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Sunday, April 23, 2017

With first round wrapped up, Rangers await winner of Bruins-Senators

Zuccarello banks one in off Price to give Rangers lead

When the Rangers clinched the first wild-card playoff berth in the East, they found themselves poised on what appeared to be an easier path to a possible Eastern Conference final by initially escaping the minefield of the Metropolitan Division and crossing over into the Atlantic.

After all, going toe-to-toe in the first round with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins or John Tortorellas Blue Jackets, who finished with 111 and 108 points, among the best in the NHL, and following that with a possible series against the Presidents Trophy-winning Washington Capitals, was not exactly the stuff of Stanley Cup dreams.

Instead, their first-round opponent was the Montreal Canadiens, a formidable foe finally dispatched in Game 6 last night which emerged as Atlantic champs under new coach Claude Julien, who had been fired in early February by the Boston Bruins.

There is no re-seeding in the NHL: the second-round opponent for the Rangers (102 points) will be the winner of the best-of-seven series between the Bruins and Ottawa Senators, which moves to Game 6 this afternoon in Boston. The Senators hold a 3-2 edge. Three of the five games have been decided in overtime.

BEST MATCHUP FOR RANGERS: SENS OR BRUINS?

Flip a coin.

The Rangers, with a speedier, balanced offense and Henrik Lundqvist, would be favored against either team.

In the regular season, the Senators and Bruins finished second and third in the Atlantic, with 98 and 95 points and 44 wins apiece. The Bruins, who were better on special teams than the Rangers during the regular season, are currently banged up and are struggling to score; the Senators are built around head coach Guy Bouchers structured defense and rely on captain and Norris Trophy finalist Erik Karlsson to drive the opportunistic offense.

During the regular season, the Rangers and Bruins played three times, with the Blueshirts winning all three: 5-2 on both Oct. 26 at home and on Nov. 5 in TD Garden, with Julien behind the bench, and 2-1 in Boston on March 2, after Bruce Cassidy replaced Julien.

The Senators won two of three against the Blueshirts. The teams split the first two at Madison Square Garden early in the season, with Antti Raanta, not Lundqvist, in net, a 2-0 Rangers loss on Nov. 27 and a 4-3 win a month later. In the penultimate game of the season, with the Rangers resting a half-dozen regulars, the Senators won 3-1 at Canadian Tire Centre.

POSSIBLE STORY LINES

To be sure, they would abound in either case.

A series with the Original Six Bruins, who have faced the Rangers in the playoffs 10 times starting in 1927 and most recently in 2013, when Tortorellas Blueshirts lost in five games in the conference semifinals, would continue that long rivalry.

A battle starting next week would be a homecoming for Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes and rookie Jimmy Vesey, who were born in the Boston area. Kreider and Hayes attended Boston College, Vesey graduated from Harvard. Dominic Moore, the veteran forward who skated in two separate stints with the Rangers and also attended Harvard, plays for the Bruins. And rookie Charlie McAvoy, who grew up in Long Beach, has been thrust into the playoff spotlight with three regular defensemen sidelined by injuries.

The Senators and Rangers have met just once in he postseason, during the 2012 conference quarterfinals, which the Rangers won in seven games. A showdown between two centers in an unexpected swap last summer Derick Brassard and Mika Zibanejad will be a popular topic for fans in both cities. And Senators goaltender Craig Anderson has been an inspiration and won the hearts of many. Anderson, 35, has left the team multiple times during the season to help his wife, Nicholle, through cancer treatments.

FOOTNOTE

The last time the Rangers faced two teams from Canada in first two rounds was 80 years ago. in 1937, the rangers played the toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Maroons and won all four games, but lost to Detroit in the Stanley Cup Final, three games to two.

Source: http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/with-first-round-wrapped-up-rangers-await-winner-of-bruins-senators-1.13509935

Friday, April 21, 2017

New York Rangers" Derek Stepan Needs Performance Level to Start Matching Salary

Unboxing de Juguetes Power Rangers de Saban

The offseason before the 2014-2015 season, the New York Rangers generously gave Derek Stepan anaverage annual salaryof $6.5 million. At the time, it made sense because he had a great regular season and even stronger playoff performance in 2015.

His most important contribution that season was his game seven overtime winner against the Capitals to complete a 3-1 series comeback and send the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row. But that isnt indicative of how hes playing now.

Over the course of games one through four of this first round series against the Canadiens, Stepan has been nearly nonexistent. He has only posted one assist in game two, which the Rangers didnt even win. And his +/- rating has been even except in gamethree, which was also a loss.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Facing Elimination, the Rangers Expect to Go Home, for Game 7

Photo Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman shooting against Henrik Lundqvist during Tampa Bays 2-0 win in Game 5 on Sunday. Game 6 will be Tuesday night. Credit Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

The Rangers are all too familiar with their predicament against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference finals. They are facing elimination again, trailing a series by three games to two for the sixth time over the last four postseasons.

But four times in those series, the Rangers emerged victorious. Their belief is strong that they can win Game 6 at Tampa Bay on Tuesday and take the series back to Madison Square Garden for Game 7 on Friday.

We just have to go down there and play confident, play our best game and try to get a win, said defenseman Marc Staal, who has been through the teams many playoff battles since 2008. Everyone believes in here that we can do it, so we just have to go down there, step up, give our best effort and try to get one.

The Rangers, who finished the regular season with an N.H.L.-best 113 points, will have to counter the numerous weapons of the speedy and opportunistic Lightning, who have beaten the Rangers with offensive wizardry and stifling defense.

Photo Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has a 14-3 record in games in which the Rangers have faced elimination. Credit Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

But after Tampa Bays 2-0 victory in Game 5 on Sunday at the Garden, the second playoff shutout for goaltender Ben Bishop, the captain Steven Stamkos emphasized how difficult it would be for his team to win the clincher.

We understand the magnitude of the next game, and were going to get their best game there is no doubt about it, said Stamkos, who scored for the fourth straight game Sunday and assisted on Valtteri Filppulas game-winner. We need to find a way as a group to not just match that but give even more.

The Rangers, as always, will be counting on goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to lead them. Since the 2012 playoffs began, he has a 14-3 record in games in which the Rangers have faced playoff elimination, including an 8-1 mark the past two seasons.

The Rangers rallied from a 3-1 series deficit against the Washington Capitals in the last round.

But this showdown against the Lightning has been peculiar, with vastly different styles and outcomes in each game. The Rangers won a tight-checking opener, 2-1, and were bombarded, 6-2, in Game 2. They lost a topsy-turvy Game 3, 6-5 in overtime, but grabbed a surprising 5-1 win in Game 4. The Lightning rebounded with their best defensive effort in Game 5.

Usually it happens as you get closer to the end of a series; its more thinking behind the plays, more than just go-go-go, Lundqvist said. Thats what we saw in the first four games. Im not really sure what to expect down in Tampa in the next one, but we just have to prepare.

At stake is a trip to the Stanley Cup finals, where the Rangers lost in five games last June to the Los Angeles Kings. The Lightning have been to the finals only once, in 2004, when they won the Cup.

The will is there for the Rangers, who are set to play their 75th playoff game in the last four years, the most in the league. If physical or mental fatigue is a factor the Rangers have played 14 games decided by one goal in these playoffs the players are not letting on.

Its a race to four; it doesnt matter how many games the other team wins, said Derek Stepan, who scored the overtime winner in Game 7 to oust the Capitals in the second round. We have to beat them to four games. We have to go into their building and find a way to get it done.

The Rangers also rallied from a 3-2 series deficit against the Ottawa Senators in the first round in 2012, and they came back from the same deficit with back-to-back shutouts to beat Washington in the first round the next year. In 2014, the Rangers overcame a 3-1 deficit in the second round against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Their elimination-game moxie has become a team trademark. The only three losses when they have faced elimination have been an overtime crusher against the Devils in Game 6 of the 2012 conference finals, a Game 5 defeat against the Boston Bruins in 2013 in the second round, and last Junes Game 5 two-overtime loss on the night the Kings raised the Stanley Cup. All three of those losses were on the road.

Lundqvist, who is seeking to add a Stanley Cup to his career accomplishments, relentlessly preaches the importance of winning one game at a time.

We just have to go out there, leave everything out there, and see how far it takes us, he said.

Lundqvist also credited the Lightning for their undeniable skill at both ends of the ice.

Its a big part of their game, how they move the puck, he said. They made it tough for us to just be in good position, and thats what they do. We played well; we had good speed. It was just hard to create chances.

The Rangers have already played seven postseason series under the second-year coach Alain Vigneault, and he lauds their mental toughness.

I have a lot of faith and trust in my players, he said. They know how to prepare, and they know how to get ready for games. There is going to be no bigger game than the next one. Im confident were going to be ready for it.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/26/sports/hockey/from-a-deep-hole-the-rangers-summon-a-familiar-moxie.html

Monday, May 11, 2015

Possession 40% 60% 90 mins Manchester City Queens Park Rangers

Full time

Full Time Match ends, Manchester City 6, Queens Park Rangers 0.

90:00 +1:55 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, Manchester City 6, Queens Park Rangers 0.

90:00 +1:48

Attempt missed. Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jess Navas with a cross following a corner.

90:00 +1:24

Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Shaun Wright-Phillips.

89:17

Attempt blocked. Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Yaya Tour.

86:20 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Manchester City 6, Queens Park Rangers 0. David Silva (Manchester City) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Wilfried Bony with a through ball.

86:00

Attempt blocked. Matthew Phillips (Queens Park Rangers) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Joey Barton.

85:36

Attempt saved. Shaun Wright-Phillips (Queens Park Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Niko Kranjcar.

85:09 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Queens Park Rangers. Shaun Wright-Phillips replaces Yun Suk-Young.

83:10

Foul by Wilfried Bony (Manchester City).

83:10

Niko Kranjcar (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick on the left wing.

82:27

Attempt missed. Yun Suk-Young (Queens Park Rangers) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left following a corner.

82:00

Corner, Queens Park Rangers. Conceded by Eliaquim Mangala.

81:39 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Manchester City. Jess Navas replaces James Milner.

81:00

Attempt missed. James Milner (Manchester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right following a fast break.

80:57

Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the right side of the box. Assisted by David Silva following a fast break.

80:19

Corner, Queens Park Rangers. Conceded by Aleksandar Kolarov.

78:07

Attempt missed. Yaya Tour (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Wilfried Bony.

77:12 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Queens Park Rangers. Niko Kranjcar replaces Leroy Fer.

76:37

Offside, Queens Park Rangers. Charlie Austin tries a through ball, but Yun Suk-Young is caught offside.

75:44

Attempt saved. Yaya Tour (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by David Silva.

74:36

Attempt missed. Leroy Fer (Queens Park Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a set piece situation.

74:07 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Manchester City. Yaya Tour replaces Fernandinho.

73:28

Foul by Wilfried Bony (Manchester City).

73:28

Steven Caulker (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

71:32

Hand ball by Martn Demichelis (Manchester City).

69:17 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Manchester City 5, Queens Park Rangers 0. James Milner (Manchester City) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Sergio Agero following a corner.

69:15

Attempt missed. Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Aleksandar Kolarov with a cross following a corner.

68:44

Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Robert Green.

68:41

Attempt saved. Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by David Silva.

65:27

Offside, Manchester City. James Milner tries a through ball, but Sergio Agero is caught offside.

64:03 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Manchester City 4, Queens Park Rangers 0. Sergio Agero (Manchester City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.

63:21

Penalty Manchester City. David Silva draws a foul in the penalty area.

63:21

Penalty conceded by Matthew Phillips (Queens Park Rangers) after a foul in the penalty area.

62:28 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Manchester City. Wilfried Bony replaces Frank Lampard.

61:53

Attempt saved. Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.

61:08 Booking

Booking Joey Barton (Queens Park Rangers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.