<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<rss version="2.0">
	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for New York Rangers</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2006-2007 areyouwatchingthis.com</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:26:36 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:26:36 GMT</pubDate>
		<generator>RUWT?</generator>

		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Blue Jackets-Rangers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

Columbus (12-6-3) at New York (11-10-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The New York Rangers are searching for answers, especially at
home.

The Rangers try to avoid a fourth straight loss at Madison
Square Garden when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on
Monday night.

New York (11-10-1) has dropped two in a row and four of five
overall, falling 3-2 to Florida on Saturday. The Rangers have
totaled 18 goals in losing seven of 10.

"You stay with it," coach John Tortorella said. "You just keep
trying to battle through this. I wish I could tell you how to
get out of it. The only way I know is for the team to stay
together. We have to have a little bit of resiliency. It is a
miserable time, but you have to come to work and fight your way
through."

The losing has occurred despite the outstanding play of right
wing Marion Gaborik, who has a six-game point streak at home
with eight goals and two assists in that span. Gaborik recorded
six points in his last three games against Columbus (12-6-3).

This is the fourth game for the Blue Jackets at MSG and first
since 2007. Columbus had a three-game win streak against New
York snapped with a 3-1 loss last season, as former Blue Jacket
Nikolai Zherdev had a goal and two assists.

Zherdev is playing in Russia, and New York may be missing the
production from a player who had 58 points last season. Ryan
Callahan has one point in his last 13 games and the Rangers are
without injured centers Brandon Dubinsky (wrist) and Chris Drury
(concussion).

"Every good team has a balanced attack," New York left wing
Vinny Prospal said. "I don't want to throw anyone under the bus
but sure we need goals from other people to chip in."

Columbus fell to 1-0-1 on a five-game trip with a 4-3 shootout
loss to Nashville on Saturday. Steve Mason made a season-high 45
saves but was unable to stop both Predators' shootout chances as
the Blue Jackets' three-game road win streak ended.

"It's frustrating," Mason said. "They obviously know how to play
at home, and they did a really good job."

Mason started the first two games on this trip after Mathieu
Garon started the two previous contests for Columbus. Garon has
received more opportunities because Mason is struggling with a
3.44 goals-against average this season.

Garon has gone 2-0 with a 1.45 GAA in two career starts against
New York. Mason has never faced the Rangers.

Blue Jackets center R.J. Umberger snapped a seven-game goal
drought Saturday, scoring twice. Umberger, though, failed to
score in his last nine games against the Rangers.

"You get a couple early and it gives you a lot of confidence,"
Umberger said. "I had a few good chances the rest of the game."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136388-Blue-Jackets-Rangers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136388-Blue-Jackets-Rangers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:14:13 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Vokoun makes 32 saves, Panthers beat Rangers 3-2]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NEW YORK(AP) -- A letdown would have been understandable one night
after Nathan Horton and the Florida Panthers pulled out an
overtime victory at Detroit.

Instead, it was the New York Rangers who finished the game with
an empty feeling.

Horton, Jordan Leopold and Steven Reinprecht scored goals and
Tomas Vokoun made 32 saves as the streaking Panthers beat the
slumping Rangers 3-2 on Saturday night.

The Panthers showed no signs of fatigue, playing an up-tempo
game from the start.

"We started off well," Horton said. "That's how we wanted to
come out. I think we kind of surprised them with the way we were
ready to play."

Success seems to be fueling the Panthers (10-9-2). Florida swept
a three-game road trip that started with a 6-2 win at Buffalo on
Wednesday.

"We're feeling confident," Horton said. "This was a big road
trip against really good teams. It's nice to get all three wins,
but we're not out of the woods yet. It's only a start."

Although the Rangers scored the only goal of the opening period,
the Panthers were clearly the more energetic team.

"If we want to keep this thing going, we have to play like we
did tonight and in Detroit and Buffalo," said Panthers forward
Radek Dvorak, formerly of the Rangers. "Knowing we have a chance
to win every hockey game gives you confidence. We've been
playing good lately, and that's why we have a lot of energy."

Vinny Prospal staked the Rangers to the lead with an unassisted
goal at 14:11. Prospal intercepted a Florida attempt in the
neutral zone and curled into the Panthers zone to fire a wrist
shot from the left faceoff dot that dribbled past Vokoun's left
pad.

Aside from that lapse, Florida spent most of the period buzzing
in the New York zone. Henrik Lundqvist had a busy period, making
12 saves. His best moment was a diving stop on Horton as he
tried to finish a 2-on-1, give-and-go break with Michael Frolik.
Lundqvist also caught a break when Reinprecht rang a power-play
drive off the post.

Florida took charge in the second with Reinprecht and Leopold
connecting to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead. Reinprecht pulled
Florida even at 8:48 with a hard backhander from the slot.

The Panthers took the lead with a strange goal at 11:09.
Defenseman Kenndal McArdle, fighting to control the puck at the
right point, chopped it toward the Rangers net. The puck popped
in the air with Leopold taking a swipe at it. He was credited
with the goal after a video review determined that the shot was
not directed in by a high stick.

"I just lost it," Lundqvist said. "Guys were waving their
sticks, and it just bounced in front of me."

The Panthers appeared to put the game away when Horton,
polishing off a 2-on-1 break with Stephen Weiss, gave Florida a
3-1 lead 2:35 into the third period.

As they have all season, the Rangers got a needed lift from
Marian Gaborik. The star forward scored his team-leading 16th
goal at 6:01 to cut the deficit back to one goal. Gaborik scored
from the right circle at the end of a three-way passing play
with defenseman Michal Rozsival and Prospal. It was his fifth
goal in six games.

Gaborik's goal energized the Rangers as they pressed for the
equalizer. Vokoun held firm, making a diving pad stop on Sean
Avery with 2 minutes left and denying Gaborik's stuff try with 1
minute remaining.

The Rangers' fourth loss in five games kept these teams moving
in opposite directions After a slow start, the Panthers have won
eight of 11 (8-2-1). The Rangers, 7-1 to open the season,
dropped their third straight at Madison Square Garden.

John Tortorella, the Rangers' sometimes fiery coach, took the
latest loss calmly.

"You stay with it." Tortorella said. "You just keep trying to
battle through this. I wish I could tell you how to get out of
it. The only way I know is for the team to stay together. We
have to have a little bit of resiliency. It is a miserable time,
but you have to come to work and fight your way through."

NOTES: The Rangers are still missing centers Brandon Dubinsky
(wrist) and Chris Drury (concussion). Drury has resumed
workouts. ... Panthers LW David Booth is also sidelined by a
concussion. LW Cory Stillman missed the game because of a knee
injury sustained Friday. ... Vokoun got the start after Scott
Clemmensen made 39 saves against Detroit. ... The game kicked
off a stretch of five games in eight nights for the Rangers.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136192-Vokoun-makes-32-saves-Panthers-beat-Rangers-3-2</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136192-Vokoun-makes-32-saves-Panthers-beat-Rangers-3-2</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:51:30 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Panthers-Rangers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By KATE HEDLIN
STATS Writer

Florida (8-9-2) at New York (11-9-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The New York Rangers started the season as one of the NHL's
hottest teams, but an inconsistent offense has left them
frustrated recently.

The Rangers look to avoid losing three straight at home for the
first time in almost three years as they host the surging
Florida Panthers on Saturday night.

After winning seven of its first eight games, New York (11-9-1)
has slumped, especially at home, where its lost four of the last
six. The Rangers have dropped three of their last four overall,
including 4-2 to Washington on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

Although his teammates couldn't manage much production, Marian
Gaborik continued his hot streak, scoring twice to increase his
total to 15.

Gaborik opened the scoring 1:16 into the first period, after
which the Rangers allowed two power-play goals. He then tied the
score midway through the third, but Washington answered by
scoring twice with less than five minutes to play.

"Of course it's frustrating," said Gaborik, who has four goals
and four assists in his last five games. "We had a good start,
but we took a couple of bad penalties and they scored, We have
to try to be disciplined."

New York has given up five power-play goals in the last 17
opportunities after killing off 69 of the previous 79. The lack
of offense that has been an even bigger problem, though. The
Rangers have scored two or fewer goals in seven of their last
nine games after averaging 3.8 in the first 12.

"I think the biggest problem ... is that the scoring hasn't been
consistent," coach John Tortorella said. "We can't keep going
one or two goals and expect to win some hockey games."

New York was tied for the second-fewest goals scored in the
Eastern Conference in 2008-09 with 210.

The Rangers haven't lost three straight at home since Jan.
20-Feb. 5, 2007. While New York has struggled after a hot start,
the Panthers (9-9-2) have picked up momentum after losing four
of their first five.

Florida won for the fourth time in five games Friday, beating
Detroit 2-1 in overtime. Stephen Weiss tied the score in the
third period and Bryan McCabe scored 40 seconds into the extra
session.

Scott Clemmensen made his fifth start and recorded 39 saves.

"We had to weather a little bit there in the first," Clemmensen
said. "They're a great team. We had to battle so hard all night,
and we really stuck with it."

While Clemmensen was outstanding, Tomas Vokoun will likely start
in goal. He's 5-1-1 with a 1.67 goals-against average and three
shutouts in his last seven starts. He's also won his last two
starts against the Rangers, but has dropped his last two at MSG.

Florida took away points in all four meetings with the Rangers
last season, recording three wins, including two in New York.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135898-Panthers-Rangers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135898-Panthers-Rangers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:37:04 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ovechkin tops Gaborik and Rangers in return]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By IRA PODELL
AP Hockey Writer

NEW YORK(AP) -- Alex Ovechkin gave the Washington Capitals a jolt
simply by returning to the lineup. Matt Bradley delivered the
jump they needed with a bloody fight and a big third-period
goal.

Ovechkin scored in his first game back from a two-week absence,
and Bradley rebounded from a messy brawl to lift the Capitals to
a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

With Washington down 1-0 and being outplayed by New York in the
opening minutes of the game, Bradley took on Aaron Voros in a
lengthy bout in which both players doled out haymakers. When it
was done, Bradley skated off with blood covering his face and
went to get six stitches over his left eye.

"If you're ever going to get into a fight at the time, I think
that might've been one of them," Bradley said. "It didn't bother
me. I could feel the blood coming, but there is no pain or
anything. It's just one of those things that is more annoying
than anything. You have to go in and get stitches and you have
to miss five minutes.

"It won't be my last one."

The injuries didn't affect him when he knocked the puck away
from Wade Redden and raced up ice on a break. Matt Gilroy
couldn't deny him from behind, and Bradley beat Henrik Lundqvist
with a rising shot to the glove side for his fourth of the
season.

"Even if he takes a penalty, he can't allow that shot to be
taken. I thought he had an opportunity to stop it," Rangers
coach John Tortorella said of the rookie Gilroy. "He needs to
realize that he needs to pull out with Redds stuck on the boards
there. It's a bump, but he'll learn from it."

Ovechkin missed six games because of an upper body injury,
believed to be a strained left shoulder, but came back with a
flourish. He netted his NHL-leading 15th goal, in only 15 games,
while New York's Sean Avery sat in the penalty box. That erased
the Rangers' 1-0 advantage in the first period.

"It's always nice when you get hurt and you come back and you
score in the first period on your first shot," Ovechkin said.
"You feel pretty good about yourself. After that I feel pretty
cool. I was not afraid to take some hits and go battle."

Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau earned his 100th NHL victory.

Marian Gaborik scored both goals for the Rangers and moved into
a tie with Ovechkin with his 15th, Gaborik gave New York a 1-0
lead just 1:16 in and then made it 2-2 at 8:23 of the third with
a power-play goal against Washington backup goalie Semyon
Varlamov.

Gaborik has carried the Rangers' offense this season. After a
2-1 shootout victory at Ottawa on Saturday, New York was trying
to win back-to-back games for the first time since mid-October.

"Of course it's frustrating," Gaborik said. "We had a good
start, but we took a couple of bad penalties and they scored, We
have to try to be disciplined."

The Rangers led 5-4 in shots, but didn't record one for the
final 15 minutes, 28 seconds of the first period and 3:52 of the
second.

Brooks Laich pushed the Capitals in front 2-1 when he got to a
rebound of defenseman Mike Green's shot in the crease and
knocked it past Lundqvist with 4:16 remaining in the second.
Green also earned the primary assist on Ovechkin's goal.

Brian Pothier scored an empty-netter with 16.7 seconds left.

The Rangers were fortunate to be trailing by only a goal heading
into the third as they were outshot 21-11 through 40 minutes.
New York finished with 20 shots, tying its season low.

New York netted the equalizer when Gaborik scored from the goal
line to Varlamov's right, snapping in a shot from a difficult
angle. The Rangers converted on the second of back-to-back
penalties.

Washington went 4-2 while Ovechkin was out, then beat New York
despite missing top forward Alexander Semin, who was sidelined
by a sore right wrist. Varlamov got the start in place of No. 1
goalie Jose Theodore, who was home because of a personal reason.

Varlamov played well against the Rangers after replacing
Theodore in the nets during the first round of last season's
playoffs and was a major reason why the Capitals erased a 3-1
series deficit and advanced.

Bradley made the difference this time.

"It's amazing," Boudreau said. "He got cut pretty good, came
back and was instrumental in us winning. He's got oodles of
character."

NOTES: Boudreau is 100-45-19. ... The Capitals recalled C Jay
Beagle and G Michal Neuvirth from Hershey (AHL). Beagle replaced
Semin in the lineup, and Neuvirth served as Varlamov's backup.
In his fourth NHL game, Beagle earned his first point with an
assist on Bradley's goal. ... The Rangers are 4-8-1 since their
seven-game winning streak ended Oct. 17.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134885-Ovechkin-tops-Gaborik-and-Rangers-in-return</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134885-Ovechkin-tops-Gaborik-and-Rangers-in-return</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:10:54 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Capitals-Rangers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Washington (12-4-4) at New York (11-8-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The last time the Washington Capitals visited Madison Square
Garden, they avoided playoff elimination with a dominant
offensive display. Now, they're expecting to get their most
potent offensive force back on the ice.

After missing six games with an injury, Alex Ovechkin is
expected to return Tuesday night when the Capitals visit the New
York Rangers.

Washington (12-4-4) won a second consecutive Southeast Division
title last season, earning the No. 2 seed in the Eastern
Conference playoffs.

That success, however, was nearly muted when the Capitals fell
behind 3-1 in their first-round playoff series with the
seventh-seeded Rangers. Washington, though, rallied to win the
final three games to take the series, but the turning point may
have come in Game 6 at MSG. The Capitals built a four-goal
second-period lead en route to a 5-3 win that sent the series
back to the nation's capital, where they won 2-1.

Washington was eliminated by eventual champion Pittsburgh in the
second round.

Ovechkin, who practiced with the team Tuesday, had three goals
and four assists in the series against the Rangers, including
one goal in Game 6.

The two-time reigning Hart Trophy winner is expected to be back
in uniform Tuesday after an upper-body injury sidelined him for
six games. He suffered the injury during an overtime loss to
Columbus on Nov. 1.

"Unless something negative happens this afternoon and I don't
get the OK from (trainer Greg Smith) to play him, then I think
he would be back," coach Bruce Boudreau said after practice.

Washington is 4-2-0 without him, with both defeats coming on the
road against New Jersey. It fell 5-2 to the Devils on Saturday.

Despite being out, Ovechkin's 14 goals are tied for the league
lead with San Jose's Dany Heatley and Anze Kopitar of Los
Angeles. The three-time All-Star also has the team lead with 23
points, and he appears to be confident that he'll have a chance
to add to that total Tuesday.

"We'll see (Tuesday)," Ovechkin said. "I feel pretty good and
excited. We'll see (Tuesday) how I feel."

Ovechkin has 10 goals and eight assists in 17 games against New
York, but was held without a point in the last meeting, a 4-3
loss at home on Oct. 8.

The Capitals are 1-6-2 in their last nine regular-season visits
to MSG.

The Rangers (11-8-1) are looking to build on Saturday's 2-1
shootout win at Ottawa as right wing Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau
scored the decisive attempt in the seventh round.

New York is 4-7-1 since a seven-game winning streak that
included the win at Washington.

The team will likely be without captain Chris Drury for a third
consecutive game after the center suffered a concussion on a hit
to the head by Curtis Glencross in a 3-1 loss at Calgary on Nov.
7. The hit went unpenalized, but two days later the NHL
suspended Glencross for three games.

The Rangers have split two games without Drury.

New York hopes Marian Gaborik can help it win consecutive games
for the first time since that seven-game run last month. Gaborik
has two goals and four assists in the last four games. He ranks
second in the league in goals (13) and points (25), and eight of
his goals have come at home, where the Rangers are 6-3-0.

Gaborik upstaged Ovechkin in the first meeting, scoring two
goals, including the eventual winner with 9:28 to play in the
third period. Those were his first two goals against the
Capitals after being held without one in seven previous meetings
while playing for Minnesota.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134669-Capitals-Rangers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134669-Capitals-Rangers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:10:41 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Parenteau gives Rangers shootout win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[OTTAWA(AP) -- John Tortorella started looking down his bench as
the New York Rangers began going deeper and deeper into a
shootout standoff. Fresh from the minors, Pierre-Alexandre
Parenteau was ready to step up and deliver.

Parenteau scored the deciding goal in the seventh round of the
shootout to give New York a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators
on Saturday.

Parenteau, who missed a shot at an open net late in regulation,
put a shot into the top right corner on the Rangers' seventh
attempt against Brian Elliott.

"It's a good feeling," said Parenteau, who was recalled from
Hartford of the AHL on Friday. "Torts asked me if I was doing
well in the minors in the shootout and I said, 'I do pretty
well, decent,' so he gave me a shot. I think I pretty much
redeemed myself for the goal I missed with a minute left so I'm
pretty happy right now. I've got a lot of family and friends in
town so it's a good moment for me."

Henrik Lundqvist stopped five Ottawa shooters, including Milan
Michalek on the Senators' seventh and final attempt.

Vinny Prospal scored a short-handed goal midway through the
second for New York, which had lost two in a row.

Brian Lee opened the scoring with his second of the season
earlier in the middle period for Ottawa. The Senators have lost
two straight and five of seven.

The Rangers finished the extra period short-handed after Ales
Kotalik was sent off for tripping Milan Michalek 3:37 into
overtime.

New York's Ryan Callahan blocked consecutive point shots by
Daniel Alfredsson during the ensuing 4-on-3 power-play.

"You know, he's one of our key guys when it comes to the PK,"
Lundqvist said. "He's been there for a couple of years and the
big part is reading the game, to be in the right lane when they
pass the puck."

Faced with an opportunity at an open net moments later, the
Ottawa captain fanned on a swipe at a bouncing puck off the end
boards.

"I thought I had it for sure and it just took a wicked bounce
straight over my stick," Alfredsson said. "I saw it coming and I
thought I timed it pretty good but it just took off and I didn't
get a piece of it."

Lundqvist made 35 saves in his second straight start after
missing two games because of a lower body injury.

"It's tough to get a 4-on-3 at the end of the game but the guys
were unbelievable, blocking big shots and it was tough to see
the puck," Lundqvist said. "That's what you need. We were ready
to pay the price and we did a lot of great things out there,
especially on the PK."

Elliott stopped 27 shots in his first appearance in six games.

Rangers captain Chris Drury missed his second game in a row.
Drury sustained a concussion one week earlier on a hit to the
head by Curtis Glencross in a 3-1 loss in Calgary that went
unpenalized in the game, but drew the Flames forward a
three-game suspension from the league on Monday.

After a scoreless opening period, Ottawa outshot New York 17-7
in the second, yet remained in a 1-1 tie after the two teams
each scored once in the middle period.

Lee finished off a nice passing play with Chris Kelly and Jarkko
Ruutu for his second goal 4:29 into the second.

Kelly carried the puck into Rangers' zone and dished off to
Ruutu on the left side. The pesky Finn fed a return pass to the
slot where Lee was left alone to drive a slap shot under
Lundqvist's right pad.

"It was a great pass from (Ruutu) and (Kelly) took away the
goalie's eyes so I think you guys could have put that one in,"
Lee said.

Prospal teamed up with Marian Gaborik to draw the Rangers even
at 1 with a short-handed goal 10:58 into the second. Prospal
finished off a 2-on-1 when he redirected Gaborik's centering
pass beyond Elliott into an open left side, ending a personal
seven-game goal drought.

Both teams survived close calls late in regulation. Chris
Higgins hit the post and Parenteau put a shot over an open net
on a Rangers power play after the Senators were called for too
many men 14:51 into the third.

"I'd just made one save and I guess it bounced across to
(Parenteau) and I just dove," Elliott said. "I don't know what
happened, whether somebody got a stick on it or a glove, but he
missed the net and we got that big point."

Lundqvist stopped Ottawa's Chris Neil from in close with less
than 1 minute remaining after Rangers defenseman Marc Staal
turned over the puck behind his own net.

NOTES: Parenteau had a two-game stint earlier this season and
scored in his Rangers debut in a 3-1 road loss to the New York
Islanders on Oct. 28. ... Kotalik and Prospal also scored for
New York in the shootout. Alfredsson and Jason Spezza scored for
Ottawa. ... Prospal's goal was the Rangers' third short-handed
effort of the season and their first since Oct. 11, when Dan
Girardi scored short-handed in a 3-0 win over Anaheim. ...
Senators G Pacal Leclaire is 2-3-1 with a 3.55 goals-against
average in his last seven starts, including Thursday's 5-1 loss
in Philadelphia.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133901-Parenteau-gives-Rangers-shootout-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133901-Parenteau-gives-Rangers-shootout-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:04:54 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rangers-Senators Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

New York (10-8-1) at Ottawa (8-6-2), 2:00 p.m. EDT

There were concerns about Marian Gaborik's injury history and
ability to perform on a big stage when the New York Rangers
signed him this summer, but he's looked every bit like an
All-Star so far.

Lately, though, his teammates haven't given him much help.

The Rangers try to break out of their offensive slump Saturday
afternoon as they visit the Ottawa Senators looking to avoid a
sixth loss in eight games.

Gaborik has bounced back from an injury-plagued 2008-09 with
Minnesota, recording 13 goals and 11 assists in 12 games during
a successful early stint with the Rangers. His presence seemed
to energize his new team, as New York led the NHL with 46 goals
as of Oct. 26, but it has since returned to the offensively
challenged ways that resulted in the club ranking 29th in goals
last season.

The Rangers (10-8-1) managed 13 goals over the last seven games,
with a 5-3 loss to Atlanta on Thursday the fifth defeat in that
stretch.

Brian Boyle pulled New York within one 6:18 into the third
period, but the Rangers didn't score against despite outshooting
the Thrashers 18-5 in the final 20 minutes.

"We are not getting the results right now," said forward Vinny
Prospal, who has four assists but no goals in the past seven
contests. "The third period really showed how effective we can
be playing 5-on-5."

Gaborik had three goals and three assists in his past five
games, but two of New York's other top forwards are banged up.
Brandon Dubinsky will miss the next month after breaking his
hand in a loss to Calgary last week, while Chris Drury suffered
a concussion in that same game.

Drury's status for Saturday's game is unclear.

Dubinsky had two goals - one an empty-netter - in the Rangers'
5-2 win over Ottawa (8-6-2) on Oct. 3 at Madison Square Garden.
Former Senator Prospal also scored, along with Gaborik.

The Senators' Pascal Leclaire gave up four goals that night, and
had another rough outing against an Atlantic Division team
Thursday. He stopped 22 shots in a 5-1 loss at Philadelphia,
giving up three goals in the final period.

Coach Cory Clouston, though, wasn't discouraged by Ottawa's
fourth loss in six games, saying the team "played very well" for
the first 40 minutes.

"I don't know if we can play much better on the road than that,"
Clouston said.

The struggling Leclaire went 2-3-1 with a 3.55 goals-against
average in his last seven starts. As a result, Brian Elliott
(2-1-1, 3.20 GAA) is expected to start Saturday.

Elliott made 25 saves in a 2-0 home loss against the Rangers on
Jan. 10, his only career start versus New York.

Henrik Lundqvist didn't play well Thursday, his first game back
after missing two with a lower-body injury, but could be much
better Saturday. He went 4-2-0 with a 1.66 GAA in his last six
starts versus Ottawa.

Senators leading scorer Daniel Alfredsson scored three goals in
his last five contests against the Rangers.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133456-Rangers-Senators-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133456-Rangers-Senators-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:04:58 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Kovalchuk returns, powers Thrashers to win vs. NYR]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By IRA PODELL
AP Hockey Writer

NEW YORK(AP) -- A bit of bad weather was all Ilya Kovalchuk needed
to make a quicker return to the Atlanta Thrashers.

Out since Oct. 24 when the Thrashers captain broke his right
foot when struck by a puck, Kovalchuk came back Thursday night
and led the Thrashers to a 5-3 victory over the New York
Rangers.

On Wednesday, it appeared Kovalchuk would miss a seventh game.
He felt pain while practicing and decided to visit the doctor.
Weather delayed the Thrashers' flight to New York from 2 p.m.
until 7 p.m., and when an X-ray came back clean, Kovalchuk took
off with his teammates.

Great idea. Kovalchuk had a goal and two assists.

"They told me I couldn't hurt it any worse, so I decided to go,"
Kovalchuk said.

The star forward sported a boot on his right foot after the game
and said he would wear it for three weeks.

"It's part of the game: You get hurt, you're wearing those weird
shoes," he said.

Kovalchuk and his linemates had a big night. The victory was
sealed when he and former Rangers forward Nik Antropov set up
Maxim Afinogenov's empty-netter in the closing seconds.

"Our line was clicking real well," he said. "We all speak
Russian, so it's kind of cheating because they can't understand
what we're saying."

Kovalchuk helped set up Rich Peverley's power-play goal in the
second period and then put Atlanta back in front after the
Rangers tied it a second time.

Thrashers rookie Evander Kane, questionable because of a foot
injury, chipped in with a goal and assist. Johan Hedberg stopped
33 shots while playing in his third straight for Atlanta, which
won for the fourth time in six games. Colby Armstrong also
scored.

Atlanta was 3-3 without Kovalchuk.

"It is pretty surprising to see a guy come back like that after
being off for about three weeks," Armstrong said. "To come back
and be as smooth and as solid as he was is pretty incredible.
The guy is a natural.

"He's our leader, and he played well for us."

New York, missing injured captain Chris Drury (concussion) and
fellow forward Brandon Dubinsky (broken hand), erased a one-goal
hole in the first and another in the second when the Thrashers
controlled play. Penalties again cost the Rangers, who returned
from a 1-2 Western Canada trip and lost for the eighth time in
11 games (3-7-1)

Artem Anisimov and Marian Gaborik erased one-goal deficits for
the Rangers, and Henrik Lundqvist returned from a two-game
absence (leg) to make 22 saves. Brian Boyle brought New York
within 4-3 when he slammed in a rebound of Ales Kotalik's shot
6:18 into the third.

The Rangers couldn't tie it again despite two power plays and a
18-5 shots advantage. Kotalik ripped a drive from the blue line
that was deflected before hitting the goal post with 8:47
remaining.

"We are not getting the results right now," forward Vinny
Prospal said. "The third period really showed how effective we
can be playing 5-on-5 ... we just can't seem to stay out of the
box."

Atlanta dominated the second, scoring three times on 12 shots
and taking advantage of both power plays. The Thrashers played
for the first time since Sunday. New York had been off since
losing at Calgary on Saturday when Drury and Dubinsky were
injured.

After Gaborik got the Rangers into their second tie, Kovalchuk
put Atlanta back in front 3-2 with 2:19 left in the second.
Kovalchuk, who earlier in the period assisted on Peverley's
go-ahead, power-play goal, netted his 10th as Boyle served a
tripping penalty he disputed.

Kovalchuk zipped a shot from the left circle that sailed over
Lundqvist's glove. Kane made it 4-2 just 25 seconds later with
his fourth goal.

"The whole night was a big battle," Lundqvist said. "They didn't
have that many shots, but they got pretty big scoring chances.
It was tough to play."

Gaborik lifted New York into a 2-2 tie with 4:32 remaining in
the second, scoring his 13th goal in 17 games when he beat
Hedberg with a shot under his left arm and over his pad. The
goal was set up when Armstrong tripped Anisimov 34 seconds
earlier.

Armstrong got things going just 19 seconds into the game when he
took a pass in the crease from Kane and directed it past
Lundqvist. That broke a Thrashers string of seven straight goals
scored by defensemen.

"You can't ask for anything better than a quick goal like that,"
Armstrong said.

Anisimov tied it 3:49 later when he got to a rebound of
Gaborik's shot.

NOTES: Kovalchuk has four multigoal games this season,
accounting for eight of his 10 goals. ... The Rangers are
17-12-1-7 against Atlanta. ... New York dropped to 14-4 in its
last 18 home games, dating to last season. ... New York enforcer
Donald Brashear played in his 1,000th NHL game.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133347-Kovalchuk-returns-powers-Thrashers-to-win-vs-NYR</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133347-Kovalchuk-returns-powers-Thrashers-to-win-vs-NYR</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:03:03 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Thrashers-Rangers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Atlanta (7-6-1) at New York (10-7-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Mounting injuries might become a problem for the struggling New
York Rangers, but the expected return of Henrik Lundqvist should
provide a lift.

The All-Star goaltender, however, may have to contend with the
potential return of high-scoring Ilya Kovalchuk on Thursday
night when the Rangers face the Atlanta Thrashers at Madison
Square Garden.

New York (10-7-1) is 3-6-1 after a seven-game winning streak,
and concluded a 1-2 Western Canada trip by falling 3-1 at
Calgary on Saturday. The Rangers were also dealt a pair of
severe blows with injuries to captain Chris Drury (concussion)
and center Brandon Dubinsky (undisclosed). The availability of
both players is unknown.

Drury left Saturday after less than a minute of play when he was
hit by the Flames' Curtis Glencross. The center was struck away
from the puck and immediately dropped to the ice, where he was
tended to for a couple of minutes before being helped to the
dressing room.

Dubinsky left the game in the second period, but coach John
Tortorella may have been more concerned with the lack of a
penalty call on the hit to Drury.

"It was a missed call, it should have been a major, they missed
it," Tortorella said.

Glencross was suspended three games by the league on Monday.

The Rangers, 6-2-0 at MSG, could get a significant boost if
Lundqvist is able to return from an undisclosed injury that kept
him out of the last two games. He's 8-5-1 with a 2.52
goals-against average in 15 games, but has proved to be more
effective at home, posting a 5-1-0 mark with a 2.06 GAA and his
lone shutout of the season.

Lundqvist, though, has also been impressive in eight home
meetings with Atlanta (7-6-1), going 4-1-3 with a 1.82 GAA. If
he can't play, then Stephen Valiquette would get a third
consecutive start after splitting the last two games while
stopping 45 of 50 shots.

Atlanta could have Kovalchuk back after he unexpectedly traveled
to New York, but the left wing's status is uncertain.

He was expected to miss three to five weeks after suffering a
broken bone in his right foot when he was hit by the puck during
a 4-3 loss to San Jose on Oct. 24. He was tied for second in the
league with nine goals at the time of the injury.

Kovalchuk, the Thrashers' all-time leader with 306 goals and 567
points, has 13 goals and 12 assists in 26 games against the
Rangers.

Atlanta is 3-3-0 without its captain, and coming off Sunday's
3-2 shootout win over St. Louis, as defensemen Tobias Enstrom
and Ron Hainsey scored to erase a two-goal third-period deficit
before left wing Slava Kozlov clinched the win with the decisive
shootout attempt.

It was an improved effort from a night earlier when the
Thrashers lost 6-3 at the New York Islanders.

"We weren't floundering in our zone as much because we played
the body a lot more and helped out when the time was right,"
coach John Anderson said. "Forwards were collapsing in front the
net, all the little things that add up. I just thought our
concerted effort was much better (Sunday)."

While both clubs are dealing with injuries, the Rangers might be
happy with Marian Gaborik's surprising durability.

The oft-injured right wing missed two games last month with a
lower-body injury, but has two goals and two assists in four
games since. He leads the team with 12 goals and 22 points, and
has five goals and three assists in his last five games against
Atlanta.

The Rangers went 2-0-2 against the Thrashers last season, going
1-0-1 at home.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133126-Thrashers-Rangers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133126-Thrashers-Rangers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:23:12 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Iginla nets winner in Flames' 3-1 win over Rangers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[CALGARY, Alberta(AP) -- In his first meeting against the team that
drafted him, Nigel Dawes had a career night.

Dawes assisted on all three Calgary goals and Miikka Kiprusoff
had 32 saves as the Flames beat the New York Rangers 3-1
Saturday night for their third win in a row.

The highlight of Dawes' first career three-point night was his
setup of Jarome Iginla at 16:47 of the second period. Iginla's
eighth goal broke a 1-1 tie and stood up as the winner.

Dawes burst into the Rangers zone along the side boards and
threaded a pass to Iginla in the slot. The Flames captain
snapped a shot inside the goal post past goalie Steve
Valiquette.

"That pass he gave me coming right down into the slot was a
tough play to make, not everybody sees it," Iginla said. "He put
it right on my stick and gave me a lot of net to shoot at."

Iginla has four goals in three November games after scoring only
four times in October.

"I saw him at the last second there and I just wanted to try and
get him the puck because the percentages of him scoring from
there are pretty good," said Dawes, tied for third on the team
with 10 points (four goals, six assists).

Dawes played parts of three seasons with the Rangers before
being dealt to Phoenix last season. He was claimed off waivers
by the Flames during the summer.

"Any time you play a former team, you're going to get excited
for it," Dawes said. "It was one of those games where things
went my way."

Daymond Langkow and Rene Bourque also scored for Calgary
(10-4-1).

Dan Girardi had the only goal for the Rangers (10-7-1), who went
1-2 on a Western Canada road trip. New York lost captain Chris
Drury less than one minute into the game when Flames forward
Curtis Glencross caught the unsuspecting Drury with a shoulder
to the head.

Rangers coach John Tortorella said Drury sustained a concussion
and expressed his unhappiness with the lack of a penalty call.

"It was a missed call, it should have been a major, they missed
it," Tortorella said.

The Rangers also lost Brandon Dubinsky to an undisclosed injury
early in the second period.

New York hopes to have No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist back on the
ice Thursday when the Rangers face Atlanta. Lundqvist was held
out for a second straight game because of an undisclosed minor
injury.

Valiquette was good against the Flames in making 19 stops, but
Kiprusoff was even better. Kiprusoff was especially sharp over
the final half of the game as New York pressed for the tying
goal.

He turned aside all 24 shots he faced over the last two periods
to improve to 9-3-1.

"That's a pretty good team right there," Kiprusoff said. "They
came hard in the first period and we had some troubles getting
the puck out of the zone but after the first, we played much
better and we were skating more. It was a good two points."

"Our goaltender was outstanding," Flames coach Brent Sutter
said.

In addition to a couple of close-in saves off Marian Gaborik and
dangerous chances by Enver Lisin and Vinny Prospal, Kiprusoff
also got some help.

Late in the third period when Flames defenseman Adam Pardy fell
to give the Rangers a 2-on-1 rush, David Moss hustled back to
tie up Ales Kotalik who failed to get a shot at an open net.

Calgary got some insurance at 16:35 of the third when Dawes and
Rene Bourque worked the puck back and forth. Bourque then fired
a shot past Valiquette to make it 3-1.

"We had some good chances, for sure," Rangers defenseman Wade
Redden said. "In the first period, he made some good saves, we
could have got the early jump on them.

New York tied it 1-1 at 17:16 of the first. Girardi flung a
wrist shot from the blue line that got past Kiprusoff, who was
screened.

"It was one of our better games of the year," Tortorella said.
"Our transition was good, our forechecking was good, the power
play was good, Kiprusoff was the difference."

Calgary opened the scoring at 3:56 of the first period when
Pardy's wrist shot from the blue line went through a maze of
bodies and past Valiquette.

Drury was lost for the night after being hit by Glencross. He
was struck away from the puck and immediately dropped to the
ice. He was down for a couple of minutes before being helped to
the dressing room.

NOTES: Calgary entered the night last in the NHL in power-play
chances (46). The Rangers were number one in times short-handed
(79). The Flames were 1 for 3. New York went 0-for-3. ...
Calgary has scored first in 12 of 15 games (8-3-1). ... Craig
Conroy has gone yet to score in 15 games, the lone Flames
forward without a goal. ... Kiprusoff has gone 38 games since
his last shutout on Feb. 12, 2009. ... Kotalik entered the night
tied for the league lead in power-play points (12). He is a
team-worst minus-6 and has just three points at even strength.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132273-Iginla-nets-winner-in-Flames-3-1-win-over-Rangers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132273-Iginla-nets-winner-in-Flames-3-1-win-over-Rangers</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:30:45 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rangers-Flames Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

New York (10-6-1) at Calgary (9-4-1), 10:00 p.m. EDT

Back-to-back overtime wins have the Calgary Flames feeling good
about themselves, while the New York Rangers believe their
latest victory helped them avoid the wrath of their coach.

The Flames return home in search of a third straight win
Saturday night when they face the Rangers, who hope to have
starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist available.

Calgary (9-4-1) lost the final two games of a five-game
homestand Oct. 16-31 and had three days off to prepare for
back-to-back road games. The Flames got back on track with a 3-2
victory Wednesday at Dallas and a 2-1 win Thursday at St. Louis.

"To be able to get two of them in a row, in overtime like this,
it's a great feeling," star winger Jarome Iginla said. "It's
good for momentum."

Three of the Flames' nine wins have come in overtime. They beat
Edmonton 4-3 in a shootout on Oct. 8.

"A good road trip for us," goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff said. "To
come out with four points, that's huge. To win these close
games, it's nice."

New York (10-6-1) is hoping to finish with a winning road trip
after defeating Edmonton 5-3 on Thursday. The Rangers opened the
trip with a 4-1 loss at Vancouver on Tuesday, and had scored
five goals in losing three of four before Thursday.

"We needed a win of any kind period, not just a road win,"
Rangers backup goaltender Steve Valiquette said. "Just like
Edmonton, we have been reeling a little bit and we knew this
game was an opportunity to perhaps turn things around.

"We would have been in deep trouble with (coach John Tortorella)
if we had recorded another loss here."

The Rangers got power-play goals from Marian Gaborik,  Ryan
Callahan and Ales Kotalik and their penalty kill unit - which is
among the best in the NHL - stopped all four power-play chances
for the Oilers.

"I think the last two or three games that the effort has been
there, we just found a way to score some goals tonight,"
Tortorella said. "Getting three on the power play really
helped."

New York is hopeful that Lundqvist will be back after Valiquette
started Thursday and made 26 saves. Lundqvist, 8-5-1 with a 2.52
goals-against average, sat out with a stiff right thigh.

The Rangers also ended a four-game road slide. They have won two
of their last three games at Calgary, but lost 4-3 on Jan. 2,
2008, in their first visit in more than five years.

Iginla had a strong road trip for Calgary with three goals and
one assist. He has eight goals and three assists in his last
seven games against the Rangers.

Calgary defenseman Robyn Regehr had a six-game assist streak
snapped in Thursday's win. Regehr has eight points to match his
total from 75 games last season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131790-Rangers-Flames-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131790-Rangers-Flames-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:29:38 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Kotalik's goal, 2 assists lift Rangers over Oilers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[EDMONTON, Alberta(AP) -- Desperate for a win, the New York Rangers
took advantage of the Edmonton Oilers' struggling offense.

Ales Kotalik had a goal and two assists, and the Rangers halted
a four-game, road-losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Edmonton
Oilers on Thursday night.

Marian Gaborik, Christopher Higgins and Ryan Callahan also
scored for the Rangers (10-6-1), who had won only two of their
previous eight games.

"We needed a win of any kind period, not just a road win," said
Rangers backup goalie Steve Valiquette. "Just like Edmonton, we
have been reeling a little bit and we knew this game was an
opportunity to perhaps turn things around. We would have been in
deep trouble with (head coach John Tortorella) if we had
recorded another loss here."

Tortorella said the Rangers are getting back to the way they
played at the start of the season, when they won seven straight
after losing the opener at Pittsburgh.

"I think the last two or three games that the effort has been
there, we just found a way to score some goals tonight," he
said. "Getting three on the power play really helped.

"Our forechecking was much better and we played smart through
the neutral zone. We found a way to score a few goals and win a
game."

Lubomir Visnovsky and Mike Comrie had goals for Edmonton
(7-8-1), which has lost three in a row and six of seven. New
Oilers associate coach Tom Renney faced the Rangers for the
first time since he was fired as the club's head coach in
February.

"We didn't seem to get involved early enough," Oilers assistant
captain Steve Staios said. "Any time we got any momentum, we
ended up taking penalties. We were back on our heels and we
didn't force the play much. We're obviously not playing up to
our capabilities."

The Oilers haven't outshot an opponent since the first game of
the season. They were outshot 39-28 against the Rangers.

"We've got guys who are supposed to be scorers that don't put
the puck anywhere near the net. That's the disappointing part,"
Oilers coach pat Quinn said. "You don't get many goals if you
don't shoot it.

"We're going to try and get some change. A change in body
language if that's what it takes. We're going to wear our goalie
out (in practice) too."

The Oilers are 1-5 on the road and will play of 11 of the next
16 away from Edmonton.

After a slow start by both teams, the Rangers broke the
scoreless deadlock with just under 5 minutes left in the first
period. Matt Gilroy made a nice feed trough traffic to Higgins,
who put his second of the season past goalie Nikolai Khabibulin.
Higgins has scored in consecutive games.

The Rangers outshot Edmonton 14-8 in the first.

New York went up 2-0 midway through the second on a power-play
goal as defenseman Michael Del Zotto send the puck toward the
net, and Callahan deflected it over Khabibulin's shoulder.

Edmonton got within 2-1 with 5 minutes to play in the second
period as Ales Hemsky deftly slipped the puck to Visnovsky at
the point. Visnovsky he charged in and put a backhander between
Valiquette and the post.

It didn't take the Rangers long to restore the two-goal cushion,
as they scored another power-play goal less than 2 minutes
later. Gaborik fed Kotalik at the point for a hard slap shot
that produced his second point of the night.

New York made it 4-1 seven minutes into the third with Fernando
Pisani in the box serving a double minor for high-sticking Del
Zotto. Kotalik's screen shot from the point squirted past
Khabibulin, and Gaborik guided it in from the side of the net
for his 12th goal.

Edmonton cut its deficit back to two goals 3 minutes later as
Comrie, in his first game back following a bout with the flu,
spun around and took a shot that got between Valiquette's legs.

NOTES: Oilers forward Shawn Horcoff missed the game because of a
shoulder injury and is expected to be out 7-10 days. ... Staios
re-entered the lineup after missing 12 games due to a
concussion. ... Edmonton D Sheldon Souray (concussion) has been
cleared to play and might return soon. ... Valiquette started in
place of No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist (stiff right thigh). ...
Rangers RW Enver Lisin returned from a one-game absence caused
by a foot injury. New York was without forwards Donald Brashear
(upper body) and Dane Byers (suspension).]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131694-Kotaliks-goal-2-assists-lift-Rangers-over-Oilers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131694-Kotaliks-goal-2-assists-lift-Rangers-over-Oilers</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:26:16 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Renney readies to face Rangers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[BY IRA PODELL
AP Hockey Writer

NEW YORK(AP) -- Tom Renney is bracing himself for his first game
against the New York Rangers since being fired as their coach
less than a year ago.

Now an associate coach with the Edmonton Oilers under Pat Quinn,
Renney will be on the opposing bench when the Rangers come to
town Thursday night.

"I'm going to have a hard time looking at the logo and not
identifying with it," said Renney, who spent four years as
Rangers coach before being dismissed in February. "I'm going to
see familiar faces and be happy to see them again and all that
kind of stuff, but I want to beat them. There is no question
about that."

Always a diplomat, Renney didn't leave New York yelling and
screaming and pointing fingers. He thanked general manager Glen
Sather for giving him the job after a not-so-good first
head-coaching stint with the Vancouver Canucks.

Without complaining, Renney merely lamented not getting the
opportunity to get the Rangers out of the 2-7-3 slide that cost
him his job.

"I didn't see the end coming because I really and truly believed
that we would turn it around," Renney said Tuesday when the
Oilers visited Long Island. "You're never that naive where you
don't think that anything can happen at any time, that's always
there, but not to the point where it consumes you or disrupts
your ability to pay attention to your job and be yourself.

"I really felt we would get the opportunity to do it right, to
correct it. ... I really felt like quite honestly the team was
ready to respond again."

Renney was immediately replaced by John Tortorella, whose
bombastic style is in direct contrast to Renney's more
mild-mannered tone.

Whether a swift kick was necessary to jump-start the team is
open for debate, but with a few late-season roster additions,
New York made it to the playoffs. The Rangers even had a 3-1
series lead over Washington in the first round, before letting
it slip away in a disappointing seven-game loss.

"I think I was certainly treated fairly. I love Glen," Renney
said. "I really wanted Glen to have success. I wanted him to be
proud of his team, proud of me, and that's the biggest
disappointment of all."

Renney served many roles with the Rangers during his nine years.
He spent two seasons as the team's director of player personnel
in which he oversaw the amateur scouting operation, he moved up
to vice president of player development in 2002, and became
interim head coach in February 2004.

The interim title was dropped that summer, and Renney posted a
164-117-0-46 mark as head coach. He led the team to three
straight 40-win seasons and three consecutive playoff
appearances after a seven-season absence.

Renney admitted he is somewhat relieved his first game against
the Rangers is in Edmonton and not Madison Square Garden.

"Yeah, kinda. I loved it here. I was disappointed to go," he
said. "I really identified with the city. I went through a life
experience as only the people here could have with 9/11 and I
really felt like I was part of it all. It's too bad, but I'm
good.

"Believe me, I'm not sitting here crying over spilled milk or
anything like that. I'm really great and life is good, there is
no question about that, but I really enjoyed it here."

Renney never really considered taking another job with the
Rangers. In his core he is a coach, and a head coach at that.

He said only the opportunity to work with Quinn, who as
Vancouver Canucks GM hired him as coach in 1996, convinced him
to take an associate coaching role.

Renney left the Rangers with a lot more confidence in his
ability behind the bench than he did when he was let go by the
Canucks.

"I will be honest with you, it is different," he said. "I think
I learned that I'm a pretty good coach. Coming out of Vancouver,
I came out of there wondering am I right? I was certainly
disheartened and disappointed.

"I didn't have that feeling this time. I honestly felt like I
could turn it around. And why wouldn't you feel that way? If you
don't feel that way, then don't take the job."

Renney said he had two vociemail messages waiting for him the
day he was introduced with Quinn and the new Oilers coaching
staff.

At some point, whether it is in Edmonton or somewhere else,
Renney would like to again be a head coach. He is proud of his
accomplishments, though he regrets how the Rangers let a playoff
series slip away against Buffalo in 2007.

New York never advanced past the second round under Renney.

"Sure you evaluate this thing and that thing and you look at
yourself," he said. "I don't think I ever found myself really
(angry). We were hurt, my family more than anybody, and I took
this opportunity to show my wife and my girls what standing tall
looks like and what taking a shot looks like and having the
dignity to deal with that and not throw people under the bus and
just deal with it head-on.

"I was the head coach, period. And that's that. I looked at it
as an opportunity to help my kids understand that life isn't
always what appears to be fair and you've got to go with it."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131366-Renney-readies-to-face-Rangers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131366-Renney-readies-to-face-Rangers</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:34 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rangers-Oilers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By TOM CASTRO
STATS Senior Editor

New York (9-6-1) at Edmonton (7-7-1), 9:30 p.m. EDT

After a hot start, the New York Rangers are in an extended
slump. They hope to turn their play around in a matchup with the
Edmonton Oilers - another team that is struggling after a strong
start.

The Rangers visit Rexall Place on Thursday night to take on the
Oilers in the teams' only meeting of the season.

New York (9-6-1) has seen its fortunes change drastically since
opening 7-1-0. The Rangers suffered their third loss in four
games Tuesday, 4-1 at Vancouver.

New York scored 30 goals during its seven-game winning streak
from Oct. 3-17, but the offense has since dried up. The Rangers
managed nine goals in their last five regulation losses and had
just 23 shots on goal against the Canucks - five in the third
period.

Christopher Higgins delivered the only goal Tuesday for New
York, which was involved in a melee in front of its bench that
featured 10 Rangers against seven Canucks and resulted in five
10-minute misconducts, including one to Vancouver's Shane
O'Brien for poking Sean Avery with his stick from the bench.

"I'd rather score when we win," Higgins told the team's official
Web site after recording his first goal as a Ranger. "It seems
like it's not that significant. It's the only goal we score, and
we lose. Then we give up three, and most of them were
preventable."

Rangers star Marian Gaborik, who precipitated the melee when he
shoved Ryan Kesler with his stick during a line change, had his
four-game goal streak snapped.

New York forward Dane Byers was suspended one game for his role
in the  fight, while coach John Tortorella was fined $10,000
because one of his players was deemed the instigator of the
altercation.

Rangers forward Enver Lisin and enforcer Donald Brashear missed
the game due to lingering injuries, and their status for
Thursday is uncertain.

New York last won in Edmonton in 1999, although it has only
played there three times since. The Rangers lost the most recent
matchup at Rexall Place 3-2 in a shootout Jan. 5, 2008.

They will be taking on an Oilers team that also got off to a
quick start before falling off. Edmonton (7-7-1) lost for the
fifth time in six games Monday, 3-1 to the New York Islanders.

Like the Rangers, the Oilers are struggling badly in the
offensive end. They have totaled three goals in the losses
during this 1-5-0 stretch and were shut out three times in the
last four games.

"We sure shoot ourselves in the foot," coach Pat Quinn said. "We
are a team that beats themselves right now.

"In the second period (Monday), we abandoned again any
principles of defense in the defensive zone. If you check like
that, you lose hockey games. That's all there is to it. They
played like the Harlem Globetrotters for a couple of shifts
there, and they're not even a physical team."

The Oilers' Ethan Moreau opened the scoring with his second goal
of the season 11:02 into the first period, but John Tavares tied
the game 3:49 later and the Islanders outshot Edmonton 37-23.

Quinn's team has been hit hard by the flu, as center Mike Comrie
sat out for the fifth time in six games and at least five
players have been sick recently.

New York's three-game trip through western Canada concludes
against Calgary on Saturday. Thursday's game is Edmonton's only
home contest in a seven-game stretch, as it heads out on a
five-game trip starting Sunday.

The Oilers are 6-2-1 at home compared to 1-5-0 on the road.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131267-Rangers-Oilers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131267-Rangers-Oilers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:01:20 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rangers F Byers suspended; coach Tortorella fined]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[TORONTO(AP) -- New York Rangers forward Dane Byers was suspended
one game for his role in a fight during the third period of
Monday's game in Vancouver.

The NHL announced the punishment Wednesday. Byers will forfeit
$2,590 in salary to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Rangers coach John Tortorella was fined $10,000 because one of
his players was deemed the instigator of the altercation. His
fine goes to the NHL Foundation.

The game was delayed nearly 10 minutes in the third period when
Vancouver's Ryan Kessler and New York's Marian Gaborik started a
scrum that led to five misconduct penalties.

Byers was involved in the incident. The 23-year-old will sit out
Thursday night's game in Edmonton and be eligible to return
Saturday in Calgary.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131290-Rangers-F-Byers-suspended-coach-Tortorella-fined</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131290-Rangers-F-Byers-suspended-coach-Tortorella-fined</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:56:00 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rypien helps Canucks beat Rangers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[VANCOUVER, British Columbia(AP) -- Just when it looks like the
injury-riddled Vancouver Canucks might fall apart, they battle
back.

It happened after a lopsided loss in Anaheim on Friday night,
and again after the New York Rangers tied Tuesday night's game
on a controversial power play 6:24 into the third period.

Rick Rypien put the Canucks back ahead 2:30 later, the first of
three late goals that lifted the Canucks to a 4-1 victory over
New York.

Mikael Samuelsson scored his second of the game on a power play
with 5:57 left and Henrik Sedin added an empty-netter with 1:24
to go as the Canucks won for the sixth time in eight games
despite missing seven injured players.

"This team has a lot of character, a lot of grit, a lot of hard
work," said Kesler, who was in the penalty box when the Rangers'
Christopher Higgins tied it early in the third period, but
finished with three assists for Vancouver.

"We got beat pretty good in Anaheim but came right back and put
our work boots on and didn't get discouraged and came out with
two pretty good victories."

The first was a 3-0 win over Colorado on Sunday, which was the
first shutout for Andrew Raycroft in almost two years. He
followed that up with another good game against New York, making
22 saves for his third win in four starts since Roberto Luongo
suffered a hairline rib fracture.

"It's good to do a good job filling in," said Raycroft, who
leads the NHL with a 1.53 goals-against average and is second
with a .937 save percentage. "Tonight was definitely my best
game this year I think."

Henrik Lundqvist, playing his first game in the city where he is
expected to backstop Sweden at the 2010 Olympics in February,
matched Raycroft most of the way. He finished with 26 saves, but
didn't get much help in the third period as New York lost for
the sixth time in seven games after opening the season 7-1-0.

"We tie the game up and then just don't do the job defensively,"
coach John Tortorella said. "We gave up nine scoring chances
tonight so I'm happy with the way we defended but we made a
couple major mistakes at the key times."

Kesler, who is also expected to be a big part of the Olympics
for Team USA, was in the center of the action all night,
including a wild scrum that turned up the heat on an otherwise
tedious, tight-checking game early in the third period.

Rangers star Marian Gaborik, who had his four-game goal streak
snapped, shoved the agitating Kesler with his stick during a
line change, touching off a melee in front of the New York bench
that featured 10 Rangers against seven Canucks and resulted in
five 10-minute misconducts, including one to Shane O'Brien for
poking New York agitator Sean Avery with his stick from the
benches.

Kesler ended up with the only minor penalty, though, and Higgins
parked in front of the net to fire in his first goal of the
season and tie the game.

"It gave us a power play and we scored a power play goal to tie
the game up but we just couldn't keep the momentum on our side,"
said Tortorella.

Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault was less willing to discuss
the melee that left his team shorthanded, and allowed the
Rangers back into the game.

"I could comment in a multitude of ways but I've already talked
to (GM Mike Gillis) about it and he told me he was going to deal
with it," he said.

NOTES: Luongo skated with goaltending consultant Ian Clark the
last two days and is expected to join the team on a five-game,
11-day road trip that starts Thursday in Minnesota. ... The
Rangers haven t won in Vancouver in almost 12 years, but this
was only their fifth visit since Wayne Gretzky scored a hat
trick in a 6-3 win on Oct. 11, 1997. ... Rangers RW Enver Lisin
missed the game with a bruised foot and was replaced on the top
line with Gaborik and Vinny Prospal by Higgins. ... New York
Enforcer Donald Brashear, who played five seasons in Vancouver,
missed a second-straight game with a lingering arm injury, and
remains one game shy of his 1,000th in the NHL.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131173-Rypien-helps-Canucks-beat-Rangers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131173-Rypien-helps-Canucks-beat-Rangers</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:30:51 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rangers-Canucks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BECKER
STATS Senior Writer

New York (9-5-1) at Vancouver (8-7-0), 10:00 p.m. EDT

After struggling over the past two weeks, the New York Rangers
again feel like they're heading in the right direction.

Keeping it up this week during a three-game trip to Western
Canada won't be easy, though.

With leading scorer Marian Gaborik back in the lineup, the
Rangers seek their first victory in Vancouver in a dozen years
Tuesday night against the banged-up Canucks.

New York (9-5-1) got off to a strong start to 2009-10 by winning
seven games in a row following a season-opening loss, but things
quickly turned. The Rangers were just 1-4-1 on the heels of the
winning streak before defeating Boston 1-0 on Sunday.

Gaborik scored the lone goal after sitting out Friday's 3-2 loss
at Minnesota and Wednesday's 3-1 defeat to the New York
Islanders with a right leg injury. Gaborik, clearly the key cog
in the Rangers' attack, has scored five goals in his last four
games, raising his season total to 11. The right wing, who
signed with New York in the offseason, has three goals and two
assists in his last five games against the Canucks (8-7-0).

"I don't think the players are resting on it ... but that's why
Gabby is here," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "That is why
we made the deal. We felt we needed a game-breaker and I think
that helps you win games consistently."

While Gaborik's leading the offense, Henrik Lundqvist made 29
saves Sunday for his first shutout of the season.

"We needed some confidence to feel good about ourselves and as a
team," said Lundqvist, who was 1-3-1 with a 3.38 goals-against
average in his previous six games. "This week is going to be a
challenge for us. We know it's going to be tough, but this will
definitely help us."

The Rangers, who visit Edmonton on Thursday and Calgary on
Saturday, have lost three consecutive road games, and stopping
that skid in Vancouver could be a challenge.

New York has lost four straight at GM Place since a 6-3 victory
on Oct. 11, 1997, and the Canucks have won 19 of 23 in Vancouver
dating to last season.

In the only meeting between these teams last season, Lundqvist
stopped 12 of 17 shots before being removed in the second period
of a 6-3 loss Nov. 19 at Madison Square Garden.

Lundqvist has as 5.65 GAA in losing his two career starts
against the Canucks, who have won three straight over the
Rangers and eight of the last nine meetings overall.

While New York doesn't seem to have much in its favor going into
this matchup, it likely won't have to face four-time All-Star
goaltender Roberto Luongo, one of seven Vancouver players
expected to be out.

Luongo has missed three straight games with a hairline rib
fracture and likely won't return until Thursday at Minnesota.

Andrew Raycroft did a solid job as Luongo's replacement Sunday,
stopping 18 shots in a 3-0 win over Western Conference-leading
Colorado for his second victory in three starts.

"That was a big win for us," said Raycroft, who was pulled after
giving up four goals on 22 shots through 40 minutes of Friday's
7-2 loss in Anaheim. "We didn't play our best the other night.
We played well against the best team in the league and we shut
them down, so it was good."

Raycroft hasn't had much luck against the Rangers lately,
though, going 0-2-0 with a 7.07 GAA in his last three games
against them.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130926-Rangers-Canucks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130926-Rangers-Canucks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:58:48 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Lundqvist earns 150th win in shutout of Bruins]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By IRA PODELL
AP Hockey Writer

NEW YORK(AP) -- Forget the new NHL and its wide-open offense when
the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins get together.

These games harken back to their Original Six days.

For the fifth time in nine meetings between the longtime rivals,
one goal was enough to settle things. Marian Gaborik got it on
his return to the lineup following a right leg injury and Henrik
Lundqvist made it stand up in the Rangers' 1-0 win Sunday.

"It was a fun game," Lundqvist said after his 150th NHL victory
and 21st career shutout. "This is what I was used to last year
... low scoring and tight. I got a little spoiled this year. We
have been scoring a lot."

The signing of Gaborik has been a big reason the Rangers'
offense has shown a greater spark. He scored for the fourth
straight game, following a pair of New York losses while he was
out, and raised his season total to 11 goals.

New York was outscored 6-3 in road defeats to the New York
Islanders and Minnesota Wild. The decision to put Gaborik back
in the lineup was made during pregame warmups.

"Obviously, I am not where I want to be but I will go out there
and help anyway," Gaborik said. "It was a huge team effort. It
started with (Lundqvist). I felt like everybody contributed. It
was a huge win."

With most New York sports fans focused on a pair of NFL games
involving local teams and the Yankees' World Series run, the
Rangers returned home from a disappointing road trip and beat
the stingy Bruins.

Boston continued its season-long trend of alternating wins and
losses, absorbing a tough-luck defeat one day after backup
goalie Tuukka Rask shut out Edmonton at home. Tim Thomas made 22
saves in his return to the nets. His only blemish was Gaborik's
second-period goal.

"Lundqvist was solid, but their team D was pretty good," Thomas
said. "Both teams' D was good. Can you think of an odd-man rush
for either team?

"You'd like to win them all, but we're headed in the right
direction. Even if every game we're not getting the results."

The Rangers will now try to make some noise during a three-game
trip to Western Canada that begins Tuesday at Vancouver. New
York (9-5-1) ended a 1-4-1 skid that came on the heels of a
seven-game winning streak, largely on the strength of their
penalty-killing that was perfect in five chances.

"We needed some confidence to feel good about ourselves and as a
team," Lundqvist said. "This week is going to be a challenge for
us. We know it's going to be tough, but this will definitely
help us."

New York is 2-2-1 in the five recent 1-0 games against Boston.

Lundqvist was at his best in the third period when the Bruins
had four straight minutes of power-play time. He denied Mark
Recchi in front on a quick backhander 6:21 into the period, and
then turned Recchi aside again in the closing minute.

Those stops and Gaborik's goal were enough to give him his first
shutout of the season.

"It feels good," Lundqvist said. "If I want to stay in this
league, you have to keep winning. But 150 feels good, but
another 150 will feel even better."

Late in the second, Vinny Prospal raced the puck up left into
the Bruins zone and dropped the puck back to Gaborik in the high
slot for a hard one-timer that beat Thomas over his glove with
4:09 left.

"I didn't see the shot released," Thomas said. "I caught it
maybe eight feet out from me in my peripheral vision. There was
a crowd. Everyone was trying to play good D."

Gaborik is clearly the key cog in the Rangers' attack.

"I don't think the players are resting on it ... but that's why
Gabby is here," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "That is why
we made the deal. We felt we needed a game-breaker and I think
that helps you win games consistently."

Thomas was sharp after taking Saturday's game off. He made a
fine pad stop on Brandon Dubinsky's one-timer in the first
period while New York was short-handed, and then kicked his foot
out later in the frame to deny Ales Kotalik's drive during a
Rangers power play.

Boston's offense is greatly compromised by the absence of
leading scorers Marc Savard and Milan Lucic, who will be out
several weeks with injuries.

"We played hard," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "We did
everything, except right now we're just not scoring goals.

"Until that happens, we're going to be dealing with these types
of games. It becomes frustrating for everybody."

NOTES: Lundqvist's previous shutout was a 3-0 win over New
Jersey on March 30. ... Rangers enforcer Donald Brashear sat out
because of a lingering arm injury. LW Sean Avery and LW
Christopher Higgins returned to the lineup after sitting out
Friday at Minnesota. ... The Bruins have killed 14 straight
penalties.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130621-Lundqvist-earns-150th-win-in-shutout-of-Bruins</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130621-Lundqvist-earns-150th-win-in-shutout-of-Bruins</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:05:05 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Bruins-Rangers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MIKE LIPKA
STATS Writer

Boston (5-5-1) at New York (8-5-1), 1:00 p.m. EDT

After going through October without winning back-to-back games,
the Boston Bruins hope that trend evaporates just as November
begins.

The Bruins open the month Sunday with their second matinee in as
many days as they begin a brief road trip against the struggling
New York Rangers.

Boston (6-5-1) alternated wins and losses in its first 12 games,
in contrast to the consistency it showed on its way to capturing
the top spot in the Eastern Conference last season.

While the Bruins have had to deal with the absences of injured
top-line forwards Marc Savard and Milan Lucic, they are 3-1-1
since Savard's injury and have been getting strong play from
minor league call-up Vladimir Sobotka.

Centering a line with Blake Wheeler and Daniel Paille, Sobotka
had a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Edmonton on Saturday.
Paille was acquired Oct. 20 in a trade from Buffalo, two days
after Sobotka was called up from Providence of the AHL.

The 5-foot-11, 193-pound Sobotka has also provided physical
play, helping to fill the void created by Lucic's absence, and
has yet to be charged with a penalty.

"He's so competitive and strong on his skates, he's almost
impossible to take off his feet," Wheeler said of Sobotka. "He
does it every night. The last two games, he's had like 13 hits
or something."

Sobotka helped Boston outshoot the Oilers 27-19 as backup Tuukka
Rask earned his second career shutout in relatively easy
fashion.

"I think that was the best game of the year for us," Rask said.
"We were skating hard, moving the puck."

Although Rask's other shutout came against the Rangers, Tim
Thomas will likely be back in net Sunday. He went 3-0-1 with a
1.44 goals-against average in his last four starts versus New
York, making 31 saves in a 1-0 win April 4.

The Rangers' recent struggles could present a good opportunity
for Boston to finally win consecutive games. New York (8-5-1) is
1-4-1 since a seven-game winning streak and has totaled three
goals while losing its last two in regulation.

"We go back to work, there's no magic potion trying to get out
of this here," coach John Tortorella said after a 3-2 loss at
Minnesota on Friday night. "It's just a matter of trying to cut
down on our mistakes, especially the turnovers in the neutral
zone, and go back to work and find a way."

The recent offensive drought has coincided with the absence of
newcomer Marian Gaborik, who had 10 goals and eight assists in
12 games before sustaining a lower-body injury in a 5-2 win over
Phoenix on Monday.

The former Wild winger took part in the morning skate in
Minnesota but could not suit up in his former rink.

"It would be nice to play, but I don't want to put myself into
position of it getting worse," Gaborik said before that game.

Fellow forwards Christopher Higgins and Sean Avery were also out
Friday, and the availability of all three for Sunday is
uncertain. If they can't play, New York may need another strong
effort from goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist is 10-3-2 with a 1.42 GAA against Boston. Eight of
those matchups came at Madison Square Garden, with Lundqvist
winning seven of them and posting two shutouts.

The strong goaltending on both sides has led to low-scoring
games in the series. The teams have combined for 25 goals in the
last nine meetings.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130399-Bruins-Rangers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130399-Bruins-Rangers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:38:45 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sykora leads Wild to first regulation win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ST. PAUL, Minn.(AP) -- Petr Sykora tried to act as if it wasn't a
big deal. Minnesota coach Todd Richards, however, saw a
motivated player.

Two days after being banished to the press box as a healthy
scratch, Sykora had a goal and to help Minnesota win for the
first time in regulation this season, 3-2 over the New York
Rangers on Friday night.

The game was originally billed as the return of Rangers star
Marian Gaborik to Xcel Energy Center. That, however was scrapped
when Gaborik was injured this week.

It ended up being Sykora's redemption.

"I think Petr had something to prove," Richards said. "I thought
his battles in the corners, his battles for loose pucks, those
are the things that were talked about."

Sykora, who has scored 20 or more goals in each of the past 10
seasons, certainly got the Wild going. He scored the game's
first goal, giving the Wild a 1-0 lead for only the fourth time
in 13 games this season.

When asked about being benched against Nashville on Wednesday
night, Sykora said simply, "Let's not talk about it." But he was
certainly pleased with the outcome.

"I'm happy with what happened tonight," Sykora said. "I prepared
the same way. I played a little hockey with my boy before the
game, before I came to the rink. I got a couple two, three goals
against him and it carried over to the game."

That is something the Wild (4-9-0), who entered the game 29th in
the NHL in goals per game, certainly needs.

"Petr's a proven goal scorer, that's his game," said Minnesota's
Eric Belanger, who also scored. "You don't like to see guys with
that experience sitting in the stands. It's good, it's good to
see him come back and get a goal and an assist. Hopefully he can
keep going from here."

For a Minnesota team that entered the game having lost eight of
its past 10, the victory - the first this season in which the
Wild never trailed - was much needed. Minnesota, which also got
a goal from Antti Miettinen and two assists from Mikko Koivu,
led 3-1 after two periods.

While the Minnesota players were somewhat disappointed by their
lack of aggression in the third period and the fact that the
Rangers (8-5-1) cut the lead to 3-2 on Marc Staal's goal, Niklas
Backstrom made six of his 18 saves over the final 20 minutes to
pick up the victory.

In the end, however, the Wild players know they made progress
for at least one night.

"We talked all day about trusting your teammates and believing
in yourself," said Miettinen, who broke a 20-game scoreless
streak. "The biggest thing has probably been our confidence.
Today we tried to build that and I think we came out good."

For the Rangers, the loss extended a streak of poor play. After
winning seven of eight games to start the season, New York is
1-4-1 in its last six games.

"We go back to work, there's no magic potion trying to get out
of this here," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "It's just a
matter of trying to cut down on our mistakes, especially the
turnovers in the neutral zone, and go back to work and find a
way."

Dane Byers, playing in only his second NHL game, scored New
York's first goal on a rebound after almost not making it to the
game. Recalled from Hartford of the AHL, Byers' plane to
Minnesota arrived late, he didn't arrive at the arena until
pregame warmups were complete and finished dressing only about
five minutes before the puck dropped.

NOTES: Sykora and first-year Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher
will receive their Stanley Cup rings Saturday night when
Minnesota plays at Pittsburgh. Fletcher spent the past three
seasons as assistant general manager for the Penguins. Sykora
scored 25 goals last season for Pittsburgh. ... With Staal's
goal, the Rangers have 12 goals from their defensemen, best in
the NHL. Calgary and Phoenix each have nine goals from the blue
line. ... Sean Avery was scratched by the Rangers because of a
knee injury. It was the fifth game this season that the left
wing has missed. ... The Rangers are in the midst of playing
five of six on the road. The only game at Madison Square Garden
in that stretch is Sunday against Boston.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130183-Sykora-leads-Wild-to-first-regulation-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130183-Sykora-leads-Wild-to-first-regulation-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:54:52 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
	
			
	</channel>
</rss>









