Hockey

Courtesy of the NYR: NEW YORK RANGERS vs. BOSTON BRUINS 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Eastern Conference Semifinals – Game 3 Tuesday, May 21 (7:30 p.m.) – Madison Square Garden BOS leads 2-0 TONIGHT’S GAME: The Rangers will face-off against the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. — TV: NBC Sports Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7), in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. The Blueshirts trail in the series, 2-0, following a 5-2 loss in Game 2 on Sunday at TD Garden. The Rangers enter the contest with a 212-231-8 record all-time in 451 playoff contests (119-88-2 at home; 93-143-6 on the road). New York has posted a 37-42 record all-time in Game 3s. ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORDS —RANGERS vs. BRUINS The Rangers and Bruins are meeting in the playoffs for the 10th time overall, and the first time in 40 years. Their last postseason encounter was in the 1973 Quarterfinals, a series won by New York 4-1. Overall, the Blueshirts have a 3-6 playoff series record vs. the Bruins, posting an 18-24-2 mark in 44 postseason contests. RANGERS vs. BRUINS: All-Time (Regular Season): 249-283-97-2 overall (143-119-55-0 at home; 106-164-42-2 on the road) 2012-13: New York was 2-1-0 overall (1-0-0 at home; 1-1-0 on the road). Two of the three contests were decided by one goal, including one game that required overtime and another decided in the shootout. The Blueshirts’ penalty kill was 15-16 (93.8%). Rick Nash led all skaters with three assists, while Henrik Lundqvist was 2-1-0 with a 2.93 GAA and .913 Sv%. The Rangers have won 11 of their last 15 regular season games against the Bruins, including seven of their last nine meetings, and are 22-7-2 against Boston since 2005-06 The Rangers are 12-3-0 in their last 15 regular season games against the Bruins at MSG, dating back to a 3-2 win on Nov. 20, 2005 The Blueshirts are 5-1-0 in their last six regular season games at TD Garden, having out-scored the Bruins, 15-10, over the span Henrik Lundqvist has started in 27 consecutive regular season games against Boston, dating back to Jan. 13, 2007 The Blueshirts have three players with previous playoff experience against the Bruins – Arron Asham (9 GP, 1-2-3), Roman Hamrlik (25 GP, 1-8-9), and Darroll Powe (11 GP, 0-1-1) New York lists no former Bruins on their roster Boston lists three former Rangers on their roster: Jaromir Jagr (2003-04 – 2007-08); Wade Redden (2008-09 – 2009-10); Marc Savard (1997-98 – 1998-99) INDIVIDUAL CAREER LEADERS vs. BRUINS (Regular Season): Henrik Lundqvist — 30 GP, 21-7-2, 1.67 GAA, 6 SO Martin Biron — 31 GP, 12-12-2-1, 2.66 GAA, 1 SO Brad Richards — 37 GP, 8-23-31 Ryan Callahan — 22 GP, 5-6-11 Michael Del Zotto — 13 GP, 2-5-7 SPECIAL TEAMS: The Blueshirts are 2-0 in games when tallying a power play goal during the playoffs, and are 4-1 when not allowing a power play goal against Power Play: The Rangers did not tally a goal in five power play opportunities (9:12) in Game 2, and are now 2-36 (5.6%) in the playoffs. New York is 0-2 in five-on-three situations (3:17; last – 5/12 vs. WSH), and 0-2 while skating four-on-three (0:23; last – 5/8 vs. WSH). Shorthanded goals allowed (0). Penalty Killing: The Blueshirts held the Bruins scoreless in one shorthanded situation (2:00) in Game 2, and are now 17-21 (81.0%) in the playoffs. Shorthanded goals for (0). Four-on-Four: The Blueshirts surrendered one goal in two four-on-four situations (4:00) in Game 2, and are now -1 in five four-on-four situations (8:25) in the playoffs. Four-on-four goals for (0). Four-on-four goals allowed (1): J. Boychuk (5/19 at BOS). QUICK HITS: The Rangers are 11-12 all-time in Game 3 when trailing 2-0 in the series Prior to Game 1, the last time the Rangers and Bruins played an OT game in the playoffs was Mar. 27, 1958 (L, 3-4) Four of the remaining eight teams in the playoffs are Original Six teams, marking the second time this has happened

Ty Rattie (Portland Winterhawks) If you were lucky enough to be able to watch the London Knights/Portland Winterhawks matchup Monday evening then you got a chance to see not just one top prospect but as many as 30 prospects. Yes that is right 30 NHL prospects who either are signed, drafted or listed by Central Scouting took part in the game between the Knights and Winterhawks (Stick tap to Todd Vrooman and Andy Kemper of the Winterhawks for this). The game didn't disappoint either as the Portland Winterhawks earned their first win of the Memorial Cup 6-3 and for the 2nd straight year, the Memorial Cup has all 4 teams with a 1-1 record. I for one totally disagree with those who think this is bad for the cup as to me what it means is that every game counts. There is none of the easy path's to the Cup finals as all 4 teams playing have a chance to earn their way to the finals. It is good for junior hockey because the CHL is in their own way showing NHL fans what the future of the NHL is going to look like and it sure looks good. There was some great plays made by both teams including a goal from perhaps one of the more underrated prospects player in the Memorial Cup, Ty Rattie of the Portland Winterhawks. Rattie was the 32nd pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues and for the most part has been overshadowed by the better known names who have played for the Winterhawks in recent years. More on Rattie later as the game was almost a chess match in the beginning with Portland trying to solve London's trapping defense. Portland got on the board off a nice deflection of a Tyler Wotherspoon shot by teammate Taylor Leier who tipped in the 5 hole past a handcuffed London goalie Anthony Stolarz. Portland with the goal at 16:53 of the first period grabbed a 1-0 lead that they took into the first intermission. In the second period Portland would extend their lead to 2-0 when Oliver Bjorkstrand carried the puck out of the corner and just snapped a shot past Stolarz at 2:17. Portland would make it 3-0 when Ty Rattie would score his 2nd highlight reel goal of the Memorial Cup in as many games. With the teams playing 4 on 4, Rattie took the puck from his defensive zone carried into the offensive zone then cut across the slot moving the puck to his backhand and with a London defender all over him beats Stolarz at 10:23. Have a look for yourselves as courtesy of Sportsnet are the highlights. Rattie's goal starts at the 37 second mark. Portland was up 3-0 but that lead didn't hold as London got on the board 15 seconds after the Rattie goal when Scott Harrington fired a blast past Mac Carruth for London's first goal at 10:38. Less than 2 minutes later with London on a power play, Max Domi of London with a between the legs pass to Bo Horvat who roofed his shot to cut Portland's lead to 3-2. In the 3rd, London would tie the game on a missed call as Ranger prospect Tommy Hughes with either a stick or fist bloodied Ty Rattie leaving him face first on the ice. Play continued while Rattie struggled to make it back to the Portland bench and London took advantage to tie the game up at 3 just 1:48 into the period. The goal by London's Alex Broadhurst had Tommy Hughes (NYR 2013 UFA) credited with a secondary assist for his first point of the Memorial Cup (Portland fans might argue that the assist was for taking Rattie out). Portland would regain the lead for good when Portland's Derrick Pouliot cashed in a Ty Rattie rebound for what proved to be the game winning goal at 6:20. 23 seconds later at 6:43Portland's Chase De Leo would make it 5-3 of a nice pass from Bjorkstrand and then Rattie would get the final word when he scored an empty net goal at 19:05 for the final tally. Rattie finished with a 2-1-3 evening yet only winds up as the game's 3rd star but in many ways that fits with how Rattie has been in the shadows whether it was Seth Jones this season, Nino Niederreiter 2 years ago and Sven Bartschi la

(141) (20) Were You Watching, Jets? In My Thoughts Tonight This post has been generated by Page2RSS

Neatly framed but almost forgotten, a front page from the San Jose Mercury News sits against the wall in a room above the Sharks' practice rink. The newspaper photograph depicts a coach and two players, and the headline is bold:

DETROIT - Sometimes, it takes more than urgency and effort.

DETROIT � Up and down. Quick as a minute. The compass was broken at Joe Louis Arena, and the game had only two directions: north and south. It was a track meet, a caffeinated pogo stick, all breathless goals and breathless chances. Fortunately, the Red Wings had three of the former and Jimmy Howard for the latter. When the horn sounded, the oddsmakers were rubbing their eyes, fans were singing Bon Jovi - "Whoa-oh, we're halfway there! ..." - and Chicago will have to beat the Wings three times in four chances now to keep them out of the Western Conference finals.

The Chicago Blackhawks were controlling the puck and dominating play early in the second period. It took all of a half-minute for the Detroit Red Wings to swing the momentum.

That Andrew Shaw lingered in the blue paint of the Red Wings' crease, no one would argue.

With a two-day break between games in Detroit during their Western Conference semifinal series against the Red Wings, the Blackhawks were scheduled to head to Chicago to sleep in their own beds after Game 3.