Three Stars: 1. Henrik Lundqvist (35 saves) 2. Brian Elliot (27 saves) 3. Chris Phillips
Final Score: New York Rangers: 2 Ottawa Senators: 1
Goalie Stats Henrik Lundqvist: SV: 35 SV%: .972 GA: 1 Brian Elliot: SV: 27 SV%: .964 GA: 1
Recap Notes: - You let your goalie down by letting up a short handed goal Senators - Vinny Prospal scored a short handed goal! - 7 round shoot out... nice miss Michalek - Can't this be like the Special Olympics and everyone wins? - Callahan must've pissed Alfredsson of, as Alfie kept shooting directly at him - The goal is to shoot around players, not at them - Both teams missed fantastic opportunities to end the game in regulation - Everyone but the goalies should be ashamed of themselves
Three Stars: 1. Henrik Lundqvist (29 saves, shutout, giant pads) 2. Marian Gaborik (only goal of the game) 3. Tim Thomas (22 saves)
Final Score: New York Rangers: 1 Boston Bruins: 0
Goalie Stats Henrik Lundqvist: SV: 29 SV%: 1.00 GA: 0 Tim Thomas: SV: 22 SV%: .957 GA: 1
Recap Notes: - Bruins offense is in hibernation - 3 of the last 4 meetings between these two teams ended in shutouts (Bruins won last game 1-0 on April 4th) - Sean Avery mouthed off before the game - Chara smashed Avery into a pile of goo in the first - Avery didn't talk the rest of the game - Funny how that works, isn't it? - Bruins still have not won, or lost, two games in a row this season - That means they will beat Detroit tomorrow - New York's offense is Maple Leaf-like without Gaborik - Boston's offense is starting to be Maple Leaf-like in general - Not much to say in this game.... barely anything happened
Three Stars: 1. Mike Cammalleri 2. Brian Gionta 3. Marian Gaborik
Final Score: Montreal Canadiens: 5 New York Rangers: 4
Goalie Stats Jaroslav Halak: SV: 23 SV%: .851 GA: 4 Henrik Lundqvist: SV: 26 SV%: .839 GA: 5
Recap Notes: The Montreal Canadiens let the New York Rangers go up 3-1 in the first period, but battled back to win the game 5-4 in over time off a Mike Cammalleri goal.
Cammalleri's overtime goal completed his hat trick on the night and led Montreal to their third straight victory.
Ultimately, as hard as the Canadiens fought, it was poor play, turnovers and penalties by the Rangers that helped Montreal get back into the game.
Brandon Dubinsky had a horrible turnover that lead directly to a Canadiens goal. Ex-Hab Christopher Higgins took a bad high-sticking penalty that gave the Canadiens a 5-3 that also led to a goal. Foul play?!?!
Coach Torts was not happy:
"And [Higgins] is a guy that I think we've been patient with. It's a penalty that puts us down 5-on-3, but the backcheck on the goal, we get beat up the ice -- again, if you're not helping us offensively you need to do the other things and there has to be some consequences to this."
Rangers Likely Goalie:Michelin Man Henrik Lundqvist
Preview Notes: The Rangers have had themselves a nice little start to their season, Montreal not so much. The good news is that Montreal is showing signs of turning things around, if they could just turn all of their potential into skill.
Lundqvist and his massive, massive padding will probably be getting the start tonight for lack of a better option.
The Rangers are going to be looking to snap their 2 game losing streak, whereas Montreal is riding high on a two game win streak.
Looks like Price is going to have to wait a little longer (and gain some skill) before his centennial start. Halak will need to be sharp as the Rangers are averaging just under 4 goals a game. Maybe Montreal will catch a break and Gaborik's groin will finally give out...again.
Recap Notes: As expected, the Rangers rolled to an easy victory over the hapless Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs are one of two teams (along with the Islanders) that still do not have a victory on the season.
``We've hit rock bottom,'' said Leafs forward Lee Stempniak. ``There's no lower to go.''
Marian Gaborik didn’t score, but he did add two assists and has scored in each of the Rangers games this season. The Rangers are now 7-1-0 on the season. Ian White had the lone goal for the Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs do not have another game for 7 days, which should give the “forgiving” Toronto media plenty of time to rub salt in the wounds of a team that doesn’t seem like it can get any lower. Especially if you ask Ron Wilson:
``I understand how frustrated the fans are - I do understand that,'' said Wilson. ``But booing doesn't help.''
Toronto Maple Leafs Record: 0-5-1 (Last in the Northeast)
New York Rangers Record: 6-1-0 (2nd in the Atlantic)
Maple Leafs Record vs. Rangers Since 2005: Toronto is 8-5-0-3
Maple Leafs Likely Goalie: Joey MacDonald
Rangers Likely Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist
Preview Notes: The Rangers won the first meeting of the season in convincing fashion, 7-2. But to be far, everyone so far this season beats the Maple Leafs in convincing fashion.
New York is strong from top to bottom. Their offense is clicking, and vicariously the power play is as well. Lundqvist is his usual self and the defense in front of him is playing extremely well. The Rangers have won six in a row.
Ron Wilson's line up shuffles had no effect in their last game. The Maple Leafs have lost their last 3 games by a combined score of 16-5 and is still the only team in the league with less than 2 points. The first win of the season is not looking likely for the Maple Leafs.
In the injury ward, the Rangers' Donald Brashear is questionable to start, which could be good news for the faces of the Maple Leafs players. Toronto is on its third string goalie, Joey MacDonald, with Vesa Toskala and Jonas Gustavsson out with injuries. Gaborik is going to have a field day.
So much for that offseason defensive make over. The Toronto Maple Leafs have now let up 24 goals in 5 games after falling 7-2 to the New York Rangers.
Through the first two periods the Rangers twice had two goal leads but each time let the Maple Leafs close within one.
Ryan Callahan opened the scoring on a power play goal (well, Luke Schenn did... but he put it in the wrong net) and Wade Redden scored a few minutes later to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. With less than a minute left in the first Alexei Ponikarovsky scored to make the score 2-1.
The Rangers started the second quick as Dan Giradi scored a goal just 26 seconds in (again, the shot bounced off Ian White's stick... Toronto is scoring just on the wrong side). Jason Blake would score a power play goal 17 minutes in to bring the score to 3-2.
Then... the third period happened. Toronto lost what little concept of team defense it had and the Rangers had their way with the Maple Leafs.
Sean Avery scored twice, Marian Gaborik extended his point scoring streak and Dan Giradi got his second goal of the game.
"We kept battling until the third period but that fourth goal seemed to discourage us completely, which was the disturbing thing," Toronto coach Ron Wilson said. "We have a number of guys who didn't want to take a hit to make a play to get the puck out of our end, and it ended up in our net."
Colton Orr attempted to bring some excitment to the game in the first, but was handled by Donald Brashear:
Unfortunately for Maple Leafs fans, the team is back in action tonight as the Colorado Avalanche come to town.
The Toronto Maple Leafs (0-3-1) travel to New York to meet Gaborik and the Rangers (4-1-0).
This is the first meeting of the season between the two, with the Maple Leafs looking for their first victory. Toronto took 3 of 4 from the Rangers last season and hope to continue that success this season.
This may be a good chance for the Maple Leafs as the Rangers are playing their second game in 24 hours after a nice victory against the Ducks.
Henrik Lundqvist is expected to be back in net after refusing to face Adam Banks and the Mighty Ducks.
The Maple Leafs have let up 17 goals in 4 games. Vesa Toskala, who can't stop a beach ball this season, is expected to be in net.
Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson and fellow rookie Viktor Stalberg are out. Rangers come in with no injuries.
Three Stars:
