Can The Rangers Be The Flyers of This Postseason?

The New York Rangers are in the playoffs and maybe all you need to do to have a shot to win it is get in the dance and go from there.  The runs of both the Montreal Canadiens and especially Philadelphia Flyers in last year’s NHL playoffs gives every team and their fans hope that is the case.  The question becomes about whether the Rangers are capable of making the run or if thinking that way is just irrational hope by the fans about the chances of the team they love.  Can the Rangers be this year’s Flyers?

The Rangers have a lot of the ingredients that lead you to believe a deep run in the postseason, even if from the eighth seed.  Before we even get to the players that can make the difference the first thing you have to talk about with this Rangers club is their identity.  Playing a team game based on hard work, sacrificing the body, hitting, and a physical style is the kind of system that can succeed in the playoffs.  Combine those things with the fact the team has a resiliency both within games and from game to game is critical in a playoff series. 

To speak to their resiliency within games the Rangers were tied for second in the lead in wins when trailing after two periods with eight.  New York was also the only team to not lose a game in which they lead after two periods posting an astonishing 29-0-0 record in those situations.  When you are a team that has come back to win games and also knows when you have a lead you can keep it, then you add confidence to your club.  That is especially important given the Rangers youth overall and playoff inexperience in certain important roles this season.

Beyond those almost intangible qualities the Rangers possess a balanced offense, strong defense core and have arguably the best goalie in the world with Henrik Lundqvist.  One the keys to a long playoff run is going to be a goaltender getting hot at the right time and Lundqvist is certainly more than capable of that as he shown over the years and even the past two months.  Lundqvist played the final 26 games of the regular season for the Rangers going 15-10-1 with a 2.14 goals against average, .923 save percentage and four shutouts.

In front of Lundqvist the Rangers have a very good young defense core that is led by Marc Staal and Dan Girardi.  The pair is one of the top shutdown units in the league against the opposition’s top offensive line and is more than used to playing the huge minutes that will be required in the playoffs.  One difference for the Rangers this year as opposed to two years ago when they made the playoffs is that the emergence of Michael Sauer and Ryan McDonagh as a pair gives the Rangers a second defensive group to have faith in during the big moments.  Reacting to the new environment of the playoffs is an unknown, but with the way each has adjusted this season there is hope they will make the same transition there.

The thing that could hold the Rangers back from being the Flyers of this postseason is the inconsistency of their offensive attack.  The team put up 5+ goals on 16 different occasions this season, but they also going into scoring droughts that saw them score two or less 42 (not counting shootout goals) times this season.

There is no more better example of the offensive consistency issues the Rangers suffered from this season than their offensive headliner Marian Gaborik.  He has only 22 goals on the season, 10 of which came in three games.  If the team is going to make a run he is going to have to be a consistent producer in the extra season because behind him there is enough secondary scoring depth to make for a dangerous offensive unit.

If Gaborik gets hot to go with the Rangers style of play, their emerging young defense core and all world goaltending there is no reason they cannot make a run deep into June.

Video: Ryan McDonagh First NHL Goal A Game Winner Vs Devils

Ryan McDonagh has come close to getting his first NHL goal a few times, but the one he got yesterday is one he could not find a way to top in the regular season.  He scored what turned out not only to be the game winning goal, but also the goal that indirectly sent the Rangers to the playoffs against a bitter rival in the final game of the year.  Special stuff.

What a Difference A Year Makes For The Rangers; Bring On The Capitals

What a difference a year makes.  What a difference a day makes.  When Rangers fans awoke the day after Game 82 in Philadelphia last year the devastation of missing out the playoffs was brutal.  The way that they missed both in terms of having a chance in a shootout to make it and having it be to the hated Flyers only made it worse.  Yesterday the majority of Rangers fans woke up dreading having that feeling again and feeling helpless because the team had given away control of their own destiny. 

This time the result was different.  This time when fans woke up the day after Game 82 there was elation and anticipation of the upcoming playoff series with the Washington Capitals.  They could do so because the team played to the identity they have formed over the course of the year as a team that outworks their opponents and has a mental toughness to it that never has them out of a game. The difference in the makeup and mentality of this team fro one year to the next is vast.  Last year there was a team that you never knew what version was going to show up in any facet of the game and while this year the offense is still inconsistent the effort is there nearly every night and that can be the difference between missing by a point or making it by just two.

After taking care of all they could control yesterday that pensive nature of Rangers fans was tested waiting for four hours to have the puck drop between Tampa Bay and Carolina.  Having been heartbroken many times before there was a decidedly cautious approach to hoping in terms of the result of the game last night.  Tampa came in with nothing but pride to play for, but they got on top early and would not relinquish control of the game against the red hot Hurricanes. 

Some will say the Rangers got lucky in getting the help they did from Tampa, and maybe they did, but luck is where skill meets opportunity and the Rangers while not having the most skill have put in the work to earn the opportunity.  Now it will be up them to take advantage of it against the Capitals in round 1.  I for one wouldn’t bet against them with the way they can fight with and for one another.

Yogan Scores Twice, McIlrath Fights For Whale Against Sound Tigers

There will certainly be plenty of discussion over the Rangers and their tremendous Saturday in their own game and the Tampa Bay-Carolina game that sent them to the playoffs, but first take a look at what a few future Rangers did for the Connecticut Whale down in the AHL.  The Whale, unlike the Rangers, locked up a playoff birth before the final game of the regular season so they went with a young lineup against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday.  The result was that the fans got to get a glimpse of some potential future Rangers.  On the night Andrew Yogan (2010 fourth round pick) would score twice in his professional debut and Dylan McIlrath (2010 first round pick) would drop the gloves. 

During the second period is when Yogan would get his night started as just 1:54 into the period Yogan would score after a very good cycling shift with Kelly Tessier and Evgeny Grachev.  The trio worked the puck along the wall very well and finally Tessier would find Yogan at the side of the net where he beat Nathan Lawson high to the short side.  Yogan would finish off his excellent pro debut with his second goal when he redirected Bickel’s point shot into the net during the third period from another high traffic area in front.

Yogan had a shoulder injury that kept him out of action until mid-March and only allowed him to play 10 games this season in which he had three goals and one assist.  The talent has never been questioned with Yogan but some other questions have been raised so next season will be very interesting for him to see if he can stay healthy and how he progresses in his play.

The McIlrath bout against Alex O’Neil would come midway through the second and was a high action affair that saw Dylan both land and take some punches, but stand in there just the same.

Video of McIlrath Fight:

Full highlights of the game…

Video: T.J. Oshie Dekes Around Pekka Rinne From His Knees

The St. Louis Blues might have been playing their last game in a somewhat disappointing season overall, but T.J. Oshie’s goal against the Nashville Predators gave the fans something to remember and was part of a late stretch that creates a lot of hope to for next season.  Oshie got the puck in the slot, as he was falling the ice, and had the skill to still deke around Pekka Rinne from his knees before scoring on the back hand. Truly one of the best goals of the season

Rangers Rout Devils 5-2, Now Hope For From Lightning

The only thing the New York Rangers could control today was their own result against the New Jersey Devils and they did just that in a 5-2 win this afternoon. Now the Rangers playoff fate is in the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning as they need a win in either regulation or OT to put New York in as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Rangers won today with the type of collective effort that was sorely lacking on Thursday against Atlanta.

In a must win game the Rangers fell behind the Devils just 2:03 into the game on a goal from Nick Palmieri when he deflected an Ilya Kovakchuk shot through Henrik Lundqvist.

The nervousness in MSG reached another level, but the Rangers would respond just 1:11 later with a goal from Chris Drury. Drury drive the net hard and converted the rebound on his backhand. The goal was Drury's first of the season on his first shift since February 3.

Kovakchuk capped off his dominant first period with a goal of his own,with 41.8 seconds left in the period. On the play he out muscled Prospal and ripped the shot high on Lundqvist. The goal gave the Devils a 2-1 lead at the end of one and drained a lot of energy out of MSG.

The energy came back quickly when Wojtek Wolski scored off the rush just 1:52 into the second period. The play was a 2-on-1 rush with Stepan down the left side wall. After looking like he would pass Wolski fired and beat Brodeur short side.

With the next goal critical Ryan McDonagh scored at 11:59 to give the Rangers their first lead of the game. The goal came when Vinny Prospal passed from behind the net to McDonagh at the right faceoff dot. The goal was McDonagh's first of his career.

Brandon Prust extended the Rangers lead to 4-2 at 16:06 of the period. Prust converted the rebound from a Dubinsky shot. The goal capped an excellent three goal period that gives the Rangers control over their part if today's action.

The Rangers kept up the pressure and extended to a 5-2 lead at 10:49 of the third on a goal from Vinny Prospal. Artem Anisimov broke down the right side on a 2-on-1 and fed a beauty across to Prospal for the finish.

Michael Sauer and Ryan McDonagh played excellent games and showed why this defense core will be one of the best in the league for years to come.

Brian Boyle set the tone hitting anything that moved and hurling himself in front of shots.

Have to give Drury credit with all the injuries and struggles his goal was crucial goal.

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Rangers Season Comes Down To Game 82 Again, Will It End Differently This Time?

The New York Rangers season is coming down to Game 82 to determine whether the team will make the playoffs or have the season come up just short.  No, that is not a review of what happened last year, but what the situation is for the second straight season as the Rangers take to the ice today against the rival Devils needing a win to have a chance to make the playoffs.  The difference this time is that the Rangers don’t control their own destiny as a win for New York alone is not enough to put them into the postseason.  Along with their own win they need help from the Tampa Bay Lightning, but the Lightning have no real motivation seeing as how they are locked into the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The only way the season will be decided during the afternoon hours is if the Rangers lose in regulation.  A win in for New York would mean that they need Carolina to lose in either regulation or overtime.  A shootout loss for New York would require a Carolina regulation loss for the Rangers season to continue.  

If they truly do remember the heartbreak of last year in Philadelphia, then expect a tremendous effort to ensure they do what they can to avoid it again.  The team might have relinquished the control of the situation overall, but they can still control what they do on the ice tomorrow.  These are the kinds of games where you truly find out about the character of your team as a whole and the individuals wearing their sweaters.  The final score is what ultimately matters, but who will rise to the occasion and who will shrink into the background is just as intriguing a watch as the game goes on.  The Rangers young players have done their part all season long in helping put the team in this position and now, in Game 82, it is time for the veterans to lead the way and force Carolina to have to do something Saturday night.

The time for talk is over and now the Rangers must either answer the call or sit home and watch until they come back in the fall.

Video: Nathan Gerbe Spinning Backhand Goal Sends Sabres To Playoffs

The Buffalo Sabres came into their game against the Philadelphia Flyers needing only one point to secure a playoff birth and midway through the third period they were trailing 3-2.  If the result had held that way they would need to gain that point at Columbus Saturday night and give both Carolina and New York another way into the postseason.

At 10:03 of the third period Nathan Gerbe changed all those calculations with a beautiful spinning backhand shot that beat Sergei Bobrovsky top shelf to tie the game at 3-3 and would end up being the goal that sent the Sabres into the playoffs.  Gerbe's both on the skill of the play and the context for the season is easily one of the best goals of the year in the NHL.

The Idea of Firing Tortorella if Rangers Miss Playoffs

The murmurs among the New York Rangers fans about the job security of coach John Tortorella if the team does indeed fail to make the playoffs for the second straight year.  There is no denying that missing again, especially when it will come down to the final game would be heartbreaking for the fans, the team and the organization.  Making matters worse would be the fact that the Rangers had a seven point lead with just six games to go and that leads to use of the phrase collapse in describing how the team has closed the season.  The idea that Tortorella’s job should be in jeopardy is lunacy for me.

The reality is that the team is 10-4-1 in their 15 games which is hardly a collapse. The reality is that all realistic Rangers fans pegged this team as either battling for the eight spot at the end of the year or missing the playoffs altogether.  This team has massively overachieved even if they had been healthy the entire year based on the talent they run out there each night.  Add to that the number of key injuries they have suffered during the course of the year and the amount of young players that were incorporated into the fold this season and Tortorella should be being praised for even having the Rangers with a shot to get in the playoffs tomorrow.  Talk of firing him after the job he has done this year in changing the culture and growing the youth is ridiculous and you should just stop following this team.  Torts has made his mistakes, as all coaches will, but in the totality of the year he has done a tremendous job and deserves the support of this fan base not an irrational reaction to possibly missing the playoffs.

Zuccarello Recalled from Whale, Who Will Sit?

Based on the AHL transactions page, the stay in Connecticut was a short one for Mats Zuccarello as the New York Rangers have recalled the 23-year-old winger.  In the three games he played since his demotion to the Whale Zuccarello had four assists.  The Rangers are obviously looking for an offensive spark with the loss of Ryan Callahan and being blanked by the Thrashers.  There is no telling currently whether Zuccarello will go back to his recent fourth line role which saw him be ineffective or if the coach will give him a chance to move up in the lineup against the Devils tomorrow.

The speculation now is over who will sit tomorrow and while the early favorite would be Matt Gilroy to ride the pine don’t rule out other options if Tortorella is truly trying to push the offensive envelope.