COLUMBUS, Ohio — At some point, it stops being the exception. At some point, the Rangers are going to start being defined by turnovers and sloppy puck management and utterly inconsistent play at almost all positions throughout the lineup. They might not be at that point yet, not after another roller-coaster loss, this one a […]
Read MoreThe Capitals have been the best regular-season team in the Eastern Conference the past two years, and they showed the surprising Devils why. Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and three assists and the Capitals knocked the upstart Devils from the unbeaten ranks with a 5-2 victory Friday night at Prudential Center. “Everybody pitched in,” coach […]
Read MoreCOLUMBUS, Ohio — This was the softer, gentler, less-stubborn John Tortorella. As in, someone entirely unrecognizable to most Rangers fans. Now in his third season behind the bench for the Blue Jackets, Tortorella let out an honest-to-goodness smile when asked about playing the Rangers before his new team beat his old one, 3-1, on Friday […]
Read MoreThe initial critical deadline the Islanders face in their quest to get state approval for construction of their projected state of the arena at Belmont Park is a little over four months away. That is when the NHL trade deadline hits, on Feb. 26, and nobody I can find is confident that the state approval […]
Read MoreIt looked like something finally had clicked. The Rangers were clearly the better team for the opening 25 minutes, the more active, aggressive and in-tune unit. They were more physical, more defensively responsible. They had the game’s first seven shots and 13 of the first 14. They scored first, too, on Rick Nash’s first goal […]
Read MoreFinally, some good news came the Rangers’ way. Finally, during this dreadful 1-5-0 start — the worst of the Alain Vigneault era — there was a sliver of a reason for optimism. Reliable forward Jesper Fast returned Saturday night, and the Rangers sure could use more reliable players after falling to the Devils, 3-2, at […]
Read MoreSAN JOSE, Calif. — Thomas Greiss guided the Islanders on a night when they played it a little bit too safe. Greiss stopped 40 shots, Brock Nelson scored a tiebreaking goal in the second period and the New York Islanders rallied to beat the slumping San Jose Sharks 3-1 on Saturday. The Islanders improved to […]
Read MoreThere is no indication that a change behind the bench or in the uniformed personnel is imminent, but everyone’s antenna should be up around the Garden because what we’ve seen from the Rangers is not even close to good enough. “I can’t think about whether there could be changes. That’s not my job or focus,” […]
Read MoreRegarding the Rangers, in crisis six games into the season and with the Penguins coming Tuesday on Broadway. 1. Let us stipulate that the responsibility for this 1-5 start is on the players. No one on the coaching staff misplayed Artemi Panarin’s game-winning, third-period rush in Columbus on Friday. The Kevins — Hayes and Shattenkirk […]
Read MoreHere is how to spin a 1-5-0 start into a positive, something the Rangers are doing en masse while in this very early-season moment of crisis. “I believe this is when you build character,” Rick Nash reiterated again after Monday’s practice, with a home stretch against the Penguins, Islanders and Predators coming up over the […]
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