Hockey

Courtesy of the Rangers: RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2 – TD Garden Bruins 5, Rangers 2 (BOS leads 2-0). Team Notes: -      The Rangers were defeated by the Boston Bruins, 5-2, today at TD Garden, in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. The Blueshirts now trail in the series, 2-0. -      New York has posted a record of 212-231-8 overall in postseason action, including a 93-143-6 mark on the road. -      The Blueshirts out-shot the Bruins, 37-32, including a 16-9 advantage in the second period. -      The Rangers held the Bruins scoreless in one shorthanded situation (2:00), and are now 17-21 (81.0%) on the penalty kill in the playoffs. Player Notes: -      Ryan Callahan notched an unassisted goal at 8:01 of the first period, and was credited with a game-high, eight hits in 22:00 of ice time. He has now tallied a point in each of the last three games (two goals, one assist over the span). -      Rick Nash registered his first playoff goal as a Ranger, and tied for the game-high with four shots on goal in 22:23 of ice time. He has now recorded a point in each of the last three games (one goal, two assists over the span). -      Mats Zuccarello tallied an assist and was credited with two hits in 17:29 of ice time. He has now recorded six points (one goal, five assists) in the last seven games. -      Dan Girardi registered an assist, three shots on goal, and was credited with three hits in 19:29 of ice time. He now leads all Rangers defensemen in scoring with three points (one goal, two assists) in the playoffs. -      Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves and is now 29-35 in 64 career postseason contests. The last time he allowed five goals in a game was Mar. 9, 2011 at Anaheim, a streak of 152 games (regular season + playoffs). -      Derick Brassard tied for the game-high with four shots on goal, was credited with four hits, and won 6-11 faceoffs (55%) in 20:16 of ice time. His six-game point streak, which was the longest by a Ranger in the playoffs since Wayne Gretzky’s nine-game point streak in the 1997 postseason, came to an end. *courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau -      Steve Eminger was credited with a team-high, three blocked shots in 12:08 of ice time. Team Schedule: -      The Blueshirts’ practice schedule for tomorrow, May 20, is 11:00 a.m. at MSG Training Center. -      The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, May 21, at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. – TV: NBC Sports Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7), in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup. The post Game 2: Bruins 5, Rangers 2 … Post-game notes appeared first on Rangers Report Blog.

BOSTON — New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist goes by the nickname “King Henrik,” and he even has a neat hat with a crown and his No. 30 on it that he often wears. Lundqvist was wearing that ballcap as he turned to face the media following his showing in the Rangers’ 5-2 loss to the Bruins in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series. Of course, after allowing a season-high five goals against the B’s, Lundqvist was nothing more than a pauper between the pipes on Sunday afternoon in Boston. The all-world goalie, the goalie many see as the best in the world, didn’t exactly prove it in Game 2. But it’s not like it was totally his fault, either, at least not according to him. “I thought I was in position but [there were] a couple screens and when you give up five goals you can’t be satisfied obviously,” Lundqvist said. “You have to look at the way they scored goals, too. It’s about teamwork out there and today it didn’t really work for us. We just have to talk it through and I have to better and the guys in front of me have to step it up as well.” In Lundqvist’s defense, the Rangers made some horrible plays in their own end in front of him. Whether it was anything Dan Girardi did at any point when he was in his own end or Derek Brassard‘s uninspired back-check on Milan Lucic‘s third-period goal, or anything in between, the Rangers certainly weren’t airtight defensively. But still, if you’re going to be one of the best goalies in the world, you can’t let a team hang a five-spot on you in the playoffs. Yet the Vezina finalist was beyond reproach when it came to discussing his head coach discussing his play after the game. “I’m not evaluating our goaltending,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said after the game. “I don’t need to evaluate Henrik. We know what Henrik is.” Lundqvist entered the 2013 season having dominated the Bruins in his time with the Rangers. However, the Bruins have started to solve the riddle, relatively speaking. The B’s had scored at least three goals in all four of their games against Lundqvist leading up to Game 2 in which they hung five on him. The Bruins continue to do all of the little things right, and that’s not only helping them get pucks by the usually impenetrable Lundqvist, but it also has Boston halfway to advancing to the Eastern Conference finals. “I think playing the Bruins is about paying attention to details in the game and I think they have been the better team in that department,” Lundqvist offered. “All the details in the game, they play a solid team game and so do we but when you lack that little bit it’s a tough game. But I’m confident and I’m going to go home and try to play a strong game in the next one.” However, it also helps that Lundqvist might not be at 100 percent right now. He seemed to be favoring his left arm in the third period, and he grimaced as he put on his windbreaker before addressing the media in the New York dressing room. “It’s my shoulder,” he confirmed. “We’ll see. We’ll take a look at it.” Whether it’s getting healthy, improving his play or a little bit of both, something needs to change for Lundqvist and the Rangers moving forward. If not, this series will be over very soon.

ShareThis The fans are ready to see Ottawa Senators take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference Semi-Finals at Scotiabank Place. ShareThis

Photo: Forward Victor Rask split the 2012-13 season between the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL and the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Rask projects to be a second-line forward for the Hurricanes, possibly as soon as next year. (courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Despite lacking a lot of depth and talent, the Carolina Hurricanes organization has top-end prospects in the pipeline, including the offensively talented defenseman Ryan Murphy, and a potential rising offensive star in Victor Rask. There are also several good depth defensemen who, in the near future, could solidify the Carolina blue line. 1. (1) Ryan Murphy, D, 8.0C Drafted 1st round, 12th overall, 2011 Over the last eight months, Ryan Murphy played hockey for four different teams in two hemispheres at four levels of competition. Murphy captained the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL, and collected 49 points through 54 regular season games. He helped lead the Rangers to the Western Conference Semi-Finals, where they fell in five games to the eventual Western Conference champion London Knights. Murphy also played for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia, but his trip there also ended in disappointment after Canada lost to the US in the semi-finals and failed to win a medal. In late February, Murphy got his first chance to play in the NHL, and saw four games of scoreless action before his emergency call up ended. After his OHL season, he joined the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL where he scored four points in eight games. Murphy is a gifted offensive defenseman, with great vision and the passing ability to get the puck to open players. The former first-round pick lacks size and still needs extensive development of his defensive skills, but when the puck is on his stick, he makes things happen. Although he seems destined to be a powerplay specialist at the NHL level, if he can acquire the patience and determination to play a solid game in his own end, he could become a valuable top-four defenseman. 2. (2) Victor Rask, C, 7.5C Drafted 2nd round, 42nd overall, 2011 Rask missed significant time from the Hitmen roster this year, not due to injury (a knee injury caused him to miss several games at the end of the 2011-12 season), but because he was getting an extended look with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL, and then playing for Sweden in the World Junior Championships. Yet, having played in just 37 regular season games in the WHL, Rask scored 14 goals and 27 assists, good enough for a seventh-overall spot on the team's scoring list. However, Rask shone during Calgary's playoff run. He was the team's leading scoring through seventeen games, and helped carry the Hitmen to the Eastern Conference Finals before they lost in seven games to the Edmonton Oil Kings. Rask has speed and good size, and he uses both to protect the puck and buy time for his linemates to find space. He has the ability to battle in the corners and maintain puck possession, even when harried by several opponents. Rask is not an elite-level scorer, but with his hockey sense and physical play, he should develop into a valuable contributor on the Hurricanes second line. 3. (4) Zac Dalpe, C/W, 7.0C Drafted 2nd round, 45th overall, 2008 Dalpe rebounded from a frustrating 2011-12 season and put in a performance that has him back on track for a possible NHL role in the near future. He used his well-rounded game to score 21 goals and 21 assists in 54 AHL games (among the top four in Checkers scoring). He also had the chance to play in 10 NHL games during the season, where he mostly held his own and tallied a goal and two assists while playing primarily third-line minutes. Dalpe will need to continue the hard work and gritty style of play if he is to secure a full-time NHL spot next season. 4. (8) Riley Nash, C, 6.5B Trade with Edmonton Oilers, June 26th, 2010 The proximity of the Hurricanes AHL affiliate played an important role for Nash this season as he made several trips back

Here we are once again. The New York Rangers were unable to get the job done once again, and dropped Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals by a score of 5-2. Despite the Bruins putting up five goals on the Rangers, the score didn't necessarily dictate how the Rangers played. They actually played really well, generated a bunch of scoring chances, but just weren't able the goal to push them over the edge. The Achilles' heel for the Rangers this afternoon were several defensive breakdowns in front of Henrik Lundqvist, which more or less, left him out to dry. Dan Girardi was on the ice for all five Bruins goals today, including one where he completely missed Brad Marchand cutting to the net and tapped the puck under Lundqvist. On the other end of the ice however, the Rangers had a handful of chances and looked pretty well. Tuuka Rask bailed out the Bruins a few times as he stood on his heads when he needed to, which kept the Rangers off the scoreboard for the most part. This game started off pretty bad for the Rangers once again, as Tory Krug was able to put the Bruins up 1-0 just five minutes into the game. One of the biggest issues the Rangers had today in the defensive end was picking up the player trailing the play, and coming in late. That's exactly how this goal happened as Nathan Horton tossed a cross ice feed over to Krug cutting in, and he had a wide open lane to the net. But throughout this game, the Rangers were able to erase two leads by the Bruins which lessened the blow a little bit. Ryan Callahan was able to tie this game up just three minutes after the first goal, as he out-hustled Dougie Hamilton, and faked Tuuka Rask out of his shorts on the move. It was just a huge goal from the Captain, and it's the type of effort you expect out of him. After finishing out the period tied, the Rangers fell back once again at the beginning of the second period. Gregory Campbell converted just two minutes into the second period, as he cleaned up the garbage off of a blocked shot, and chipped it over Henrik Lundqvist. But, just like last time, the Rangers found a way to answer right away following the goal. Rick Nash sniped home his first playoff goal since 2009 at the 3:20 mark of the second period, and tied this game up once again. Yet another big goal to answer, and hopefully that's the one that awakens the beast. If Rick Nash gets going, it can only be beneficial for the Rangers. Later on in the period, both Arron Asham and Shawn Thornton got tangled up in front of Tuuka Rask, and exchanged some shoves. Both were eventually escorted to the box, which set up some 4-on-4 hockey for the next two minutes. The Bruins were able to convert with the extra space as Johnny Boychuk sent a laser of a wrist shot past Henrik Lundqvist to give the Bruins their third lead of the afternoon. To Lundqvist's aid though, Dan Girardi provided the extra screen along with Brad Marchand, and Lundqvist never caught a glimpse of the puck as it came in on him. While the Rangers weren't play terrible throughout two periods, they completely collapsed in the third period. The Bruins were able to catch the Rangers flatfooted just 26 seconds into the third period as Brad Marchand scored his second goal of the playoffs on a beautiful feed from Patrice Bergeron. It was a eerily similar goal to the one that ended Game 1 in overtime as Marchand slipped behind Dan Girardi undetected, and tapped home the pass. The Rangers continued to push throughout the third period, but the Bruins were able to shut them down for the most part. With just under eight minutes remaining in regulation time, Milan Lucic put the nail in the coffin as he tapped home yet another lose puck at the side of the net. Dan Girardi was on the ice yet again, as he dove in a last ditch effort to prevent Lucic from walking in. It was a really poor outing from Dan Girardi tonight, but I'd expect him to come back two thousand times better in Game 3. I said it during the last series again

While not playing in the playoffs is devastating to an NHL player, one bright spot of missing, or being knocked out early, is the opportunity for some players to play for their nation in the IIHF World Hockey Championship. Since 1930, this annual event has brought together the best players in the world. For many non-North American skaters, winning a gold at this event ranks just as high as a Stanley Cup. Jhonas Enroth led the Sabres contingent at the IIHF World Hockey Championships capturing a gold medal with Sweden. (Micheline/SynergyMax) The Sabres Participating With the Buffalo Sabres missing the playoffs, it gave five players the opportunity to venture to this year’s event, held in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden, May 3-19. Thomas Vanek represented Austria, Christian Ehrhoff, Germany, Andrej Sekera, Slovakia, and Sabres’ prospect Zemgus Girgensons played for Latvia. Perhaps the most standout performance went to goaltender Jhonas Enroth who carried Sweden to the gold medal. Enroth’s performance is one thing but it could not have come at a better time with the latest reports that Ryan Miller may be on his way out of Buffalo. Jhonas Enroth A goaltender could not dream about having a better competition than Enroth had at the Worlds. Enroth got to be the number one for Sweden and took full advantage of the situation.  Enroth appeared in seven games during the tournament and registered a 5-1 record helping Sweden win the gold medal over Switzerland. He was between the pipes for their dramatic quarter-final win over Canada in a shootout, then shut out Finland in the semis. He finished things up with a one-goal against game in the gold-medal match versus the Swiss. Enroth proved he could carry a team by posting out-of-this-world numbers. He finished the tournament with a goals against average of 1.15. He faced 183 shots, and allowed eight goals for a save percentage of .956. He also finished with two shutouts in the tournament. Thanks to his efforts, Enroth was given many tournament awards. He was selected as best goaltender by the tournament directorate, was named as the goaltender for the tournament All-Star Team by the media and took home the player of the game award for Sweden in the gold-medal game. With everything that he accomplished in just over a couple of weeks, the biggest thing he may have done is establish himself as a capable number one goaltender, which gives the Sabres considerable leverage moving forward. Andrej Sekera Andrej Sekera represented Slovakia at the 2013 IIHF World Hockey Championships. (Wikimedia Commons) After Enroth’s gold medal winning performance, the next top finisher was defender Andrej Sekera and his Slovakian team. Sekera, along with Florida Panther, Thomas Kopecky were the only NHL representatives on this team due to many big names still being in the playoffs. As a team, they finished fourth in their group and eighth overall. Sekera logged big minutes on the team’s blue line averaging 25:02 a game. He scored a goal and added an assist plus two penalty minutes in the team’s eight games. He finished with a 0 +/- rating and 10 shots on goal. Christian Ehrhoff The second defenseman to represent Buffalo was Ehrhoff who laced them up for Germany. The German team finished fifth in their group and ninth overall. Much like Sekera, Ehrhoff logged big minutes for the Germans averaging 28:04 per game. He had a very solid tournament putting up three goals (one game-winner and two on the power play) and two assists. He had an even +/- rating and registered 22 shots in the seven games he appeared in. Ehrhoff did spend 10 minutes in the box, but the Sabres organization has to be pleased with the performance and must hope he can duplicate it during next season, as offence from the back-end was an issue. Thomas Vanek Thomas Vanek scored seven points in seven games for Austria at the 2013 IIHF World Hockey Championship. (Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI) Much like he did all season, Vanek continued to be a force

“Defense wins championships.” We’ve heard that mantra so many times that it has almost lost its meaning. Still, the Bruins may have found a way to redefine the saying if their defensemen keep playing so well — on the offensive end of things. Goals from Torey Krug and Johnny Boychuk paced the B’s to a 5-2 victory over the Rangers, grabbing a big 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals all the while. Tuukka Rask outplayed Henrik Lundqvist as well, making 35 saves. For that, Rask is our “Double Trouble” player of the game. Who’s yours? Take Our Poll Join NESN Nation: In-game home page | Twitter | Facebook

DETROIT – One mustn’t be a Blackhawks’ fan to appreciate the hair-raising excitement of being inside Chicago’s United Center during the singing of the “Star Spangled Banner” before a Stanley Cup playoff game. There’s a reason that the 19-year-o...