Rangers Analysis: Links, quotes and fights!
The Rangers look to go for four wins in a row tonight, when they host the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden. Here are some links for you all.
Andrew Gross over at Rangers Rants takes a quick look at the Brandon Dubinsky Brian Boyle heavyweight fight that occurred in practice last night. Here are some highlights from the full story:
One thing to remember: hockey players fighting is not like you fighting with somebody, even a friend. For the most part, it’s a very swift current taking the water under the bridge. So Brian Boyle and Brandon Dubinsky lobbing a couple of punches at each other at today’s optional skate is not headline material. The two were quickly separated, even as Aaron Voros tried to get in on the action, and joked about it together soon after in the dressing room.
"We’re giving you stuff to write about," Dubinsky told the media as he passed by Boyle’s stall. "The stuff you write is so stale."
Not a big deal, this happens all the time. Literally nothing to look into or analyze, best to forget that it even happened.
Andrew Gross also has a nice quote from Tortorella about what he expects from his team:
"I think sometimes it’s a misconception on the team concept," Tortorella said. "We want to forecheck. But when we talk about it as far as getting up the ice and forechecking and pressuring, people say they just want to go. That certainly hasn’t been our philosophy from Day 1 because you have to play defense in this league. We have changed a little bit in the neutral zone where it’s kind of a hybrid right now. When we have chances to go, we’re going. When we’re not, we’re going to be a little bit smarter as far as filling the middle. That was probably a couple of weeks ago we changed into that. But I think we’ve gotten better defensively, too. When you’re having problems scoring goals, you fall into that trap of just scoring goals and you forget about the details of playing defense. We have always talked about playing defense first and when we say defense first, it doesn’t mean we’re falling back and playing in our end zone. Defense is when you don’t have the puck, just being on the right side of the puck. We’ve gotten better and better on the odd man rushes and that’s just being cognizant of being on the right side of the puck."
Again not sure I can add too much here. Join me after the jump.
Should be a fun one tonight where the Rangers take on the 8th place in the East Panthers. The Panthers are two points ahead of the Rangers with one less win--so a win tonight propels the Rangers to a playoff spot. The last time these two teams met the Rangers beat the Panters 2-1 in the skills competition in Florida.
On some personal notes I would expect the line-up to stay the same as it did against the Hurricanes. Expect Henrik Lundqvist in goal and both Wade Redden and Ales Kotalik in the line-up. The Rangers are going to have to play a very solid gae to be the Panthers, who are a very good team this year.
Prediction time here but I have a gut feeling that Michael Del Zotto has a huge game tonight. Just a thought. What are your thoughts on all of this?
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17 comments
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Comments
Hope...
these guys play well tonight… Florida smoked Philly the other day…then again Philly would be better with a shooter tutor in net.
by fromthe51hate on Dec 23, 2009 10:15 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
MDZ
What makes you say that? Gut feeling? Or the fact that he’s been pretty consistantly solid all year? Obviously his offensive game has developed a whole heck of a lot faster than his defensive game.
The Dubinsky fight in practice is great news. Nice too see him finally get a bug in his a$$ and go all out. He played probably his best game of the year Monday night.. hope he can keep it going.
by DJ Wuss on Dec 23, 2009 10:18 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Great to see intensity, but...
Is it a good idea for an integral part of this team to be dropping the gloves (in practice, no less) after he just missed 4 weeks with a broken hand??!
by AZRangerFan on Dec 23, 2009 4:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Dumb? Yes. However, the kid’s got swagger and you can’t teach that.
by goodieNY on Dec 23, 2009 5:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
A win at home
would be really nice, I think it would be the perfect confidence booster they need after these wins.Wow,just looked, we haven’t won at home since Nov 23rd vs the blue jackets!…yeah we need this win at home.
Si Vis Pacum Parabellum
by JM82 on Dec 23, 2009 10:58 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I thought the last time we played the Panthers
was in Florida when we won in overtime?
by Lunkwill Fook on Dec 23, 2009 11:03 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
you're right
whoopsie
Blueshirt Banter: Covering the New York Rangers the only NHL team with three home arenas.
by Joe Fortunato on Dec 23, 2009 11:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
My gut says this is going to be all about how well the goaltenders play tonight. Both teams are playing particularly better hockey as of late. Florida has been filling the nets, so if the Rangers are going to win they will need Lundqvist to be a beast. Same goes for Vokoun. The Rangers are bound to have more of the opportunities that they have been creating go in or towards the net. My money is that special teams win this game.
Rule #1. Cardio. Rule #2 Double Tap.
by CTRangersFan on Dec 23, 2009 11:07 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
fairly ballsy of dubi to drop the mits with boyle..who is not a good fighter by any means but damn is he is a big boy..good to see there is some fight in this team..even at practice..hope they keep rollin
by inHANKweTruST on Dec 23, 2009 11:21 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Both of em!
Dubi is gritty,which I love about him,,but his fightin skills need lotsa work,lol. I always cringe (when it does happen) when he drops the gloves,cuz he usually gets the worst of it. Maybe “practicing” with Boyle will improve his skills,couldn’t hurt!……cept his grill.
Si Vis Pacum Parabellum
by JM82 on Dec 23, 2009 11:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
i like what the rangers are doing now but lets not kid ourselves…still the only reason why we are barely winning games is because of henrik, gabby, and staal…I put staal in there cuz i believe he has become the cornerstone of this defense…i definitely wanna see more secondary scoring from the rangers and i think now it will come for the reason that the team is gaining confidence…so lets hope this streak can continue
i actually wanna see what chad johnson can do in net…i hope we get to see him soon
by nutz_35 on Dec 23, 2009 12:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
forgot to mention
rosival has been playing excellent the past couple of games and lets hope this continues…because even if still no one wants his fat contract at least he’ll be somewhat of a threat as a ranger….but if he keeps playing like this until the trade deadline i can see a contendor taking a chance on him…redden on the other hand (we’re f’in screwed)
by nutz_35 on Dec 23, 2009 12:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
haha yea, a contender for the first pick in the draft, i don’t think any gm is saying to themselves, maybeeee the missing piece to our puzzles is…..MICHAEL ROSZIVAL!
by Dougee on Dec 23, 2009 2:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
were we saying that with derek morris?
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
by Moshe52792 on Dec 23, 2009 3:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
good point
but he was an expiring contract
by Ahmad Bradshaw on Dec 23, 2009 3:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Tonight’s the first game in awhile where we have the chance to put ourselves back in the top 8 – with a regulation win. I hope that and the fact that we’ve sucked at home motivates the team to come out with the right intensity. I have a feeling this won’t be as easy as the last 3, and they weren’t really that easy.
by Joe1969 on Dec 23, 2009 1:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

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