Rangers @ Sabres (Game 25)
The New York Rangers (13-9-2) visit the Buffalo Sabres (9-14-3) at the First Niagara Center starting at 7:00 p.m. For a preview go to Yahoo! Sports.
TV: MSG; Radio: ESPN Radio (98.7 FM), XM 212
Live Stream (Don't click on ads in stream, may download virus):
http://www.firstrow1.eu/watch/174465/1/watch-buffalo-sabres-vs-new-york-rangers.html
Probable Lines:
Hagelin-Richards-Nash
Gaborik-Stepan-Callahan
Pyatt-Miller-Powe
Haley-Halpern-Boyle
McDonagh-Girardi
Del Zotto-Stralman
Gilroy-Eminger
Goaltenders:
Henrik Lundqvist - 11-8-1, 2.24 gaa, .921 sv%, 0 so.
Jhonas Enroth - 0-2-0, 3.93 gaa, .871 sv%, 0 so
Opponent Notes:
- The Sabres have lost four straight (0-2-2).
- Thomas Vanek has just one goal in his last eight games.
- Steve Ott has six points (all assists) and 29 hits in his last six games.
- Drew Stafford has just one goal in his last 11 games.
- Patrick Kaleta will miss tonight's game as he serves the fourth of his five game suspension for his hit from behind on Brad Richards.
- After going scoreless in the first 22 games of the season, Jochen Hecht now has two goals in his last four contests.
- Ville Leino could play tonight after missing the first 26 games with a hip injury. After being out since February 17th with an upper body injury, Jordan Leopold may return tonight as well.
- Ryan Miller is out tonight with a sinus infection. Tyler Ennis, who was knocked out of the Sabres last game against the Flyers, is also out.
- Buffalo has the worst power play in the NHL at 11.8%.
2013 Season Series:
March 3 Rangers 3, Sabres 2 (SO) at MSG
March 12 Rangers vs. Sabres at Buffalo
April 19 Rangers vs. Sabres at Buffalo
Opponent Blog:
Die By The Blade
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http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=35&id=218842&cmpid=nhl-fb
Just single out Mcdonagh on this play, and someone please tell me what the hell he was doing?
“I don’t think the Sabres were the hungrier team. We stunk and I am not going to give Buffalo any credit. I will give their third line credit…they outplayed our top players and that can’t happen.”
“I couldn’t be more disgusted or disappointed with how our top guys played, the way we handled ourselves. That team was ripe to be beat and we simply did not play the way we are supposed to play. I don’t know what to tell you.”
“We sucked and we sucked at a time where you can’t suck. We need to get it straightened out.”
that is torts
@_Jack If this is not calling out Richards and Gaborik, I don't know what else is... Thought Gaborik looked better though today... But Richards looked a lot worse
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@slapshot13j I'm a bigtime Gaborik fan. Every single one of his shots on net makes a goalie look like it's the first time they've ever seen a puck — his shots are AWESOME to watch as a hockey player. However, his game isn't there.
Richards...can puck handle through zones and toss a million blind passes. Give him an 86-game season and towards the end those passes click. His shot is a big fat windup. Sometimes it goes in. Most of all he is a turnover machine.
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Wow I'm glad I missed this one. How can this team even try to pretend to be contenders. Garbage.
@GLENsatherVSglennDANZIG Well, there is a lot of that gong around. Pretending. And for good reason — last year they were greater than the sum of their parts. This year it's Nash and...idk, Stepan? A few makeup this year's team.
@_Jack @GLENsatherVSglennDANZIG and Henrik... he has been playing unbelievable, only shots going in on him are unsaveable and even some of those he is getting. Problem is they have to many chances because our defense has been awful without Staal, so many odd man rushes...
Rangers just aren't that good. A few decent games, pull quotes and our short attention span and impatience think this team had some mojo rising. Nope!
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@_Jack -- almost any team can be "that good" with the right pieces, and they don't have to be stars or anything, it's about a team coming together. that's a lot of our problem right now. this team, despite appearances, has many of the right pieces, they just haven't quite been able to put them together -- and especially not with any consistency ... but the longer this type of crap goes on, the tougher it is to break out of it ...
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@kicker75 -- To me it looks like it's definitely both. The responsibility of leadership falls on the coach as well as the players, some more than others. The coach has to lead the team's focus and attitude, and the team leaders embody that message -- that's why I think Ryan Callahan is indispensable, he represents the team's focus and attitude and is often the difference in a game.
We are coming off a streak of 4 wins followed by a loss (Ottawa), a win (Washington), and a loss (Buffalo). So the Rangers are hanging in, even though they clearly need to be better, and it's even more challenging in a shortened season like this.
Last year's Rangers, after some bumps in an uncertain start, finished first in the Eastern Conference with 109 points (51-24-7). Even if they didn't have enough in the tank for a longer run, the team showed collective character and resiliency.
So far this year's team isn't quite showing that kind of character, but they've had flashes of brilliance and they still have time to pull this together ... but not much time.
@AG_Blue one of the greatest post games interviews... the only thing he said was "We Sucked... Our first line sucked" like 5 times.
Sam and JD may have been my favorite sports commentary tandem ... but honestly Micheletti does a better job in terms of hockey commentary
@AG_Blue Brian Engblom(so?) has no pizazz but he does some really smart, thought-provoking ants is
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@kicker75 Dolan actually gets really upset when commentators call out the players and the way the team is playing, correct??
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@JustinRP37 @kicker75 I'd like to see one of the players or commentators call out the ticket prices going up, and how it makes it a shitty stadium the play in
@JustinRP37 -- i know you're not the only one ... hahaha ... most of the TV's get yelled at ... others have it a little worse ...
@AG_Blue Haha well now I know for the next time this team decides the time is right for a shit show! And I agree occasional emphasis is okay. Unless the rest of the season looks like this. Then it could get pretty bad. I almost broke my TV once this year...
@Rex_Havok @JustinRP37 @kicker75 -- yeah, it would be so cool to see someone show some fucking balls and call 'em out for what a shit show it is ... @JustinRP37 , you're banned ;) ... but seriously, that stuff doesn't make better reading for anybody, but the occasional emphasis can be okay
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@Rex_Havok @JustinRP37 @kicker75 Dolan would get rid of them immediately, even if it was Hank hahaa
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@kicker75 -- man, it's great when they can sneak in a little truth ... Dave is definitely good for that
Pittsburgh just won... dont even ask me how. They lose to the Pens on Saturday, division is over in my mind.... 10 points up they'd be
despite what the kids around here tell you, it's not all on the stat sheet ... that said, only one of our "indispensable" rangers had a point tonight ... and the other guy? 61? ... Lunkies with only 19 saves on 22 shots ...
@AG_Blue look at those goals against Hank... which one did you want him to stop? Cally played great on the PK, but like everyone else did nothing 5 on 5.... Also Hank kept us in the game, easily could have been 5 or 6 to 1. And Nash got only 4 mins of play in the second period because of the PK, which kills the flow of his game in my opinion
@slapshot13j -- just making noise, i didn't see any of the game, doesn't sound good though ... but to answer your question, i want him to save all of them
@AG_Blue the first goal was an off the back board, through the leg goal which Hank had no chance on, second was a perfect breakaway by Vanek, and the third was a rebound goal that Girardi couldnt clear
I wonder if Stepan ever gets another chance with Nash? If not I dont think we are getting the most efficiency out of the players....
Also tonight was a perfect example of why not having staal is a huge loss, top 2 dman -6 combined
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The Hagelin-Stepan-Nash line never shouldve been broken up. Guess in Torts mind if a line is successful its time to switch it up
@Rex_Havok @slapshot13j fair enough, just dont get why Stepan got moved down, Richards looks awful
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@slapshot13j @Rex_Havok -- Richards doesn't seem to get the Torts treatment some of the other guys get ... he's got a million "get out of jail free" cards
