For a significant stretch through the first 30 minutes of last night’s first-round playoff opener at Madison Square Garden, the only way to truly identify the top seed was by the color of the uniforms denoting home and away.
But, critically, Henrik Lundqvist was wearing the Blueshirt, and when…

Everything that’s been accomplished this season is wiped clean. Stockholm is not only a long time ago and far, far away, it represents a different galaxy of hockey.
The Rangers are no longer in first place. No one is. When the playoffs begin at Madison Square Garden tonight against…

The Rangers never would have chosen Ottawa as their first-round opponent, and it’s at least plausible the Senators lost their final two games to a depleted Bruins squad and a nothing-to-gain Devils team in order to draw the first-seed Blueshirts rather than second-seed Boston in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals…

Before Brad Richards signed with the Rangers, he knew Henrik Lundqvist socially through their mutual friendship with Sean Avery, but the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for the 2004 Stanley Cup champion Lightning didn’t know Lundqvist at all as a goaltender or a competitor.
“I’d hung out with Hank…

Even as Gary Bettman pumps Sidney Crosby’s tires, there are weeks to go and miles to travel before the parade.
The Penguins are good, all right, very good, but right at the very moment the East seemed theirs for the taking and a first-round meat-grinder against the Flyers would…

Former Boston College player Brian Boyle offered these words regarding Chris Kreider as the Boston College junior winger prepares to join the Rangers at today’s practice after agreeing to an entry-level contract late yesterday afternoon.
“If he comes, we’ll welcome him with open arms,” the Rangers center told…

There’s this singular question relating to the Rangers as a playoff team as they prepare for what they believe will be the long haul beginning with Game 1 of the opening round Thursday night against the Senators at Madison Square Garden.
It isn’t about their goaltending, it isn…

No Rangers player is looking forward to leaving the regular season behind for the playoffs more than Brandon Dubinsky, who scored 10 goals after getting 24 last year and 20 the year before that.
“It’s been a nightmare of a year for me,” Dubinsky admitted following yesterday’s practice…

When the Rangers practice today in advance of their first-round playoff series against the Senators that opens at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, Chris Kreider won’t be on the ice with them.
The Boston College junior winger, whom the Rangers hope to sign and add to their playoff…

The Rangers will open their pursuit of the Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night with Game 1 of their best-of-seven first round against the Senators that would encompass 15 days if it goes the distance.
The East’s first seed, holding home-ice advantage in a playoff series…