Brendan Smith called it a “double-edged sword,” and that seems apt. The gritty defenseman has been a healthy scratch for five straight games, and during that time, the Rangers have put together a six-game winning streak. So it hasn’t exactly been easy dealing with the benching, which is set to continue as coach Alain Vigneault […]
Read MoreThis is a time of uncertainty for Rick Nash, the valuable Ranger who for the first time in his career is a pending free agent and whose greatest value to the organization might be as a blue-chip rental property to exchange for futures as the Feb. 26 trade deadline approaches. “I’ve aware of that, I’ve […]
Read MoreHenrik Lundqvist is scheduled for his seventh straight start and 16th in the Rangers’ first 19 games Wednesday in Chicago. Unless something unforeseen develops, he can be expected to get the call again Friday when the Rangers play at Columbus. This workload is a function of both a light schedule, in which the Rangers haven’t […]
Read MoreCHICAGO — The Rangers authored a six-minute horror show Wednesday night that bridged an intermission, a gruesome scene that struck at the heart of some dire reality concerning the natural condition of their intrinsically flawed team. So it was that with a dramatic 6-3 loss to the Blackhawks at United Center, the Blueshirts’ six-game winning […]
Read MoreCHICAGO — When the Rangers’ season started disastrously askew, there were a couple of proverbial sideways glances in the direction of first-year assistant coach Lindy Ruff. The longtime Stars and Sabres head coach had been hired to take over the Rangers’ defense and penalty killing, and both were major contributors to the team’s historically bad […]
Read MoreInconsistency has marred the Islanders all season and it nearly did again Thursday night. Despite blowing an early two-goal lead, the Islanders avoided disappointment by scoring three third-period goals to wiggle past the Hurricanes, 6-4, in an uneven performance at Barclays Center that mirrored their up-and-down season. A troubling second period, in which the Islanders […]
Read MoreCHICAGO — Henrik Lundqvist likes to play a lot, and he’s used to it. During those times, he has figured out the best way to stay fresh — winning. “You have stretches when you play just a few games and you’re exhausted, and I remember a year when I played 20 straight games. I wasn’t […]
Read MoreCHICAGO — The frustration was certainly building within Brendan Smith, and if this kept up, it was eventually going to boil over. But the Rangers’ veteran defenseman doesn’t have to wait much longer. He is set to return to the lineup for Friday’s road match against the Blue Jackets after six-game stretch as a healthy […]
Read MoreThe Islanders are getting exactly what they wanted from rookie Mathew Barzal. The 20-year-old center has quickly settled in between Jordan Eberle and Andrew Ladd on the team’s second line and played well in the Islanders’ 6-4 win over the Hurricanes on Thursday night at Barclays Center. The former first-round pick scored the game’s first […]
Read MoreNormally this conversation waits until the playoffs. But the always-interesting Canadiens decided to bring it to the forefront early. In a bit of postseason-like subterfuge, the Habs are refusing to disclose the nature of goalie Carey Price’s injury that has kept him out since Nov. 2. He said he was injured that night in some […]
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