Blueshirts United has this quote from Marian Gaborik on his first playoffs as a Ranger...

"This is my first playoff experience in New York and I'm excited about it. We need to remember that this is a full series. We are not going to win it or lose it in one period or in one game. We have to make sure our young guys know that."

...while everyone is focused on how Lundqvist is the biggest key to the series for the Rangers, I think Gaborik is going to be just as important. Lundqvist can stand on his head all he wants, but if the Rangers can't score they're not going to win.

...Gaborik has an opportunity to atone for a lack luster season with a strong playoffs. If you remember Jagr back in 2008, he had a down regular season for his standards in which the fans got on him pretty badly. But when the playoffs came around he stepped up his game (5g, 10a in 15 games) and won back the fans. Hoping for the same thing with Gaborik here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

John Tortorella talks Rangers mindset going into Game 1...

Henrik Lundqvist and Brian McCabe are ready to get the playoffs started...

Brandon Prust & Michael Sauer talk about the Capitals and Game 1...

Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

no comments

Bergen Record
- Rangers must be at their best against Capitals
- Rangers notes: Derek Stepan relieved
- Capitals turn defensive
- Rangers keys to Game 1

New York Post - Drury to Rangers kids: Seize playoff moment

Daily News - Rangers hope youth is served vs. Caps

New York Times - Ovechkin Scores Less, but Capitals Aspire to More

Wall Street Journal - In the Playoffs, Rangers Hope to Ride Hot Goalie

Newsday
- Despite hit, it's Marc Staal in playoffs
- New York vs. Washington D.C.: Tale of 2 Cities
- Staple: Matching up the Rangers and Capitals
- Rangers, Caps take digs at one another

Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Urbandaddy.com reports that the Warren 77 team (which includes Sean Avery & Henrik Lundqvist) is opening a new bar in lower Manhattan...

"You'll call it Tiny's and the Bar Upstairs, a precious little five-hole in the wall from the Warren 77 team (including Sean Avery and Henrik Lundqvist) that'll handle intra-office lunch dates, fireside cocktail congregations and postgame Rangers locker room spillover, opening Friday and taking reservations now."

For more on the bar click here.

...because there aren't enough bars in Manhattan already.

...h/t to reader Vincent A.

Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Here's a pic of TheNYRBlog reader Patrick T. enjoying some sun and the Rangers run to the playoffs on a Florida beach...


As always please continue to e-mail ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) your Rangers related pictures to me so I can post them.

Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Gene Wang at the Capitals Insider reports that Mike Green, out since receiving a Derek Stepan elbow to the chin on Feb. 25th, says that he will be available for Game 1...

"Absolutely, yeah," Green said when asked if was ready to go after practice. "I feel great and in game-shape ready to play."

Asked again immediately thereafter, he said: "I'll be playing. Expect to see me out there."

However, Caps coach Bruce Boudreau is saying Green will be a game time decision.

...expect Green to be in the Caps lineup tomorrow night.

Meanwhile, Stephan Whyno at the Washington Times says Michal Neuvirth will be the Caps Game 1 starter in goal.

...Caps starting a rookie goaltender in Game 1. Sounds good to me.

Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants has quotes from John Tortorella on a wide range of topics...

On Henrik Lundqvist:

"He can taste it, he started thinking about that after we lost to Philly last year and how close we were," Tortorella said. "That's what I've always loved about him is how hard he competes. That's a huge trait he has. I think it filters to our team."

On Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals:
"It's not just him, we've got to be really careful about that. He's a top player in the league but there's a few others over there. We don't have a special remedy. You just have to be aware of where he's at and try to act accordingly and certainly not test the waters against him. Neutral zone play for both teams is going to be important."

On Marian Gaborik:
"I think Gabby cares. If there's one guy, it's a great situation for him. You need to have a short-term memory and move on. You're not defined by regular-season play as a player. You're defined as far as what you do in crucial situations and that's playoff hockey. I know Gabby's willing to grab a hold of this and try to help this club get where it wants to be. That'll go game to game, it'll go shift to shift for him. It has been a struggle for him, there's no hiding that. For players like that, it's going to be wide open for him. He's got to really look forward to it and express himself as a player and look forward to that."

On why Tortorella likes guys without playoff experience:
"The more guys with little playoff experience, the better, and there's not going to be a whole lot of explanation to them. Because it's innocence, they don't know. I think sometimes we all turn it into something bigger and add different pressures when we don't need to. I think innocence in approaching this is a good thing."

For more quotes from Torts click here.

For player quotes click here.

Jesse Spector at The Blueshirts Blog has more here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Update, 11:41 a.m.:
@thenyrangers tweets that Drury-Christensen-Avery skating together with Zuccarello mixing in.

Original Post:
Andrew Gross tweets that for the second straight practice the Rangers lines look like this...

Prospal-Anisimov-Gaborik
Wolski-Boyle-Prust
Dubinsky-Stepan-Fedotenko
Zuccarello/Avery-Christensen-Drury

While Jesse Spector reports that all seven defensemen and both goalies were the ice.

...i didn't think this was possible a week ago, but my gut says Avery is in over MZA tomorrow. I think Torts will go with experience. Either way, neither of them is going to get much ice time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Update, 11:19 a.m.:
Here's another from NHL Network...



Original Post:
Larry Brooks of the New York Post breaks down the Rangers/Caps series...



Linda Cohn (a huge Rangers fan btw) at ESPN tells us how the Rangers can upset the Capitals...



Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The New York Rangers will be hosting numerous viewing parties in the tri-state area tomorrow and Friday.

Tomorrow the parties, which are from 7-10pm, will be at:

- Stout, 133 West 33rd Street (33rd bet. 6th and 7th),New York, NY 10001, (212) 629-6191 with Ron Greschner in attendence

- Black Bear Bar & Grill, 205 Washington Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 656-5511 with Nick Fotiu in attendence

Friday, April 15th parties, also from 7-10pm, will be at...

Mulcahy's, 3232 Railroad Avenue, Wantagh, NY, (516) 783-7500 with Brian Mullin in attendence.

There will be one more party scheduled on Friday but details have not been announced.

...i'm seriously considering going to Mulcahy's on Friday night. Who's in?

Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .