This was never going to be a throw-away year. Those don’t exist for the Rangers, not while Henrik Lundqvist remains in nets. But whether it was explicitly described or just understood, this was tabbed as a year of transition for the perennial postseason contender. This was far more than just another retool on the fly […]
Read MoreThere was some sloppy play Sunday night by the Islanders that left coach Doug Weight frustrated after the game, but there was at least one thing that was clean, crisp and quick: Mathew Barzal. The Islanders’ 20-year-old center continued to break out, setting a single-game franchise rookie record with five assists to spark a 6-4 […]
Read MoreJ.T. Miller did, in fact, make the trip back to New York on Sunday with the Rangers. But the way the winger played on their two-game road trip through Florida, he may have wanted to keep skating in the Sunshine State. Miller scored the game-winning goal in Thursday’s overtime win over the Lightning before tallying […]
Read MoreThese are the kinds of things that happen to teams that are winning, so forgive the Rangers if the good fortune still seems foreign. Yet they are not going to apologize for riding a wave of opportunity, using three third-period power-play goals to storm past John Tortorella’s shockingly undisciplined Blue Jackets, 5-3, on Monday night […]
Read MoreMika Zibanejad, whose consecutive left-circle faceoff victories against Brandon Dubinsky led directly to the Rangers’ second and third, third-period power-play goals that fueled the club’s impressive 5-3 victory over the Jackets at the Garden on Monday, seems to be filling the role as No. 1 center rather seamlessly. That opening, of course, was created by […]
Read MoreClick:electronic products manufacturer The Rangers power play has started to catch fire because the unit is focusing on shooting the puck more. Who would’ve guessed? The Blueshirts scored three third-period power-play goals en route to a 5-3 victory over the Blue Jackets on Monday night at the Garden, resulting in their fourth straight win. The […]
Read MoreWhen the 2015-16 NHL season ended, two of the Islanders’ top three scorers signed elsewhere as free agents. Josh Bailey saw his chance. The winger had been in the league for eight years at that point, producing 0.45 points per game, but he knew this was the time to make his move. Ninety-six games and […]
Read MoreRegarding the Rangers, who meet the Bruins at the Garden on Wednesday, 42 years and a day after Jean Ratelle, Brad Park, Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais exchanged places: 1. What would be closest to an equivalent? Henrik Lundqvist and Ryan McDonagh skating onto the ice wearing the spoked-B while Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron […]
Read MoreThe Islanders had been racking up goals, just shy of four per night, and playing in plenty of high-scoring affairs through their first 14 games of the season. On Tuesday, all it would have taken was two and despite a furious third period, the Islanders could never find the winner. Instead, Oilers keeper Cam Talbot […]
Read MoreIt took a lucky bounce, but Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz scored in a 1:35 span bridging the second and third periods and the Blues beat the Devils 3-1 on Tuesday night, sending New Jersey to its season-high third straight loss. Blake Coleman scored early in the first period for the Devils, but he also […]
Read More