Rangers Fight Back to Force Game Seven

The brawl at the end of the Rangers' 1-0 Game 6 victory over the Capitals shows both teams' desire to win the series. (Scott Levy)

Elimination games have a special edge to them. One team is trying to put the finish touches on their hard work, while the other is fighting to stay alive. It becomes like a chess match, which can be the perfect situation for the team desperate to survive. It certainly was tonight for the New York Rangers.

When Washington Capitals center Mike Ribeiro scored in overtime of Game 5 to give his team a 3-2 lead in the best of seven series, Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist slammed his stick in disgust. It was a save he felt he should of made. With his team facing elimination in just two days, Lundqvist knew he must be better in order to help his team survive.

Game 6 was a physical affair from the get go. Neither team was able to generate much of an offensive flow. It was not until midway through the second period that one of the series' top stars had the puck break his way. From just inside the blue line, Rangers center Derick Brassard faked a shot and then let one rip. The puck clipped the glove of Capitals defenseman Steven Oleksy and sailed through a screen set by Brassard's linemate Rick Nash in front.

The goal was originally credited to Nash, but was properly credited to Brassard after replay revealed the puck deflected off Oleksy instead of Nash. The goal was Brassard's second of the series to go along with five assists. Nash has not found the net yet, but has been a presence in front of the Capitals net creating traffic in front of netminder Braden Holtby.

Meanwhile, Lundqvist faced only 15 shots through the first two periods, but he knew he must stay sharp to protect the Rangers' slender lead. As it turned out, the Rangers relied on Lundqvist to come up with a number of crucial saves in the final period. When the final horn finally sounded, a fight broke out between the sides, but it did not matter. Lundqvist had stopped all 27 shots he had faced for his seventh career NHL playoff shutout.

The Rangers-Capitals series is now 3-3, but the task does not get any easier from here for the Rangers. They must now travel to and play in what is sure to be a hostile environment at the Verizon Center. The home team has won every game up to this point in the series. This means that the Rangers must now do what they have failed to do so far in the postseason, win in the nation's capital. Something tells me that Lundqvist and the rest of his teammates will be more than ready to give it their best shot.

Top Five Stories to Follow This NHL Season

A healthy Sidney Crosby is exactly what the NHL looks to put the lockout behind them. (Gene J. Puskar)

After a long and laborious lockout, the NHL season finally gets under way tomorrow. In this shortened season, there are many stories to follow. I will simply give five of my top ones to watch throughout this season.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby returns to the ice fully healthy. Crosby significantly benefited from the lockout in that he was able to get fully healthy after battling through concussions the last two seasons. Crosby was inspirational in moving the NHL past the 2005 lockout and bringing fans back to the game. This season could be very similar. Crosby could be set for a huge return to stardom. That is something even his haters cannot ignore.

2. The Minnesota Wild spent big money during the offseason, but it remains to be seen if it will be worth it. The Wild have not been to the playoffs since 2008. Their main struggle last season was that they had the NHL's worst offense. During the offseason, the Wild spent a combined $196 million on free agents Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Whether that can translate to success, remains to be seen. The Wild have many unanswered questions so far, including whether or not goaltender Josh Harding can return to top form following his inspiring return from multiple sclerosis.

3. Rick Nash could be the missing piece that the New York Rangers need to win the Stanley Cup. The Rangers have had some great pieces. Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan and Marian Gaborik lead the way offensively. They also have had a solid core of young players and a solid defense that is anchored by Henrik Lundqvist, one of the greatest goaltenders in the world. Over the past several years, they simply have not been enough. This likely prompted the Rangers to go out and get Rick Nash. Nash is one of the league's best scorers and is going to make a huge impact if he can adjust to life in the spotlight.

4. The Carolina Hurricanes could be this season's surprise playoff team. The Hurricanes were not in the playoff picture last season, but they steadily improved as the season wore on. In fact, they had the Southeast Division's best record over the last 48 games of this past season. In the offseason, the Hurricanes bolstered their roster by acquiring Jordan Staal and signing Alexander Semin. They could be primed to make some noise in a winnable division.

5. This could be the season the Detroit Red Wings finally don't make the playoffs. Last season, the Red Wings fell down to the fifth seed in the playoffs. Then, during the offseason, they had to deal with the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom, one of the best defensemen in NHL history. The affect this will have on the Red Wings, remains to be seen. Some people believe that they could wind up coming up short in their bid for their 22nd straight playoff berth.

Who is Saying the Rangers Will Be Tired Now?

Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

After playing 14 games, including four overtime ones, and having to win both series so far in must-win Game 7s, everyone thought the New York Rangers would come out tired. After all, no team who has played that many games has ever gone on to win the Stanley Cup. None of this matters to the Rangers. They knew they were ready for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils. The Devils came into the series well-rested, coming off five days off following their defeat of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The first two periods of Game 1 felt like a heavyweight bout. Both teams had their chances, but neither one conceded a goal. With two of the best netminders in the league in this series, it came as no surprise. Long-time Devils goaltender Marty Brodeur is one of the all-time greats, and the hometown crowd at Madison Square Garden let him have it, like they always do. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is a Vezina Trophy nominee once again. He is certainly one of the best in the game today. With play basically level through the first two periods, one of the teams needed to come out and make a statement in the third period.

That team turned out to be the Rangers right away. Less than a minute into the period, rookie Chris Kreider set up defenseman Dan Girardi for the nice goal. Girardi has struggled some defensively in the playoffs, so hopefully the goal will help boost his confidence. Midway through the period, Kreider found the net himself on a beautiful power-play goal. Less than a month ago, Kreider was a college student. In his thirteen games in the playoffs so far, he has clearly showcased his talent for all to see. The Devils tried to battle back, but Lundqvist would have none of that. Lundqvist finished with 21 saves and his fifth career playoff shutout. Center Artem Anisimov's goal late in the period sealed the win for the Rangers.

The Rangers confidence is booming following such a decisive Game 1 victory. They dominated the third period, so all momentum heading into Game 2 belongs to them. The Devils will look to find answers before the next game begins. In particular, they will need to figure out ways to try and beat Lundqvist, which is easier said than done. The Devils did show some rust in Game 1, so that should be gone the rest of the series. I expect them to play better in Game 2, and a win would be huge heading home. Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday night at 8:00 PM EST on NBCSN.

Capitals Survive to Force Game 7

Photo Credit: Susan Walsh/AP Photo

You thought the Washington Capitals were done for. That's what the Capitals players have been thriving off of. Forward Joel Ward told reporters, "I think everyone's been counting us out since the beginning of the playoffs. Within ourselves, we're very confident in ourselves and our abilities." This is a bold statement from a player who cost his team a Game 5 win by committing a foolish high-sticking penalty near the end of the third period. Many people, commentators and writers alike, thought that the Capitals would fold under the pressure of a must-win game, just like they had done time and time again in recent years. But the Capitals were determined to not let that stop them this year.

In Game 6, the Capitals came out right away on a mission. This mission, to attack quickly and aggressively, was led by their star and captain, Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin was coming off a surprisingly poor Game 5, in which he had zero shots. Determined to not let this happen again, the Caps pieced together some pretty passing to set up Ovie for a one-timer. The two-time NHL MVP made no mistake about it as he blistered home the game's first goal, just 88 seconds into the first period. From there, it was basically the Braden Holtby Show. Holtby, despite being a playoff rookie goalie, absolutely stood on his head once again. Again and again, the Rangers shots and plays were snuffed out by Holtby. Midway through the second period, Jason Chimera tapped in a deflected shot to double the Capitals' lead. The confidence of the Capitals and their home crowd continued to grow.

As the third period drew to a close, the Rangers continued their onslaught of shots, trying to get anything past Holtby. Marian Gaborik finally did with less than a minute left, but it was too little, too late. Holtby and the Capitals held on to win 2-1 to force a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. I still believe the Rangers are the better team, but the Capitals have proved that you can't count them out. This Capitals team is not a team of years past, but they still need one more must-win to advance. They haven't been able to do this in the past, but this year's squad has shown that they are capable of making it happen. Game 7 should be a dandy. The winner gets a date with the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Lundqvist and Boyle Propel Rangers to Victory

The Ottawa Senators had the New York Rangers right where they wanted them going into tonight's game. The series was tied 1-1 and had shifted to Ottawa. The Senators looked to ride the home crowd momentum throughout the game. They did that well, but couldn't seem to be able to get a shot past Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist was matched though by Sentators goaltender Craig Anderson, as both carried shutouts into the third period.

Both sides needed someone to step up, and the man who did so has been doing it all series. No one expect Brian Boyle to play a significant role in this series. The 6-7 Rangers forward is known mostly as a bruiser. As unlikely as it might seem, Boyle found the net again to put the Rangers up 1-0 in Game 3 midway through the third. Boyle has now scored a goal in each of the three games of the series, despite having only 11 goals all season.

Boyle's third period goal was all the Rangers needed as Lundqvist stopped all 39 of the Senators shots. The shutout was the four of his playoff career. Boyle ignored the jeers of the Senators fans and quieted them quite a bit once he scored the eventual game-winning goal. The Rangers are now back in control of the series. The Senators remain confident, but are admittedly shaken after a disappointing loss after outplaying the Rangers the whole game. One thing is for certain the Rangers would not be where they are if it wasn't for Henrik Ludqvist and Brian Boyle.

NHL Playoff Scenarios a Plenty Coming Into Final Day

Thursday was certainly a big day for the NHL. All sixteen teams locked their place in the playoffs. However, there is still a lot of seeding to be determined in the teams' final games Saturday. All thirty teams will be in action for just the 4th time in NHL history. There are 29 potential first-round playoff series matchups. The talented folks at NHL.com put together this chart, so that you can easily see all of them. I will try and breakdown and explain some of the possible implications of Saturday's games.

The Presidents' Trophy is up for grabs. The St. Louis Blues (107 points) came into Friday trailing the Vancouver Canucks (109 points) and New York Rangers (109 points) for the lead. A win on Friday would make it a three-way tie with all three teams playing decisive games on Saturday. The tiebreaker is total wins, which means the Rangers hold the edge with 51. The winner gets guaranteed home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

Blogger Update: The Phoenix Coyotes defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-1 Friday night. This eliminates the Blues from Presidents' Trophy contention. The Coyotes now lead the Pacific Division and have the correlated #3 seed.

With a win Friday, the Phoenix Coyotes would take the Pacific Division lead with 95 points. The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks are both in contention for the division title as well with 94 points heading into Saturday's games. On Thursday, the Kings beat the Sharks 6-5 in a shootout at home. On Saturday, the teams faceoff again in San Jose. The Coyotes play at the Minnesota Wild in their final game. The division winner will get the #3 seed for the playoffs and home ice for the first-round.

The Southeast Division title is still able to be won. The Florida Panthers have had the lead for awhile, but they saw their lead shrink to just two points when the Washington Capitals defeated them on Thursday. The Panthers play the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, but are just 1-3-5 in their last nine games. The Capitals will win the division if they beat the New York Rangers on Saturday and the Panthers lose to the Hurricanes. These two teams are fighting for the pride that comes with the division title, the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and the first-round home ice that comes with it.

Winners and Losers from the NHL Trade Deadline

Winners

Nashville Predators - Nashville has traditionally been sellers at the deadline, but this year they decided to be buyers in a big way. Their blue line first got a boost with the acquisition of veteran defenseman Hal Gill. The Predators then added forward Andrei Kostitsyn to join younger brother Sergei. Finally, they acquired big center Paul Gaustad for some added team depth. The Predators are on the prowl and looking to make a run at the Stanley Cup.

Vancouver Canucks - Vancouver's concern from last year's playoffs was their overall toughness. They were bullied at times by the Bruins in the finals. As a result, they made two somewhat surprising moves to address this. First, they aquired winger Zack Kassian and defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani from the Buffalo Sabres. Kassian is a big boy and should help add some toughness to this team. Second, the Canucks added veteran checking center Sami Pahlsson. Pahlsson is no longer in his prime, but worth the additional depth for the limited cost given up.

Losers

Columbus Blue Jackets - The Columbus Blue Jackets are awful. There is no way around that fact. Captain and star player Rick Nash reportedly asked to be traded, but he ended up going nowhere. The Blue Jackets are clearly rebuilding. Nash doesn't fit that mold and should be given the opportunity to thrive somewhere else. Instead, they ended up with nothing to help turn around this abysmal team.

New York Rangers - The New York Rangers were the favorites in the Rick Nash sweepstakes. Since Nash ended up going nowhere, the Rangers had to scramble to get anything done. All they could manage was to bring in barely used winger John Scott. That move isn't the type of one the Rangers needed. The Rangers are still the best team in the Eastern Conference, but that gap just got a little bit smaller. They are on the losers list because they didn't improve much and their competition in the Eastern Conference just got better.

Red Wings Motorting Their to the Top of the NHL

The NHL season is quickly approaching the trade deadline of next Monday. It remains to be seen which teams make the big deadline move to propel them into a playoff run. I will take a look at something we do know for now. That is the three best teams in the NHL.

1. Detroit Red Wings - 41-17-2
When you win 23 straight games at home, it kind of helps you to get to the top spot. They did find out some bad news though. Pavel Datsyuk is expected to miss two weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery Tuesday to remove fragments from his right knee. This team should be fine in the meanwhile. This team is built for the playoffs, especially if they get home ice for the entirety of it.

2. New York Rangers - 38-15-5
The Rangers have hit a bit of a rough patch of ice. They have lost two of their last three, with the only win coming over the lowly Blue Jackets in overtime. The big rumors surrounding this team is around their supposed interest in Rick Nash. Could the couple of losses make them pull the trigger on a deal? It remains to be seen. Nash could make a huge difference for this team down the stretch.

3. Vancouver Canucks - 38-16-6
If anyone can beat the Red Wings at home, it might be the red hot Canucks. Entering tonight's game, they hadn't lost in over a month (10-0-3). Tonight, they fell in Nashville 3-1. The streak is still impressive to say the least. The Canucks will get their shot at the Red Wings on Thursday night as they travel to Joe Louis Arena to try and snap the streak. The game could definitely be a preview of the Western Conference final.

NHL Teams Rising and Falling as They Start 2012

We are ten days into 2012, and the NHL standings show teams on the rise and teams on the fall. I will take look at three of each.

Teams on the Rise

1. New York Rangers - The New York Rangers got the come-from-behind win in the Winter Classic and haven't looked back. They are winners of five straight and nine of their last ten. The win streak also gives them the most points of any team in the NHL. Things are going well to say the least for John Tortorella's club right now.

2. San Jose Sharks - The San Jose Sharks have a nice win streak going as well. They've won four in a row and are 8-1-1 in their last ten. The offense is starting to come together for the Sharks, who now lead the Pacific Division. If they can maintain their success, they will be eyeing the best record in the Western Conference.

3. Ottawa Senators - The Ottawa Senators may be overachieving right now, but one can't deny how well the team is playing. They are an impressive 9-2-2 in their last thirteen games. With this streak of great play, the Senators have even pulled themselves into the thick of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

Teams on the Fall

1. Chicago Blackhawks - It is a surprise to see the Chicago Blackhawks on this list, but the team has lost four games in a row. During the losing streak, they have given up sixteen goals. The Blackhawks need to pull it together on defense and in the net. The team has already fallen to third in the Central Division standings.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins - Life simply isn't treating the Pittsburgh Penguins very well right now. It appears that Jordan Staal and James Neal will be joining Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang in rehab with substantial injuries. The team has lost four in a row and scored only five goals in those games. The question becomes whether or not this team will be able to pull it together and make the playoffs.

3. Minnesota Wild - The Minnesota Wild continue to fall farther and farther as their team's offense continues in its continual drought. The Wild have only won one game in their last twelve. During that stretch, their offense has only managed to score seventeen goals. If this team doesn't find some offense soon, they are going to keep on plummeting.

Winter Classic 2012: Skating into the New Year with Some Outdoor Hockey

I was born in Minnesota and have lived there twice, so I know all about the great games of pond hockey and broomball out on the ice. Everyone loves it. In 2008, the NHL had the crazy idea of playing a NHL game outdoors. Would it work? No one really knew for sure. Dan Craig, the man placed in charge of the game, didn't really know either. Craig said, "I was just going with my instincts."

The game gained so much success and recognition that the so called Winter Classic has now become an annual tradition. The game has taken place in Ralph Wilson Stadium (Orchard Park, NY), Wrigley Field (Chicago), Fenway Park (Boston), Heinz Field (Pittsburgh), and now this year the game is being played in Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Each year Craig and his crew have to figure out how to transform the outdoor stadium into a hockey rink fit for players to play on and for fans to easily watch. It's an elaborate project full of planning and preparation. You watch a time-lapse video of them transforming the stadium this year here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jBSAUOI3jA.

As I mentioned already, the game has garnished much interest from both the fanatical hockey fans and the curious onlooker. This has only increased due in large part to HBO. For the second consecutive year, the network is airing a four-part reality series entitled, "24/7: Road to the Winter Classic." The series looks into the lives of the NHL players involved and the game itself. Last year's series won an Emmy for outstanding edited sports special.

The point of the Winter Classic was to garnish this extra interest into the sport and gain viewership. Has this happened? While this is a complex question to answer, the answer does appear to be yes. According to Comcast, the Washington-Baltimore area experienced a significant 25% increase in viewership of the Capitals' home games they aired following the Winter Classic and corresponding HBO series.

Is this really a sustainable event? Is the NHL really committed to it? The answer to both of these questions appears to be yes as well. The NHL faced its biggest threat yet from Mother Nature when it rained during last year's much hyped game. Craig and his crew developed a plan to respond and were seen using large snow shovels to clear the water off during stoppages. In regards to this, Craig stated, "You can't control [the weather] but you can monitor it."

I fully support the Winter Classic. As a hockey fan, I think that it is great for the league. The increased viewership is important for the league. The more interest there is, the more money there is for improving the game. The increase in interest in the NHL is apparent in many ways. I have even seen it here on our blog. The blog post that has had by far (by about 100 views) the most views is my one on the NHL's future realignment. People are interested in the sport and the league.

I would encourage you to watch this year's game, which features the longstanding rivalry between the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers. The game can be seen on January 2 (Monday) at 1:00 PM EST on NBC. Also, if you get HBO (I don't), check out the series. It is bound to be entertaining as NHL players tend to have interesting personalities. Help start your New Year's off right with some NHL hockey outdoors, the way the game used to always be played.