Untitled Page

New York Rangers News

Rangers best bet to follow Giants up the Canyon of Heroes
February 9
New York Post
 columnist Larry Brooks
"They come to work at the rink every day, strapping on their hard hats, putting on their Black-and-Blue shirts, committed to improving, not even needing to proclaim that they're All In, because that's evident to anyone who watches the way they play. A year after Tim Mara bought the Football Giants in 1925, Tex Rickard bought the Rangers. The Giants, the Rangers and Yankees, here since (or before) Jimmy Walker was Mayor, they are our historical franchises. And now, the Rangers could make history again. Now the Blueshirts could follow Big Blue one more time."
Tortorella waits for Richards to explode
February 9
New York Post
 
"The Rangers often talk about their identity. Coach John Tortorella has helped craft a team whose consistency stems from defense, physicality and hustle. The success is undeniable. The style is endearing. But prized free-agent signing Brad Richards still is having issues figuring out how best to utilize his strengths on a team where defense comes first. "I'm a little lost offensively, obviously," Richards said after yesterday's practice. "[A] defensive game is the way they want to play here and I'm adapting to that, but I've got to free myself up offensively, for sure.""
Power outage big concern for Rangers
February 8
New York Post
 
"The main victim of the Rangers' power play, their own All-Star goaltender, lodged a more-than-justified complaint. "One goal, and it's the difference. We did a lot of good things on the power play and had chances, but in the end, it is the difference," Henrik Lundqvist said after the Devils beat the Rangers 1-0 on David Clarkson's power-play goal last night at the Garden. One 4-on-3 power play goal in 13 games is not the stuff that makes champions, and this chance to run at the Cup doesn't come very often. Their 0-for-35 bankruptcy with the man-advantage should have rung alarms long ago."
Brodeur, Devils blank Rangers
February 8
New York Post
 
"Two hours before they dropped the puck on the latest salvo in the Battle of the Hudson at the Garden, Martin Brodeur talked about the State(s) of the Rivalry that has been so compelling for so long. "It's us against the top team in the league," the all-time goaltender told The Post. "The way I look at it it's not really the Devils against the Rangers, it's the Devils against the best team in the NHL. "I don't know if they look at the rivalry exactly the same as we do because they have their rivalries against the Flyers and the Islanders where they have targets on their backs, but I know that I always look forward to this and especially with how well they've been playing all year.""
Gloves off for Rangers, Devils
February 7
New York Post
 
"The Rangers are fighting for first place in the Eastern Conference. The Devils are fighting to improve their position in the standings. And both teams fight . . . a lot. With 42 fighting majors, the Rangers lead the NHL, and the Devils rank eighth with 26. So it's a pretty safe bet that you can expect some fisticuffs when the two rivals square off tonight at the Garden. The first time they faced off this season, the Rangers' Mike Rupp and Cam Janssen fought three seconds into the game, followed by the Devils' David Clarkson and Brandon Dubinsky duking it out less than two minutes later. And this past Saturday, the Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk got his first fighting major of the season, scoring a"
Torts in a Blue mood
February 7
New York Post
 
"Owner James Dolan three weeks ago said the Rangers were "pretty close" to winning the Stanley Cup, and thus earning a parade down the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan. While it remains to be seen if Dolan's forecast will be true, this morning Eli Manning and the world-champion Giants will get to take that ride. Rangers head coach John Tortorella yesterday chimed in with his thoughts about the Giants' Super Bowl victory, responding, "none of your business" when asked if he sent Tom Coughlin any congratulatory messages."
Rangers fans' chant sums it up for Flyers
February 6
Courier-Post
 
"The New York Rangers had the Flyers on their death beds again, this time on Super Bowl Sunday at the Garden. A running clock was ticking away. It was down to 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes … That's when a chant started high up in the rafters: "Let's go Giants; Let's go Giants!" Within seconds, a new one picked up. This one included the masses and was so loud it smothered the New Yorkers who were ready to turn their attention to football's biggest day. This serenade celebrated what had gone on again down below, a hockey trend between two old rivals that just won't end. "You can't beat us; You can't beat us!" Rangers fans sang in the stands."
Unyielding Rangers take down Flyers again
February 6
New York Post
 
"The Eastern Conference-leading Rangers bleed black and blue, their relentless work ethic demanded by the coach but enforced by peer pressure within a locker room into and out of which the athletes march lockstep. "The way we play so hard and the way we play so physically is our identity," Marian Gaborik said after the Blueshirts defeated the Flyers 5-2 yesterday at the Garden to stretch their Atlantic lead over Philadelphia to five points with two games in hand. "We have a team where everybody has bought into the system and we can all count one another to be there when it gets tough. "We don't have the same kind of talent as a team like Philadelphia. We can't dipsy-doodle or go"
Lundqvist rules rival
February 5
New York Post
 
"The first day of Henrik Lundqvist's NHL career was Oct. 5, 2005, when the as yet uncrowned goaltender acted as backup to Kevin Weekes for the Rangers' opener in Philadelphia, which signified the return of the NHL following the 2004-05 canceled season. "It was surreal to be part of an NHL game after working toward it for such a long time," Lundqvist told The Post yesterday. "But what I do remember most about that day is that when I went down to the room in the hotel for the team breakfast, I wasn't wearing a suit because I didn't know the rules. "I saw Glen and Tom [GM Glen Sather and coach Tom Renney], and they told me to go back up to my room to change. So my first day in the NHL I broke"
Eminger set for return to Rangers
February 4
New York Post
 
"Steve Eminger has the medical clearance to return to the Rangers' lineup after being sidelined for the last 19 games with a separated shoulder, but coach John Tortorella said yesterday he "isn't sure" whether he'll restore the defenseman to active duty for tomorrow afternoon's Atlantic Division showdown against the Flyers at the Garden. "I'll see how it is after [today's] practice, but I'm pretty close and could possibly play [tomorrow}," said Eminger — who sustained the injury on Dec. 17 in Phoenix when run into the boards by Martin Hanzal — before Tortorella revealed trainer Jim Ramsay had cleared No. 44. "My shooting is 100 percent and the pain is fine. "It just comes down to strength,"
Rangers trade Christensen to Wild for Wellman
February 4
New York Post
 
"Erik Christensen will get the opportunity to revive his NHL career in Minnesota after being traded to the Wild by the Rangers on Friday for 24-year-old forward Casey Wellman, who was immediately assigned to the AHL Whale. The move opens a Rangers roster spot for the return of defenseman Steve Eminger, who is set to come off injured reserve after having missed the past 19 games with a separated shoulder he sustained in Phoenix on Dec. 17. Though Eminger said he believes he is "very close," coach John Tortorella said he has gotten a "yes" from trainer Jim Ramsay on his availability for Sunday afternoon's Atlantic Division showdown against Philadelphia. Tortorella, however, said he has not"
Source: Rangers on Smyth's radar
February 3
New York Post
 
"If general manager Glen Sather is interested in reuniting with Ryan Smyth by acquiring Edmonton's veteran left wing to bolster the Rangers' attack, the feeling may well be a reciprocal one, The Post has learned. A well-placed source told The Post that Smyth, who was drafted sixth overall in 1994 by Sather and then played the first five years under his direction while he was general manager of the Oilers, would give serious consideration to waiving his no-move clause in order to pursue a Cup on Broadway. The Eastern Conference-leading Rangers, who have scored 17 goals in their last nine games and have been limited to two goals or fewer in 20 of their 49 matches, are seeking to add both"
Hail to the king
February 2
New York Post
 
"Not for nothing, but the Rangers will take nothing-nothing down to the wire every time. "It seemed like a grind the whole way, a game of hitting, blocking shots, coming down to the last shot," Dan Girardi, a rock on the blue line, said after another throwback Norris-type game. "That's our style of hockey. "We'll take that any day." The Rangers took last night's match, 1-0, over the Sabres when U.S. Olympian Ryan Callahan beat U.S. Olympian Ryan Miller for just his second career shootout goal in 10 tries after 65 minutes of scoreless hockey dominated for the most part by the grinders, the penalty-killers and by goaltenders Miller and Henrik Lundqvist."
Rivalry lives! Devils find a way to beat Rangers
February 1
New York Post
 
"The Rangers had their way for four years. Long enough, the Devils say. Notwithstanding that the Devils didn't have to deal with Henrik Lundqvist, the Jersey Boys grasped gratefully at the chance to start reversing the flow of the Battle of the Hudson with last night's remarkable and stunning 4-3 shootout victory over the Rangers at the Prudential Center. "Of late, it's been tough. We had our share of being successful against these guys, but not lately," Martin Brodeur said. "You always remember what's gone on yesterday. "It was not good against the Rangers. It's nice for [Devils fans] to be able to enjoy this win."
Rangers' Richards blanked again in shootout
February 1
New York Post
 
"For the sixth time in six shootouts, the Rangers called on Brad Richards out of the two-hole. For the sixth time in six shootouts, Richards, who came to New York this season with an estimable 25-for-60 mark (41.67 percent) in the skills competition, failed. "It's definitely in my head a little bit," Richards told The Post after the Blueshirts' 4-3 defeat to the Devils in which Ilya Kovalchuk was the only player to score in the shootout. "You don't just go in with the same approach when you're 0-for-whatever. "It hurts not to come through.""
King-sized gamble fails
February 1
New York Post
 columnist Larry Brooks
"The most singular weapon the Blueshirts have had over the last seven seasons while inexorably tilting the Battle of the Hudson toward the shores of Manhattan remained on the bench last night in Newark. Henrik Lundqvist, the answer to the question, "Who Was That Masked Man?" as the Lone Ranger to start in goal against the Devils the last 32 times the clubs had met — 37 including the 2008 playoffs — dating back to Dec. 17, 2006, was only a bystander in his team's excruciating 4-3 shootout defeat that first got away on a bizarre bounce with under a minute to go in regulation before Ilya Kovalchuk drove home the only goal in the skills competition."
Rangers punch clock after starry night
January 31
New York Post
 
"The Rangers received national attention during the 2012 Winter Classic and the filming of HBO's "24/7." And Sunday at the All-Star Game in Ottawa was no different. Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik and Dan Girardi all played prominent roles, but yesterday they went back to work. "I had a blast. [Gaborik] obviously had a great night, a lot of points. But it's good to be back to reality," Lundqvist said after the team practiced yesterday afternoon, getting ready for tonight's showdown against the rival Devils at Prudential Center. Lundqvist, who started the first period for Team Alfredsson, stopped nine of 12 shots, but two of the three goals he allowed were to Gaborik. After Gaborik's first"
Back to the real NHL games
January 30
Ottawa Sun
 columnist Chris Stevenson
"The days at the beach, as tweeted by Capitals defenceman Mike Green from the Cayman Islands, are over. The neon tans from Las Vegas will now start to fade. The NHL's feel-good weekend here — a resounding success which revolved around the emotional outpouring between Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson and Senators fans — now becomes a fond memory. Ahead is a 30-game sausage grinder that is the rest of the NHL season. "You need the break whether you're here or somewhere else doing something different. This is a part of the season the guys really look forward to, just to recharge the battery," said Maple Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul. "When you get back from this break, you're re-energized and you"
Chara's stars beat hometown hero Alfredsson
January 30
Ottawa Sun
 
"On his big day, Daniel Alfredsson surrounded himself with Swedes. But it was a bunch of Slovak buddies, led by New York Rangers winger Marian Gaborik, who drove Team Chara to a 12-9 victory over Team Alfredsson in front of 20,510 in the 57th NHL all-star game Sunday at Scotiabank Place. While former Senators defenceman Zdeno Chara scored the third-period winner, it was Gaborik, voted the game MVP, who led his club to victory with a hat trick and four-point effort as Team Chara walked away with the bragging rights. "You could see the guys wanted to win," said Chara when asked if he gave his team any instructions with the score tied 6-6 going into the third period. "I didn't have to say a"
'Sniper' and MVP Gaborik ruffles Lundqvist in NHL All-Star Game
January 30
New York Post
 
"Even if Henrik Lundqvist were only feigning annoyance with fellow Ranger Marian Gaborik's sniper celebration, it stung. "We'll have to talk about what kind of penalty [Gaborik pays]. Twenty-five hundred, right?" Lundqvist said after Gaborik was named the NHL All-Star Game MVP in last night's 12-9 Team [Zdeno] Chara victory over the local Daniel Alfredsson side. "We have to talk about this on the plane. It will be interesting how much he has to pay," said Lundqvist, who gave up the first two goals of Gaborik's hat trick said. "It's been building between us. He won this one. "But I'm not happy for him. I can't believe he scored two goals. He had a great game.""
Hagelin outraces All-Stars
January 29
New York Post
 
"The NHL's freshly crowned All-Star speed champ says he isn't even the fastest Ranger at the annual showcase. "Not too seriously," Carl Hagelin said is how he will take winning the fastest skater title in the yearly skills competition last night. "There are guys out there faster than me. It depends, too, on how the race is laid out. I would pick Gabby [Marian Gaborik] before me." Hagelin gained his trip when Devils rookie Adam Henrique withdrew from the rookie showcase to rest a groin injury. Because they had the best two times of the 10 first-round entrants, Hagelin skated against Senators rookie Colin Greening a second time to take the title. Hagelin, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist and"
Rangers forward Hagelin joins All-Star rookies
January 27
New York Post
 
"Carl Hagelin became the fifth member of the Rangers' organization to gain an invitation to this weekend's All-Star festivities in Ottawa in being added yesterday to the rookies' roster in place of the Devils' Adam Henrique. The 23-year-old Swedish-born winger, who has recorded 16 points (8-8) with a plus-13 rating in 29 games since his Nov. 24 promotion from the AHL Whale, joins teammates Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik and Dan Girardi as well as coach John Tortorella in representing the Eastern leaders."
Who will win? Breaking down All-Star teams
January 27
NHL.com
 
"The draft is over, the rosters set for the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game. We now know who will be wearing the white jerseys for Team Alfredsson and the blue jerseys to represent Team Chara. Now it's time to take a look at the rosters and break them down by position. Look for our prediction at the end. FORWARDS Datsyuk and Malkin on the same team is a scary proposition for the opposition. They may be the two most skilled players in the NHL right now. As Chara said, you can put them on the same line and they can be unstoppable, or you can put them on separate lines and they'll still be dominant and "make the line." Team Alfredsson has a lot of talent, but it doesn't have two"
Hagelin joins All-Star rookie roster
January 26
New York Post
 
"Carl Hagelin became the fifth member of the Rangers' organization to gain an invitation to this weekend's All-Star festivities in Ottawa in being added yesterday to the rookies' roster in place of the Devils' Adam Henrique. The 23-year-old Swedish-born winger, who has recorded 16 points (8-8) with a plus-13 rating in 29 games since his Nov. 24 promotion from the AHL Whale, joins teammates Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik and Dan Girardi as well as coach John Tortorella in representing the Eastern leaders. Tortorella will serve as co-coach with San Jose's Todd McLellan of Team Alfredsson, the squad that will be captained by the Senators' Daniel Alfredsson, with Lundqvist as his assistant."
Rangers shut out Jets 3-0
January 25
Winnipeg Free Press
 
"Somewhere in their travels to the four corners of the globe during the NHL's all-star break, maybe the Winnipeg Jets will find a duty-free goals store or possibly a website that deals in softer hands or foolproof offensive finish. Those items were conspicuous by their absence this week when the Jets made a brief, two-game pit stop in the east. One goal for two nights added up to a pair of losses, the latest a 3-0 blanking from the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. It was Winnipeg's third loss in a row, and third in three tries this season against the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers. It duplicated the result here on Nov. 6."
Shooting blanks again
January 25
Winnipeg Free Press
 
"Somewhere in their travels to the four corners of the globe during the NHL's all-star break, maybe the Winnipeg Jets will find a duty-free goals store, or possibly a website that deals in softer hands or foolproof offensive finish. Those items were conspicuous by their absence this week when the Jets made a brief, two-game pit stop in the east. One goal for two nights added up to a pair of losses, the latest a 3-0 blanking from the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. It was Winnipeg's third loss in a row, and third in three tries this season against the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers. It duplicated the result here on Nov. 6."
Rangers roll, head into break in 1st place
January 25
New York Post
 
"The word for last night's final game before the All-Star break is the same as the one that defines the Rangers through this superlative first half of their season. That word is, "workmanlike." "We could have approached this either of two ways, one being that we knew he had 64 points already and just see what would happen or we could have worked our [butts] off and make certain that we closed this out the right way with 66 points," Brandon Dubinsky said after the Rangers chose the latter path and defeated the Jets 3-0 at the Garden."
Dubinsky bounces back after demotion
January 25
New York Post
 
"Brandon Dubinsky started Saturday's game in Boston on the line with Brian Boyle and Ryan Callahan, but was demoted to fourth-line duty in the third when Rangers coach John Tortorella flipped him with John Mitchell after No. 17's deficient work on the back-check in failing to pick up Andrew Ference when the defenseman joined the rush to score the Bruins' first goal. "I didn't see him," said Dubinsky, who got 3:46 (including 2:15 on two even-strength shifts) in the third period of the Rangers' 3-2 overtime victory over the Bruins on Saturday. "I messed up.""
Rangers' Lundqvist shut out Jets 3-0
January 25
Winnipeg Free Press
 
"Somewhere in their travels to the four corners of the globe during the NHL's all-star break, maybe the Winnipeg Jets will find a duty-free goals store or possibly a website that deals in softer hands or foolproof offensive finish. Those items were conspicuous by their absence this week when the Jets made a brief, two-game pit stop in the east. One goal for two nights added up to a pair of losses, the latest a 3-0 blanking from the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. It was Winnipeg's third loss in a row, and third in three tries this season against the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers. It duplicated the result here on Nov. 6."
Rangers taking in Tortorella's talking points
January 24
New York Post
 
"Brad Richards has been through the ultimate rite of passage before with John Tortorella as a member of the Lightning brigade that won the 2004 Stanley Cup without the bona fides expected of champions. And as the Rangers — with a healthy Ryan McDonagh — go into tonight's Garden match against the Jets atop the East by virtue of a tiebreak with the Bruins and second overall to Detroit by one point while holding two games in hand, Richards maintains the coach's approach to this season is very much the same as his approach to that one. "The way we play is different because of the difference in personnel, but the message is the same for sure," Richards told The Post yesterday following"
Rangers' McDonagh to skate vs. Jets tonight
January 24
New York Post
 
"Ryan McDonagh will be on the blue line for the Rangers for tonight's match against the Jets at the Garden. He suffered no lasting effects from tumbling into the rear boards shoulder-first on a shove from behind by Andrew Ference in Boston on Saturday. Ference, who received a major and game misconduct on the play, was issued a three-game suspension. NHL VP Brendan Shanahan called the play, at 1:50 of overtime in the match the Rangers won on Marian Gaborik's goal on the resulting power play with 3.6 seconds remaining, a "reckless shove from behind.""
Rangers must shore up 'D'
January 23
New York Post
 columnist Larry Brooks
"Ryan McDonagh may have escaped with his brain, shoulder, collarbone and neck all intact after being run recklessly into the wall from behind by Andrew Ference in overtime of Saturday's Battle of Boston, with early signals emerging that one of the Rangers' signal defenseman was more battered than injured in the aftermath of the incident. Regardless, the loss of McDonagh for even the shortest-term 3:06 of overtime before Marian Gaborik's magic stick lifted his team to a 3-2 victory, served as an SOS to general manager Glen Sather to find a defenseman for the post All-Star meat-grinder in which the Rangers will play their final 35 games in 68 days."
Boston-New York to determine conference
January 22
Boston Herald
 
"With all due respect to the rest of the East, we might as well skip the final three months of the regular season and first two rounds of the playoffs, cutting directly to the conference finals. A Bruins-Rangers matchup for the Eastern Conference title seems inevitable. As mad as he was after New York eked out a victory in a major showdown game at the Garden yesterday — 3-2 decision on Marian Gaborik's goal with a heartbreaking 3.6 seconds left in overtime — B's goalie Tuukka Rask lavished the Rangers with praise."
Cheap hit mars big Rangers win
January 22
New York Post
 
"The Rangers passed their midseason test yesterday against the defending Stanley Cup champions, you bet they did, but the 3-2 overtime victory over the Bruins at TD Garden in the battle for first place overall may have come with a heavy price tag. The severity of the injury to Ryan McDonagh, who was plowed into the rear wall head-and-shoulder first by Andrew Ference at 1:50 of overtime and remained on the ice for several minutes while attended to by trainer Jim Ramsay, was unknown immediately following the match the Blueshirts captured when Marian Gaborik converted from in front on the resulting major power play with 3.6 seconds to play. Rangers coach John Tortorella, whose team already has"
Rangers face big test vs. Bruins
January 21
New York Post
 
"What better way for owner James Dolan to see if the Rangers are "pretty close" to a Stanley Cup than to see them play those who have been closest to it. Playing in Boston this afternoon, the Rangers face the Bruins for the first of four meetings this season, in a matchup of the Eastern Conference's top two teams. Rangers coach John Tortorella said he does not consider the game to be a measuring stick to determine where the Rangers (29-12-4, 62 points) rank among the league's elite, but he did admit playing the Bruins (30-13-1, 61 points) has a unique appeal. "They are the Stanley Cup winners," Tortorella said following yesterday's practice. "That's the team that should be talked about as"
NHL clears Cooke in incident with Ranger' Richards
January 21
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"The NHL has decided not to review Matt Cooke's knockdown of Rangers center Brad Richards on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Richard claims Penguins left wing Matt Cooke, whose behavior has been spotless this season, used his skate to level him from behind during the second period of the Penguins' 4-1 victory. Richards stayed on the ice for a moment before returning to the bench. "Richards called it a slewfoot," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "The league has not called it that and has not seen it that way. They look at every play, and I think maybe even a little more attention because Matt Cooke's name is associated with it.""
Rangers lose to Penguins
January 20
New York Post
 
"The Rangers played last night's game against the Penguins in waves. In the end, the troughs far outweighed the crests, the result being a 4-1 loss in front of a sold-out Garden. "Our team has to understand if you're going to have a record like we have, teams are going to start looking for you," coach John Tortorella said about his team, which still remains in first place in the Eastern Conference (29-13-4). "You've got to be ready to play and we weren't." Though they have rolled for much of the first half of this season — to the point where they were recently lauded by their owner James Dolan as being close to winning a Stanley Cup — the Rangers have lost three of their past five games,"
Bickel's fight gives Rangers slight boost
January 20
New York Post
 
"Stu Bickel got in a fight, then he got stapled to the bench. With the Rangers coming out of the gate flat-footed in the first period of Thursday night's 4-1 loss to the Penguins at the Garden, Bickel decided he needed to change the momentum. So 8:56 in, he squared up Eric Tangradi, they tossed their helmets aside and punches flew. "Bick comes up with a big fight for us," coach John Tortorella said. "We get our game going and I thought we played really well in the second period." Overall, Bickel played 5:19, with 3:42 coming in the first period and 1:37 coming in the second. He never left the bench in the third."
Don't go changin'
January 20
New York Post
 columnist Larry Brooks
"The most encouraging aspect of Jim Dolan's State of the Rangers address on Tuesday was the absence of an "or else," in the Garden CEO's evaluation of his club as, "pretty close," to winning a Stanley Cup. The endorsement of the building process was unqualified and absent implications that the organization presided over by GM Glen Sather either requires or would seek shortcuts in pursuit of the club's first championship since 1994."
Malkin lifts Penguins past Rangers, fourth-straight victory
January 20
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Defenseman Kris Letang was awfully excited to return to the lineup following a 21-game absence with a concussion. After all, he was missing out on Evgeni Malkin's magic. Malkin scored two goals, and the Penguins put together one of their best performances of the season in a commanding 4-1 victory Thursday over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The Penguins, who have won four straight after losing six in a row, are now tied with New Jersey for sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. "It's fun to see him (Malkin) going like this," said Letang, who led the Penguins in ice time and added an assist. "I had a chance to watch him from up top (in the press box). Playing with"
Penguins topple Rangers on road, end drought vs. top clubs
January 20
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"These two points don't count for any more than their other 52. The Penguins don't get extra credit in the standings for beating a quality opponent, even if they do it on the road. But that doesn't mean their 4-1 victory against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Thursday night should be confused with most of the 24 that preceded it. Not when it was their first in three meetings with the Rangers and ended a streak of six consecutive losses to the teams -- New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey -- that were ahead of them in the Atlantic Division standings when the night began."
Torts won't reign on Dolan's parade
January 19
New York Post
 
"Coach John Tortorella may find it absurd to discuss a championship 44 games into a season, as owner James Dolan did following the Rangers' 3-0 win over Nashville on Tuesday, but Tortorella isn't angry Dolan said he thinks the team is "pretty close" to capturing its first Stanley Cup in 18 years. In fact, both of them found it pretty funny. After Tortorella responded on Tuesday night, having said, "I've got an owner up here talking about a Stanley Cup. That's a bunch of bull. We've got to take it one day at a time," Dolan called Tortorella yesterday morning and each laughed about the comments, having a complete understanding and appreciation for what the other said, The Post has learned."
Team eager to stage another Garden party
January 19
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Penguins coach Dan Bylsma gathered his players at practice Wednesday for some prep talk going into the game tonight against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. He mentioned some players to watch, such as defenseman Marc Staal and forwards Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards . He reminded them of the conditions at the famous multipurpose venue -- less than ideal lighting and ice and boards. Throw in the fact that the Rangers lead the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference with 62 points, have beaten the Penguins in the teams' two meetings this season and four times in a row overall, and it might give the impression the Penguins were dreading the trip."
Owner's vision of Cup for Rangers miffs Tortorella
January 18
New York Post
 
"The last time James Dolan addressed the press following a Rangers game had been at the conclusion of the 2002-03 season, when the Garden CEO pledged to cut ticket prices by 10 percent if the club missed the playoffs the following year. They did and he did. Last night, when Dolan made a spontaneous appearance in the Garden press room following the Rangers' 3-0 victory over the Predators, he wasn't talking about missing the playoffs — he was talking about winning them; talking about winning the Stanley Cup during an address that left coach John Tortorella miffed."
Lundqvist 'a little better' in Rangers' shutout
January 18
New York Post
 
"Sunday night, after the 4-1 defeat in Montreal in which he had allowed as many as four goals for the first time in 25 starts since the end of October, Henrik Lundqvist told The Post he was disappointed in himself. Forty-eight hours later, following the 3-0 Garden victory over the Predators that represented his fourth shutout of the year, The King said he was somewhat more pleased with his game, even if not entirely so. "I didn't feel great, but I was battling," Lundqvist told The Post after his 27-save performance that marked his 39th career shuout, third in franchise history behind Ed Giacomin (49) and Davey Kerr (40). "I just needed to be more aggressive."
Rangers confident mini-slump will end
January 17
New York Post
 
"It isn't all bad that the Rangers have stumbled a bit lately, isn't all bad for the players to face a bit of adversity, and it isn't bad at all for management to be exposed to the flaws that must be corrected with 17 games to go until the Feb. 27 deadline, beginning with tonight's match at the Garden against the Predators. The sky hasn't fallen, but in losing two of the last three, 3-0 to the Senators at home on Thursday and 4-1 in the Montreal House of Horrors on Sunday, the Blueshirts neglected to apply their signature of relentlessness and structure that has generally appeared on the bottom line of the season."
Rangers lose to Canadiens, 4-1
January 16
New York Post
 
"When the Rangers visit this city, it doesn't seem to matter how high they're riding, or well they're playing. For games against the Canadiens resemble flashbacks to the Dark Ages, when the Blueshirts missed the playoffs for seven straight seasons. "For whatever reason, we lose ourselves here," Ryan Callahan said after last night's 4-1 defeat that represented his team's sixth straight loss (0-5-1) to the Habs since the start of 2009-10 and fifth straight in regulation, in which they have been outscored 19-3. "We get to running around and don't seem to be able to play the way we want to play.""
Montreal Canadiens defeat N.Y. Rangers 4-1
January 16
Montreal Gazette
 
"Here is the report from last night's matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers. The skinny: The line of Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais and Erik Cole was on fire as the Canadiens surprised the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers 4-1 Sunday night at the Bell Centre. Pacioretty scored two goals and added an assist, Desharnais had a goal and two assists and Cole took over the team scoring lead with three assists. Mike Blunden scored the other Montreal goal. John Mitchell was the only Ranger to beat goalie Peter Budaj."
Rangers shut out Leafs
January 15
Toronto Sun
 
"New York departed Toronto on Saturday night in first-place overall, while the Maple Leafs will have another nine days until the all-star break to try harder to protect a lower-rung playoff berth. In a game that showed separation is quickly coming to the Eastern Conference, the Leafs were blanked 3-0, dropping them to 1-2 on a four-game stretch against teams directly above and below them in the standings. But New York, which has lost just twice in its past 13 games, looked the part of leaders with some seriously stingy defence. Toronto, which lost 3-2 Friday night in Buffalo, now has a couple of days to ready for the Ottawa Senators. Right after the Leafs game ended, Ottawa beat Montreal in"