Rangers Report Blog

Rangers-Capitals Game 7.

Ya boys look to improve to 5-0 all-time in Game 7s at home and reach the Conference Finals for the first time since Adam Graves’ wrap-around against Martin Brodeur put them there in 1997.

For those jittery, just remember that every big game they’ve faced this year, the Rangers have performed well, and in just about every game following a bad game, they’ve roared back with a superior effort.

That’s why I think they’re winning Game 7 tonight, and why this isn’t the final “It’s Go Time!” of the season.

As the Devils sit in armchairs and watch on televisions and root for quadruple overtime and much brutality.

No Brandon Dubinsky or Mats Zuccarello in warmups. So no, neither is playing.

Let’s Go Tony!

 

 

 

Got nothing for you at the moment. This morning Brandon Dubinsky was walking around without his boot, but that doesn’t mean he’s close to returning. Mats Zuccarello’s not imminently close, either.

So, as you kill time before Game 7 on this beautiful Mother’s Day Eve, I’ve got some reading material for you.

Here’s my story from The Journal News and LoHud.com today.

And because my mind doesn’t work the way it used to work (especially when I’m tired like this), I forgot to post yesterday’s story. So here that is, too.

Josh Thomson, 26, and I will be here all night (and hopefully not into the morning) with youse.

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Kenny Albert

@KennyAlbert

For the record, I expect that the Rangers will win tonight. Can’t guarantee it, because, well, guarantees are so stupid. I mean, if I’m wrong, what happens? So how is that a guarantee?

But I’m telling you, they’re going to win.

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Pre-game notes courtesy of the NYR:

NEW YORK RANGERS vs. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 7 (Series tied 3-3)
Saturday, May 12, 7:30 p.m.
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Rangers (Regular Season): 51-24-7 (109 pts), 1st in East
Capitals (Regular Season): 42-32-8 (92 pts), 7th in East
* All information through NHL games on May 10

TONIGHT’S GAME:
The Rangers will face-off against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m.; TV: NBC Sports Network; Radio: ESPN Radio), in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. The series is tied at three games apiece, following a 2-1 loss in Game 6 on Wednesday at Verizon Center. The Blueshirts are now 37-28 in potential series clinchers. The Rangers enter the contest with a 205-222-8 record all-time in 435 playoff contests (114-86-2 at home; 91-136-6 on the road). New York has posted a 4-5 record all-time in Game 7 of playoff series, including a 4-0 mark in Game 7s at Madison Square Garden.

New York entered the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference having posted a record of 51-24-7 overall (27-12-2 at home; 24-12-5 on the road) for 109 points. The Rangers’ 51 wins ranked second in franchise history, while their 109 points tied for second all-time. The Blueshirts finished second in the NHL overall, tied for first in wins and led the league with 47 wins in regulation and overtime. New York is one of four Eastern Conference teams to have posted 40 or more wins in at least six seasons since 2005-06, and one of four teams in the East to have advanced to the playoffs in six of the last seven years.

ALL-TIME RANGERS PLAYOFF RECORDS:

• Overall — 205-222-8


• Home — 114-86-2


• Away — 91-136-6


• Goals for — 1,202


• Goals against — 1,197

ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORDS — RANGERS vs. CAPITALS
The Rangers and Capitals are meeting in the playoffs for the seventh time overall and the third time in four years. Their last postseason encounter was in last year’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, a series won by Washington 4-1. Overall, the Blueshirts have a 2-4 playoff series record vs. the Capitals, posting a 18-22 mark in 40 postseason contests. (more…)

I’m sure you saw that Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan were elevated to a line with Ryan Callahan in practice today, with Brian Boyle being reunited with Brandon Prust (Artem Anisimov on the left) and Ruslan Fedotenko dropped to the John Mitchell-Mike Rupp line. FWIW.

John Tortorella:

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Henrik Lundqvist:

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Ryan Callahan:

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Brad Richards:

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Brian Boyle:

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Derek Stepan:

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Ruslan Fedotenko:

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Headed to the Rangers’ practice today as they return from their one-day respite. Will have some audio later on.

We’re at that point in the playoffs now where there are nights with no hockey. Awful. Then NBC stretches it out an extra day. More awful. So we’re here to try to help you get through two says with no playoffs. Yeesh.

Those looking for good signs: Rangers 4-0 at home all-time in Game 7s; Ruslan Fedotenko 5-0 all-time in Game 7s. Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik, each 3-0 in Game 7s. John Tortorella 3-1 in Game 7s.

More, courtesy of the NHL:

RANGERS, CAPITALS TAKE COMPELLING SERIES TO A DECISIVE GAME 7

NEW YORK (May 10, 2012)—The New York Rangers host the Washington

Capitals in a winner-take-all Game 7 Saturday night at Madison Square

Garden in the finale to their rousing Eastern Conference Semifinal series

(7:30 p.m., ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, RDS).

The winner of Saturday’s showdown will face the New Jersey Devils in

the Eastern Conference Final beginning Monday, May 14.

The Capitals’ 2-1 victory over New York in Game 6 Wednesday night

extended both clubs’ exciting playoff roller-coaster ride this spring:

• Three times the Rangers have led their series against Washington, winning

  Games 1, 3 and 5. They won Game 3 in a marathon triple overtime thriller

  and captured Game 5 early in overtime after tallying the game-tying goal

  with 7.6 seconds remaining in regulation.

• Three times the Capitals have fought back against the Rangers, winning

  Games 2, 4 and 6. Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby improved to 6-0 with a

  1.24 goals-against average and .960 save percentage following a loss in the

  playoffs. Including the regular season, Holtby has gone 29 consecutive

  starts without suffering back-to-back defeats.

• Twelve of the 13 Capitals playoff games have been decided by one goal,

  while the Rangers have played 10 one-goal games in their 13 playoff

  contests.

• The Rangers and Capitals have been tied or separated by one goal for 90%

  of total playing time in their series.

• Washington ousted the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in the

  first round, capturing the first playoff series in NHL history to feature

  seven one-goal games. Four games were decided in overtime.

• The Rangers also needed seven games to eliminate their first-round

  opponent, the Ottawa Senators. In the first Game 7 played at Madison Square

  Garden since they captured the Stanley Cup in 1994, the Rangers edged the

  Senators 2-1 on goals from Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, marking the first

  time since 1950 that a team won a Game 7 without a forward scoring.

  The Rangers are 4-5 in nine Game 7s in franchise history, including a

  4-0 mark at Madison Square Garden. The Capitals are 3-7 in a Game 7,

  including their first-ever road victory on April 25 at Boston on an

  overtime goal by Joel Ward.

   

Got these tidbits from TiqIQ ( www.tiqiq.com ), regarding Game 7 tickets (and it scared the bejesus out of me):

•     The average ticket price for Game 7 is currently $718.42, up 9.02% ($659) since the Rangers win in Game 5
  The current get in price for the game is $279, which is up 16.74% ($239) since the beginning of Game 6
  The most expensive ticket available for Game 7 is $4,999 for VIP Section 2 Row 2
  Game 7 Rangers v Caps is the most Expensive game in the NHL so far this year (2nd-Rangers @ Flyers-Winter Classic-$521.85)
  This game is also the most expensive game since the 09-10 regular season (including all conference quarterfinal & conference semifinal games)
  This game has the second highest average price in the NY metro area over the last 12 months (Knicks v Hawks-2/22-$742.31)

Thoughts:

1) During and after this game, I thought about a lot of stuff that didn’t completely have to do with the game. For instance, no matter how much we think we know, we don’t know. Example: Many of us thought Washington would be a much easier matchup that Ottawa. Many of us thought, well, the Rangers will have a much less physical series against Ottawa while Philly and Pittsburgh are beating the crap out of each other for seven games; and then we thought the same about Devils-Flyers. And here are the Rangers playing their second seven-game series, each with two OT games, while the rested Devils (who had a physical bye in the first round) await.

2) And another thing. I wondered if these playoffs—which might turn out to be like nothing we’ve ever seen before in history—might make next year’s trade deadline different. Because, right around the deadline, Phoenix and Washington were thinking about being sellers instead of buyers. I know the Capitals were going to sell if they didn’t think Nick Backstrom and Mike Green would be healthy this year. Look at those teams now. And Buffalo did sell and missed the playoffs on the final day. Who’s to say the Baby Buffaloes wouldn’t still be playing if they hadn’t sold and just got in? Oh, and the Rangers got John Scott.

3) I’m pretty sure (very educated guess) that John Tortorella’s fines have muzzled him, because when I asked him about the icing before the Jason Chimera goal, before the timeout before the Chimera goal, he didn’t want to discuss it. I wasn’t asking him to criticize the officials. I just asked if there was some confusion or thinking that it shouldn’t or might not have been an icing.

4) Because Stu Bickel had played the puck toward the blue line, and there was a Ranger there, with Roman Hamrlik, and the puck went right through Hamrlik’s skates and down the ice. How can that be icing? Did I miss something? Also, the NHL’s official play-by-play sheet said that play was reviewed? Has anybody ever heard of an icing being reviewed? If somebody did review it, well, they’d better stop reviewing such things, because they effed that up. And how about the long-time hockey writer from Canada asking Tortorella what the timeout was about—when it was obviously because they iced the puck and his players were gassed?

5) I’m not trying to coach (Pat Leonard reference), and I’m not second-guessing, and I certainly don’t want to sound like one of you guys who love to talk lines, because I don’t. But I just don’t like the Rangers’ lines the way they are. I don’t mind Chris Kreider on the fourth line because the kid’s had some struggles lately. I just think, in my humble opinion, that Ryan Callahan should be playing with Derek Stepan, who had a pretty decent game … and I don’t care who’s on the left, though Artem Anisimov makes sense, especially when you need some secondary scoring. And I think, in so many cases this year, especially the Ottawa series, that Brian Boyle with Brandon Prust, and usually Ruslan Fedotenko, gives them so many good minutes and such a good forecheck. Maybe there’s a matchup situation I’m not seeing. But I didn’t care for the lines they used last night.

6) That Alex Ovechkin goal? If Callahan doesn’t blow a tire, that probably never happens and maybe it’s a totally different game.

7) This has got to be the longest the Rangers have gone without a fight. Not that Prust wasn’t trying to rile up the Capitals. He speared The Great Eight in the ovechkins, and he shoved around Jason Chimera, who embarrassed himself by diving backward … though the officials embarrassed themselves more by falling for it.

8) Yes, the Capitals have exploited Henrik Lundqvist’s glove in this series. But it’s been some pretty good shooters who solved it. And these deep-in-the-net, butterfly guys are always susceptible to glove shots … just like bad-angle shots.

9) Going back to the icing that led to the second Washington goal: That’s a lousy break, because it shouldn’t have been icing; then after the timeout, Richards lost a draw. Then John Carlson’s shot hit the toe of Nick Backstrom’s skate boot and hopped right to Chimera … who now has five of his seven career playoff goals against the Rangers.

10) Matt Hendricks is Washington’s MVP in this series for my money. Ironically it was he who lost the draw on the GWG in Game 5. But he’s done everything else, including shut down Marian Gaborik’s line for long stretches, and kill penalties (the Rangers helped him) and won so many faceoffs. And squished people. Like a clean Chris Neil/Zenon Konopka combo platter.

11) Did you see Mike Green cough up the puck right over the glass because Boyle was coming?

12) Tortorella ripping the effort, to me, is him already coaching Game 7. Because I didn’t think it was about effort. Maybe in a few cases. Do I think this was their best game. Certainly not. But overall, it was Washington’s ability to score on the PP, and the Rangers’ inability to do the same. Tortorella did agree that the four-minute power play “sucked. It killed us. It sucked.”

13) You guys missed some near fisticuffs between yours truly and a radio clown in the tight quarters of the visiting lockerroom (my second such close encounter of the playoffs). Unfortunately I had just turned off my recorder. Well, maybe fortunately considering some of the vocabulary I used. I would have been banned from the blog.

14) Finally, and maybe this should have been No. 1 … we all saw first hand how difficult it is when all these teams are so even, for a team to match the desperation of the team that’s actually in a more desperate situation. We’ve seen it time and time again in these playoffs. That said, I expect the Rangers will not not have to manufacture desperation and will win Game 7. But not easily.

15) Just wanted to see if you’re still paying attention. That’s a photo of the last time the Rangers clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference final. And the last time that guy played was the last time they had a good power play.

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My Three Rangers Stars:
1) Derek Stepan.
2) Brandon Prust.
3) Henrik Lundqvist.
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Gravy’s Three Rangers Stars:
1) Dan Girardi.
2) Henrik Lundqvist.
3) Ryan McDonagh.
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AP photos, above.

John Tortorella:

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Henrik Lundqvist:

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Ryan Callahan:

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I may have audio from Alex Ovechkin … but here’s part of what he said:

“We don’t want to stop playing. We don’t want to finish the season. We knew we could beat them. It was very intense  … their top D played lots of minutes. We are going to have our chances. We had our chances. But Lundqvist played unbelievable again in the third period. Same as Holtby.”

And Braden Holtby:

“It’s a big one. I think we earned it in a way that is going to benefit us in the long run. We played a very solid team game. Very gutsy effort and we got rewarded tonight.”

 

Courtesy of the NYR:

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 6
Verizon Center – Washington, DC

(Series tied 3-3)                 1st     2nd    3rd    T
New York Rangers          0        0        1        1
Washington Capitals     1        1        0        2

Team Notes:

– The Rangers were defeated by the Washington Capitals, 2-1, tonight at Verizon Center in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series.  The series is now tied at three games apiece. – New York is now 205-222-8 overall in postseason action, including a 91-136-6 mark on the road. – The Rangers out-hit the Capitals, 37-33, led by Brandon Prust’s game-high, seven hits.  The Blueshirts lead the league with 453 hits in postseason action.

Player Notes:

– Marian Gaborik notched the Rangers’ lone goal at 19:09 of the third period, and registered three shots on goal in 23:26 of ice time.  He has tallied a point in five of the last six games, registering six points (three goals, three assists) over the span. – Dan Girardi tallied the primary assist on Gaborik’s goal, was credited with three hits and recorded a playoff career-high, four shots on goal in a game-high, 27:45 of ice time.  He has recorded three assists in the last four games, and is now tied for the NHL lead among defensemen in scoring with seven points and ranks second with six assists. – Derek Stepan recorded an assist and was credited with three hits in 16:35 of ice time.  He has tallied an assist in each of the last two games, and is now tied for third in the NHL with seven assists in postseason action. – Henrik Lundqvist made 21 saves and is now 22-26 overall in the playoffs, including a 10-15 mark on the road.  He has now held opponents to two or fewer goals in nine games during the playoffs.

Team Schedule:

– The Blueshirts do not have practice scheduled for tomorrow, May 10. The Rangers’ next practice is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 11, at MSG Training Center. – The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Washington Capitals on Saturday, May 12, at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m.), in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup.

Rangers-Capitals Game 6.

Imagine how different you’d be feeling if not for that last 7.6 seconds of Game 5.

But ya boys now have a chance to close it out and move to the ECF and the Devils. Of course, we use the word “chance” lightly because this will be, most likely, the hardest game of the series to win. And let’s not forget that every game in this series so far—as well as all of Washington’s seven games in the first round, and the Rangers’ last six in the first round—could have gone the other way.

Washington will be desperate as hell. Won’t be easy for the Rangers to match that.

Expecting the same lineups. Expecting you guys to go through all the emotions. Expecting I will try to not dissuade you from those emotions … though some of it borders on, or completely crosses the line of ridiculousness.

Let’s Go Tony!