Rangers Still Under Pressure

There’s one thing for certain.  The Rangers don’t want to be heading back to D.C. with a 3-1 series deficit, and so they face another must-win game on home ice tonight.  The Capitals hiccupped a little in Game 3, destroying their own momentum by taking too many penalties.  It seems highly unlikely that things will […]

Questions Abound For New Rangers

The Rangers open their 2013-14 season this Thursday against the Phoenix Coyotes, the first of nine games on the road to start the season as the MSG rennovations are finally completed.  It’s a tough road for a team that appears to be in somewhat disarray following a pre-season where they went 1-5, being outscored to […]

Stepan Could Miss Season Opener

The Rangers and Derek Stepan remain about $500,000 apart per year on a two-year bridge contract according to Darren Dreger – TSN.  The 23 year old Minnesota native has no leverage other than to hold out, and he has so far missed the first ten days of camp and two preseason games. For their part, the Rangers find […]

Asham and Powe Still Rangers

Both Arron Asham and Darroll Powe were placed on waivers yesterday, in the hope that a team might claim them and review their respective salaries from the Cap calculation.  At 12pm Eastern today, they remained unclaimed and as such remain on the Summer roster. Each team is however allowed to exceed by 10 percent the $64.3M cap figure over […]

The Silly Season Is Upon Us

New York placed veteran forwards Arron Asham and Darroll Powe on waivers yesterday, in the hopes that someone else will pick them up.  Both are in the final years of their respective contracts, with Powe at $1.06M and Asham and $1M in terms of salary cap.  Neither forward has particularly impressed in a Rangers uniform, although Asham did at […]

Palmieri & Niemi Set To Become UFAs

New York will not extend qualifying offers to pending RFAs Nick Palmieri and Jyri Niemi, but will extend an offer to Brandon Mashinter.  In the case of Niemi, it’s not surprising.  The former Islanders draft pick was acquired back in May 2010 in exchange for a sixth round pick, but has struggled to make an impact in the AHL. […]

Injuries Shaping Both Teams

The Rangers go into tonight’s game once again missing the services of Marc Staal, Ryane Clowe and Darroll Powe.  The trio played in just a one, two and three games respectively in the Capitals series, with all three missing the final two wins. For Boston, things are a little more unsettled.  Brad Marchand will play after injuring himself in […]

It’s Okay To Be Optimistic

Rangers fans could be forgiven to be pessimistic.  The franchise has won only one Cup in the past 72 seasons, and has missed the playoffs 13 times in the past 40 years.  They have a losing record in the playoffs – wins/losses – against each of the other original six teams, and didn’t secure a […]

Game 7 Experience

The Rangers go into tonight’s deciding Game 7 in D.C. with a 1-10 record in the last 11 games played in the Capitals’ home building.  That solitary victory was the triple OT game last year, which was finally ended by Marian Gaborik.  If the Blueshirts are to advance, they’re going to have to overcome that record, […]

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

In past years, a lot has been made of bringing in veterans who have Stanley Cup experience.  Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, even lesser lights like Ruslan Fedotenko were referred to as having been there and having the ring to prove it. Brad Richards is the lone representative in terms of Cup winning pedigree…if you exclude John Tortorella of course. […]