COLUMBUS, Ohio — The pendulum is starting to swing back on the Rangers in this so-far streaky season, with a second straight loss following a six-game winning streak. The Rangers came to Nationwide Arena on Friday hoping to start a new streak after their poor finish in Wednesday’s loss at Chicago, only to fall, 2-0, […]
Read MoreCOLUMBUS, Ohio — After a string of six straight healthy scratches, defenseman Brendan Smith returned to the Rangers’ lineup. And for the time being, it seems like he will stay there. “I thought he had a good game, played within his game, and had the opportunity in that first [period] to give us a lead,” […]
Read MoreThe city of Houston and the Olympics both serve the same purpose for the NHL. Both exist as points of leverage for commissioner Gary Bettman, who is never hesitant to accumulate chips to play when it comes to advising tax-paying citizens what they must do in order that their respective cities keep their teams and […]
Read MoreTAMPA, Fla. — Islanders coach Doug Weight had a simple message after a big lead was slipping away: Stay calm. Anders Lee scored twice and the Islanders held on after nearly blowing a four-goal lead, beating the Lightning 5-3 Saturday night. “He was just telling us what we needed to hear,” Islanders right wing Josh […]
Read MoreCOLUMBUS, Ohio — As the old adage goes, you’re never as good as when you’re on a winning streak and never as bad as when you’re on a losing streak. But that poor stretch to begin the season has cut down on the Rangers’ margin for error. They have to make sure this mini-skid doesn’t […]
Read MoreThis was ugly, and gritty, and at times, downright nasty. But the Rangers were the ones able to come out on the winning side of this postseason rematch, getting the second shutout of the season for goalie Henrik Lundqvist as they took a 3-0 victory over the Senators on Sunday night at the Garden. In […]
Read MoreSix-plus months after the fact, the Rangers’ second-round, six-game playoff defeat to Ottawa that ultimately broke up that old gang on Broadway remains difficult to fathom. If it wasn’t quite the 1960 World Series, in which the Yankees outscored the Pirates 55-27 yet lost in seven games, the series was one-sided enough through the first […]
Read MoreBrady Skjei thought it was “hilarious” when he saw his jersey on a “ Saturday Night Live” skit. The Rangers’ second-year defenseman was watching the show late Saturday night with fellow blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk when the skit came on. It featured Chance the Rapper, who was hosting the show, playing a television sideline reporter who […]
Read MoreA quarter of the season down and the Rangers are essentially as projected: a flawed bubble team capable of capturing an eighth consecutive playoff but unlikely to end the franchise’s 23-year Stanley Cup drought. The downward progression for this group is stark in the wake of the trip to the 2014 final and of finishing […]
Read MoreJust when the Rangers were starting to find their game, winning seven of their last nine contests, crawling out of that large hole they dug for themselves, comes this: Ryan McDonagh, their most valuable player not named Henrik Lundqvist, their captain, will miss a game Wednesday against the Hurricanes. The Rangers have termed it an […]
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