Now or Never

Posted on April 18, 2013 by jmmiv88

It’s either now or never for the Rangers if they want to secure a playoff spot.

With 6 games remaining in the regular season the Rangers have some work to do before they clinch that 7th or 8th seed. The loss to Philadelphia last night didn’t help separate themselves from the Winnipeg Jets or close the gap on catching the Islanders in the 7th spot.

This season has been very up and down for the Rangers due to injuries and a lack of team chemistry. Many people predicted the Rangers as the favorites to win the cup because of last years performance and the trade for Rick Nash. Now, they’re barely hanging on for a chance to compete in the playoffs.

“You have to respect the fact that every point could be the difference, so it’s a tough loss, especially this time of the year,” said Henrik Lundqvist. “But it’s still in our hands.”

Even Lundqvist understands that the Rangers backs are up against the wall and they need to keep gaining points these last few weeks to advance.

If there was ever a time for John Tortorella to step up and motivate his team, it’s now. 6 games left on the schedule and two of those games are against the New Jersey Devils, which by no means will be an easy feet since the Devils plan on keeping their rivals out of contention.

The Rangers should talk to some of the New York Giants players from the 2011-12 team for advice on how to gain momentum moving forward. Maybe that’ll spark a late season run for the cup.

Everything is right there for the taking, the Rangers just have to be willing to go and get it.

Marc Staal Back on the Ice

Posted on April 11, 2013 by jmmiv88

Marc Staal has started skating again and picked up his work routines to return to game shape.

This news couldn’t have come at a better time. The Rangers are hitting the final stretch of games right before the post-season and they’ll need Staal if they win enough games to sneak in as the 7th or 8th seed.

Staal’s timetable for return hasn’t been determined yet because he’s still waiting for his vision to get better. Though, some concern has been raised because the doctors have informed him that his eye-sight my never return to 100%.

“It’s an adjustment, but there are a lot of guys who play without perfect vision in one eye,” said Staal. “I think it will be a situation of being out there and letting your more powerful eye take over.”

Even with Staal at 80% eye-sight will bring major improvement to a Rangers defense that’s been struggling.

With any luck Staal will be back in time for the playoffs and help the Rangers make a run for the Stanley Cup. Let’s just hope the Rangers win enough games to make that dream a reality.

Blockbuster Deal

Posted on April 9, 2013 by jmmiv88

The trade deadline has passed and the rumors surrounding Marian Gaborik being traded have been completed. Gaborik, Steven Delisle and Blake Parlett were traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forwards Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett, defenseman John Moore, and a 2014 sixth round draft pick.

The trade comes as no surprise because the Rangers have been lacking depth and balance on offense all season.

Gaborik is coming off the slowest statistical start of his career with only 9 goals and 10 assists, so it’s easy to see why the Rangers knew they could get some value for him before the trade deadline.

Derek Dorsett is on injured reserve right now with a broken collarbone, but is expected to return right before the beginning of the playoffs.

Derick Brassard brings a tougher presence to the rangers third line and someone who knows how to win face-offs.

John Moore will add depth and youth to a relatively young defensive crew that is without star defenseman Marc Staal.

Overall, the trade should prove to add more stability to an inconsistent Rangers team that has shown flashes all year of how good they can be, but have not put it together for a full 60 minutes.

Even with the departure of 3 time 40-goal scorer like Gaborik the Rangers will make due with star players like Callahan and Nash leading the team.

The Arrival of Hamrlik

Posted on March 7, 2013 by jmmiv88

The thirty-eight year old Roman Hamrlik was claimed off waivers Mar. 6 and now joins the blueshirts.

The move was in response to Marc Staal getting injured in the Rangers last game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Bringing in a player like Hamrlik will bring some veteran leadership that the Rangers have been lacking on the young defensive end.

There’s no question that losing Staal will cause a little bit of an impact for the Rangers defensive rotation. Though, John Tortorella has done a great job all season pairing together the right lines in the right situations.

Incorporating Hamrlik into the rotation will be a fast one and he’ll benefit from being surrounded by a ton of young and talented defensemen.

His experience in the league will hopefully bring some jump and discipline to the Rangers defensively and keep them on track while Staal is out of the lineup.

Hamrlik also has something to prove after being dropped by the Washington Capitals this season by showing he’s still got the skills to play at his age.

The one stat that’s intriguing is that 14 out of the 16 seasons he’s been in the league the team he’s played for has gotten into the playoffs. Those odds might work in the Rangers favor.

Nash Clutch in the Third

Posted on March 6, 2013 by jmmiv88

Rick Nash has proven to be the dynamic difference maker the Rangers were hoping for when they traded for him.

All seven of his goals have come in the third period of games. How does it get more clutch than that?

His physical ability, size, and stick handling skills have brought a fantastic boost to the Rangers offense. He’s a difference maker when needed to be and provides a spring in each players step when he jumps onto the ice.

The Rangers are 11-5-1 when he’s in the lineup and 0-3-1 when he’s out. That speaks volumes for how much of an important player he is for this franchise.

If the Rangers plan on getting back in the playoff hunt it’ll be behind Nash and a newly resurged captain Ryan Callahan.

The Nash Effect

Posted on February 26, 2013 by jmmiv88

What has hurt the Rangers these past few games?

That answer can be summed up with one word, injuries. The Rangers have gone 0-2-1 in the past 3-games and have only managed to gain 1 point.

Does Rich Nash being out of the lineup really hurt the rangers offense?

John Tortorella believes, “I think this is a team that needs something good to happen to it to gain some confidence back I don’t think we’ve played the right way consistently enough, and if we concentrate on that, I think good things will come out way.”

Consistency has been the problem on offense and Nash being out has affected that progression. The other problem the Rangers has faced is their 28th ranked power play. Only scoring 6 goals on the power play this year is an issue that needs to be fixed.

Once Nash returns it’ll provide that spark the Rangers need to get back into playoff contention. Until then they’ve got to find some chemistry and balance in their offense if they want to get back to winning games.

A Wild Trade

Posted on February 7, 2013 by jmmiv88

Goodbye Mike Rupp, welcome Darroll Powe and Nick Palmieri to the big apple. On Monday the Rangers announced that they traded Mike Rupp to the Minnesota Wild for two new forwards.

It was projected that Rupp was going to be on the trading block this past week because of the injury to Ryan Callahan. He played in all 8 of the Rangers games this season and racked up 12 penalty minutes and zero goals.

images Powe comes into this season with 91 blocked shots, 82 games played, 109 shots on goal and 57 penalty minutes in 2011-2012.

imgres Palmieri has played 87 career NHL games with the New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild, tapping 13 goals, 12 assists, and 20 penalty minutes.

With Rupp gone and Callahan still hurting these two were brought in to fill the lack of depth the Rangers have on their 3rd and 4th offensive lines. Hopefully within the next few weeks we’ll all be saying that they made a couple of smart moves that will get the Rangers winning again.

Cally out for two Weeks

Posted on February 3, 2013 by jmmiv88

New York Rangers Captain Ryan Callahan is going to be watching his teammates play without him for the next two weeks.

Callahan suffered a left shoulder subluxation last tuesday today night when he got into a little brawl with Philadelphia Flyers Max Talbot during the third period. After the fight he raced off the ice holding his left shoulder in pain and didn’t return. The MRI Wednesday morning confirmed the left shoulder injury and an estimated two week recovery.

Rangers Assistant Captain Brad Richards stated “Obviously the mood around here is that we want him back as soon as possible. He’s a big part of every part of the game—power play, penalty kill, and 5-on-5—but that being said we have to push on, it’s part of the game. Hopefully he is back soon.”

It’s true the Rangers will be missing one of their best offensive and defensive components. Callahan brings the intensity and play to their forecheck and penalty kill that most other Captains don’t. Losing him is a set back, but something they must overcome to become a championship caliber team.

“Consistency is key to Success” as Carl Hagelin mentions in an interview after the loss to the Penguins thursday night. Something the Rangers have been missing to the start of this regular season.

Hopefully some of that “consistency” will happen this Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning with the return of Chris Kreider. He’ll be taking over second line responsibilities in place of Callahan.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Rangers pace of play picks up after the loss of number 24. This could either give them the spark they’ve needed all season or could result in a jeopardized playoff berth.

These next two weeks will tell the tale and for the Rangers, hopefully it ends up being a positive one.

Inside the Blue

Everything from Big Blue to the Broadway Blue Shirts

Tag Archives: NHL