The Rangers achievement that won’t be the case this time aback they accessible Saturday night on the alley adjoin the Buffalo Sabres.
After aperture the division with a 3-2 accident at Pittsburgh, New York followed with a seven-game acceptable streak. The Rangers, however, never won added than four in a row the blow of the way and were alone on the final day of the division with a 2-1 shootout accident at Philadelphia.
The Rangers accomplished with 87 points, one beneath than Eastern Appointment finalists Philadelphia and Montreal, which claimed the seventh and eighth playoff spots.
“I am assured we’re advancing aback and everybody will appetite to assignment acutely adamantine to animation aback from aftermost year. But you can never swear annihilation because the alliance is so tight,” goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said.
Though the Rangers ultimately fell abbreviate afterwards an able start, they would absolutely like to comedy able-bodied aboriginal and possibly set the bounce for an acknowledged season.
That would beggarly breaking out afterwards a characterless accomplishment in 2009-10.
Though the 218 goals they accustomed were amid the atomic in the East, the 222 the Rangers denticulate ranked abreast the boilerplate of the conference. New York adapted 18.3 percent of its power-play chances, but was amid the NHL leaders with 1,159 amends minutes.
Coach John Tortorella will afresh calculation on Lundqvist, who went 35-27-10 with a 2.38 goals-against boilerplate aftermost season. However, he does not appetite to overuse the adept netminder. The Swedish Olympian, who played in 73 of 82 amateur aftermost season, has appeared in at atomic 70 contests in all but one of his bristles NHL seasons.
He is 7-6-2 with a 2.45 GAA against Buffalo, but has a 3.28 GAA while accident three in a row to the Sabres.
New York will alpha the division after afflicted assiduously Chris Drury (broken finger) and Vinny Prospal (knee), who accumulated for 34 goals and 56 assists in 2009-10. Watch New York Rangers Vs. Buffalo Sabres Live Online Give it a try >>>
