The Rangers Look To Make Another Playoff Run In 2015

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

After a great postseason in 2014, the Rangers look to make their last push into the playoffs in 2015. The Rangers hovered around .500 during the first half of the regular season, but when the calendar flips they will have to get it going. There will be some tough games in the new year, as there will be a Stanley Cup Final rematch on March 24. This will surely get the fans and players going for a small dose of revenge against the defending champs. Rick Nash, Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers will look to finally push their team over the hump and win their long awaited cup. The Rangers will also have to play the upstart, crosstown rival New York Islanders as well as three of their Original Six rivals. Here are a couple of top 5 games to get tickets for via TiqIQ:

1. January 13- New York Islanders vs New York Rangers | Get In Price- $115                                                      The Rangers play their crosstown rivals, the Islanders in a battle for Metropolitan Division and area supremacy. John Taveras and the Isles look to take over control of New York vs Rick Nash and the Rangers. This game should have early playoff implications. Get in the door for $115. 

2. January 29- Montreal Canadiens vs New York Rangers | Get In Price- $86 

In a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers will play host to Original Six rivals Montreal Canadiens. The Rangers will look to get ahead in the playoff chase against a very good Montreal team. Chris Kreider will look to beat the newly proclaimed rival after he ended their postseason dream with his unintentional injury to goalie Carey Price. Get in the Garden for $86. 

3. February 4- Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers | Get in Price- $108 

The Rangers will play host to another Original Six rival on February 4th. The Bruins will look to come into the Garden to make a statement that Boston is thebetter hockey town. Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara will have a tough task against small speedsters, Martin St. Louis, Mats Zuccarello, and Carl Hagelin. The Rangers will look to defend their home ice and continue their playoff push. Get intothe game for $108. 

4. March 18- Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Rangers | Get In Price- $101 

The Blackhawks will come into Madison Square Garden on March 18th and look for a win vs their Original Six rivals. The Rangers will have a tough task of defending their home ice against Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and company. This could be a potential Stanley Cup Final matchup so get to the game for $101.

5. March 24- Los Angeles Kings vs New York Rangers | Get In Price- $94 

The Rangers will get their chance for a small slice of revenge against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Kings. The potential goalie matchup of Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick boasts a great game. Can Rick Nash make his presence felt after a lack luster Stanley Cup Finals performance? Or will Marian Gaborik return to the Garden and capture another win for the Kings? Find out with the help of TiqIQ only $94.

Updating

Hello Broadway Blueshift Daily faithful! As you have seen in the last few days I have not put anything up and that is because I have two big announcements. If you follow my twitter @bblueshirts, you would know that I have joined Hound Sports Live and most recently Fansided. I will primarily write for those two blogs but I will try and occasionally post on this site. This will be difficult as I cannot use similar work but I encourage you to follow me on those two sites until I can figure out what I am doing. Thanks to your support I have "stepped up" in the Rangers world and you will be on the journey. Thanks for the support and LET'S GO RANGERS!!!!!

The New Kid On The Block

JT Miller was once a top pick of the New York Rangers and projected to be a big part of the fastly improving team at the time. Then there were trades and injury and before he knew it, there was no space for the prospect. Miller paid his dues, as he spent a long time, for a prospect, in the AHL and bouncing between Hartford and Manhattan. Miller is having a great season so far, but it may just be the beginning of the new era in Rangerstown. 

Miller has had a rough start to his career. After being picked 15th overall in the 2011 draft, he was immediately sent to the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL. He was a skilled young foward with speed who quickly dominated the competition. In his first season there, Miller scored 25 goals and had 37 assists for an outstanding mark of 62 points. This showed the Rangers' front office that JT was going to be great. He was then promoted to the AHL and he continued his dominance. Over his "career" in the AHL, Miller produced 23 goals and 43 assists in 83 games played over two seasons. This was surely the way to get promoted again to the NHL, but the story was not meant to go that way. Over the next two years Miller would play a combined total of 56 games for the Rangers, as he was usually used as an injury replacement or a fourth liner. Miller was not fit for this role, but he was open to expanding his game.

When the 2014-2015 season arrived, it looked as if the trend would continue, as he remained in the AHL, and it seemed as if he was forgotten after a great preseason. Miller yet again dominated the AHL in his limited time there and when multiple injuries came about Miller, was the replacement. Then as fellow 21 year old Chris Krieder left due to a death in the family, Miller showed his value. Since the absence of Kreider, Miller has scored and assisted on 2 goals which has helped the Rangers fill the void of Kreider. When Kreider left, it looked like top prospect Anthony Ducliar would take his place, but Miller had proven himself enough to claim a spot on the team. There are now internal talks of keeping Miller on the team permanently, as one of the older players would be cut or scratched. Miller's dedication to the Rangers and the game of hockey have given him and the Rangers new life. Miller is looking to expand his role and his talents with the Rangers, and the fans want another star.

The Rebirth of Rick Nash

What a difference a year makes! Absent in most of the playoffs, Rick Nash struggled to do anything productive whether it be at even strength or on the power play. During the Stanley cup final, Nash was benched on the power play but he did not let this get him down. Instead this motivated him. 

Coming into the preseason it had been reported that Nash had been working very hard to improve his game. Nash had added muscle in order to be stronger after getting bullied in the playoffs, and he lost weight in order to move faster. It seems as if Nash has reacquired the scoring touch the Rangers were looking for, as he left Columbus in a blockbuster trade in 2012. 

In his last season in Columbus, Nash tallied 30 goals and 29 assists. This was a mediocre season for Nash, but those stats are amazing for the average NHL player. In his first season on 7th Avenue, Nash scored 21 goals and 21 points in a lockout shortened season. Though these numbers were impressive, the Rangers wanted the player who once scored 41 goals and was one of the top players in the NHL. Nash's playoff stats were troubling, as he only tallied 3 goals. This made Nash a part of trade speculation and possible demotion. 

Obviously, Nash used this negativity as fuel because he has come out on fire in the early portion of the 2014 season. Nash has scored 18 goals and dished out 10 assists, which puts him near the top of the team. Nash has started to look like his usual dominant self, but the Rangers have subsequently struggled as a team. Nash is doing his part but the team is not carrying its weight. 

Rick Nash is having a coming out party and Ranger fans are ecstatic about it. They do wish that the team would perform better, but that will come as the season progresses. Nash is a key cornerstone who will help the development of young players such as Chris Kreider and JT Miller. Nash will be considered for the Hart Trophy, but Nash really wants the elusive Stanley Cup Championship.

Game #26 Preview New York Rangers (11-10-4 26 pts) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (18-6-2 38 pts)

Matchup: New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Madison Square Garden

Time: 7:00pm
Broadcast: MSG Network; ESPN 98.7 FM

A Monday night game at the Garden against the Penguins should be a doozy. The Rangers' loss to the  Detroit Red Wings, where the Rangers had held a two goal first period lead, was truly deflating. But today is a new day and the Rangers will look to rebound with a huge in-division win. The Rangers are twelve points behind the idol Penguins. The Penguins have been dominant with great scoring depth and good goaltending behind Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins will be without Kris Letang, Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis, and Patric Hornqvist. These scratches should be beneficial to the Rangers. This should be a good game, but this is a must win for the Rangers.



Key Players:

Rangers- Rick Nash, Forward

What hasn't Rick Nash done this year? The man has been on fire and he is starting to look like what the Rangers had traded many top players for. Nash has a team high 17 goals, which is also good for second in the league behind Tyler Seguin. Nash also has 10 assists, which has helped his line mates score much needed goals. Even when Nash doesn't, score he is a threat and this could open up space on the ice for the two other forwards, especially with a thin Pittsburgh defense without Olli Matta, who is not playing due to an undisclosed injury. I would look for Nash to continue his hot start to the season, looking to attack the net early and often.



Penguins- Sidney Crosby, Forward
Hated by Rangers fans, Sidney Crosby will return to the Garden, a place where he usually dominates. Though in the playoffs he struggled, Crosby is still a game changing player. In the first meeting this year, Crosby did little to help his team in a crushing 5-0 loss. Crosby is leading the league in assists and with the talent surrounding him, this will be another tough test for the Rangers defense. Crosby, much like Nash, is a threat on the ice but Crosby is a better facilitator. I would expect Crosby to assist on at least one goal and have a good plus/minus.

Prediction:
After winning the first game of this series in November 5-0, I would look for Pittsburgh to seek some revenge. The Rangers need to come out fast and attack the net in order to jump out in front. The Penguins have the offense to keep up with the Rangers but the Rangers can dominate the defensive side, so an early lead would help. I expect a close game throughout the game, but I will have to favor Pittsburgh in a 4-2 win in regulation.

*We were close with our last prediction, as we got the score right. We just picked the wrong team.* 
*The jersey colors in the pictures are the ones they will wear tonight*

The Daily Review: Rangers vs Red Wings

The Rangers suffered yet another loss and it seems like they might be trying to find every way possible to lose a game. A two goal lead turned into a disgraceful 3-2 loss. The Rangers' performance was encouraging in the first period but it slowly but surely decimated. After almost a week of rest, I expected a much better performance than that,  but we were not so lucky.

As the game began, the Rangers seemed to have an advantage, as they were able to kill a 4 minute major penalty assesed to Carl Hagelin for high sticking and bleeding. This was encouraging, as the pentaly kill was able to stop a top scoring offense. As the period progressed, the Rangers were able to get chances and finally score. Midway through the period, the Rangers scored as Kevin Hayes centered a pass in front of the net and Kevin Klein was able to score a back hander after having his first attempt saved. This was Klein's 5th goal of the season which is a career high. Towards the end of the period, Derrick Brassard led Rick Nash with a beautiful pass for a breakaway goal, his 17th of the season. The Rangers ended the period with a 2-0 lead. A great period for the boys, as they were firing on all cylinders. The pentaly kill was dominating, the fowards were putting shots on goal and Talbot was on fire. This was a promising period, but sadly it did not last.
As the second period began, it looked as if the Rangers had fallen asleep. With 5:49 left in the period, Cam Talbot surrendered his first goal in 159:48. It was a spinning back hander by Riley Sheahan. It was assisted by Stephen Weiss and Johan Franzen. A mere sixty one seconds later, Luke Glendening scored an equalizer and it was truly deflating. The Rangers looked to be in disarray and this goal just sucked all of the life out of them. The period ended with a 2-2 tie, but it could have been much worse. 

The third period brought more heartache, as 7:40 into the period the Red Wings took a 3-2 lead with a breakaway goal by Darren Helm. This goal happened as a result of a brutal defensive lapse in the offensive zone. This cannot happen and the lack of hustle to get back into the play just showed an uninterested team. This was a very embarrassing performance and to learn that Chris Kreider will be day to day adds insult to injury. The Rangers lost the game 3-2 and will lose Kreider for the next game at least. 

This was a truly disappointing performance and I will not expect a decent performance against a top Pittsburgh team. I believe that this team needs a culture shock in the sense of a trade. I believe that the Callahan trade last year and the Michael Del Zotto trade woke the team up and showed them that they can be out as well. This is a tactic that needs to be executed as well as better defensive training. This team looks bored and tired too often and something needs to change. Any way, the team will play the rival Penguins again but do not expect anything positive from this game.

Game #26: New York Rangers (11-9-4 26 pts) at Detroit Red Wings (15-6-5 35 pts) Game Preview

Matchup: Rangers vs Red Wings 
Location: Joe Louis Arena
Time: Saturday 7:00 
Broadcast: The game will be on MSG Network with the pregame coverage starting at 6:30 
ESPN 98.7 will have the radio call as well 


Preview:

After a long four day break between games, the Rangers return to the ice to face off against a tough Detroit Red Wings team in Hockeytown. The Rangers will have to play with some grit after a 6-3 thrashing at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rangers ..... I mean Lightning. The Rangers will start goalie Cam Talbot in place of Lundqvist after a poor performance vs Tampa Bay. The Rangers will also scratch Anthony Duclair and John Moore, as Dan Boyle returns to the lineup. The Rangers will need to come out aggressive and challenge a hot Detroit team early in the game. The Red Wings are coming off a 5-2 win vs the Dallas Stars on Thursday. This should help the Rangers, as the older team will be tired and a younger Ranger team has had a long week to prepare for their opponent.

Key Players: 

                                            

Rangers- Chris Kreider, Winger 
Kreider has been on some what of a cold streak, as he has not scored in his last 10 games and has only produced 3 assists in that span. The Rangers need increased production from everyone and a game against an older Detroit team should be a coming out party for Kreider. I will look for Kreider's speed and strength to play a huge factor in helping to wear out the older Red Wings forwards.

Rangers- Ryan McDonagh, Defenseman
Saturday's game will be the captain's third since returning from a dislocated shoulder vs the Winnipeg Jets on November 1st. He, along with his fellow defenders, have struggled but this can be a good game to flip the script. Detroit is an older team and McDonagh will be paired with Dan Boyle after Boyle returns from the flu. This will surely help McDonagh, as he is back with another top line defenseman. This game should help McDonagh and the Rangers as they try to rebound from a tough loss.

Red Wings- Pavel Datsyuk, Forward
The great Pavel Datsyuk will be in the lineup against the Rangers and this is some bad news for the Rangers. Datsyuk is a legend and a great goal scorer. He is second in the NHL with 19 points and is behind Rick Nash, among others, with 11 goals. He is a very dangerous player, as he has been throughout his career. The Rangers should look for Datsyuk to work the puck around until he gets to his spot to rip a shot on the power play. Datsyuk is hard to stop but the Rangers can slow him down and that is needed for a win tonight.


Predictions
I predict a tough, hard fought game, as the depths of both teams will be tested. The Rangers will need to come out with at least a point, as anything will help with the confidence of the team. The Red Wings are a veteran team who will look to take it to the Rangers early and often. The Red wings will be playing their second game in three days and this should help the Rangers, as the Red Wings will be fatigued. After four days off, the Rangers should be well rested and prepared for a tough game. I predict a 3-2 Rangers win in overtime and it will be a great plane trip back to the Garden to play the Penguins on Monday.