Kukla's Korner (Free subscription) | yesterday
This is not earth shattering news for the hockey world but it might just be for New York Ranger fans: the Rangers are up 6-2 on the Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring three goals in the first period and adding another four in the second period. The team exploded for three goals in a span of 1:11 with two goals from Sean Avery and another one from Marian Gaborik, who has four points through two periods....
The Blueshirts Blog (Free subscription) | yesterday
Next up on left wing alongside Vinny Prospal and Marian Gaborik will be Christopher Higgins, who has been filling in at center as the Rangers deal with their injuries but will move up against Columbus tonight at the Garden. As discussed in earlier posts, Higgins has looked much stronger since his early-season struggles but still has only two goals in 21 games as a Ranger, though Tortorella offered...
The Blueshirts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/22/2009
Ales Kotalik’s audition with the Rangers’ top duo of Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal appears to be a one-and-done affair, because John Tortorella didn’t exactly care for it: “I don’t think he can play there, I don’t think he can play with the top two guys,” the coach said of the winger who will make $3 million this season and in each of the next two. “Kotes...
The Blueshirts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/15/2009
“We found a way to win a hockey game,” John Tortorella said after this 2-1 shootout victory over the Senators. But it’s going to be tough to find this way on a consistent basis. This was Henrik Lundqvist’s game today, a 35-save effort that preceded a shootout in which he stopped five of seven Senators, and in which the Rangers somehow managed to make one terrific play by Marian...
The Blueshirts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/14/2009
It’s one of today’s more pressing tasks for the Rangers, who buried themselves with breakdowns in the first two periods against Atlanta on Thursday and, because of that, came away with no points to show for one of their best periods of the season, when they took a season-high 18 shots in the third and dominated the puck. If this afternoon’s game against the Senators here in Ottawa...
The Blueshirts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/13/2009
Quick notes from practice, and then there’s a plane to catch, which should be a treat (high winds + tiny plane = fun fun fun). P.A. Parenteau got in just fine, though; he arrived this morning and was on the ice today, with Dane Byers having been sent back to Hartford - the idea being to give the offensively challenged Rangers a little something more, they hope, in the way of offensive ability....
The Blueshirts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009
Glen Sather is up here in Toronto for Brian Leetch’s Hall of Fame induction tonight, and said his plan is to sit tight with his roster and let the current crop fill the holes at center. With Chris Drury and Brandon Dubinsky injured in Saturday night’s game in Calgary, and Vinny Prospal capable of playing center, Sather pointed to Christopher Higgins as a player who should be able to step...
The Blueshirts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/08/2009
Most of the Rangers on the bench didn’t see the hit, but the ones who did - and some of them were upstairs - were incensed by Curtis Glencross’ blindside, away-from-the-puck hit on a helpless Chris Drury that left the Ranger captain laid out with a concussion and out of action for who knows how long. John Tortorella wouldn’t get into it when asked if the league should step in, but...
Gothamist (Free subscription) | 11/06/2009
The Rangers don't travel out to Edmonton every year, so when they do, they like to take advantage. They did just that in a 4-2 win over the Oilers on Wednesday. Ales Kotalik had a goal and two assists as the Rangers snapped a four-game losing streak away from Madison Square Garden. Marian Gaborik, Christopher Higgins and Ryan Callahan also scored for the Blueshirts, who faced Tom Renney, an Edmonton...
The Blueshirts Blog (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
Dane Byers has been suspended and John Tortorella fined coming out of Byers' fight late in the Rangers' 4-1 loss to the Canucks on Tuesday. The penalties are automatic - per NHL rules, when a player receives an instigator penalty in the last five minutes of regulation or at any time in OT, it's a one-game ban for the player and $10,000 out of the coach's pocket. So with Byers out for tomorrow's game...
Gothamist (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
Vancouver 4 Rangers 1 : New York’s trip our west started off badly. Against a depleted Vancouver club, the Rangers were outshot and out worked as they gave up three goals in the third period. The game featured two major altercations in the third period, which the league will almost certainly have something to say about. The lone bright spot for New York was Christopher Higgins scoring his first...
The Blueshirts Blog (Free subscription) | 10/29/2009
If you're a Minnesota Wild fan who coughed up a bunch of money to see Marian Gaborik's return to St. Paul, sorry, you may be out of luck - and if you're a Ranger fan hoping to see your best player get back in the lineup tomorrow, well, same deal, because Gaborik stayed off the ice again today and is less than optimistic about taking part in tomorrow night's game in Minny. Gaborik missed his first...
The Blueshirts Blog (Free subscription) | 10/28/2009
Scratch Marian Gaborik from the Ranger lineup for the first time this season, meaning the Rangers may have to tap some new sources for a little finish. P.A. Parenteau, the AHL’s leading scorer with eight goals in nine games, arrived from Hartford last night and will take the open spot on right wing, while Donald Brashear stayed on for extra skating this morning and will be the healthy scratch....
The Blueshirts Blog (Free subscription) | 10/27/2009
Seeing Marian Gaborik flexing a leg and leaving a game before the final horn sounds obviously is going to kick up much more of a fuss than most other players, because of his history and because of the skill that was on display again tonight. It's only natural. So for now, at least, everybody take a breath. Gaborik, who left tonight's 5-2 win over Phoenix about five minutes from the end, stayed behind...
Kukla's Korner (Free subscription) | 10/26/2009
from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, The jury’s still out on Bob Gainey’s wholesale makeover in Montreal, but a look at the former Habs and their performance almost one month into the NHL season perhaps shows some prescience in the Canadiens GM’s offseason decisions. Christopher Higgins is in John Tortorella’s dog house in New York; Saku Koivu has struggled to get it going in Anaheim;...
Videos