After last night’s game, one thing became abundantly clear – the New York Rangers are horrible in overtime. I don’t know the exact numbers but I think it’s gotten to the point that if a game involving the Rangers goes to overtime, people should just try to guess who on the opposing team will score the winner. Here was Tortorella after the game:

“I thought it was pretty even going into the overtime,” coach John Tortorella said. “But we got spanked in the overtime.”

Yes your team did. And I know a lot of people will try and blame you but I can’t see it being your fault the guys played one way for 60 minutes (they actually played 60 minutes, more or less) and then the exact opposite over the next 20 or however long overtime lasts in that particular game. It doesn’t make sense.

Anyway, rather than try and figure out why it happens, I figured everyone might like a reminder that the Rangers can indeed win in overtime:

» Continue reading “A Reminder The Rangers Can Win In Overtime”

Get used to this Rangers and Bruins fans. Not so much the outcome, as I expect that to fluctuate each game, but the style of play and length of the game. Maybe we should start a pool for how many minutes will be played in this series. These two teams are just so identical that I can’t imagine we see anything else. I just wish the Rangers wouldn’t have blown a game where our two boys from Minnesota scored.

The first twenty minutes were exactly what I expected from this series – good defensive hockey that just put everyone to sleep. I can’t say either team played poorly. I can’t say they played well either. Let’s just say both teams did what they were told to do. The result? Nothing happened in the first period.

» Continue reading “Minny Boys Score But It’s Not Enough As Bruins Win In OT”

Can you do this again tonight? Without getting a penalty of course (Photo: deb/flickr)

A new series means we get to keep playing our game of guessing the ice time of a Rangers player in that nights’ game. For game seven I predicted Brad Richards would play 11:34. I was off by 22 seconds.

In picking today’s “contestant” (if you will), I wasn’t sure which direction to go since we have no idea what to expect from this series other than low scoring, tight checking games that will probably be longer than 420 minutes (i.e. 7 games at 60 minutes a piece).

So I went with the local boy – Brian Boyle. I don’t think it’s a secret Boyle grew up a Bruins fan right outside of Boston. If you weren’t sure, just listen to him speak. Deciding his ice time, however, was tricky. He technically plays on the third line (assuming the lines stay as they were the last two games, which I expect them to do). But he also is great on face-offs and kills penalties so that all plays into his ice time. We also don’t know matchups.

In the last series, he ranged from 11:29 to 23:29 per night. As the series went on, he was closer to the higher number so I expect him to see more than third line minutes. Just not that high. My completely random guess (remember, regulation only) is 16:42. (Let it be known I originally had 14:42 but thought that was too low.)

Now it’s your turn – how much does the local boy play?

I have an idea…let’s turn this into a hockey rink! (Photo: John Dalton)

This isn’t so much breaking news (no matter what the NHL tries to tell us) as it is an official announcement of what we all knew weeks ago – the Rangers will be playing two games outdoors in Yankee Stadium next January. From the official release:

The 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will see the three New York City metropolitan NHL teams play a pair of games at the home of the New York Yankees. The New York Rangers will face the New Jersey Devils at 12:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 26, 2014, and the Rangers will face the New York Islanders at 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 29, 2014.

Rangers-Islanders in a spectacle game on a Wednesday night. Yeah, that should go well. At least the Rangers-Devils game is a Sunday afternoon one.

The Rangers are expected to be the road team for both of these games because Dolan would never give up home revenue for a game like this unless it was the actual Winter Classic. (Sarcasm aside, I’m sure the Devils and Islanders were promised they would be home games in exchange for the Rangers getting to play two of them.) Ticket information hasn’t been released yet but expect it to be a lottery that no one who is a fan of the two teams will be able to win.

Honestly, I haven’t written much about this because I think the idea of numerous outdoor games is ridiculous. Everyone watches the Winter Classic because it is different from the rest of the season but even that has lost viewers over the years. To add five or six games to that just doesn’t make sense to me. But the NHL doesn’t care about viewers, they care about money. And these games will make them more than the gap between the NHL and NHLPA that caused a three month lockout.

Photo: Dinur Blum/flickr

Earlier today, it became official – starting next season the Rangers AHL team will no longer be called the Connecticut Whale but will instead revert back to being the Hartford Wolfpack.

I know today’s announcement regarding the name change came with mixed reviews but I’m not sure I understand why. Yes, I realize that Connecticut fans love and miss their Whalers. But this team never was that and maybe it’s me, but I wouldn’t want another team pretending to be my team. (That would be like the Wild saying they are the North Stars or the current Winnipeg Jets saying they are the original ones. They aren’t and fans of the original teams don’t treat them as such.)

» Continue reading “Welcome Back Hartford Wolfpack!”

Henrik is getting his shut-outs in the post-season! (Photo: Melissa Andus)

So, for a few minutes there, I was worried that this game was going to turn into the Boston-Toronto game, where Boston came back from a 3 goal deficit to win in overtime. But that didn’t happen. Lundqvist scored his second shut out in a row and the Rangers broke their streak of never winning a game 7 on the road with a 5-0 victory over the Washington Capitals. Congrats boys. Now we head to Boston for round 2….

» Continue reading “Rangers Move On To Face Boston After Five Zero Win In Game Seven”

I took this picture during warmups as proof Richards did dress last night. (Photo: Melissa Andus)

Since the Rangers won yesterday, we get to continue playing this game. I was closer with my guess for McDonagh but still a couple of minutes off. (I was right he would come no where close to the 31 minutes he played in game four.)

After looking at last nights’ ice times, one player caught my eye – Brad Richards, who played under 10 minutes for the first time in a long time.

Honestly when I saw him in warmups taking rushes with Kreider and Asham, I laughed. (I was also proud of myself for actually catching a line rush since I never seem to be able to figure them out.) I didn’t understand the line and didn’t expect it to stay together. Sure enough it did as Richards had only roughly a minute more than his two linemates at even strength. The Rangers won the game but I can’t see him getting that little again tonight so here’s my guess – 11:34 (in regulation). My gut is saying he will have over 12 minutes but I’ll keep it low.

What does everyone else think?

Thank goodness one of these guys know they are supposed to shoot when they have a wide open lane to do so. (Photo: Melissa Andus)

How about that game? I apologize in advance if this recap makes no sense as I am still trying to remember how to breathe after that game.

The first period was typical Rangers as they started with four straight shots and then let Washington take the next five followed by three blown power plays which included almost a minute of 5-on-3. As the buzzer sounded I figured we lost the game in that period. I’m not one of those fans who assume the team is always going to lose but I figured those chances would come back to bite us. The crowd shared my nonchalant reaction by neither cheering or booing as the team left the ice.

» Continue reading “Rangers Forcing Game Seven Costly For Lundqvist”

I’m expecting big minutes from Mac Truck yet again. (Photo: Melissa Andus)

So I was a little off on my guess for Steve Eminger. That said, anyone who tells me they thought he would see shifts in the third period AND overtime is lying.

Anyway, let’s try this again. Today, we’re going the other route and trying to guess the ice time for someone who spends half the game away from the bench – Ryan McDonagh.

In the past two games (i.e. the ones without Marc Staal), McDonagh has played almost an entire game (56:20) in regulation. Surprisingly, he played more in the New York game than in the one in Washington. So how much do we think he is going to play today? Honestly, I think the 31:29 he played in game four was a lot so unless something happens to one of our d-men again, he shouldn’t hit that. I’m going to say 25:21.

What does everyone think? You can read the rules of the game here and remember to comment below with your guess.

Could this man be the key to the series for the Rangers? (Photo: Melissa Andus)

It’s amazing the difference a year makes. Last year around this time, we were talking about how great of an addition Chris Kreider was after many of us (including myself) didn’t think he should’ve played in the first place. Fast forward a year and Kreider, who could barely crack the lineup during the regular season, has been skating with the Black Aces. But now it looks like the Rangers need one of those Aces and he might be the guy.

Let me start by saying I have no idea if Kreider will even be playing tomorrow. But if he is, could he be the spark he was last year for the Rangers? His playoffs were by no means perfect and it was against the Caps that his ice time started going down (after that incredible pass to Ovechkin early in the series). But he was great when he first got in and at this point, all we need is him to help us win two games.

I have one stipulation if Torts does decide to go with Kreider tomorrow – put him higher than the fourth line. Personally, I would love to see him with guys like Stepan and Hagelin or Brassard and Zuccarello. If not, there’s no point in putting him in. Could he cost us the series? Technically, yes he could. But if we’re being honest, there is plenty of that blame to go around at this point so whatever happens tomorrow and Monday (if they get there) will not be his fault.

I say put him in and let him play. Worst case scenario, he doesn’t help and the Rangers hit the golf course. Best case? He becomes the guy everyone is talking about again…just like last year.