Is there a goalie in the NHL with a better knack for coming up small in a big moment than New York Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist? New York has a goalie that is consistently one of the best in the NHL through the regular season. His presence looms over a playoff series because you know that if he gets locked in, he can personally carry his team. And yet it never happens. Last night was the latest case in point.
The New York Rangers won the Atlantic Division and earned the #1 seed in the NHL’s Eastern Conference playoffs. The Ottawa Senators lost three in a row to end the year and slip to #8, even though they’ve been securely in the bracket for some time. TheSportsNotebook previews their first-round series…
The New York Rangers have been atop of the Eastern Conference for most of the year, but over the past three weeks they’ve opened up some breathing room. A three-game win streak that was culminated with a 3-2 win over Washington yesterday means that the Ranges now lead Philadelphia & Pittsburgh by eight points in the Atlantic Division, and are plus-seven on Boston in the Eastern Conference overall. New York is going to be tough to catch for the top seed in the playoffs, so TheSportsNotebook is giving them a closer look today, particularly at their recent streak where they’ve won seven of nine.