GAME SEVEN: WIN OR GO HOME FOR RANGERS

Posted on May 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

NY RANGERS vs. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Eastern Conference Semifinals
Game 7
(Series tied 3-3)
Saturday, May 12, 7:30 p.m.
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Rangers (Regular Season): 51-24-7 (109 pts), 1st in East
Capitals (Regular Season): 42-32-8 (92 pts), 7th in East

* All information through NHL games on May 10

TONIGHT’S GAME:

The Rangers will face-off against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m.; TV: NBC Sports Network; Radio: ESPN Radio), in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. The series is tied at three games apiece, following a 2-1 loss in Game 6 on Wednesday at Verizon Center. The Blueshirts are now 37-28 in potential series clinchers. The Rangers enter the contest with a 205-222-8 record all-time in 435 playoff contests (114-86-2 at home; 91-136-6 on the road). New York has posted a 4-5 record all-time in Game 7 of playoff series, including a 4-0 mark in Game 7s at Madison Square Garden. Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports

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GAME SIX: WHALE ELIMINATED

Posted on May 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

     VERSUS     

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINAL SERIES: GAME SIX

BY: Bruce Berlet

Despite a dramatic improvement over the previous game, the Connecticut Whale’s season ended Friday night at the Scope in Norfolk, Va.

Richard Panik returned after being hit in the face by a teammate’s shot in the third period to score his second goal of the playoffs on a breakaway at 13:01 of overtime, giving the regular season champion Norfolk Admirals a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the Whale in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal.  Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, College Hockey, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports

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HAWK’S EYE: DYLAN MCILRATH

Posted on May 10, 2012 | 1 Comment

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CTWhale

Six-foot-five, 215-pound defenseman Dylan McIlrath, the tenth overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers, wasn’t sure what kind of opportunity he would get when he joined the Connecticut Whale April 30 from his Junior Hockey team, the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League.  The Whale were coming off of a three-game sweep of the Northeast Division-champion Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the opening round, a series in which the Whale had allowed a total of three goals in the three games.

“I didn’t know what to expect coming in,” McIlrath said after a recent Whale practice.  “This team was doing well, firing on all cylinders, sweeping Bridgeport.  They had a good thing going, then I was fortunate to hop in the lineup and I feel really comfortable hopping in.  I think this time around I’m just trying to go in with an open mind and just go play hockey and not think too much.” Continue reading →

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GAME SIX: RANGERS LEAVE THEIR GAME IN NEW YORK

Posted on May 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

     VERSUS      

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
Eastern Conference Semifinals
Game 6
Verizon Center – Washington, DC
(Series tied 3-3)              

                                            1st     2nd    3rd    T
New York Rangers          0        0        1        1
Washington Capitals      1        1        0        2

Team Notes:

  • The Rangers were defeated by the Washington Capitals, 2-1, tonight at Verizon Center in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series.  The series is now tied at three games apiece.
  • New York is now 205-222-8 overall in postseason action, including a 91-136-6 mark on the road. Continue reading →
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GAME FIVE: ADMIRALS SHOW…WHALE NOT SO MUCH

Posted on May 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

     VERSUS     

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINAL SERIES: GAME FIVE

BY: BRUCE BERLET (Special to Howlings)

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The “real” Norfolk Admirals showed up at Webster Bank Arena on Wednesday night, put the Connecticut Whale on the brink of elimination in their Eastern Conference semifinal and then celebrated with a rousing rendition of “We Are Young” by Janelle Monae in the post-game locker room.

The Admirals demonstrated why they won a North American professional hockey record 28 consecutive games to close the regular season to finish 55-18-1-3 for 113 points, 14 more than runner-up Oklahoma City, champions of the Western Conference. Four of the Admirals’ wins came against the Whale, who showed plenty of spunk in winning the series opener 3-2 in overtime in Virginia and then getting even with a convincing 4-1 victory on Sunday night at the XL Center in Hartford, ending the Admirals’ 16-game winning streak on the road since Feb. 5.  Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, Hartford Whalers, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports

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WHALE WEEKLY: May 8-13, 2011

Posted on May 9, 2012 | 1 Comment

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CTWhale

The Whale have split the first four games of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Calder Cup playoff series with the Norfolk Admirals, evening the series at two games a piece with a 4-1 win Monday night in Hartford. Each team has one once at home and on the road, and the series now shifts to the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport Wednesday night for a pivotal Game Five. Casey Wellman (3-1-4), Kris Newbury (1-3-4) and Marek Hrivik (1-3-4) have led the way in scoring for the Whale with four points each in four games, while goaltender Cam Talbot has posted four strong efforts in goal with a 2.73 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. Hrivik carries a six-game playoff scoring streak into Wednesday’s action, gathering five goals and three assists over that span. 

This week:

The Whale take on the Admirals again in Game Five Wednesday at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport (7:00), in what will be a crucial game for both teams. Regardless of the outcome of that game, the series is guaranteed to switch back to Norfolk for Game Six on Friday at the Norfolk Scope (7:30). If necessary, a winner-take-all Game Seven is slated for Sunday, May 13 at the Norfolk Scope (5:00). Continue reading →

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GAME SIX: LOOKING FOR A DATE WITH THE DEVIL

Posted on May 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

NY RANGERS at WASHINGTON CAPITALS
2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Eastern Conference Semifinals
Game 6
(NYR lead 3-2)
Wednesday, May 9, 7:30 p.m.
Verizon Center – Washington, DC
Rangers (Regular Season): 51-24-7 (109 pts), 1st in East
Capitals (Regular Season): 42-32-8 (92 pts), 7th in East

* All information through NHL games on May 7

TONIGHT’S GAME:

The Rangers will face-off against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center (7:30 p.m.; TV: NBC Sports Network; Radio: Bloomberg Radio), in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. The Rangers lead the series, 3-2, following a 3-2 overtime win in Game 5 on Monday at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers enter the contest with a 205-221-8 record all-time in 434 playoff contests (114-86-2 at home; 91-135-6 on the road). New York has posted a 15-17 record all-time in Game 6 of playoff series. Continue reading →

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BERLET SPOTLIGHT: QUICK GRAVY IS KING

Posted on May 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: BRUCE BERLET, (Special to Howlings)

Adam Graves, one of seven former New York Rangers to have his number retired in the Madison Square Garden rafters, is a big fan of Hamden native and former Avon Old Farms and University of Massachusetts standout Jonathan Quick, who has backstopped the Los Angeles Kings in their improbable run to the NHL’s Western Conference finals.

“I can’t believe how low he gets,” Graves said Sunday night before the Connecticut Whale lost 4-3 to the Norfolk Admirals in Game 3 of the AHL Eastern Conference semifinal series. “It’s not a butterfly, it’s like he’s spread out right on the ice. But he has been terrific.”

Quick, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie, made 23 saves, 13 in the second period, as the Kings beat the visiting second-seeded St. Louis Blues 3-1 Sunday for a four-game sweep and an 8-1 record through two rounds. The eighth-seeded Kings eliminated the President’s Trophy winner and No. 1 Vancouver Canucks in five games, and Quick allowed only six goals, none on 17 Blues power plays, in the Kings’ first postseason sweep.  Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, Hartford Whalers, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports

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FANFARE: THE KING OF NEW YORK

Posted on May 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

By: Adam Gavriel

It’s hard to believe that 12 years ago in the 7th round, and 205th overall pick of the 2000 NHL entry draft that the New York Rangers would be selecting a goalie that would soon become the best in the world. On that day Henrik Lundqvist was drafted out of Sweden’s junior system after an impressive year with Frolunda and the U-18 World Junior Championships team.

Since then Lundqvist would win a Swedish Elite League championship and MVP. His trophy case also sports an Olympic gold medal, three NHL all-star games and four Vezina nominations including this year, where he is sure to be the favorite.

Being nearly impossible to differentiate one year from the next in Lundqvist’s illustrious career, you have to believe that as Rangers fans, and hockey fans, are in the midst of one of the best goaltending seasons of all-time. Lundqvist has performed above and beyond what anyone expected this season, and if the Rangers continue their playoff run through June, he could look at cleaning up hardware this summer. Continue reading →

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GAME FOUR: A THING OF BEAUTY

Posted on May 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

     VERSUS     

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINAL SERIES: GAME FOUR

BY: BRUCE BERLET (Special to Howlings)

After a tough one-goal loss to the Norfolk Admirals on Sunday night, Connecticut Whale coach Ken Gernander said he had few complaints, just a wish for his team to improve on the minutiae, those little things that can mean the difference in any sport, especially in the playoffs.

One night later, the Whale parlayed more aggressive goaltending by Cam Talbot and stellar penalty killing, especially late in the second period and early in the third, into a 4-1 victory at the XL Center that evened their AHL Eastern Conference semifinal at two games each.

“We had some great shot blocks,” Whale coach Ken Gernander said. “The defensemen had good anticipation, and we had real good all-around penalty killing. Jordan Owens and Ryan Bourque had those shots, and those are the plays that can rally a team when they see guys lay it on the line like that to get their job done.”  Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, Connecticut Whale, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports, Uncategorized

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