When the Rangers traded Derek Stepan for futures within two weeks of buying out Dan Girardi in the wake of the club’s disappointing second-round defeat to Ottawa last spring, “retool” became the operative off-season term applied by the administration. And it all made perfect sense. The core had taken the Blueshirts as far as it […]
Read MoreThe Islanders felt they got away with a win Monday at Montreal, but back on the ice at Barclays Center less than 24 hours later, there was no getting away from another desperate opponent. The Devils snapped a six-game losing streak, using a strong second period to secure a physical 4-1 win Tuesday night. “It’s […]
Read MoreWell, that was different. The Rangers morphed into their best version for at least one game, absolutely thumping the Flyers, 5-1, Tuesday night at the Garden. For a team that had been struggling to defend and struggling to score — really, struggling all over the place for the past month — it felt like a […]
Read MoreThere was a glimmer of good news on the Islanders’ injury front Tuesday for the first time in a while. Josh Bailey will skate Wednesday at practice and could make his return from a lower-body injury as soon as Thursday against the Bruins. “Bails is feeling pretty good,” coach Doug Weight said before his team’s […]
Read MoreOne defenseman back, and another gone. As captain Ryan McDonagh returned from a one-game absence because of back spasms in Tuesday night’s resounding 5-1 victory over the Flyers, the Rangers also lost Marc Staal at the start of the third period to a hip-flexor injury. Coach Alain Vigneault was unsure exactly when it happened, as […]
Read MoreIt wasn’t a coincidence that the Rangers’ best performance in weeks coincided with one of Rick Nash’s most productive performances of the season. There was a connection between the eight-time 30-goal scorer snapping his 12-game scoring drought and his team responding in kind to seeing their top gun come alive with a responsible, smart and […]
Read MoreDefenseman Marc Staal will miss Thursday’s game against the Sabres after not practicing Wednesday, and center Kevin Hayes likely will be out, too. With the Rangers leaving for a four-game road trip out West on Friday, a move may have to be made to add depth to the active roster. Coach Alain Vigneault said he […]
Read MoreIslanders fans, breathe a sigh of relief. Josh Bailey is back. After missing the last four games with a lower-body injury, the Isles dynamic winger is set to rejoin the top line Thursday night alongside John Tavares and Anders Lee against the Bruins at Barclays Center. Bailey — second on the team in points (50) […]
Read MoreYou’ve heard it from Alain Vigneault whenever the Rangers have run into rough patches this season, including this past weekend when the coach used one of his favorite expressions between discouraging defeats to the Islanders and Penguins in which his team surrendered 12 goals on 84 shots. “We’re going to have to simplify our game,” […]
Read MoreThe Islanders had a golden chance to get a small measure of revenge Thursday night. And they failed to take advantage of it, falling to the red-hot Bruins, 5-2, at Barclays Center. Boston (26-10-8) completed its season sweep of the Islanders (23-20-4), winning all three meetings by a combined score of 13-4. The Bruins, who […]
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