In the Rangers 2-1 shootout victory over the Nashville Predators Saturday afternoon, the Rangers were a disappointing 0-4 on the power play. In the Rangers last five games, they have gone 4-21 on the power play, and they have dropped to seventeenth place in the NHL when it comes to power play percentage.
Free agent defenseman, Marc-Andre Bergeron, is currently talking to 10 different teams regarding a contract. One of those teams are believed to be the New York Rangers.
Bergeron is known for his power play skill, and his ability to quarterback a top power play unit. If the Rangers GM Glen Sather can pull off a low-cost, low risk one-year contract to acquire Bergeron, he will. Sather is currently in search of a left-handed, veteran defenseman, and he would prefer a power play specialist such as Marc-Andre Bergeron.
Bergeron would be an excellent addition to the current New York Rangers roster, and since the 2010-11 NHL season is still very young, a small acquisition like Bergeron would not have a major effect on the Rangers current game plan.
Expect Bergeron to sign very soon, as he has recently been cleared to play, and expect the Rangers to be top competitors in the Bergeron sweepstakes.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
New York Rangers Update: Henrik Lundqvist Starting, Michal Rozsival Set To Return, "Boogey-Man" Out, Marian Gaborik Sick
Here is the latest news reagarding the New York Rangers.
Henrik Lundqvist
Lundqvist will get the start in goal tongiht for the Rangers as they take on Nashville. Lundqvist is coming off an excellent 40-save shutout on Friday, and would like to have another bounce-back start.
Michal Rozsival
Rangers defenseman, Michal Rozsival, is set to return to the Rangers lineup for the first time since a shoulder injury.
Rozsival missed nine games due to the injury, but he is ready to play in Nashville tonight.
Derek Boogaard and Marian Gaborik
The "Boogey-Man" will sit out for the second straight game with a shoulder injury, allowing Todd White the chance to play.
Marian Gaborik will not play tongiht, as he is out with the flu. The Rangers will carry 11 forwards and seven defenseman for tonights game.
That's all for now.
Henrik Lundqvist
Lundqvist will get the start in goal tongiht for the Rangers as they take on Nashville. Lundqvist is coming off an excellent 40-save shutout on Friday, and would like to have another bounce-back start.
Michal Rozsival
Rangers defenseman, Michal Rozsival, is set to return to the Rangers lineup for the first time since a shoulder injury.
Rozsival missed nine games due to the injury, but he is ready to play in Nashville tonight.
Derek Boogaard and Marian Gaborik
The "Boogey-Man" will sit out for the second straight game with a shoulder injury, allowing Todd White the chance to play.
Marian Gaborik will not play tongiht, as he is out with the flu. The Rangers will carry 11 forwards and seven defenseman for tonights game.
That's all for now.
Maple Leafs and Senators to Battle on HNIC
Just hours from now, the Ottawa Senators will play host to the Toronto Maple Leafs in what will be the Leafs' 22 game of the season, and the Senators' 24th.
Tonight's game will be the third meeting between the two teams this season. The Maple Leafs won the first meeting 5-1 on October 9th in Toronto before falling 3-2 at home on November 2nd.
The Maple Leafs have won three of their last five games, including three straight at home. Unfortunately for the Buds, they have also dropped six consecutive games on the road. With a Maple Leafs win, a Senators loss and a Sabres loss tonight, the three teams will be tied for third in the Northeast Division.
Jonas Gustavsson, who will start tonight, has been nothing but impressive during Jean-Sebastien Giguere's time out. The 26-year-old is 3-5-1 this season and has a goals against average of 2.39 to go along with a .919 save percentage. Gustavsson's recent success has earned him another start, as he will get the nod tonight against the Senators.
Phil Kessel, who was benched for most of the second period of Tuesday's victory over the Dallas Stars, had an assists in last night's 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. He leads the team with 10 goals and will be expected to help lead the Maple Leafs to victory tonight. Nikolai Kulemin, meanwhile has four points in his last five games, but has just one goal during that same span. He has 13 points in 21 games this season.
For the Senators, goalie Pascal LeClaire has played extremely well since returning to the lineup, allowing just two goals in his last three games. He has a save percentage of .938 in those three games.
Mike Brown will be a game-time decision for the Maple Leafs, while Ron Wilson would not confirm that Brett Lebda, who has been a healthy scratch for the last four games, will draw back into the lineup. Colby Armstrong and Dion Phaneuf are still on the injured reserve and will not play.
**Follow Lukas on Twitter @SportsHazeLukas for breaking hockey news and rumors.
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Tonight's game will be the third meeting between the two teams this season. The Maple Leafs won the first meeting 5-1 on October 9th in Toronto before falling 3-2 at home on November 2nd.
The Maple Leafs have won three of their last five games, including three straight at home. Unfortunately for the Buds, they have also dropped six consecutive games on the road. With a Maple Leafs win, a Senators loss and a Sabres loss tonight, the three teams will be tied for third in the Northeast Division.
Jonas Gustavsson, who will start tonight, has been nothing but impressive during Jean-Sebastien Giguere's time out. The 26-year-old is 3-5-1 this season and has a goals against average of 2.39 to go along with a .919 save percentage. Gustavsson's recent success has earned him another start, as he will get the nod tonight against the Senators.
Phil Kessel, who was benched for most of the second period of Tuesday's victory over the Dallas Stars, had an assists in last night's 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. He leads the team with 10 goals and will be expected to help lead the Maple Leafs to victory tonight. Nikolai Kulemin, meanwhile has four points in his last five games, but has just one goal during that same span. He has 13 points in 21 games this season.
For the Senators, goalie Pascal LeClaire has played extremely well since returning to the lineup, allowing just two goals in his last three games. He has a save percentage of .938 in those three games.
Mike Brown will be a game-time decision for the Maple Leafs, while Ron Wilson would not confirm that Brett Lebda, who has been a healthy scratch for the last four games, will draw back into the lineup. Colby Armstrong and Dion Phaneuf are still on the injured reserve and will not play.
**Follow Lukas on Twitter @SportsHazeLukas for breaking hockey news and rumors.
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Modano Undergoes Surgery; Out Indefinitely
He will be out for an indefinite amount of time.
The laceration was caused by a skate blade that made contact with his wrist during the second period of the Red Wings' 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night. Modano left the game immediately and headed back to Detroit, where the surgery was performed.
According to TSN.ca, the injury included one severed tendon and slight nerve damage.
This season is his first without the Dallas Stars, who he played 20 seasons for before signing a one-year contract with Detroit in the off-season.
The 40-year-old has played in 20 games this season, scoring just one goal and six assists to go along with a minus-3 rating. In 1,479-career NHL regular season games, Modano has 559 goals and 808 assists, a total of 1,367 points.
The Michigan native is the all-time leading goal scorer and points leader amongst American-born players in the NHL.
**Follow Lukas on Twitter @SportsHazeLukas for breaking hockey news and rumors.
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New York Rangers Look To Continue Winning In Nashville Saturday Night
Tonight, the New York Rangers will finish off their three game road trip in Nashvillie taking on the Predators.
Friday night, the Rangers shut-out the Florida Panthers 3-0, with several players leading the team to victory.
Henrik Lundqvist had a major bounce-back game with the shutout, and other major players in the victory were Sean Avery, Brandon Prust, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Ryan Callahan, and Brandon Dubinsky.
New Lines
The Rangers coach, John Tortorella, played with the line combinations for this game, and the new lines paid-off.
The best line for the Rangers was the line of Ryan Callahan-Brian Boyle-Ruslan Fedotenko.
This line dominated defensively, consatnly blocking shots, clearing the crease of players (Boyle), and clearing the zone.
The other Rangers lines for Fridays game, were:
Marian Gaborik-Derek Stepan-Brandon Dubinsky
Callahan-Boyle-Fedotenko
Sean Avery-Artem Anisimov-Brandon Prust
Alex Frolov-Erik Christensen-Todd White
Will the Lines stay?
Though the lines worked wonders for the Rangers on Friday, they may not stay the same for much longer.
According to the NY Post, Tortorella may-or-may not keep these lines.
We will find out for sure later today during Tortorellas pre-game press conference.
Who will start?
Lundqvist finally won a game, after losing his previous three starts. He may start for the third straight game, and second straight night, tongiht; but I would not be surprised to see Martin Biron in goal against Nashville.
If there are any lineup changes, expect an update.
Friday night, the Rangers shut-out the Florida Panthers 3-0, with several players leading the team to victory.
Henrik Lundqvist had a major bounce-back game with the shutout, and other major players in the victory were Sean Avery, Brandon Prust, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Ryan Callahan, and Brandon Dubinsky.
New Lines
The Rangers coach, John Tortorella, played with the line combinations for this game, and the new lines paid-off.
The best line for the Rangers was the line of Ryan Callahan-Brian Boyle-Ruslan Fedotenko.
This line dominated defensively, consatnly blocking shots, clearing the crease of players (Boyle), and clearing the zone.
The other Rangers lines for Fridays game, were:
Marian Gaborik-Derek Stepan-Brandon Dubinsky
Callahan-Boyle-Fedotenko
Sean Avery-Artem Anisimov-Brandon Prust
Alex Frolov-Erik Christensen-Todd White
Will the Lines stay?
Though the lines worked wonders for the Rangers on Friday, they may not stay the same for much longer.
According to the NY Post, Tortorella may-or-may not keep these lines.
We will find out for sure later today during Tortorellas pre-game press conference.
Who will start?
Lundqvist finally won a game, after losing his previous three starts. He may start for the third straight game, and second straight night, tongiht; but I would not be surprised to see Martin Biron in goal against Nashville.
If there are any lineup changes, expect an update.
Friday, November 26, 2010
NHL Rumors: Bergeron Not Returning to Habs, Bieksa to The Islanders?
Bergeron ready to return, but not with Montreal
According to SpectorsHockey.net (via RDS.ca), defenceman Marc-Andre Bergeron has been given medical clearance to play, but won't be returning with the Montreal Canadiens, who he played for last season.
The report states that the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks are all believed to be interested in the 30-year-old.
Bergeron played in 60 games with the Habs last season, putting up 34 points, including 13 goals. In 399-career NHL regular season games, Bergeron has 75 goals and 119 assists.
Kevin Bieksa to the Islanders?
This isn't to say the Vancouver Canucks will ship defenceman Kevin Bieksa to the New York Islanders, but it is possible.
The Islanders, who were riding a 14-game losing streaking going into Friday afternoon's tilt with the New Jersey Devils, are looking to make a trade, according to TheFourthPeriod.com.
The report says the Islanders have over $16 million in cap space to work with, meaning general manager Garth Snow might be willing to take on a large contract to help another team with its cap problems.
Kelly Friesen, meanwhile, reported via Twitter that Bieksa had been "supposedly traded," however turned out that Bieksa never did get traded. Still, it has been widely reported for what seems to be ages now that Bieksa is on the trade block, and that many teams have been calling Canucks general manager Mike Gillis to discuss a trade.
The Islanders sat last in the NHL with just four wins and 13 points through their first 21 games. They lack the defensive talent neccessary to make it into the playoffs and there is no doubt Bieksa would recieve top-four minutes, possibly even top-two minutes, in New York.
**Follow Lukas on Twitter @SportsHazeLukas for breaking hockey news and rumors, as well as Toronto Maple Leafs game updates.
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Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Burke Still Looking to Trade, Could Use Goalies as Bait
Despite the recent success the Toronto Maple Leafs have been experiencing (winning three of their last four and three straight at home), general manager Brian Burke is still looking to make a trade, according to TheFourthPeriod.com (via the Toronto Sun).
The report suggests Burke still wants to add an "offensive-minded" forward, be it a centre or a winger.
The speculation has led many to wonder what Burke might use as potential trade bait, naming Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin and, of course, Tomas Kaberle as options. However, with sophomore Jonas Gustavsson, the injured Jean-Sebastien Giguere and surprisingly impressive minor leaguer Jussi Rynnas all under contract, the goaltending position could be a focal point.
Gustavsson has been getting plenty of playing time during Giguere's absence. In nine games this season, Gustavsson is 3-4-1 and has a save percentage of .922 to go along with a goals against average of 2.30. With a career record of 19-19-10, save percentage of .906 and goals against average of 2.77, Gustavsson could be in line for a much bigger role with the Maple Leafs.
Giguere, meanwhile, has also been impressive. The 35-year-old is 5-5-2, has a save percentage of .895 and has a goals against average of 2.78 in 12 games this season. Unfortunately, however, he earns $6 million this season and could be feeling the pressure from Rynnas, who has a GAA of 1.79 and a save percentage of .941 in 12 games with the Toronto Marlies this season.
The problem with trading Giguere is that he has a no-trade clause, meaning he gets to block any trade he is involved in. Any deal would be hard for the Maple Leafs to complete before Christmas, however, as Burke's self-imposed holiday trade freeze goes into effect on December 9th.
**Follow Lukas on Twitter @SportsHazeLukas for breaking hockey news and rumors, as well as Toronto Maple Leafs game updates.
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The report suggests Burke still wants to add an "offensive-minded" forward, be it a centre or a winger.
The speculation has led many to wonder what Burke might use as potential trade bait, naming Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin and, of course, Tomas Kaberle as options. However, with sophomore Jonas Gustavsson, the injured Jean-Sebastien Giguere and surprisingly impressive minor leaguer Jussi Rynnas all under contract, the goaltending position could be a focal point.
Gustavsson has been getting plenty of playing time during Giguere's absence. In nine games this season, Gustavsson is 3-4-1 and has a save percentage of .922 to go along with a goals against average of 2.30. With a career record of 19-19-10, save percentage of .906 and goals against average of 2.77, Gustavsson could be in line for a much bigger role with the Maple Leafs.
Giguere, meanwhile, has also been impressive. The 35-year-old is 5-5-2, has a save percentage of .895 and has a goals against average of 2.78 in 12 games this season. Unfortunately, however, he earns $6 million this season and could be feeling the pressure from Rynnas, who has a GAA of 1.79 and a save percentage of .941 in 12 games with the Toronto Marlies this season.
The problem with trading Giguere is that he has a no-trade clause, meaning he gets to block any trade he is involved in. Any deal would be hard for the Maple Leafs to complete before Christmas, however, as Burke's self-imposed holiday trade freeze goes into effect on December 9th.
**Follow Lukas on Twitter @SportsHazeLukas for breaking hockey news and rumors, as well as Toronto Maple Leafs game updates.
lukas.hardonk@gmail.com
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