GDT: Blues @ Rangers 6PM FSMW KMOX

[stinkdified]

From Yahoo:

A lack of consistency, especially at home, could cost the New York Rangers a fifth consecutive playoff berth. The St. Louis Blues also need a late run to return to the postseason.

The Rangers will try to avoid their fourth loss in five home games this month when the Blues visit Madison Square Garden for the first time in more than three years.

New York (31-30-9) has dropped five of seven overall (2-3-2) and is ninth in the Eastern Conference, three points back of Boston for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Rangers, who haven’t missed the postseason since 2004, will visit the Bruins on Sunday in the first of eight road games over their final 11.


“We definitely don’t want this to be the end of the year,” goaltender Henrik Lundqvist(notes) said. “If we want to keep playing, we have to raise our level and play our best hockey.”

The Rangers clearly haven’t done that at Madison Square Garden, owning one of the league’s worst home records at 15-16-6 after losing seven of their last 10.

They had won back-to-back games before falling 3-1 to Montreal on Tuesday, dropping to 1-1-2 at home since the Olympic break.

“We didn’t put the effort we needed to, unfortunately,” said right wing Ryan Callahan(notes), who is third on the team with 36 points but has two in the last seven games. “We need to look ahead and not behind us.”

Lundqvist, who stopped 32 of 34 shots against the Canadiens, can’t be blamed for the team’s recent struggles at home. He’s allowed a total of five goals in the last three games at MSG but has won only once.

Marian Gaborik(notes), the team leader with 36 goals and 73 points, has one goal and three assists in his last seven games. He’s been held off the scoresheet in all three home games during that span.

The right wing has nine goals and 13 assists in 16 games against St. Louis (32-28-9), but all of that was done prior to joining New York.

The Rangers have dropped the last two meetings with the Blues, including a 4-1 defeat Jan. 16. St. Louis lost 3-2 in a shootout in the most recent matchup at MSG on March 3, 2007.

The Blues ended on a 9-1-1 run last season to finish sixth in the West and appeared to be on a similar path this season with a recent 7-1-0 stretch, but they have since dropped consecutive games.

St. Louis, coming off Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to Colorado, is seven points back of eighth-place Detroit with 13 games to play.

“A lot’s happened with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before, so we’re not going to count ourselves out,” right wing David Backes(notes) said. “We play a lot of the teams that are ahead of us still and if we take care of our business I still like our chances.”

Alex Steen(notes) has five goals and five assists in seven games this month. The center scored after eight seconds of play Tuesday, tying the team record for the fastest goal, set by Greg Paslawski on Oct. 29, 1985.

Steen’s 20 goals are a career high and he’s one back of team leader Andy McDonald(notes), who also has a team-high 45 points.

Steen scored a goal and set up another against the Rangers in January.

[stinkdified]

LETS DO THIS! why isn't it 6pm yet?

[kodos]

Meh.

[Wulfen]

These teams are so similar it will be hard to keep track of which inconsistant team in a blue jersey I am rooting for.

[fargoblues]

Go blue team!

[Nyghtewynd]

Meaningless game during March Madness? I'll pass.

[DaDitka]

Meaningless game during March Madness? I'll pass.

I don't know man. There's only 13 games left and then nothing until next October.....I think I'll watch em all.

[philco_3]

Ranger 3-0. Walt is gonna take off the rest of the season to work on that smile.

[richtedm]

is glen a richter going to this game?

[glen a richter]

is glen a richter going to this game?

Glen A. Richter has the spring edition of parent/teacher night this evening.

[richtedm]

is glen a richter going to this game?

Glen A. Richter has the spring edition of parent/teacher night this evening.

When I say "Weak-ass", Ya'll say "Glen A. Richter"....

Weak-ass!

[JPonder94]

Rangers - 1 (Steve Larmer)
Blues - 4 (Berglund, McClement, E.J., McDonald)

I think that we can beat this team with ease. The Rangers are not a very strong team this year (not that we really are). I think we'll come out strong after that loss against Colorado.

[WaukeeBlues]

Just win.

Blues 4 (Steen, Berglund in there)
Rangers 3

[gaijin]

Meaningless game during March Madness? I'll pass.

I don't know man. There's only 13 games left and then nothing until next October.....I think I'll watch em all.

Every game of March Madness is meaningless.

College basketball = the mortal enemy of NHL hockey.

[stinkdified]

Meaningless game during March Madness? I'll pass.

I don't know man. There's only 13 games left and then nothing until next October.....I think I'll watch em all.

Every game of March Madness is meaningless.

College basketball = the mortal enemy of NHL hockey.

i have never heard truer words

[WaukeeBlues]

Backes, Oshie, Crombeen, you're killin me. Bury that sh*t!!!

[dmiles2186]

Early on Panger had the line of the night, "Recently, Boyes has been playing with his sticks."

[WaukeeBlues]

What a shitty first period.

Too many penalties (that one against Weaver was some BS though) and even despite that, we get two SH breakaways... that we don't score on. Shocker,

Blues should be up 3-1 if not 4-1 going into the first intermission.

[theohall]

Early on Panger had the line of the night, "Recently, Boyes has been playing with his sticks."

It was actually "fiddling with his sticks."

[WaukeeBlues]

Much better second period, especially the two goals

Quite the scrappy game for two teams that hardly ever play each other.