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Another big one (aren’t they all).  Let’s see how the new guys look. 

Here we go…

7:10 p.m.: Quick whistle there.  Ward didn’t cover that one…

7:14 p.m.: Wow, what a beaut! Jagr with the fantastic pass and Dubi with the patience.  This line just keeps truckin…

7:27 p.m.: It’s a good sign that Jagr shot it there.  A couple weeks ago, he doesn’t have the confidence to rip that…

7:33 p.m.: The Rangers are just flying right now.  But what’s seperated this latest run from the rest of the season is that now they are starting to pull away from teams.  Let’s see if the Rangers can net another one here…

7:41 p.m.: When you’re hot, you’re hot and boy is Sean Avery hot.  That is a BIG, BIG goal.  The Rangers had dominated the first 15 minutes, but Carolina was coming on in the last 5.  That just killed any momentum, the ‘Canes may have been able to build going into the break…

8:01 p.m.: Ward has been fantastic tonight…

8:03 p.m.: The Rangers look downright scary right now.  The Rangers are constantly 3 steps ahead of Carolina and are moving the puck like they have 360 vision.  This is an absolute clinic…

8:06 p.m.: If Ward wasn’t playing as well as he is, this game would be 7-0 right now…

8:14 p.m.: That’s a fluky goal, but Carolina’s been playing well for a few minutes now.  The Rangers have to learn from the Montreal game and not start running around…

8:22 p.m.: You have to absolutely love these kids.  Cally should have drawn the initial penalty and when the refs didn’t penalize the ‘Canes, he took matters into his own hands.  But isn’t something off when Dubinsky and Callahan are fighting and Hollweg isn’t?

8:26 p.m.: The Rangers really need to just start getting the puck out of their zone.  There’s too much playing around with it along the boards and not enough moving it into neutral ice.  It’s going to get them into trouble if it doesn’t stop…

8:30 p.m.: Sjostrom looking really good there.  He’s definitely got some speed…

8:34 p.m.: 10 minute misconducts for what…saying bad words? Please.  That’s ridiculous…

8:36 p.m.: The ‘Canes played much better for most of the second period, but give the Rangers some credit.  They didn’t let things spiral out of control after a fluky goal by Carolina.  The refs have been awful in this one.  They’ve missed 3 or 4 big ones…

8:56 p.m.: Second high-sticking penalty for Backman (even though Staal’s in the box, Backman should be) and this one’s a double minor.  The Hurricanes’ PP has looked good.  Backman also had a bad giveaway earlier in the game.  Not a good debut for the Swede….

9:03 p.m.: Unbelievable…another fluky goal.  A good defensive play by Betts actually hurt them on that one…

9:04 p.m.: And Backman’s called for holding! Horrible first game for Backman…

9:07 p.m.: Phew! That’s huge right there.  Unbelievable pass by Dawes and a classic Shanny finish.  Remember after the Montreal game when Eric and I said that the Rangers needed one of their leaders to step up to stop the bleeding?  That’s what we were talking about right there…

9:12 p.m.: Wow, Backman is just awful tonight.  He’s getting beat all over the place and has now (essentially) taken 10 minutes in penalties tonight.  He’s not exactly endearing himself to Ranger fans right now…

9:17 p.m.: Lundqvist has had a very strong game.  He’s directing rebounds where he wants them to go and is hanging tough through a lot of traffic in front…

The Rangers keep on rolling.  They’re now 11-3-2 in their last 16.  Was it as dominating a win as it looked like it would be after the first? No. But it was a win on the road against a team that was 7-0-1 in their last eight home games.  Lundqvist was great, the first line looked fantastic again (when it was intact) and Shanahan provided the big goal to squash the comeback. 

When talking about the negatives, the officiating was a close second to the play of Christian Backman.  The former Blue made you wonder how JD was able to swindal something as good as a fourth round pick for him.  Hopefully it’s the first game jitters, but this was certainly not what you wanted to see.

In a quick look around the league, Marian Hossa had a heck of a run in Pittsburgh.  It was only about 30 minutes, but it was certainly memorable. In all seriousness, the former Thrasher hurt his knee and looks to be out at least a couple weeks. 

Also, it looks like John Paddock wasn’t the problem.  Ottawa lost again to the Flyers tonight.

Right now, it’s anybody’s conference.

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that Rangers beat writer for The Journal News, Sam Weinman, has agreed to be on Friday’s episode.  Sam does a fantastic job of course with not only his articles, but his blog Rangers Report.

As always, we want your input before bringing him on.  If you have anything specifice that you’d like us to talk to Sam about feel free to let us know.  You can leave a comment, call (347)410-9093 or drop us a line at hosts@nyrangerscast.com.

Friday should be fun.

Hey guys, Episode 39 is now up and available to listen to.  In the episode Eric and I discuss:

• -  The trade deadline deals that the Rangers and the rest of the NHL made
• -  Where the Rangers stand in the East moving forward

plus 

• -  Recaps and thoughts on the weekend wins over Buffalo and Florida.

Enjoy and feel free to voice your thoughts on the episode in the comments section of this blog.  Also, don’t forget to get your thoughts heard on the next episode of NYRangerscast by sending us an email at hosts@nyrangerscast.com or calling us at (347)410-9093.

We also want to apoligize for an error made in the episode.  We stated that Christobal Huet had been traded to Washington for a 3rd round pick and not a 2nd.

Again, enjoy!

For Fredrik Sjostrom, Josh Gratton, and David LeNeveu. 

Sjostrom is 24 and was the 11th overall pick in the 2001 Draft and would theoretically take Hossa’s place on the fourth line.  Gratton’s a tough guy in the AHL and LeNeveu’s a goalie.

More later on the show…

Sense the sarcasm.

All jokes aside, the Rangers did get their depth defensman.  Christian Backman to the Rangers for a 4th round pick. 

I like the move.  They got him on the cheap and the deal almost guarantees Jason Strudwick doesn’t see the ice the rest of the way.

In bigger news, Marion Hossa to the Pens!  We’ll see how this shakes up the Eastern Conference.

More later on the show…

Steve Zipay is reporting that Paul Mara is going to be sidelined for two weeks.  He’ll be undergoing surgery today for broken bones in his face. 

Looks like this lowers the possibility that Mara gets moved by tomorrow’s deadline, but increases the likelihood that the Rangers will deal for a blueliner.

In other news, it looks like we have a new nickname on our hands.  We will now be calling Peter Forsberg, the “Flip Foppa.”  After it was reported that he wouldn’t return to the NHL this season, Forsberg changed his mind to join the Avalanche for the remainder of the season.

That’s right folks, the live blog is back!  Let’s see if the Rangers can follow up a big win last night with another one tonight.  With the Panthers struggling, tonight’s game is a very winnable one.  But we’ve all seen how the Blueshirts tend to react in winnable games this season, so nothing’s a given. 

Hossa in; Orr and Prucha out.

Anyway, let’s get the conversation going and keep it up throughout the game tonight.  With the trade deadline just two days away, you have to wonder who is playing their last game on Broadway tonight…

7:17 p.m.: Very strong first 7 minutes for the Rangers.  They’re doing a great job getting the puck in deep and applying pressure.  Vokoun’s had a good start and so has Lundqvist for that matter.  There haven’t been many shot’s against Lundy, but the one’s that have come his way have been good ones…

7:20 p.m.: That’s what happens when you get pucks to the net.  A weird bounce off of a Florida defender pops right onto Gomez’s stick.  Bing, bang, 1-0!

7:23 p.m.: Weird thing to review.  That wraparound wasn’t even close…

7:31 p.m.: Hard work = Power Play.  It’s nice to finally see the Rangers working like this night in night out…

7:35 p.m.: Hossa’s looked good so far.  Here’s to hoping he can steal the spot away from Hollweg…

7:41 p.m.: You have to absoluetely LOVE  this kid! He’s not exactly Muhammad Ali, but you’ve gotta love the effort.  Hilarious how Avery tried to step in too…

7:47 p.m.: Great first period.  The Rangers controlled play in the Florida zone for 3/4 of that period.  Balter you’re 100% correct.  For the few minutes where the Panthers got into the Rangers zone, they were kept to the outside.  The Rangers need to keep it up and put a couple past Vokoun in the second.  We’ve seen them dominate teams numerous times before and not put them away.  They need to put this team away…

8:07 p.m.: And there it is, Marek Malik’s 55th of the season!  He has now broken Jaromir Jagr’s single season goal record for the Rangers!! Okay, okay you caught me.  That was actually #1 for the fan favorite.  Some fans just booed when his name got announced…stupid.  Great play by Hossa and the fourth line to keep the puck in…

8:09 p.m.: And there’s Jags!  What a move by the captain.  That’s 2 goals in 2 games.  Is he heating up folks?  This is exactly what I said the Rangers had to do.  Start to pull away and don’t let the Panthers think they can win this one…

8:16 p.m.: Vokoun 2, Avery 0 on breakaways in the game.  This line looks unstoppable…

8:22 p.m.: Jagr draws the penalty.  How much looser does Jagr look now that he’s netted a couple?  He’s a fragile guy, but when things start to go well, there are few others you’d want more on your squad…

8:26 p.m.: That’s a terrible call.  Here comes the #5 PP in the league…

8:28 p.m.: Thatta boy Marek! How about the big guy protecting the king?!

8:31 p.m.: Great work there by Callahan.  I don’t think he’s had one shift where he hasn’t worked his tail off since coming back up.  That’s what is defining this Rangers team during this little run.  They are putting in the work necessary to be successful…

8:36 p.m.: Another fantastic period by the Rangers.  I don’t care who they’re playing, if they work like this the Rangers are tough to beat…

8:58 p.m.: Was that Hollweg in a fight? Was he actually doing his job?? Shocking…

9:00 p.m.: That’s how you know Lundqvist is on.  When he’s at his best, he’s controlling rebounds and eating up pucks.  He’s played well when tested tonight…

9:04 p.m.: And there’s another one.  Don’t look now, but this offense is finally starting to show its face.  Thats four out of the last five games with 4+ goals…

9:10 p.m.: Wow…just wow! This is an absolute clinic.  Great to see Straks getting on the board.  Maybe this can catalyze him now.  Either way, it looks like Renney has finally found the right line combos.  The Rangers have 3 waves of even lines coming at the opponent at all times…

9:11 p.m.: But uh oh…THE DREADED 5-0 LEAD!!

9:25 p.m.: So close for Hossa.  Would’ve loved to see him get one.  Great return to the lineup for #81…

9:28 p.m.: That was as close to perfection as possible.  There were so many great performances that I don’t even know where to start.  Malik was fantastic.  Love him or hate him, you have to admit he’s been good since he’s been back in the lineup.  Hossa looked great in his return.  There’s no excuse for him not playing over Hollweg when Orr comes back.  The King was back to normal.  He controlled rebounds, seemed focused and got his 8th shutout of the season.  Jagr was flying.  All it takes is a couple of goals to get him going again.  There’s plenty more, but you can sum it up by saying it was a great TEAM effort.  They worked hard for 60 minutes and got rewarded for it.  The Rangers are now 5-0-2 in their last seven and (excluding that 3rd period in Montreal) have been phenomenal as of late.  If they keep this up there’s no reason to think they can’t come out of the East.  With the trade deadline just two days away, I think it’s clear that the team doesn’t need any help offensively.  They could use a physical defenseman who can run a power play, but outside of that I think they’ve finally found what works.

9:40 p.m.: Trautwig just asked Gomez if this team had turned the corner!  Uh oh…

The Rangers really showed me something last night against Buffalo and that was poise. A 4-3 victory in Chris Drury’s return, with a nice finishing goal by Sean Avery and an acceptable game by Henrik. The Rangers are now 4-0-2 in their last six games. Steve and I always throw around the phrase “beatable teams”. If there is an example of a beatable team, its Florida, whom they play tonight. The Panthers are 12th in the East and are 2-3-2 in their last seven games, with a win last night in Philadelphia. With a win tonight the Rangers can reclaim 6th place in the conference.

Keys to Victory:

1) Continue to score goals. The Rangers have scored no less than 3 goals in each of their last 4 games. The offense needs to continue to be consistent and keep the Panthers on their heels.

2) Goaltending. No word yet on whether it going to be Henrik or Valiquette. Either way, this team cannot give up bad goals and allow Florida to stay in the game.

3) Play well shorthanded. The Panthers are fifth in the league on the power play. If the Rangers can kill off the Florida power play, the Panthers, become crippled offensively.

Also, with the trade deadline looming, good friend of the show John Dellapina reports that Jaromir Jagr is not on the block. This shouldn’t come as a big shock considering this team is playing very well even without goals coming from the captain.

After the epic collapse in Montreal, the Rangers can take this weekend and go one of two ways. The first way would be down, right along the same path they were traveling in Montreal. Or they can go up, using this weekend to propel them to the finish of what has been a very strong February, where they have already claimed 12 out of a possible 18 points.

Plenty of story lines heading into tonights game.

1) Chris Drury returns to Buffalo for the first time. I have to think Buffalo fans are going to BOO Drury. But, with Drury playing so well he has to stay focused. If he clams up from the pressure of his former fans I think the Rangers are in for a rough night. Drury has really been a model of offensive consistency this month and I would really hate to see him revert back to how he was playing earlier in the year just because the Buffalo fans aren’t being kind.

2) How does Henrik bounce back? According to the Rangers Report, Henrik will get the nod tonight. As Steve and I talked about on the latest episode, we believe Stephen Valiquette should get the start tomorrow. But as for tonight, its THE KING’S opportunity to reclaim his throne and show us that he can brush off that terrible game in Canada.

3) How will Buffalo bounce back? No doubt the Sabres are not to pleased with being pummeled 5-1 by the Rangers just a week ago. You have to think Ryan Miller is going to have a better showing than he did in the last go around, especially because they are playing at home.

No doubt about it, this is a huge weekend. Not only are the game big but they precede the trade deadline. I do believe the Rangers will make some deals no matter what the result of these next to games. But, I also believe that if this team struggles there are going to be more trades than if they prevail. There are definitely some holes in this Rangers ship. Some of those holes can be plugged with trades, others can not. But, to keep the ship afloat they need to BOUNCE BACK from the Montreal game and it all starts in Buffalo.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Which player do you think needs to step up against Buffalo? Post your comments below.

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