Say hi to one year old Charlotte Callahan! (Photo: nyrangers/twitter)

As everyone knows, yesterday was Father’s Day. First of all, I want to wish a Happy belated Father’s Day to any fathers who read my ramblings as well as to the players who are dads and mostly importantly, the players’ fathers for instilling hockey into their sons at a young age. My dad had two daughters and he didn’t care it wasn’t popular for girls to like hockey, his daughters were going to watch hockey games.

For those who weren’t online yesterday, throughout the day the Rangers tweeted pictures and messages that simply made all fans hearts melt (yes guys too). So here we go!

At the top of this post is probably my favorite picture of the day – Captain Cally with his little angel, Charlotte that the Rangers tweeted out to start the day. While we’re not happy our boys are on summer vacation, I’m sure that little girl is happy to have daddy home.

» Continue reading “Rangers + Father’s Day Tweets/Pics = Perfection”

Oh the crazy things this man would do on the ice… (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

Seeing what Gregory Campbell did last night, it made think how crazy NHL players are. Let’s be honest – if you broke your leg on the job, would you keep doing your job until your co-workers wouldn’t be in bind if you left? I know I wouldn’t.

It then got me thinking to what other players would do similar things. And more relevant to this site, which Rangers players would be most likely to do that? It didn’t take me long to come up with a name – anyone think Ryan Callahan wouldn’t attempt to do exactly what Campbell did?

For those who aren’t sure, remember when this happened?

» Continue reading “Who Is The Ranger Most Likely To Play On A Broken Leg?”

The guys with their arms in the air won’t be doing that for another 4-5 months.

Just when Rangers fans thought the team couldn’t shock them anymore this week, news came out yesterday that Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin had successful surgeries for injuries no one knew they had. Both were treated for torn labrums in their left shoulders.

The good news? Their surgeries were successful. The bad news? They are expected to be out 4-5 months. Some quick math tells me that 4 months from now is the end of September meaning they could be ready for camp or they could not be. Either way, they won’t have prepared like the rest of the team so don’t expect much from either player during the first half of the year.

My next question when I heard about this? Not when did they get injured or what will the Rangers do to prepare in case they aren’t ready. It was, so who else will be having random surgery in the next week or two? Only the Rangers feel the need to continue to hide this info and then randomly relay it after the surgery takes place. If it needs to be that much of a secret, why tell us at all? It’s not like we would know otherwise since these guys hide from fans during the summer. (That isn’t a knock on them, they are allowed to have a private life in the off season.)

And for anyone who doesn’t think another surgery is coming, I’m still waiting to hear what Rick Nash’s injury is. And don’t tell me he said he was fine. I don’t believe him.

In the meantime, as Michael Del Zotto tweeted after the news came out – speedy recovery boys!

Thanks for finally showing up! Too bad the rest of the team is exhausted (Photo: Melissa Andus)

So… this is starting to look familiar, isn’t it? The Rangers opening their series on the road with two straight losses. While I think the Rangers are looking much better in the second round than they did in the first, drawing out the first round to seven games didn’t do the team any favors in terms of fitness and reserves. So, we’re still missing Clowe, Staal, and Powe, the defense is clearly exhausted, and a 1 in 5 road record is… not great.

Well, let’s beat this dead horse!

» Continue reading “Not Even Nash Can Save Rangers In Second Loss To Boston”

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”

Even Nash couldn’t score against Holtby today. I really am starting to dislike this man. (Bridget Samuels/ flickr)

Sooo that was an ugly game.  No score through regulation and then an overtime loss on a stupid penalty. On the plus side, we got Boyle and Dorsett into the line up to replace Newbury and Kreider. On the minus side, well, they got shut out by Holtby. Thanks a lot NHL for making deflecting the puck into the crowd a delay of game penalty. Ugh.

» Continue reading “Rangers Fall In Overtime Loss And Give Caps A Two Game Lead As Series Heads To New York”

Someone has to buy wine in the next few days… (Photo: Melissa Andus)

Two weeks ago, all the talk was about how great Henrik Lundqvist was playing…but he didn’t have a shutout. All he needed to do was play the Islanders and the Devils.

This afternoons game against the Devils really wasn’t fair. The game meant nothing to our rivals across the river and it was obvious from the first puck drop that they really didn’t want to be in the Garden today. Sure they got chances but they put a measly 20 shots on net and to show how difficult they were, Lundqvist was only the third star of the game after saving all of them. The Rangers, on the other hand, came out with a purpose. It was far from a 60-minute effort (which honestly worries me) but they did what they needed to in order to win the game and ensure they would not be heading to Pittsburgh next week.

» Continue reading “Lundqvist Shutout Sends Rangers Into Playoffs On High Note”

Tonight’s game between the Rangers and the Hurricanes could’ve gone one of two ways – the Rangers could’ve taken control from the opening face-off and earned a playoff birth the easy way or they could’ve let Carolina control the game and shown why many believed they would run out of time and head to the golf course early. Of course they managed to find a third option – play the first 25 minutes and then let the Canes take control before managing to steal the game in overtime.

A couple of lineup notes. First, on the Rangers side, Arron Asham missed tonights’ game due to the fact that he flew home to be with his wife for the birth of their fourth child. In his place, Matt Gilroy became a forward and played his first game since March 12th. Well I guess you can say he played although he only got 3:15 of ice time. (That said, that may have been due to what he did in that time not due to the fact that Torts didn’t want to play him.)

» Continue reading “Staalapalooza Ends With Rangers Clinching Playoff Birth”

800th career game for this man. Oh and he scored a goal while earning the Broadway Hat. (Photo: Melissa Andus)

The math for today’s Rangers-Devils game was simple – if the Devils won, their slim playoff hopes were still alive. If the Rangers won, their cross-river rivals would be making plans on the golf course a week from today. Sure it wasn’t the same as what the Devils did to the Rangers last year but the outcome felt good nonetheless.

The game started well as the first shot on net found the back of the net just 34 seconds in. The shocking part? The Rangers took that shot as Ryan Callahan banked one in off Brodeur’s skate to give the Rangers a lead they never relinquished. Since I bashed him when he won the Steve McDonald award, I need to give credit where credit is due – Callahan has been the player I know and love since he received that award. If that gave him the confidence he needed, then fine let him have it.

The home team almost doubled their lead a couple of minutes later but a Devils defender cleared the puck out of the crease. The onslaught continued as the Rangers completely controlled the first five or six minutes of the game. Not going to lie, I was a little surprised by that just because the Rangers starts haven’t been great and the Devils desperately needed this game.

» Continue reading “Rangers Return The Favor By Ending Devils Season”

A couple days ago, I said this man needed confidence. Four goals later, including first career hat trick, I would say that isn’t an issue anymore. (Photo: Robert Kowal/flickr)

You get a goal! And you get a goal! And you get a hat trick! Cause why the heck not throw one of those in?

Seriously, I don’t even know where to begin on the Rangers-Sabres game I just witnessed. Thirteen Rangers had points, a record was broken, a milestone hit, and more importantly the Rangers actually took control of a game they had to win. It was a lot of fun to watch. Even better was the regulation win eliminated both the Sabres and Flyers from playoff contention.

The first eighteen minutes of the game was a choppy, feeling out period for both teams. A couple of chances for both sides but nothing worth talking about. I thought it was going to be another nail biter. The moment the clock hit 18:30 of the first period, all hell broke loose.

First it was Carl Hagelin wrapping the puck around the net and banking it in off a Sabres defenseman with 1:18 remaining in the period. Stepan and Lundqvist got the assists on that one. Yes, Lundqvist got an assist. The next shift, the Rangers looked like they were going to give it right back but 57 seconds later, Brad Richards took a shot from the right faceoff circle that hit another Sabre and went past Miller to make it 2-0. Zuccarello got the only assist on that one. Seventeen seconds after that, Miller fanned on a clearing attempt and Ryane Clowe buried it to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead to end the first period.

Needless to say the Rangers fan base was in shock and thought they had seen it all. They had not.

» Continue reading ““Cookie Monsters” Score Eight Goals To Eliminate Sabres From Playoff Contention”