New York Rangers

Corey Sipkin/ New York Daily News Entering Game Three, the Rangers find themselves in a very similar situation. They come home down 2-0, after dropping the first two in Boston, the second one in epicly poor fashion. Just like last round, the Rangers find themselves in need of holding serve at MSG and sending the series back to Boston tied at two games a piece. This team did it once before, and they are perfectly capable of doing it again. This series is far from oer. Series Previews: Game 2 goal breakdown Positives/negatives of Game 1 5 keys for success for the Rangers Rangers/Bruins second round preview Five keys for success against the Bruins Scouting Tuukka Rask and his goaltending style Previewing the Bruins and their systems/styles of play Series: Bruins lead 2-0 NYR Playoff Leading Scorer: Derick Brassard (2-8-10) BOS Playoff Leading Scorer: David Krejci (5-11-16) NYR Playoff Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist (9 GP, 2.10 GAA, .935 SV%) BOS Playoff Goaltender: Tuukka Rask (9 GP, 2.32 GAA, .928 SV%) New York Rangers Tickets RSVP to potentially win tickets to a game Rangers Lines (unconfirmed until Torts releases the lineup): Carl Hagelin-Derek Stepan-Ryan Callahan Mats Zuccarello-Derick Brassard-Rick Nash Derek Dorsett-Brian Boyle-Taylor Pyatt Chris Kreider-Brad Richards-Arron Asham Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman John Moore-Steve Eminger Henrik Lundqvist Scratches/Injuries:  Darroll Powe (concussion), Marc Staal (eye), Ryane Clowe (undisclosed/concussion), Matt Gilroy (healthy), Roman Hamrlik (healthy), Kris Newbury (healthy) Broadcast Info: NBC 7:30pm Tweet

Based on the morning skates, both the Rangers and Bruins will have the same lineups for tonight’s Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, with the Bruins having won the first two games in Boston. And, no, coach John Tortorella did not have any private chats with D Dan Girardi after Girardi was a minus-4 and on ice for all five Bruins goals in Sunday’s Game 2. “I didn’t even talk to him,” Tortorella said. “He’s going to play his best game. “It depends on the person,” Tortorella added when asked how he decides whether or not to meet with a player after a rough game, which Girardi certainly had. “It depends on where he is as a player, experience-wise. I don’t have to say one word to Dan Girardi. If that’s a Johnny Moore, certainly we will try to help him along the way, maybe show him some tape, whatever it may be. Danny is one of the better defensemen in the NHL that had a tough night, He knows it. He doesn’t need to hear it from any coach at all what needs to be done.” The NHL put out an interesting statistic this morning that, so far in the playoffs, home teams are 40-18 (.690) and that includes a 10-1 record in the second round. The Rangers, of course, are 3-0 at Madison Square Garden in these playoffs. In fact, the Rangers also won all six home games in April to finish the regular season and have not lost at the Garden since a 3-2 shootout loss to the Capitals on March 24. Last year, home teams won just 39 of 86 games (.453) in the playoffs and the last time home teams had a winning percentage of .600 or better during the playoffs was 1993, when home teams were 52-33 (.612). “We’ve been good at home all year long,” coach John Tortorella said. “It confuses me why I think some pucks go in at home or they don’t go in in certain situations on the road. Who knows why? I think today’s game, it’s a lot different from back in the 1970s, where there was really a distinct advantage playing at home. I don’t think there is, but there must be. The records show it.” ====================================================== Follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AGrossRecord Follow the Record Sports Staff at twitter.com/TheRecordSports

The New York Rangers weren't so fortunate early in this series, and now find themselves in a 2-0 hole heading back to Madison Square Garden. The Rangers have yet to lose a game there during these 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and are 9-0 dating back to their last five regular season home games. While the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals are two different teams, the Rangers still have a golden opportunity to leap right back into this series, and it all starts tonight. vs. Boston Bruins (#4 Seed) vs New York Rangers (#6 Seed)Series Score: 2-0 BOSMadison Square Garden - New York, NY- 7:30 PM Television: NBC, TSN, RDS | Radio: NHL Game RadioOpponent's Blog: Stanley Cup of Chowder | Tickets: New York Rangers Playoff Tickets Some Quick Thoughts: The Rangers got some good news this morning as both Marc Staal and Darroll Powe were out on the ice during the morning skate. By no means does this mean they are close to returning, but the option for reinforcements could be there in the event they are needed later on down the road. The New York Rangers aren't expected to make any lineup changes, and will have the same lines heading into tonight's game. The Bruins lineup is also expected to remain the same, even with Wade Redden skating this morning. Ranger fans were in for a bit of scare during Game 2, as Henrik Lundqvist appeared to injure his shoulder late in the third period. Whatever was ailing Henrik is "under control" now, and he is ready to roll for Game 3. Projected Lineup: Carl Hagelin - Derek Stepan - Ryan CallahanMats Zuccarello - Derick Brassard - Rick NashDerek Dorsett - Brian Boyle - Taylor PyattChris Kreider - Brad Richards - Arron AshamRyan McDonagh - Dan GirardiMichael Del Zotto - Anton StralmanJohn Moore - Steve EmingerHenrik LundqvistMartin Biron Scratches: Marc Staal (upper-body), Darroll Powe (upper-body), Ryane Clowe (upper-body), Matt Gilroy (healthy), Roman Hamrlik (healthy).

Every team will say that they think playing at home is an advantage. But none quite have the numbers to back them up like the Rangers do going into Tuesday night’s Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Bruins at the Garden. It’s a game they desperately need, being down in this best-of-seven contest, 2-0. Good news for the Blueshirts is that they haven’t lost at home since March 24, a 3-2 shootout loss to the Capitals. That streak of nine games spanned the end of the regular season and the first three games of the playoffs, when they beat the Capitals in Games 3, 4, and 6 en route to winning that series in seven games. On top of that, the league has trended this season heavily in favor of the home teams, with a 10-1 record for them in the second round and a 40-18 record throughout the playoffs. “We’ve been good at home all year long,” said coach John Tortorella, whose team finished the regular season with a 16-6-2 record at the Garden, having lost just once in regulation over the final 15 at home. “It confuses me why I think some pucks go in at home or they don’t go in in certain situations on the road. Who knows why.” Strangely enough, go further into history and the good records for the home teams in the playoffs doesn’t exactly hold up. According to the NHL, the last time home teams had a winning percentage of .600 or higher during the postseason was in 1993, when they went 52-33 (.612). “I think today’s game, it’s a lot different from back in the 70s where there was really a distinct advantage playing at home,” Tortorella said. “I don’t think there is [an advantage anymore], but there must be. The records show it.” *** Rangers forward Darroll Powe is not quite ready to reenter the lineup, but he is certainly getting closer. “I feel good, it’s good to be back on the ice and skating with the guys,” Powe said after Tuesday’s optional morning skate, the fourth day in a row he’s skated with teammates as he recovers from a concussion. “After a few days of skating I feel pretty good, so I’m just trying to keep skating and working out and get back in the lineup.” Powe has been out of the lineup since Game 3 of the first round, when early in the first period he took an elbow from Joel Ward to the head and didn’t return. “It’s all part of the process, just getting back on the ice and get to playing hockey again,” Powe said. “That’s where I’m at now.” *** Defenseman Marc Staal skated in the morning, as well, but was not made available to reporters and is likely to sit out his seventh straight game with his right-eye injury. After the injury on March 5, Staal made a one-game cameo appearance in Game 3 of the first round, but suffered a set back and hasn’t been comfortable since. *** It’s looking unlikely the Bruins are going to change their lineup from Games 1 and 2. Coach Claude Julien said that former Rangers’ defenseman Wade Redden might take warmups with the team and could be a possibility, but blue-line stalwarts Dennis Seidenberg and Andrew Ference were both ruled out. bcyrgalis@nypost.com

With a 9-0 record since March 24 in the familiar surroundings of Madison Square Garden, the Rangers rolled into Tuesday’s Game 3 against the Bruins, who lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals 2-0, with some degree of confidence.

According to Darren Dreger on TSN Radio, John Tortorella could be on the hot seat if the Rangers lost out to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. There have been a ton of fireworks surrounding Tortorella during this playoff run, and most recently, it stems from his shot at Carl Hagelin "stinking" on the power play. Here is a short excerpt from Dreger's report on TSN Radio. With Tortorella you have that bombastic figure, he doesn’t enjoy dealing with the media or selling the game one bit. Thankfully for the New York Rangers they don’t have to sell the game, it’s like the Toronto Maple Leafs, you kick the doors open and you have a capacity crowd that makes tens of millions per year. In Tortorella there is a shelf life, all coaches have that, his expiration date is probably sooner than most because of how he approaches the media and his players. I didn’t like his comment on Carl Hagelin. He was blunt and honest that he stinks that that is why he doesn’t use him on the power play. So to answer your question, if the Rangers are to be eliminated in short order by the Boston Bruins, is there a chance John Tortorella could be replaced? Yes there is a chance, absolutely. No question about it. Glen Sather made the big trade, he moved Gaborik out, prior to that they acquired Rick Nash, they aren’t done yet building this team into a true Stanley Cup contender but is John Tortorella the right coach, that management group for sure will have that discussion at the end of the Rangers season, whenever that is. While Dreger does make some solid points, I still don't think there is a chance in hell that the Rangers canTortorella during a lockout shortened season. It also sounds as if this speculation is a complete shot in the dark. Chance is a pretty big word to use in this case. There's a chance the Rangers could win the next four games of this series, and advance There's also a chance that the Rangers could score at least ten goals tonight. See where I'm going with this? There's absolutely no possible way to predict John Tortorella's future with this club. Sure, he's made a ton of questionable moves throughout his tenure, but he's been the main driving force behind this team, and is the reason why the Rangers are where they are. Simply put, I wouldn't place too many bets on Tortorella not being back with the Rangers next season.

lockout shortened season." src="http://www.blueseatblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/dm_130514_nhl_bruinsrangers_preview.jpg" width="525" height="275" />Big picture outlook > lockout shortened season. After the Rangers loss against Boston Sunday night, much of the Rangers fan base went into panic mode. The usual suspects came out and called for Tortorella’s head, Michael Del Zotto’s and to some extent Brad Richards, as if the loss was solely on them. We’ve been down this road before, and quite frankly, I wasn’t surprised at the fan sentiment. The stakes are high at this time of year and everyone is wound tight. I get it. Still, despite some Rangers bloggers calling this team mediocre and overachievers (which kinda contradicts the Torts hate no?), I beg to differ. No matter what happens the next couple of games, I still believe the Rangers are closer to the Cup than most give them credit for. Do the Rangers need to make a couple of moves this offseason? Sure. But the right core is still in place, the right coach still leads them, and both will be back next season. I guarantee it. Look, there will be plenty of time to debate who stays, who goes, who we should acquire, etc. For now, take comfort in knowing the Rangers have the best goalie on the planet. We have one of the best defenses in the NHL (Sunday’s game was an aberration), and save a move or two, our offense will be much improved. And that’s not to say this season is over. The Bruins are still beatable. They have better roster depth, but throw in a healthy Staal, or even a Ryan Clowe and these last two games could have easily gone the other way. Save a few brain farts in coverage, the Rangers have been right with them. These mistakes they’ve made are correctable and I’m sure Torts will have them playing the right way tonight at MSG. Okay Suit, but what about the Penguins? We’d never get past them! The Penguins seem to be everyone’s pick to steamroll through the Eastern Conference, but a team with goaltending issues shouldn’t be guaranteed anything. The Islanders outplayed the Penguins and lost. Hockey happens. But they exposed their weaknesses. If we can comeback and beat Boston, I think we could carry that momentum into the Eastern Conference finals and perhaps beyond. McD and Girardi shutdown Ovie and Backstrom. Perhaps they wouldn’t have the same success against Crosby and Malkin, but perhaps they could contain them enough for us to have a chance. If not, there’s always next year. Maybe next fall Kreider takes a step forward. Maybe Miller replaces Richie. Maybe Dylan takes Eminger’s spot. Maybe we acquire a PP QB. If any of those things happen, the puck moves closer to the other team’s goal line. The point of all this is, this team isn’t mediocre. While Henrik Lundqvist is the best goalie in the world, if the team was as bad as people thought, his save percentages would be back down in the .916 – .917 range like when he actually did have a mediocre team in front of him. We’re getting there people. Though the hour seems to be getting late in Rangerland, the night is always darkest before the dawn. Chin up. Let’s go Rangers. Tweet

Even young defenseman John Moore realized the answer was the ultimate sports cliche. Yet, cliches are cliches for a reason, there is some truth to them. So the Rangers approach tonight’s Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Bruins not fixated on the two games to none series deficit they’re in, but just winning tonight’s game and then worrying about Game 4 tomorrow. Tighten their defense, perhaps by reuniting their shutdown pair of Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh, limit the turnovers and keep the Bruins from hurting them in transition. Simple, right? “We’ve been here before,” said goalie Henrik Lundqvist, his sore left shoulder “under control.” “We’re playing a good team but we’re confident that we can turn this around. That’s our mindset. It has to be, right? We come home and play in our own building,” Lundqvist added. “Everybody’s excited about that.” Here’s more on tonight’s Game 3 from today’s Record: - John Tortorella always has a motive for what he says, so saying “jitterbug” Carl Hagelin “stinks” on the power play was no off-the-cuff remark. - Record teammate Tom Gulitti has Lundqvist’s shoulder issue covered. ====================================================== Follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AGrossRecord Follow the Record Sports Staff at twitter.com/TheRecordSports

Athletes need to have short memories. You've heard the saying "You can't get too high when things are going well or too low when things are bad." Right now things have gone pretty badly for the New York Rangers. They took a tough loss on the chin in Game 1, and a terrible 20 minutes cost them Game 2. Now the Rangers are down 2-0 in a series against a very deep and good team. You don't need me to tell you being down 3-0 would be a death blow without being a true death blow. The Rangers can't afford to be down 3-0 to Boston. Which makes Game 3 at Madison Square Garden a must win. The Rangers play much better on home ice, it's a fact that can't be ignored. The Rangers turned the series against Washington because of twin 4-3 victories on home ice to tie the series at two. Now they need to do the same thing. Only against a better team. A more experienced team. And there's the risk of losing the first two games on the road. Yes, the Rangers came back from such a hole in the first round, but no team in NHL history has even won back-to-back series in which they've been down 2-0. But this Rangers team has already made history. They came back to win a series in which they were down 2-0 for only the third time in their history in the first round. They also won a Game 7 on the road for the first time in team history. Who is to say this team can't do that again? Things needs to be fixed, though. There's no way around it. The power play has to be better (or at least get a different look), the forwards have to cover the point even when the puck isn't there and the Rangers need to keep a sustained effort for 60 minutes (or more if the game goes into overtime). The Rangers have a ton of problems. But they're fixable. It's time John Tortorella, well, fixed them. Or at least tried. Give Carl Hagelin and Chris Kreider more power play time. Take Brad Richards off the power play altogether. Let John Moore run the point for one of the units. Put someone (Rick Nash preferably) in front of the net. Maybe put Derek Stepan back at the point (even though he kind of looked lost there in Game 1). I don't know what the magic button is, or what the codes are. I just know that what Tortorella is inputting isn't going through or working. That has to change sooner rather than later. Actually it has to change tonight. The Rangers can't afford to lose this game.

New York’s fourth line center would cost an extra $6 million to buy out this summer It’s growing increasingly difficult to believe that this is just an off year for Brad Richards, that the 33-year-old will bounce back with the benefit of a summer to clear his head and a full John Tortorella training camp in the fall.  There are just too many signs that the former star center is on a steep decline. And yet, despite Tortorella’s own silent admission through a fourth-line demotion that Richards has been awful, it’s still extremely unlikely the Rangers will exercise a buyout on Richards this summer. As Dave Lozo explained so well last week, it would make very little sense for New York to exile Richards this summer rather than waiting until 2014.  The chief reason: buying out Richards this year would cost New York $24 million over the next 14 years, while waiting a season would cost the Blueshirts $18 million over the next 12 seasons.  Is it really a wise move for the franchise to swallow an additional $6 million just to banish Richards AND fork over the cash to pay his replacement? If Glen Sather were armed with the cap space to obtain one of the summer’s big fish free agents – of which very few remain – then swapping Richards for a younger star would be a no-brainer.  But New York’s pending cap issues are well documented, so the Rangers likely wouldn’t be able to afford a replacement more expensive than a guy like Washington’s Matt Hendricks if they sent Richards packing.  Is someone like Hendricks so much of an upgrade over Richards that you’d be willing to pay his salary plus that extra $6 million for Richards’ buyout – probably $8 million to $9 million total – to make the swap? Money isn’t usually much of a deterrent in stopping the Rangers from making personnel changes, but that’s a massive amount of cash to make a silly move.  As down on Richards as most Rangers fans are, even the biggest pessimists must agree that there’s at least a chance Richards plays better next season.  He can’t be much worse. Rest easy knowing Richards is almost certainly a goner next summer.  The Rangers will need the cash, and after seeing what Richards’ downside looks like the Blueshirts know another seven years of Richards on Broadway isn’t an option.  The club will  use another “get out of jail free” card to erase a mistake, in due time. Tweet