their chances better. Guillame Latendresse buried one past Henrik Lundqvist and the game was over. Colin Greening’s empty netter just added more pain for the Rangers.
After a loss, the Rangers head coach John Tortorella made some changes to the line-up. Mats Zuccarello will make his season debut against the Canadiens. He’s the last player to score on Carey Price in Montreal! No word who’s gonna sit but my guess is Pyatt or Newbury. Martin Biron will get his 5th start of the season tonight. Marian Gaborik skated in the 4th line in the practice and it’s apparent that he needs step up his game.
Key players and stats:
Last game was 4th time this season when the opponent held the Rangers out of the scoreboard. That’s not a surprise with the fact that the Rangers have scored the least goals in the whole league (75). Tonight’s opponent, the Canadiens have scored 101 goals this season. Tomas Plekanec has 12 goals while D PK Subban, Brian Gionta and rookie Brendan Gallagher each have 10 goals in the season. For the Rangers, they have two 10-goal scorers; Rick Nash (12) and Derek Stepan (10). This is the last meeting in the regular season and with the win tonight, the Canadiens would sweep the season series.
Let’s Go Rangers!
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Game 33; Tight playoff race continues in Ottawa!
Photograph: Chris Wattie/Reuters
New York Rangers (16-13-3) @ Ottawa Senators (18-9-6)
The Rangers continue their 3 game road trip tonight when they visit the Ottawa Senators. After winning game 6 and 7 in the last year’s playoffs, the Rangers have lost both meetings this season. The last game’s performance was promising. The team was well balanced and finally they got their offense going. The Senators are a dangerous team, especially on their home-ice where their record is 12-2-3. After tonight’s contest, the Rangers will close out their road trip in Montreal.
OTT:
The Senators have played extremely well without their top-players like Erik Karlsson and Jason Spezza. Since the last game against the Rangers, they have also played without their top goaltender Craig Anderson. The Senators are in a 2 game winning streak and they’re currently at the 5th place in the conference. What’s surprising with the Senators is that their top scorer is 38-year-old D-man Sergei Gonchar. The Senators are a tough team and they don’t give up easily. Goaltending without Anderson could be a problem for them but the reports says that Anderson is close to return.
NYR:
After losses to the Panthers and the Capitals, the Rangers bounced back with 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. They finally scored the first goal of the game and mostly because of that, they dominated the game. Rick Nash opened the scoring in the first period and Brad Richards and Derek Stepan continued that in the second. The Flyers started the strong comeback but Nash scored his 2nd of the night and Kreider settled the game with the beautiful goal. Henrik Lundqvist was solid as usual and the Rangers defence played a good game.
The next two games are very important for the Rangers. The Senators and the Canadiens have been tough teams to beat this season. But with the tight playoff race going and just 15 games left in the regular-season, all the points are valuable. The Rangers signed “Norwegian Hobbit” Mats Zuccarello for this year and it seems that young Swede Jesper Fast(h) will join the team/ Connecticut Whale already this year.
Key players and stats:
Rick Nash scored his 300th NHL against the Flyers and Brad Richards scored his 250th goal in the same game. Derek Stepan has been the best player for a long time for the Rangers. The Rangers power play is still struggling and it’s ranked 25th in the league. The Senators PP is ranked 10th in the league. Robin Lehner played the last game against the Rangers at the MSG but Ben Bishop starts tonight. Young Swede Jakob Silfverberg has goals in both meetings. This is the last meeting in the regular season.
Let’s Go Rangers!
Follow me on Twitter; @VilleLampinen
Game 32; Time to beat the Flyers again!
Chris Szagola/ Chris Szagola/ZUMA Press/Corbis
New York Rangers (15-13-3) @ Philadelphia Flyers (13-16-2)
With 16 regular season games left for the Rangers, they need to find a way to get wins – on a regular basis. They start the three game roadtrip tonight when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers. After that they will face the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night and the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. At the moment, the Rangers are 5 points ahead of the Flyers, so tonight’s game is huge.
PHI:
The Flyers almost ended the Penguins 11 game winning streak on Sunday night but they didn’t. One point out of the “Battle of Pennsylvania” isn’t enough for the Flyers. They are 5 points behind the 8th place and are currently at the 13th place in the confenrence. In addition, the team informed that Danny Briere is out indefinitely due to concussion. So the Flyers have a long road ahead of them. Tonight’s game will kick off 5 game home stand for the Flyers. They will meet the Rangers, Islanders, Bruins, Capitals and Canadiens during that stand.
NYR:
Slow start hurt the Rangers once again on Sunday against the Capitals. Nicklas Bäckström and Alex Ovetchkin both scored for the Caps with under 10 minutes into the 1st period. The Rangers 4th line brought some life to the game and eventually Aaron Asham scored his 2nd of the season to make it 2-1. After Rick Nash was hooked on the breakaway, the Rangers got a chance score in 5-on-3 power play. Derek Stepan’s shot found it’s way past Braden Holtby and the game was tied 2-2. Both teams had a good chances but the game went overtime and after that to the shootout. Stepan’s goal gave the chance for the Rangers but Bäckström scored the GWG for the Caps.
Getting a better start to the games could be the key for the success. Now the Rangers are usually trailing most of the game and that’s stressful. Lundqvist will presumably go against the Flyers.
Key players and stats:
When the Rangers and the Flyers meet, there is usually a lot of hits in the game. 4th lines will play a big role in tonight’s game. You need to hit hard and irritate your opponent – without taking stupid penalties. The Rangers needs offense from Nash, Gaborik and Richards. The Flyers needs offense from Giroux, Voracek and Simmonds. Henrik Lundqvist will give the Rangers a chance to win. They should use it! This is the fourth meeting of the season. The Rangers have won 2 games at the MSG, while the Flyers won their home game.
Let’s Go Rangers!
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Game 31; The Rangers are looking for a bounce back against the Caps!
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Washington Capitals (14-16-1) @ New York Rangers (15-13-12)
The Rangers concludes their four game week as they host the Washington Capitals at the Madison Square Garden tonight. After tonight’s game, the Rangers have only 7 home games left in the regular season. Roman Hamrlik will meet his former team tonight while the Rangers are looking for their 4 consecutive win over the Capitals. John Tortorella is looking for his 400th win in his NHL coaching career and a win tonight would be nice for him. More importantly, the Rangers need the points. The Capitals and the Rangers – Enjoy!
WSH:
“I think the system is working,”- Alex Ovetchkin. This is a sentence that haven’t been used this season with the Washington Capitals. The main reason why the Capitals are winning is their offense. Braden Holtby has been sharp lately and has been their starting goaltender. The Rangers have been tough team for them this season. The Rangers won the first meeting 2-1 and couple of weeks ago they beat the Capitals 4-1 at Washington. The Caps are desperately trying to get some wins and get into the playoff spots. Coming into tonight’s game, the Caps are just 3 points away from the Rangers.
NYR:
The Rangers managed to get 45 shots against the Panthers on Thursday at the Garden. But as known, the scoring has been tough for them lately. Marian Gaborik had 8 shots on goal and he scored the Rangers lonely goal with 4 minutes remaining in the 3rd period. The Panthers striked early in the 1st. Brian Campbell’s slapshot beat Henrik Lundqvist, giving the Panthers an early 1-0 lead. In the second period, the Rangers started to skate better and got some opportunities but the only goal of the period belonged to the Panthers. Scottie Upshall scored his 2nd of the season 4:28 into the period. The Rangers tried to tie the game without goalie and Tomas Kopecky made them pay with the empty netter.
After a loss, the Rangers made some changes to their line-up. Jeff Halpern and Stu Bickel were placed on waiwers and eventually Halpern was picked by Canadiens. JT Miller injured his wrist in practice and the Rangers called-up Kris Newbury from the Whale. They are expecting young Swede Jesper Fast to join with the team next week.
Key players and stats:
Marian Gaborik ended his scoring slump with his 9th of the season. As said, the Rangers did get a lot of shots but they weren’t able to score more than one goal. Henrik Lundqvist has started the last 7 games in the net. For the Capitals, Alex Ovetchkin has started to score some goals. He has goals in 4 consecutive games. Mike Ribeiro still leads the team in points with 34. This is the last meeting in the regular season. The Rangers have won both meetings of the season.
Let’s Go Rangers!
Follow me on Twitter; @VilleLampinen
Game 30; Callahan turns 28 – Birthday goal coming against the Panthers?
Florida Panthers (8-16-6) @ New York Rangers (15-12-2)
The Rangers are trying to extend their winning streak as they host the Florida Panthers tonight at the Madison Square Garden. Teams are currently at very different situations. The Rangers are fighting for the playoff spots while the Panthers are desperately trying to get away from the last place in the Eastern Conference. With already 30 games into the season, these teams meet for the first time. Last time President Clinton saluted for Gaborik’s OT winning goal – what’s up tonight?
FLA:
After 11 seasons without the playoffs, the Panthers finally made their way there last season. Team fought hard but the Devils beat them 4-3 in 7 game series. This season has been “normal” for them. They have only 8 wins in the season and they have lost 8 out of their last 10 games. 22 points from 30 games is the worst record in the whole league. They have had all kinds of problems this season. Their goaltending hasn’t been great, they have surrended most goals in the league and their offense has been lost. Rookie Jonathan Huberdeau leads the team in scoring.
NYR:
The Rangers are a hard team to beat when they’re leading. That’s just what they did on Tuesday night in Newark. Michael Del Zotto, who has been playing very well lately, gave them a 1-0 lead after a great play by Derek Stepan. The goal was scored shorthanded. The Devils answered back with Travis Zajac’s PP goal but the Rangers responded quickly. Carl Hagelin ended his goal slump with his 8th of the season. And like after the first Rangers goal, the Devils answered back in the hurry. Anton Volchenkov was credited with the goal which actually was deflected by Roman Hamrlik/Jeff Halpern. After a few games without a goal, Rick Nash scored the game winning goal for the Rangers in the 2nd period.
Even if the Panthers are the last team in the league, the Rangers can’t underestimate them. Martin Biron will probably get a start tonight. The Rangers called-up Chris Kreider and sent Michael Haley back to the Connecticut.
Key players and stats:
Michael Del Zotto has been great for the last couple of games. He’s skating well, he’s shooting the puck and eventually scoring goals. Derek Stepan had a slow start to the season but lately he has been excellent. He’s also skating well and he makes good plays in every shift. The Rangers need a big game from Martin Biron but he has been great in his starts this season. For the Panthers, Tomas Kopecky, Tomas Fleischmann and Huberdeau are the most dangerous forwards.
Let’s GO Rangers!
Happy Birthday to Captain Callahan!
Follow me on Twitter; @VilleLampinen
Game 29; Hudson River rivalry continues at the Rock!
ROBERT SABO/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
New York Rangers (14-2-2) @ New Jersey Devils (13-10-6)
If last night’s game against the Hurricanes was big, tonight’s game is even bigger. The Rangers are still looking for a pay back against the Devils and win tonight could just do it. With two points behind the Devils in the standings, this game should be a good one. Two hard hitting teams who don’t like each others. That’s called a rivalry – the Rangers and the Devils! Here We Go!
NJD:
As the old saying goes, times change but some things never do. Well, tonight things have changed a little bit. It’s the Rangers and Devils at the Rock but not featuring Henrik Lundqvist vs. Martin Brodeur. Johan Hedberg will get his 13th consecutive start tonight. The Devils are in two game losing streak but they have got points in 4 of their last 6 games. The team is well rested since their last game was on Saturday against the Canadiens. But as usual, the Devils usually play their best hockey against the Rangers.
NYR:
The Rangers did end their slump with the 2-1 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes. They had hard time again in the first period and the Hurricanes made them pay at the end. Joni Pitkänen found Eric Staal all alone and he scored his 14th of the season. The second period was again way better period for the Rangers and finally after 129 minutes they scored a goal. After a great play by Callahan, Derek Stepan had a wide open net and he didn’t miss. Rick Nash had a couple of breakaways but Dan Ellis stood tall. After a wild overtime, Rick Nash and JT Miller scored in the shootout giving the Rangers a valuable extra point.
Captain Ryan Callahan was naturally happy about the win but he said that “tonight’s win means “nothing” without a similar effort tomorrow night vs. the Devils”. With just two points behind the Devils and the one game in hand – tonight’s game is huge. Win tonight and the Rangers are back in the playoff spot.
Key players and stats:
Derek Stepan continues to be a big factor of the Rangers offense. He and Callahan have scored the teams last 3 goals. JT Miller scored a game winner in the shootout against the Hurricanes. The Devils offense is well known for all of us. Kovalchuk, Elias, Clarkson, Henrique, you name it. This is the second meeting of the season. The Devils will visit MSG on Apr. 21 and 27.
Let’s GO Rangers!
Follow me on Twitter; @VilleLampinen
Game 28; The Rangers are in the need of the Garden Magic!
Carolina Hurricanes (15-11-1) @ New York Rangers (13-12-2)
The Rangers are back at the Madison Square Garden when they host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. Both teams are currently at the losing streak and desperately trying to get back to winning. Jordan and Eric Staal will play for the Hurricanes but unfortunately Marc Staal is still out with the eye-injury he suffered in the game against the Flyers. Both teams need points but the Rangers are also looking for a heart and passion to their game. A win tonight would ease the stress and help them getting back to winning in regular basis. It’s the Rangers Game night at the Garden !
CAR:
Although the Hurricanes are in a two game losing streak, they have been playing good lately. They have won 6 out of their last 9 games. With just point away from the Jets, the Hurricanes are at the 8th place in the Eastern Conference at the moment. Alexander Semin and Eric Staal have been excellent this season. Staal has 13 goals and 20 assists while Semin has 8+21. And they both have impressive plus/minus (+20 and +19). The Hurricanes got bad news when they lost their top goalie Cam Ward for 6-8 weeks due to knee injury. Dan Ellis have been their starter after that.
NYR:
The Rangers season high four game roadtrip started well in DC but after that it was like a horrible nightmare. 3-1 losses against the Sabres and Jets and 3-0 loss against the Penguins. This week is crucial for the Rangers. They host the Hurricanes tonight and will visit the Devils tomorrow night. After that they will travel to Florida to meet the Panthers on Thursday night before coming back to MSG on Sunday night against the Caps. At least two wins could keep the Rangers in the playoff race.
The Rangers and the Hurricanes meet for the first time this season and this has been a good match-up for the Rangers. They won all four meetings last season. Marty Biron won two games last season against the Canes and he could get a start tonight as well. Lundqvist could go against the Devils tomorrow night in that scenario.
Edited 11:14am : Lundqvist will start tonight.
Key players and stats:
With 2 goals in the last three games, the Rangers offense is lost at the moment. Star players need to step up and get their game going. They also could use a little offensive help from their 3rd- and 4th line. The Hurricanes have received some offensive help from R.Nash. Yeah, I’m not kidding. 23-year-old Riley Nash scored two goals against the Caps in the last week. The Hurricanes PP is ranked 28th in the league while their PK is 22nd. The same numbers for the Rangers are 24th and 10th. This is the first of three meetings this season.
Let’s Go Rangers !
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Game 27; The Rangers meet the red hot Penguins!
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)
New York Rangers (13-11-2) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (20-8-0)
The Rangers will conclude their four game road trip today when they visit their division rivalry, Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins have won both meetings of the season and the Rangers could really use a win right now. These games usually includes scoring, big hits and entertaining hockey! Nash vs. Crosby, Gaborik vs. Neal and Lundqvist vs. Vokoun, this game is also includes stars! The Rangers and the Penguins! Enjoy folks!
PIT:
The Penguins game is rolling on the right tracks. They’re in the 7 game winning streak and have won 12 out of their last 14 games. Even without Evgeni Malkin, who has missed 7 games due to concussion and upper body injury, they’re leading the Atlantic Division with 40 points. They have received big offensive help from guys like Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis. Tomas Vokoun has been excellent against the Rangers this season, so expecting to see him in net tonight. The Penguins power play is red hot at the moment (4th in the league) and they have scored most goals in the league this season. Today’s game is first part of back to back for Penguins. They will host the Bruins tomorrow at 12:30
NYR:
Right from the start, the Rangers were trailing in the last game against the Winnipeg. Michael Del Zotto was called for hooking just 1:46 into the game and the Jets used their first chance well. Nik Antropov redirected Dustin Byfuglien’s shot from the point past Henrik Lundqvist. With just minute after that, Michael Haley and Mark Stuart dropped their gloves. Overall the first period belonged to the Jets but the Rangers got their own chances as well. Marian Gaborik was hooked on a breakaway and the Rangers were awarded with the penalty shot. Unfortunately, Gaborik lost the puck and Ondrej Pavelec made an easy save.
Ryan Callahan tied the game early in the second period but the Jets rallied to 3-1 win with goals from Antti Miettinen and Andrew Ladd (EN). With the win, the Jets passed the Rangers in the standings and now they’re holding the last playoff spot. Roman Hamrlik made a comeback to the line-up while Matt Gilroy was a healthy scratch. Henrik Lundqvist should be healthy enough to go against the Penguins today.
Coming into today’s game, the Rangers have lost their last 6 regular-season games against the Penguins. Their last win is from Jan 6th, 2012. It’s time to end that streak – today!
Key players and stats:
Ryan Callahan scored his 9th goal of the season on Thursday night. Derek Stepan has 9 points in last 8 games. Sidney Crosby is back – and he’s scoring. Sid has 12 goals and 35 assists in the season. Chris Kunitz has most goals in the team with 18. Evgeni Malkin (upper body injury) will not play today. Tomas Vokoun has won both games against the Rangers this season. This is the third of five meetings this season.
Let’s GO Rangers!
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Game 26; Time for another pay back!
JOHN WOODS/AP
New York Rangers (13-10-2) @ Winnipeg Jets (13-11-2)
The Rangers will continue their season high four game roadtrip as they face the Winnipeg Jets tonight. The Jets won the first meeting of the season 4-3 at the Garden so the Rangers are looking for the pay back. There is only one point difference between the Rangers and the Jets in the standings. So there are two extremely valuable points available in the game tonight. Both teams are in the need of those, this one should be a good one !
WPG:
The Jets have played good lately and they have won 8 out of their last 12 games. With just one point away from the playoffs spot they are in the tight playoff race. Evander Kane and Blake Wheeler have been playing well and over all their offense has been good this season. With bad penalty kill, there’s isn’t a point taking too many penalties. Ondrej Pavelec has also been playing well lately. The Jets are a fast team with good offensive players. They are coming off from the 5-2 home win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
NYR:
Penalties cost the game for the Rangers on Tuesday when they were beaten by the Buffalo Sabres 3-1. The Rangers did start scoring after a great play by Derek Stepan and Ryan Callahan. Goal was scored shorthanded and it was 5th shorthanded goal surrended by the Sabres this season (most in the league). Not long after that, the Sabres tied the game with Marcus Foligno’s goal. Jason Pominville’s perfect pass found Thomas Vanek and he didn’t miss a breakaway chance. The Rangers got some power play time in the 3rd period but the Sabres used their own chances well. Foligno’s 2nd of the night secured the Sabres win.
The Rangers are playing very good hockey – time to time but overall they are playing too unevenly. Good news is that usually after a very bad game, the Rangers will find a way to win the next one. John Tortorella changed the offensive lines during the game as he was looking for the offense but don’t think those lines will last. Henrik Lundqvist played a good game but there’s a chance that Martin Biron plays tonight and Lundqvist will go against the Penguins on Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh.
Key players and stats:
Derek Stepan continued his good game and he has 8 points in the last 7 games. Rick Nash’s goal- and point streak ended on Tuesday night. Blake Wheeler has 3 goals in his last 3 games for the Jets. The Rangers power play is ranked 23rd in the league while their PK is ranked 7th. The Jets PP is 27th and PK 26th. So the good special teams could be the Rangers key for winning tonight. This is the second of three meeting this season. The last meeting is on Apr. 1 at MSG.
Let’s Go Rangers!
Follow me on Twitter; @VilleLampinen
True Blue I Am a Ranger 