Rangers Top 10 Moments of 2011-2012 Season

The New York Rangers enjoyed their finest season since their championship season in 1993-94. Their season unfortunately ended in the Eastern Conference Finals at the hand of the division rival New Jersey Devils.

There was still plenty of great moments for the Rangers this season, and here are the top ten moments.

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10. Gaborik gets OT winner against Florida (Jan 5, 2012)

With former President Bill Clinton in attendance, Marian Gaborik sent the Garden faithful into a euphoric state when he blasted a shot from the slot by Florida goaltender Scott Clemmensen. The game winner gave the Rangers a 3-2 victory, and their third win in a row.

9. Rangers score four in the second to beat Pittsburgh (November 29, 2011)


The Rangers erased a 1-0 deficit in the second period with a four goal barrage. Ryan Callahan tied the game eight minutes into the second with a power play goal. John Mitchell and Brad Richards scored ninety seconds apart to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead, and Marian Gaborik added another power play goal with less than minutes left in the second period. The win was the Rangers seventh win in a row at home.

8. Richards beats Coyotes with 0.1 seconds left (December 17, 2011) 


Just when the game looked like it was headed to overtime, Brad Richards spun a backhand shot that deflected off of Keith Yandle's stick and passed goaltender Mike Smith. The goal was originally disallowed by the refs who said time had expired, but after review the puck crossed the line with 0.1 seconds left, and the Rangers won 3-2.

7. Richards scores game-winning goal in Winter Classic (January 2, 2012)


In a much anticipated match-up between the Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers in the Winter Classic, the two teams did not fail to entertain. The Flyers jumped ahead 2-0 in the second period, but the Rangers came back to tie the game, and five minutes into the third period, Brad Richards buried a rebound opportunity to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead and victory.

6. Lundqvist stops Briere on penalty shot (January 2, 2012) 


Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was in the spotlight all season, and he never failed to please Ranger fans, especially with 19 seconds left in the Winter Classic and the Rangers clinging to a 3-2 lead. Ryan McDonagh was penalized for covering the puck with his hand in the Rangers crease. The Flyers were awarded a penalty shot taken by Danny Briere. Lundqvist remained patient while Briere came in, and he stopped Briere's attempt through the five-hole, and kept the Rangers ahead 3-2.

5. Rangers reach 50 wins (March 30, 2012) 


The New York Rangers hosted the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden looking to notch their first 50 win season since the 1993-94 season. The Rangers dominated the Canadiens from start to finish en route to a 4-1 victory. Michael Del Zotto netted two goals in the third period to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead, and Henrik Lundqvist made 19 saves for the shutout.

4. Kreider scores first career goal against Ottawa (April 23, 2012) 


Chris Kreider was coming off a National Championship with Boston College when he got the call up from the New York Rangers during their series with the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers were facing elimination in Game 6 and came out with a gutsy 3-2 victory that included Kreider's first career NHL goal. With just under a minute to go in the second period, Kreider beat Ottawa's  Craig Anderson to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead. They went on to beat Ottawa 3-2, and eliminate Ottawa in seven games.

3. Rangers sweep season series from Flyers 


If there was one team the Rangers wanted to see in the playoffs this past season, it was the Philadelphia Flyers. The Rangers went 6-0 against their division rivals this season, including their exciting 3-2 win over the Flyers in the Winter Classic. The Blueshirts outscored Philly 24-11 in the season series, and swept the season series from the Flyers for the first time in 40 years.

2. Richards ties game with 6.6 seconds left (May 7, 2012)


The Rangers were on the brink of elimination against the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Rangers were trailing the Caps 2-1 late in the third period. Joel Ward of Washington took a double-minor penalty for high-sticking Carl Hagelin. The Rangers pulled goalie Henrik Lundqvist for a two-man advantage and with 6.6 seconds left on the clock, Brad Richards poked the puck passed Caps goalie Braden Hotby off the post and in. The Rangers stayed on the power play into overtime where Marc Staal fired a shot from the point passed Holtby for the victory. The Rangers went up 3-2 in the series and defeated the Caps in seven games.

1. Lundqvist wins the Vezina Trophy 


Henrik Lundqvist dazzled between the pipes this season for the Rangers,and this year it earned him the Vezina Trophy, given to the top goaltender in the league. Lundqvist was at the top of the league in almost every category. Lundqvist posted 39 wins including 8 shutouts. He also boasted a .930 save percentage with a 1.97 goals against average. It was no surprise to the fans that Lundqvist brought home the hardware this year, he was one of the main reasons the Rangers achieved so much success this season. Lundqvist was also up for the Hart Trophy, given to the league MVP.

My Blue Heaven in Game Seven

The New York Rangers have been pushed to the limit in both series this postseason, and both times they have answered with a victory.

The Rangers were coming off a bad loss in Game 6 to the Washington Capitals, where they were beaten in every phase of the game. The pressure was all on the blueshirts to win on home ice,  while the Caps were playing with house money. There is no doubt there was a nervous feel in the crowd hidden by the chants of Let's Go Rangers, but the Garden faithful gave the Rangers all they had.

Brad Richards opened the scoring less than two minutes into the game, when he blasted a pass from Carl Hagelin by the glove of goaltender Braden Holtby.

The Rangers and Capitals played a scoreless second period, with both teams getting chances, but the defense was stellar.

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In the third period, Michael Del Zotto followed Marian Gaborik's blocked shot, and snapped a shot by the  stick of Holtby, and the Rangers grabbed a crucial two goal lead.

Less than one minute later, Roman Hamerlik threw a floater towards Henrik Lundqvist, and the puck found the back of the net. Lundqvist was screened, and did not see the puck until it was too late, and the Rangers lead was cut to one. The fans immediately supported Lundqvist after he gave up the fluke goal by chanting "Henrik!".

Later in the third period, Brian Boyle drove to the net with the puck, and was taken down by a Caps defenseman. The puck looked to have crossed the line before the referee blew the whistle, but the ref called the goal off with no review.

The Caps desperately tried to put the pressure on the Rangers defense, but Lundqvist and the Rangers did not break, and held on for 2-1 win.

Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves, and will play in his first Conference Finals is his career. Carl Hagelin assisted on both Ranger goals, and played his best game of the series, and maybe the playoffs.

The Rangers are now 5-0 in Game 7's at home, and 2-0 in Game 7's at home this postseason.

The Rangers will face the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals Monday night at 8 pm at Madison Square Garden.

Richards Ties it Late, Staal Wins it in OT

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It was another wild night for the New York Rangers and their fans, but the Rangers sent their fans home with and overtime victory.

The New York Rangers were trailing the Washington Capitals 2-1 last night with 28 seconds left on the clock. Joel Ward took a four minute double minor penalty when his stick hit Carl Hagelin in the face and cut him. The Rangers had one last chance to tie the game with a six on four advantage.

Off the face-off the Rangers controlled the puck and it cycled around to Michael Del Zotto at the point and he shot the puck at Ryan Callahan looking for a deflection. After two whacks at the puck by Callahan, Brad Richards chips the puck by Braden Holtby and John Carlson into the net, and sent the Garden crowd into a frenzy with 6.6 seconds left in regulation

The second half of Joel Ward's double minor carried over into overtime, and Marc Staal finished the Ranger comeback less than two minutes into extra time. John Mitchell won the face-off back to Staal, and Staal ripped a shot that looked to deflect off of a Capital trying to block the shot, and passed the glove of Holtby.

Anton Stralman scored his third goal of the playoffs in the first to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. Brooks Laich answered for the Capitals in the second period when a pass from Alexander Ovechkin found Laich in the slot, and Laich buried the shot.

Early in the third period, John Carlson gave the Caps the lead when he blasted a shot from the point off Henrik Lundqvist's glove and into the net.

The Rangers turned a Game 5 loss at home into a series chaniging victory, and a devastating loss for the Washington Capitals.

The Rangers will look to finishoff the Caps, and end this series in Washington, D.C on Wednesday night.

Another Must Win Game for Rangers

The New York Rangers and Washington Capitals are tied 2-2 in this Eastern Conference Semifinal. The Caps took Game 4 3-2 on a late power play goal by Mike Green.

The Rangers return home tonight for Game 5 in what has turned into a must win game for the Rangers, much like their previous series with the Ottawa Senators.

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The Rangers need a fast start offensively in Game 5. They came out flat in the first period of Game 4 and went down 1-0 after one period. They played come from behind hockey the entire game and ended up losing late in the third. The first goal is pivotal in this series. The team that has scored first has won every game so far this series.

Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards have both been the players they were expected to be this series, and Artem Anisimov has been a surprise with two goals.In this tight defensive series, these players will have to take advantage of the few chances they get.

The Rangers will expect their fans to as loud as the previous games, and give the Rangers a real home ice advantage. The Rangers do not want to go back to Washington down 3-2 in the series. They have shown they can come back from a 3-2 deficit, but being up 3-2 in the series is a much better position to be in.

No Letdown for Rangers in Game 2

The New York Rangers took a 1-0 series lead against the Washington Capitals on Saturday with a 3-1 win. In the first round of the playoffs, the Rangers opened up with an impressive win against the Ottawa Senators, only to lose in overtime in Game 2. That Game 2 loss gave the Senators momentum and ultimately gave them the confidence to take the Rangers to the brink of elimination.

The Rangers are going to have to come out with the same game plan as Game 1. The fore-check needs to get the puck in deep and keep the pressure on the Washington defense. The Rangers D will have to step up and shut down Ovechkin again in Game 2. When Ovechkin is playing well and scoring, the Capitals win. In Game 1 head coach John Tortorella used Dani Girardi and Ryan McDonagh to control Ovechkin, and they did just that holding the star to one shot on goal.

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On the offensive side, Brad Richards has begun to play like the player who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2004 with Tampa Bay. With Richards coming alive, and the emergence of young stud Kris Kreider, the Rangers are looking for one more person to get going, Marion Gaborik. The Rangers leading goal scorer from the regular season has one goal and four points in the 2012 playoffs, not an impressive line. Gaborik has shown some energy on the fore-check, and has three assists, but the puck needs to find Gaborik,s stick and then the back of the net.

Tonight is a big game for the Rangers to take real control of the series as it goes to Washington D.C, and a loss would give all the momentum to the Caps.

 I don't think the Rangers will have a letdown tonight in front of the home fans. I think they get to the Caps rookie goaltender Braden Holtby again and win this one 3-1, like Game 1.