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Tagged: New York Rangers

Out of Town Notebook: The Real Eastern Conference Quarter Pole Standings

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Out of Town Notebook: The Real Eastern Conference Quarter Pole Standings

In part one we looked at the first quarter for teams in the Western Conference. Now let’s take a look at the East. Eastern Conference 1. New York Rangers – 27 Points Powerplay: 25 / Penalty Kill: 9 / Goals For: 15 / Goals Against: 2 What’s working: Henrik Lundquist for starters. He’s the biggest reason why the team is among the league leaders in goals against. In the absence of Marc Staal (concussion), Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi have capably stepped up on the blueline, while defenseman Michael Del Zotto has re-found his game. Marian Gaborik has gotten hot...

Out of Town Notebook: A Modest Proposal for NHL Realignment

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Out of Town Notebook: A Modest Proposal for NHL Realignment

Dear Gary (aka Bettman-in-da-house, aka Mr. Commish, aka Saviour-of-Winnipeg), Not to go all Peaches and Herb (or Jeremy Roenick), but “realignment and it feels so good!” NHL realignment is the hot talk around the league right now, and I know reviews are mixed concerning your latest plan to re-shape the NHL. Personally, I like what you’ve reportedly done: The first round of the playoffs features divisional play (1 vs 4, 2 vs 3). After the first round, the remaining teams are seeded 1-4, with 1 playing 4, 2 vs 3, etc. Now, the Penguins and Flyers hate this proposal, because...

Out of Town Notebook: Better or Worse Than Their Record

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Out of Town Notebook: Better or Worse Than Their Record

[Every weekend, Canucks Hockey Blog goes out of town as Tom Wakefield (@tomwakefield88) posts his thoughts on what’s happening around the NHL.] If the 2011-12 season was the Pacific Ocean, we’ve barely dipped our toe into the cold waters. Nonetheless, there’s been almost a month of NHL hockey, and it’s not too early to start evaluating what’s happening around the league. Here now are a handful of teams better than, or worse than, their record-to-date. Significantly Worse Than Their Record (aka the Ron Washington is a Lousy Coach Division) Toronto: The Leafs enter Friday with a 6-2-1 record and a...

The Game According to Twitter: Canucks 0 Rangers 4

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The Game According to Twitter: Canucks 0 Rangers 4

[View the story “Game 6: Canucks 0 vs. Rangers 4” on Storify]

Out-of-Town Notebook: 2011/2012 Season Predictions and Prognostications

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Out-of-Town Notebook: 2011/2012 Season Predictions and Prognostications

After more than a month of review, analysis, and rankings, it’s time to predict what will actually happen in the upcoming NHL season. If you take all things into consideration, one thing becomes abundantly clear – parity. No team is very strong at each position (coach, goalie, defence, forward), and most teams are only a shade better or worse than another. It looks like all the same teams that made the playoffs last year have a good chance of making it again this year. As we’ve discussed though, it’s rare that there’s so little change in the standings from year-to-year. Injuries...

Season Preview: Ranking the Eastern Conference Goalies

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Season Preview: Ranking the Eastern Conference Goalies

Any discussion of the New Jersey Devils chances this year is riddled with questions: Is Peter DeBoer a good coach?  Is the team going bankrupt or not? Do Adam Lambert and Adam Larsson look anything alike? Is this Zach Parise’s last year with the team? When will Travis Zajac be back? Yet the biggest question of them all is “what can Devils fans expect from Martin Brodeur.” Brodeur, arguably the best goalie of his generation, enters the season as a 39-year old. Like the rest of his team, Brodeur’s pre- (2.84 GAA, .895 SVPT) and post- (1.84, .919) all-star game...

Season Preview: Ranking the Eastern Conference Forwards

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Season Preview: Ranking the Eastern Conference Forwards

Yesterday I talked about the Western Conference (and Two and a Half Men..which I will never talk about again willingly).  Let’s take a look at the Eastern Conference rankings today. A quick note on all of these rankings. Each likely starting player and coach was given a letter grade (in a player’s case based on their likely contribution, previous performance and ability). Each letter grade had a numerical value, and a team’s ranking is a result of a team’s total score in that particular area (coaching, defence, forwards, and goaltenders).  A+ Grade Pittsburgh Last Year (A) If Sidney Crosby’s healthy,...

Season Preview: Ranking the Eastern Conference Bluelines

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Season Preview: Ranking the Eastern Conference Bluelines

There is no greater union in the NHL today than Brian Burke and Toronto Maple Leafs. For all his bluster, and for all his previous on-ice success, Burke’s greatest strength is jousting with the media. And if there’s one thing media saturated Toronto needs is a Maple Leaf general manager with an aptitude for soundbytes. During last week’s “state of the union”-type press scrum with Toronto media, Burke insisted the Leafs defence “stacks up really well against just about any other team in the East.” Does it really? Let’s take a look at Eastern Conference defence rankings headed into the 2011-12 season....

Season Preview: The Impact of Coaching Changes and Ranking the Eastern Conference Coaches

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Season Preview: The Impact of Coaching Changes and Ranking the Eastern Conference Coaches

Another September, another new coach for the New Jersey Devils. Peter DeBoer becomes the seventh coach the Devils have had since the NHL lockout, following Jacques Lemaire, John Maclean, Brent Sutter, Claude Julien, Lou Lamoriello and Larry Robinson. The question is – do these moves have any impact? I took a look at NHL coaching changes since 2005 and grouped them into three categories: Off-season change (one coach replaces another in the off-season) Mid-season change (one coach replaces another and finishes the season) Mid-season change-turned-permanent (mid-season coaching replacement sticks around, leading the team into the next season) Here’s what was...

I Watched This Game: Canucks 0 – 1 Rangers

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I Watched This Game: Canucks 0 – 1 Rangers

[I Watched This Game is a recurring feature at Pass it to Bulis, the hockey blog that knows who needs the puck. It chronicles the insights and observations of two guys who watched a hockey game. To view all the other wonderful stuff PITB does, visit Pass It To Bulis.] It is the worst letdown in the world when the Canucks suffer a shutout loss. It’s a worse letdown than Urkel O’s (the cereal that showed so much promise). Not only am I forced to watch the Canucks lose, but I’m forced to watch as they’re held off the scoresheet....

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