Game 18
Rangers at Blue Jackets -7:00 PM MSG
Tonight is the last game of the Rangers’ longest road trip of the season. The first three games, which saw the Rangers go 3-0 through western Canada, was a test of the Rangers’ mettle and depth at forward.
The review of tonight’s game will be provided by E3. Clearly, this is an HAV.
Tonight’s probable lineup for the Rangers (13-4), via Steve Zipay (@stevezipay):
Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash
J.T. Miller-Mika Zibanejad- Mats Zuccarello
Jimmy Vesey-Kevin Hayes-Jesper Fast
Oscar Lindberg-Brandon Pirri-Michael Grabner
DEFENSE
Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Marc Staal-Nick Holden
Brady Skjei-Kevin Klein
The big news of course is Chris Kreider’s return to the lineup after missing he last two games to be examined for cervical/spinal issues. Kreider has compared his symptoms to those similar to a concussion, but he has been cleared to return to play.
The lineup, as projected by Steve Zipay, has undergone significant revision. Hot shooting Michael Grabner, who played the last two games on the first line, finds himself on the fourth line, with Kreider taking his spot on the first. I’m surprised that they didn’t find Grabner a spot on a higher line rather than keeping Jesper Fast on the third line. BDL must be thrilled.
On defense, Nick Holden and Brady Skjei have switched places again. I disagree with this decision.
Henrik Lundqvist gets the start. Adam Clendening is Prucha’d for a second straight game. Boo Nieves was returned to Hartford. Buchnevich and Jooris are both still out injured. When both are healthy, I expect Jooris to be waived.
For the Blue Jackets, (8-4-2), the headlines are all about former Rangers coach John Tortorella and the “high powered” Columbus offense. However, their early season results are heavily inflated by the 10-0 game against Montreal and the league leading power play, which is operating at an unsustainable 30.8%. I know, that’s shocking given the power play in NY under Torts, but it’s true.
This is because on the ice, it’s all about rookie defenseman Zach Werenski, who has 13 points in 14 games. Also, Sergei Bobrovsky is having a bounce back year. Torts has been happy to accept the credit.
Don’t forget to tell everyone you know and to follow me on Twitter @rangersreport2. And don’t forget to vote!
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138 responses to “Rangers at Blue Jackets … It’s Go Time!”
1st?
LGR!
Show to Torts real “safe is death” meaning.
Doodie can You add SNY Rangers blog to the tweets on the side Thanks.
LGR! I love Go Time!
LGR !!!
Screw Torts.
I love Go Time too, TYM.
I know all the cool kids are out on a Friday but I’m sure glad to be home watching this game at a normal time.
Should be a good one.
LGR !!!
seeedubbb , …it’s not too easy, but worth to try…
BJs put up some goals at home, could be a high flying affair
.
LGR!
Gotta try, 4ever.
Atta boy, Stranger.
LGR!!! F_ _ _ SEPTA!
Let’s Do This!
Softquist – oy
Hank, get the hell on your game!
Nice save hank
Yikes. Valiquette should have a field day with that one.
Too much dump and chase, not enough possession so far
Too much dump.
Hanka Hanka
Papa Papa
Pappa?
Papa!!!
Unforgivable goal, indeed. That’s exactly antithesis of being elite – inconsistency. Last game was a hero, today – letting in an epitome of softies goal possible. It is cause for worries in a long run.
Hank better hope that’s not the game winner
Season over.
Papa!
Nice.
Hangin with my boys watching the game.
Thanks Doodie!
Good point, Norm.
Plenty of Time…
Primary assist to Miller. May cost him a three-star vote or two.
Skjei is going to be a good player for us for a long time. With Klein out to lunch, he is playing D for 2 so far this season.
So far it’s going by Torts typical scenario – clogged middle between blue lines, dense, grit, chucked up game.
Fast with another boner
Nice pass.
Couldn’t be worse mistake, Fastie, and Hank didn’t save what must ether…
Henrik 2 Rangers 0
Who the hell are these guys? This isn’t the team I’ve been watching this season.
What a disappointment. Mostly out of nothing came both goals. Great gifts to opportunistic Jackets.
Giveaway. Giveaway. Giveaway. Rinse. Repeat.
Perhaps the Rangers should reconsider which goalies they’ll protect in the upcoming expansion draft?
VZ is good, though!
Is this game good for our possession numbers?
That was a lot of blood…
Grabber!!!
Grabby!
As usual this season…Again!
Thank you, Grabner.
Yahtzee !
This Grabner youngster is definitely earning his contract.
Blue Jackets used Atari font for their uniform numbers?
I may never be more right about a personnel decision than I was about Grabner being my #1 UFA target.
Haven’t read all the comments or been mentioned n Twitter yet. So are they still good, or do they suck?
No idea how the word “mentioned” got in there.
The Rangers are good, but so is Columbus
Other than grabbers goal, have we handled the puck for more than 2.0 seconds straight??
The MSG Hockey Show looks riveting.
Can’t wait.
Hanka should be barred from playing the puck.
LQ wandering again. Spot weld him to the net.
Sadly, I have to say that Klein’s game really kind of regressed. He’s probably last in D-corps, which is not bad at all in general.
Good period?
Youse guys are nuts! They sucks, Carp!
Rangers just need a good 20 minutes.
Black Hawks v. Calgary 9:00 start.
This team is still a one trick pony, win or lose tonight
I thought they were a five trick pony most nights.
The MACHINE strikes again!
Buchnevich cannot return sooner
He deserves an Oscar for that “crosscheck”
Terrible exit from own zone tonight, that’s a problem…
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine
Where have you been?
It’s alright we know where you’ve been
You’ve been in the pipeline, filling in time
Provided with toys and ‘scouting for boys’
You brought a guitar to punish your ma
And you didn’t like school, and you
Know you’re nobody’s fool
So welcome to the machine
Machine.
Did anyone else notice at the beginning of the msg broadcast, when they showed bobrovsky and put his info on screen, said he was from the USSR…did I miss something in the geopolitical world recently?
Machine should change his name to Prucha when Buchnevich returns
Rangers are not strong enough physically in games like this. Columbus is outworking them completely.
Where in holy hell is Ice-T?
Meet your MIKA!!!
Better?
Z-pack (I’ve got to watch that show later tonight…it’s so damn funny)
The Potvin Sucks chant in Columbus. Unreal.
I was writing a feature on Skjei when my cell phone rang and I got my pink slip, dammit.
Breather…
Can we have it here for free, Carp?
Skeij is pretty good
I don’t understand when Nash has the puck why they are saying “zuuuuuuccc”
I lost a job in a clock factory. All I did all day was make faces…
SHEA STADIUM!
Hanka!
What a shame!!! In more ways that one…Damn.
All they need is a good 8 minutes.
And another goal allowed by Mr. Softie.
$9 mil per just doesn’t get you the goalie it did 10 yrs ago
This is a winnable game. We’ve got this.
HANKA HANKA 2
Is Nash playing tonight?
Akbar
Yes he is, every time he touches the puck the crowd says zuuuuucccc
That’s ZUCC theyre chanting?
#1 goat: Henrik Lundqvist
Are the booing or saying ZUCCARELLO?
I thought they confused Nash with Nieves
The Lumbus fans are chanting for Hanka, their number one star tonight! Wow!!
Are they saying throw him in the trash or look there goes Nash?
4-2 final. Empty net.
For the same token we could have Montoya in the net tonight, buy Touba, couple hotdogs and keep some change…
Dubi always gets those empty netters!
Just a brutal showing by Hank. Though Pirri in no mans land on 2-1 after pass got tipped.
When teams negate speed and hunker down we’re going have problems.
I’ll let you guys get excited at end season we’ll be out in 1st rd to Pitt or wash
Let’s win a friggin faceoff here
Nieves lol
How they going to play Pissburg?
Hanka Hanka Hanka
Yank Hank!
Everything ok with Miller? Not playing latter part of game
Play Miller friggin AV!!!!
The plan: lose the faceoff…Empty net.
Dammit
Dubi should get the ENG
Just keep passing it until time runs out.
Bull sheet game. Last game of a long road trip.
Hank Sucks!!!
That was a shiznit game.
Just horrible.
Henrik with 3 softies is the #1 star. Too bad. A VERY winnable game.
I’ll give Columbus some credit but they served this one up on a platter.
C’mon man.
Vote. Vote. Vote.
Besides, or because of Hank, it seems after a few turnover goals they got very timid with their quick pass game.
This is totally killing our goal differential.
I don’t vote for losers. Having PP at the end of the game and instead of scoring a winner allowing another stupid goal, not even saving a point is preposterous.
As we say in Hollywood, the best part of this game ended up on the cutting room floor.
Hawks 1 Cal 0 after one.
C’mon man. LOL!
Mistakes were made. Reset, next winning streak.
My 3 observations…win or lose hank is overpaid, win or lose this team is a one trick pony, this team still needs a centre that can win a crucial faceoff.
Missed the game but looks like didn’t miss much…long road trip. I forgive them 🙂
I voted z-pack, know when to hold them, and Hagar v2.0…in no particular order
Cccp
You missed msg reconstituting the USSR in bobrovsky’s bio line
In no,particular order 🙂
This hockey show is off to a dog-crap start. I’m gonna search for a sitcom rerun.
Carp
Find the show the brink…hilarious