Monday, April 30, 2012

April 30, 2012, Barclays Center CEO says arena can home NHL franchise news story for AP



ESPN.com: NHL [Print without images]

Monday, April 30, 2012
  
Owner: Barclays made for NHL, too

 
Associated Press


NEW YORK -- The developer and owner of Brooklyn's new Barclays Center believes his state-of-the-art facility can hold hockey for more than just a passing game or two.

Bruce Ratner, who will welcome the NBA's Nets to Brooklyn next season, is hopeful of the arena's potential NHL prospects as well, perhaps even playing host to the New York Islanders, who are looking for a new home. In fact, the building already has ice and locker rooms for both sports.

“ (Barclays Center) was made for hockey and basketball. It could easily support a hockey team.
” -- Bruce Ratner

"(Barclays Center) was made for hockey and basketball," Ratner told The Associated Press. "It could easily support a hockey team." Ratner was in attendance Monday at the unveiling of the Brooklyn Nets' logos.

"It holds 14,500 for hockey," Ratner said.

The Islanders announced in January that they will play the New Jersey Devils in a preseason game at Barclays on Sept. 28. The Islanders' lease at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale expires following the 2014-15 season.

Team owner Charles Wang and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman have been adamant that the Islanders will not play in the Coliseum after that point, although both have reiterated their desire to keep the Islanders in the New York City area. The Coliseum, which houses the Islanders' four Stanley Cup championship banners from its rafters, is the second oldest active arena in the NHL, next to the recently renovated Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Rangers.

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Nassau County residents voted down a proposal that would allow the county to earmark $400 million in borrowing for a new coliseum and a minor league baseball park last August. And Wang's Lighthouse Project aimed at a new arena, which would have been privately funded, never made it past the proposal stage.

Bettman is hopeful the Islanders can stay in Nassau County, though, he is open to change, if needed. On April 20, in a meeting with The Associated Press Sports Editors, he approached the topic. "Barclays, I suppose," he said, "on some level, is an option."

But he also stuck to his stance that a franchise with plenty of history and tradition -- four Cups, five conference titles and six division crowns -- should stay on Long Island. The Islanders finished the regular season at 34-37-11, and missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year.
"We're going to do everything possible to figure out a way to make this work here," Bettman said. "And if we're unsuccessful at some point, then we'd have to consider the (relocation) options. "But we're not anywhere near that."



















http://espn.go.com/new-york/nhl/story/_/id/7873444/barclays-center-owner-bruce-ratner-hopeful-nhl-tenant

posted by Denis P. Gorman at 6:30 PM

Saturday, April 28, 2012

April 28, 2012, Washington Capitals-New York Rangers Game 1 Eastern Conference Semifinals game story for Metro Newspaper in NYC



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Rookie Kreider leads Rangers to win in Game 1

 

Chris Kreider
  BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES
Chris Kreider, left, celebrates the eventual game-winner in the third period.
 
More about Rangers
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DENIS GORMAN
NEW YORK
 
Published: April 28, 2012 7:32 p.m.
Last modified: April 28, 2012 7:43 p.m.
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The difference in the routes Chris Kreider and Brad Richards took to the Rangers are vast. One is a draft selection, developed off Broadway and made an untouchable. The other a veteran free agent  brought in to nurture a team ready to compete at the NHL’s highest level.

 
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals showed why the organization holds them both in high esteem.

 
“They come up with some big plays to get the last two goals for us to put us in the driver’s seat,” Dan Girardi said of Kreider and Richards. The twosome scored goals in a 90-second span to key the Rangers’ 3-1 win over the Capitals Saturday afternoon at the Garden. 

 
The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 1-0. Game 2 is Monday night at the Garden. The Rangers entered the mid-afternoon matinee having had lost eight of their last 10 playoff games against the Capitals.

 
“Kreids comes in and he has a lot of offensive talent,” Girardi said. “And the reason we got Richie is that he is a proven performer, a big point guy for us.”

 
The goals scored by Kreider and Richards were glimpses of offensive genius in a game that was defined by defense and physicality. The Rangers (14) and Capitals (18) combined for 32 shots on goal in the match and Ryan Callahan led both teams with eight hits. 

 
Kreider’s go-ahead goal seven minutes into the third reiterated why he is the franchise’s crown jewel. He hammered a drive past Braden Holtby to break a 1-1 tie. The play began with Kreider outracing Roman Hamrlik to a loose puck at center ice. Kreider crossed the blue line and cranked a slapper before Mike Green could get over to block the shot.

 
“It’s just amazing how he can skate out there [and] make things happen,” Girardi said. “I pinch myself watching him on the bench. I don’t know how someone can skate that fast and so powerful.”

 
Added Richards: “It’s a pretty high level he jumps into.”

 
When asked if he ever had a teammate who made a similar leap, Richards said, “No, not in the middle of a playoff run.”

 
Richards increased the lead to 3-1 at 8:30 after walking in off the boards and snapping a shot past Holtby. Along the half-wall, Kreider chipped the puck up to Richards, who skated towards Holtby without challenge.

 
“Haven’t played in too many playoff series where it’s wide open, run-and-gun hockey,” Richards said. “It was kind of a broken play. Kreids took a hit so I got a step. I was looking at [Marian Gaborik], but they kind of stayed with Gabby, so I kind of got something on net; saw a little opening.”

 
The Rangers and Caps entered the third period tied as Artem Anisimov and Jason Chimera traded goals in the middle frame. Anisimov’s first goal of the playoff season at 12:38 of the second period opened the scoring. Anisimov and linemate Ruslan Fedotenko won puck battles along the end boards eventually leading to the Russian center gaining control. He skated out to the low slot then threw a shot that pinballed into the cage. Jason Chimera drew the Caps even at 19:54 by tapping Brooks Laich’s cross-ice feed past Henrik Lundqvist (17 saves). 

 
Despite the low shot totals, both teams had opportunities to take control of Game 1. The Rangers came out flying in the game’s first 10 minutes and their forecheck kept the Caps pinned in their own end.

 
Washington survived the surge. Early in the second period, the Capitals were granted a 5-on-3 power play for 1:27 due to a holding call on Marc Staal and a questionable boarding penalty to Brandon Prust. Callahan and Girardi had four of the Rangers’ five blocks on the penalty kill. Fedotenko had the other block. 


Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.
 


http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1141657--rookie-kreider-leads-rangers-to-win-in-game-1

posted by Denis P. Gorman at 9:51 PM

April 28, 2012, Washington Capitals-New York Rangers Game 1 Eastern Conference Semifinals notebook for Metro Newspaper in NYC




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Rangers Notebook: Solving Holtby, Hart nominees

 

DENIS GORMAN
NEW YORK
Published: April 28, 2012 6:33 p.m.
Last modified: April 28, 2012 6:45 p.m.
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Semyon Varlamov was in goal for the Capitals in 2009. Michal Neuvirth tended goal in last year’s series.

As the Rangers and Capitals entered their third playoff matchup in four years, the unknown between the pipes for Washington is Braden Holtby.

The Lloydminster, Saskatchewan native went 4-2-1 with a .922 save percentage and 2.49 GAA in seven regular season games after being called up from AHL Hershey due to injuries suffered by Neuvirth and Tomas Vokoun. One of the wins was a 4-1 season-ending decision over the Rangers at the Garden on April 7, in which he turned away 35 shots.

He outdueled Tim Thomas in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, finishing the seven-game series with a 4-3 record, 2.00 goals against average and .940 save percentage.

“Even down the stretch when we were battling for [a] playoff [berth], he had to go into Detroit and won; go into Philadelphia — we lost — but got a point. The kid battles. He doesn’t let stuff bother him,” Capitals coach Dale Hunter said during his pre-game press briefing. “With this kid, you don’t have to [make sure he keeps a level head]. He’s one of the hardest working goalies in practice. He just keeps working.

“Down the stretch he played really well for us. He [played well] against one of the top goalies in the league and now he has to do it again. He knows it.”

Familiar foes

Hunter has ties to the Rangers as he coached Dan Girardi, Michael Del Zotto and Brandon Prust when the three played junior hockey for the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights. Hunter co-owns the junior hockey power with his brother Mark.

“He’s very strong. He can move the puck and he can skate,” Hunter said of Girardi, who played for the Knights in 2004-05. The Knights won the Memorial Cup that year.

“It’s going to be a challenge for [Alex Ovechkin] to go against one of the top defensemen,” Hunter added.

Expect Girardi and Ryan McDonagh to be matched up against Ovechkin’s line throughout the series.

Injuries linger

Tortorella said “no updates” to three questions about Brandon Dubinsky and Brian Boyle’s statuses before the game.

Both Boyle and Dubinsky were scratched. Steve Eminger was inserted into the lineup, skating with John Mitchell and Mike Rupp on the fourth line. It was Eminger's first game action since spraining his ankle against the Penguins on Mar. 15.

Lundqvist's second nomination

The NHL announced Friday that Henrik Lundqvist was a finalist for the Hart Trophy. Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin and Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos are the other finalists.



Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.


http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1141655--rangers-notebook-solving-holtby-hart-nominees

posted by Denis P. Gorman at 9:48 PM