Monthly Archives: March 2009
The Rangers have recalled defenseman Corey Potter from Hartford and sent down defenseman Michael Sauer.
Sauer played 3 games after being called up last week, but only played about 2 minutes yesterday in Pittsburgh.
Potter was up earlier this season.
Andrew Gross of the Record reports from John Tortorella’s postgame press conference, that the team is planning to call up a defenseman from Hartford for their next practice.
Rookie Michael Sauer only played 1:59 in today’s game and was a minus-2, his third game since being called up from Hartford last week.
Tortorella had this to say:
“When kids get brought up, they get that juice of adrenaline,” Tortorella said. “Then, sooner or later, they settle down to what you’re going to be at this particular time in your maturity. He’s in the middle of a playoff race, getting called up and being asked to put the mitts on against some very good teams, on the road, where you can’t always get the match you want. It was a lot for him.”
Gross notes that Bobby Sanguinetti, Corey Potter, Brian Fahey or Vladimir Denisov are the most likely call-ups.
The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the New York Rangers 4 to 3 in Pitt today. 
For a recap and stats visit SNY.tv
- The Rangers stay in 7th with 87 points and Pittsburgh jumps into 5th with 90.
- Max Talbot(11) and Matt Cooke(10) opened the scoring for Pitt.
- Ryan Callahan(20) and Brandon Dubinsky(10) tied the game up with less than 3 minutes left in the first.
- Ruslan Fedetenko(14) gave Pitt the lead 3-2, 4:41 into the 2nd.
- Nik Antropov(27) tied the game at 15:16 of the 2nd.
- Sidney Crosby, who else, won it for the Pens midway through the 3rd.
- Colton Orr was given a 5 minute major for interference 2:47 into the 3rd period and a game misconduct.
- The Rangers were 9 for 9 on penalty kills.
The Rangers next game is Monday night against division leading New Jersey.
The Game:
The New York Rangers play an absolutely huge game in Pittsburgh today against the Penguins. The Pens are one
point ahead of the Rangers for 6th place in the East.
The Goaltenders:
Henrik Lundqvist (34-22-7, 2.47 GAA) starts in net for the Rangers.
Marc-Andre Fleury (31-17-6, 3.09 GAA) gets the start for the Pens.
Pitt’s Leading Scorers:
Evgeni Malkin: 33 goals, 73 assists
Sidney Crosby: 22 goals, 68 assists
Chris Kunitz: 22 goals, 26 assists
Monzo’s Keys to the Game:
-Big rebound game for Marc Staal and Dan Girardi — both being a -4 last time out.
-Look for Nik Zherdev to continue his hot play — scoring four goals in five games.
-As always, get a body on Petr Sykora — since leaving the Rangers after a short stint back in 2006, he has killed them.
All Time:
Overall: 110-90-23-6
At Pittsburgh: 47-47-14-5
This Season vs Pitt:
Oct. 25 Rangers 3, Penguins 2 (SO) at MSG
Dec. 3 Rangers 3, Penguins 2 (SO) at MSG
Jan. 5 Rangers 4, Penguins 0 at MSG
Jan. 18 Rangers 0, Penguins 3 at Pittsburgh
Jan. 28 Rangers 2, Penguins 6 at Pittsburgh
March 28 Rangers vs. Penguins at Pittsburgh
How To Catch It:
Tonight’s game can be seen on MSG and can be heard on 1050 AM.
NY Post: RANGERS MARCH TO PENGUINS
That’s because beginning with this afternoon’s match here against the Penguins, six of their seven remaining contests are against clubs the Blueshirts trail in the standings. The seventh is against the Canadiens, a team the Blueshirts will fall behind if they lose in regulation and Montreal beats Buffalo tonight.
A Rangers victory today would give the Blueshirts the season-series tiebreak advantage against the Penguins should the clubs finish with identical records. The Rangers and Penguins each have six points thus far in the series with the Blueshirts 3-2 against Pittsburgh‘s 2-1-2. The Rangers trail the Penguins by one point in the overall standings.
NY Post: TORTORELLA ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE MINUTES ON ICE MORE EVENLY
As such, when a midseason change is made behind the bench, the best way to judge the difference in the way the coaches evaluate their players is to check the athletes’ ice time.
Newsday: Tortorella cools off after loss; Penguins next
“I don’t use Sean four-on-four,” he said. “I have three groups I like using there, there were some power plays, some four-on-threes that I don’t put Sean on … Naz, he lost some ice time along the way because I thought some other guys were [playing well]. He may get 20 minutes [Saturday]; he may get eight minutes. Depends on what goes on. That’s just the way it is.”
The Record: Rangers look to finish the job
“It’s more just developing a killer instinct as a team,” defenseman Marc Staal said. “Going into an arena with an arrogance that we know we’re going to win and go at a team and finish them off. Knowing we are a good team and not hoping. When we play at our best, we’re a very difficult team to play against.
The always informed and well spoken Kevin Allen of USA Today takes a look at the top 30 potential UFA’s.
Allen breaks down the cap and how it will effect where some players go.
He ranks current Rangers Nik Antropov and Derek Morris at numbers 19 and 30 respectively.
Marian Hossa, Jay Bouwmeester and Mike Komisarek top the list.
Monzo: Would love Mike Komisarek next season, but I think with the cap issues there is no way. With Michael Del Zotto, Bobby Sanguinetti, Corey Potter and Michael Sauer all in waiting, it may not be worth spending that kind of cash on a defenseman — especially with Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden locked up for the next few seasons.
I had a chance to talk with NHL Radio’s Bill Clement. The former Flyer and I talked about John Tortorella, Sean Avery and the Eastern Conference Playoff Race-
NY Daily News: Rangers blow game against Thrashers, John Tortorella blows up
For a change, power plays actually helped the Rangers Thursday night. It was every other part of their game that fell completely to pieces – including, by night’s end, their head coach.
Newsday: Rangers give up 3-goal lead, lose in shootout
“I thought we — tonight, right through the game. We were fortunate to get a point” was Tortorella’s response to the first question.
NY Post: RANGERS THRASHED IN SHOOTOUT
Would you like to know why Sean Avery got so little ice time last night, or why Tortorella went with only six forwards in the overtime period, or why the Rangers were so undisciplined in losing 5-4 to the 27th-overall Thrashers even after stumbling and bumbling their way to a late second-period 4-1 lead?
The Record: Tortorella livid over Ranger loss
← Older postsNewer posts →In their sloppiest outing under the fiery Tortorella, the Rangers — the only team on the ice playing for the playoffs — blew a three-goal lead and lost a six-round shootout to the Thrashers, 5-4, Thursday night at Philips Arena.
