The fourth line. The very name implies that it is the fourth-best line, or fourth most important line. [Watch Rangers-Devils on MSG & Download Free on MSG GO] To a point, both are true. The other three lines get more ice time, generally have more skill, usually have guys making more money and those who are […]
Hate to say âI told ya so.” Well, maybe I donât really hate to say it, but I told ya so. The Rangers, once again, answered the bell in a character-test weekend, shaking off the cobwebs of their little 0-1-1 slump, which really wasnât very good at all, and responding with a pair of impressive […]
âAdversity does not build character, it reveals it.â Okay, James Lane Allenâs famous quote might be a tad dramatic for this latest rough spot in the Rangersâ schedule. But seasons are patches of tests â failures and successes â and character is constantly tested. For most of the last half dozen years or so, the […]
I keep hearing a lot about the standings, and how the Rangers, despite this run theyâve been on since Oct. 31, are still on the outside of the playoff picture heading into Mondayâs game against Dallas. Well, yeah. But letâs be realistic. Theyâre sixth in the Metropolitan Division, but just two points out of third, […]
We got a glimpse on Tuesday at one of the âunknownsâ in the Rangersâ 2017-18 season. With the teamâs schedule bunching up for the first time, weâre going to find out more. Backup goalie Ondrej Pavelec, signed as a free agent last summer to replace the traded Antti Raanta, will be a crucial piece of […]
If the Rangers are to get back to their âKings of the Roadâ reputation, this watershed week would be a good time to start. The Rangers begin a litmus test week Tuesday in Pittsburgh, then Friday in Washington â against two familiar foes, both during regular seasons and recent playoffs â then host the surprising […]
The Rangers might be able to survive a reasonably short stint without Mika Zibanejad as their No. 1 center. But can they make the power play go in his absence? The team announced Thursday that Zibanejad is suffering from concussion symptoms. There, of course, is no timetable for his return. [Watch Rangers-Hurricanes Friday on MSG […]
So here are the Rangers, 24 games into the season, and still forging an identity. Lately, that identity has been similar to that of the first two seasons under coach Alain Vigneault, which is to say, the âFind-A-Wayâ Rangers. In their last two games, they have most certainly been that: Slow starts, important third-period goals, […]
As the Rangers practiced, then broke for turkey, they had a fair amount for which to be thankful. For example: Henrik Lundqvist has gotten back at or near the top of his game. Was there ever any doubt? (Thatâs rhetorical.) But I will admit, I had some doubt. A little bit anyway. Heâs never been […]
Some thoughts as the Rangers near the one-quarter mark of their season: 1. Henrik Lundqvist will get his eighth consecutive start in goal against Columbus Friday two nights after his and the teamâs six-game winning streak ended in Chicago. One thing coach Alain Vigneault didnât do before this season was place a limit on the […]