Author: DposNews

BUFFALO — David Quinn said scratching Vlad Namestnikov in favor of Cody McLeod for Saturday’s match against the Sabres was more about McLeod than Namestnikov. Though there is no reason to doubt the coach’s veracity, the case can be made Quinn inserted the truculent fourth-liner to send one message to Namestnikov: His performance, not only […]

It’s like the image of those Same Old Islanders is dissipating, albeit slowly. Because this team did not open their home schedule with a complete dud, although the 4-3 loss to the Predators at Barclays Center on Saturday night hardly stands as a work of art. What has been made clear already through two games […]

BUFFALO — Take two. Or, in this case, none. The Rangers head to Carolina for a Sunday evening match against the Candy Canes seeking to avoid the club’s first 0-3 start since the doomed 1998-99 club opened with four straight regulation losses. That’s the scenario in the wake of Saturday’s 3-1 defeat here to the […]

Brendan Shanahan hasn’t missed many high notes since assuming command of the moribund Maple Leafs in April 2014. He has been a progressive leader of the fabled franchise that hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967, the last year of the Original Six, selling both ownership and a demanding fan base on a meticulous rebuild […]

The Islanders’ goaltending situation will be monitored all season by new coach Barry Trotz. So far, Thomas Greiss has gotten the looks. After Greiss stopped 45 shots in the season-opening overtime win in Carolina on Thursday, he was able to stop only 19 of 23 shots against the Predators in a 4-3, home-opening loss Saturday […]

BUFFALO — David Quinn “had a big problem” with Patrik Berglund’s blow to the head of Filip Chytil two minutes into the second period that sent the Rangers rookie to the locker room for mandatory concussion testing. Chytil returned to the match after an 11-minute absence from the bench and pronounced himself, “Good, OK,” in […]

RALEIGH, N.C. — After playing their first 120 minutes of the season without ever taking a lead, the Rangers wasted no time in getting their first one Sunday night. They just never seemed to want to hold onto it. They held four different leads through the first 45 minutes of action but none stuck. Instead, […]

RALEIGH, N.C. — Looking for a spark from his team and wanting to get defenseman Tony DeAngelo involved, coach David Quinn rolled out a Rangers lineup Sunday night with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. DeAngelo delivered a pair of assists in a physical 17:34 of ice time in his season debut, but it wasn’t enough […]

If this is the way the Islanders are going to keep playing, and if they keep getting goaltending like this, they are going to be better than most people thought. It was an air-tight performance Monday afternoon at Barclays Center, a 4-0 shutout of the Stanley Cup-contending Sharks that was impressive in stature and comprehensiveness. […]

Maybe it’ll be a footnote after this season that Thomas Greiss started the first two games in nets for the Islanders. Because if Robin Lehner plays like he did in the team’s 4-0 win over the Sharks on Monday afternoon at Barclays Center, the starting job will be his. In his season and team debut, […]