Blue Notes
Steve Zipay takes you inside the locker room, home and on the road, with the New York Rangers, and also writes about the NHL, off and on the ice.
Brad Richards a healthy scratch for Game 4
Photo credit: Getty Images
In what could be an elimination game at Madison Square Garden against the Bruins on Thursday night, Rangers coach John Tortorella has shaken up his lineup by benching struggling veteran Brad Richards.
Tortorella also is replacing injured defenseman Anton Stralman with Roman Hamrlik, and apparently will insert one of the little-used forwards Micheal Haley and Kris Newbury for Arron Asham.
Richards,...
Read more »Ryan Clowe at NYR practice, but no Stralman, Kreider
Even at an optional, that's a good sign for Clowe, who hasn't skated since the Washington series. And Marc Staal.
Not sure what to make of Anton Stralman's absence, but he didn't play in the third and Kreider was struck in the face with a stick at 5:05 of the third.
Darroll Powe, who said he was feeling better yesterday after missing seven games, also is on ice here at teh MSG Training...
Read more »The Longest Odds; plus Lundqvist, Richards, the PP mess
Photo credit: AP
Remember “The Longest Yard”? These are the longest odds:
Only three teams have come back from 0-3 to win a series: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs (against the Red Wings), the 1975 Islanders (against the Penguins), and the 2010 Flyers (against the Bruins). These Rangers aren’t as offensively gifted as those Flyers and this edition of the Bruins is better.
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Again, as...
Read more »Rangers confident about Game 3 at Madison Square Garden
Photo credit: Jim McIsaac
With a 9-0 record since March 24 in the familiar surroundings of Madison Square Garden, the Rangers rolled into Tuesday’s Game 3 against the Bruins, who lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals 2-0, with some degree of confidence.
“We’ve been good at home all year long,” Rangers head coach John Tortorella said today. “Some pucks go in at home, or they don’t go in, in certain situations...
Read more »Three rookies start on B's defense
Seems like a break for the Rangers to open the series.
Bruins coach Claude Julien said it "doesn't look good" for defensemen Wade Redden, Andrew Ference and Dennis Seidenberg, who didn't skate today.
Two rookies: Matt Bartkowski (2 playoff games) and Torey Krug (none) are stepping in. Dougie Hamilton has been playing.
And C Brad Marchand left the skate at TD Garden...
Read more »Game Day Live: Lineups, quotes, chat all coming up
Photo credit: Jim McIsaac
Greetings from Boston, where the British have come and gone, I'm told.
Coffee in hand and settled in after the drive north last night, and along with colleagues Arthur Staple and Anthony Rieber, we'll be at the off-day practices, skates and Games 1 and 2 here as the Eastern Conference Semifinals begin tonight, so remember to swing by every few hours for updates.
Please joing the...
Read more »Live from D.C. Game 7, Game Night. it's Go Time...
For either the Rangers or the Capitals, the short but bumpy road that began after the NHL lockout will end tonight. ...
Read more »Rangers face ouster in Game 6 at MSG after 2-1 OT loss in DC
Photo credit: Getty Images
Maybe the Rangers can draw on memories for inspiration.
They scored three times in Game Six in Ottawa---not at MSG---last spring to force a Game 7 at home, which they won to capture the East Quarterfinals. This time, Game 7, if necessary, would be back here.
The Rangers were 16-6-2 at home, plus the wins in Games 3 and 4, and the Caps are already wary.
"Obviously, it's...
Read more »NYR's Marc Staal out for Game 5 in D.C.
Defenseman Marc Staal, who is struggling with vision problems, is not dressing tonight for Game 5 of the series and could not say when he might rejoin the Rangers lineup.
Staal, who played 17 minutes in Game 3, then pulled himself out of the lineup before Game 4 after a morning skate, said that on the ice that day "it didn't go particularly well... as the day...
Read more »NYR hold on, 4-3 at MSG, to square series with Caps
Photo credit: Jim McIsaac
It's on to Washington again. and perhaps a two-of-three.
Either team can win in six, but you get the feeling that this baby may go down to the wire. Somebody would have to win a game on the road.
Home has ruled so far, with the Rangers quick-strike goals in the third being just enough to scrape by the Capitals, who had erased a 2-0 lead with two of their won in the second.
If Lundqvist...
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