Bantering Points: 2/8/17

For the third game in a row, the Rangers earned two points, this time by knocking off the Anaheim Ducks by a 4-1 margin. With New York continuing it's steep climb out of a Wild Card spot and into the Metropolitan Division's top three, the team will continue it's playoff chase tomorrow night against the Nashville Predators. Here are today's news and links:

Rangers News:

• Highlights: NYR 4, ANA 1 (4:24 Video via NHL.com)
• Game Recap: A vintage performance from Henrik Lundqvist and timely scoring as enough for New York to squeeze by Anaheim (CBS)
• Larry Brooks states why the Rangers shouldn't be a trigger happy team at the trade deadline (NY Post)
• Steve Zipay gives his takeaways from last night's game, including the fact that it was Alain Vigneault's 600th NHL win (Newsday)
• Scott Charles offers his thoughts on the Rangers' 4-1 victory at Madison Square Garden (Blueshirt Bulletin)
• Dave Shapiro examines who New York can use as trade bait leading up to this month's trade deadline (Blue Seat Blogs)
• Josh Khalfin speculates if Alain Vigneault should keep Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller on a line together (Blue Seat Blogs)
• Brandon Cohen suggests the Edmonton Oilers as easy marks for Jeff Gorton to make a deal with (Blue Line Station)
• David Bruce dives into how the Rangers have become one of the NHL's least penalized teams, and why that trend will continue (Blue Line Station)
• Postgame Notes: J.T. Miller's two assist night set a new career high for him, as he's now earned assists in four consecutive games (Official Team Site)
• Postgame Interviews: Alain Vigneault,(4:15) J.T. Miller,(1:14) Henrik Lundqvist,(2:51) Ryan McDonagh,(1:29) and Michael Grabner (1:40) (Official Team Site)
• He hit the ice in seventeen games as a Blueshirt during the 2001-2002 season, and is the only player to play for both the Rangers and Islanders in the same season. Yesterday's player in the picture was.....Daren Van Impe (Wikipedia)

Around the NHL:

• Gary Lawless details why the Vegas Golden Knights should pull out all the stops to hire former Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien as the franchise's first head coach (TSN)
• Josh Cooper passes along video of the Champions Hockey League championship, won by Joel Lundqvist and his Frolunda HC teammates (Puck Daddy)
• Elliotte Friedman authors another edition of 30 Thoughts (Sportsnet)
• Jared Clinton lists five potential destinations for Claude Julien to land (The Hockey News)