The Eastern Conference-leading Rangers bleed black and blue, their relentless work ethic demanded by the coach but enforced by peer pressure within a locker room into and out of which the athletes march lockstep.
“The way we play so hard and the way we play so physically is our identity…

The Premiere Games in Europe that have opened the NHL season the past five years could be a casualty of collective bargaining, though sources within the league and the NHLPA have told Slap Shots the sides are attempting to strike an agreement under which the matches would be scheduled.
The…

With the Rangers struggling to mount a consistent offense even while continuing to amass points, coach John Tortorella allowed yesterday that reuniting the Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik unit, “is always in the back of my mind.”
“I look at situations and see how players are playing, but that’s certainly…

The first day of Henrik Lundqvist’s NHL career was Oct. 5, 2005, when the as yet uncrowned goaltender acted as backup to Kevin Weekes for the Rangers’ opener in Philadelphia, which signified the return of the NHL following the 2004-05 canceled season.
“It was surreal to be part of…

Steve Eminger has the medical clearance to return to the Rangers’ lineup after being sidelined for the last 19 games with a separated shoulder, but coach John Tortorella said yesterday he “isn’t sure” whether he’ll restore the defenseman to active duty for tomorrow afternoon’s Atlantic Division showdown…

Erik Christensen will get the opportunity to revive his NHL career in Minnesota after being traded to the Wild by the Rangers on Friday for 24-year-old forward Casey Wellman, who was immediately assigned to the AHL Whale.
The move opens a Rangers roster spot for the return of defenseman Steve…

If Rangers general manager Glen Sather is interested in reuniting with Ryan Smyth by acquiring Edmonton’s veteran left wing to bolster the attack, the feeling may well be a reciprocal one, The Post has learned.
A well-placed source told The Post that Smyth, who was drafted sixth overall in…

BUFFALO — Not for nothing, but the Rangers will take nothing-nothing down to the wire every time.
“It seemed like a grind the whole way, a game of hitting, blocking shots, coming down to the last shot,” Dan Girardi, a rock on the blue line, said after another throwback Norris-type game…

For the sixth time in six shootouts, the Rangers called on Brad Richards out of the two-hole.
For the sixth time in six shootouts, Richards, who came to New York this season with an estimable 25-for-60 mark (41.67 percent) in the skills competition, failed.
“It’s definitely in my…

The most singular weapon the Rangers have had over the last seven seasons while inexorably tilting the Battle of the Hudson toward the shores of Manhattan remained on the bench last night in Newark.
Henrik Lundqvist, the answer to the question, “Who Was That Masked Man?” as the Lone Ranger…