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With 28 games in the NHL under his belt, Neal Pionk came into Rangers training camp this month feeling more confident than he had in the past. But that confidence was not to be confused for comfort. “I really liked his attitude coming into camp,” veteran defenseman Marc Staal said. “He had a lot of […]

The roster cuts, preseason games and multiple-practice days are over. Now the Rangers’ countdown to opening night Thursday against the Predators is beginning to seem real. “I feel rested, not having to run two practices,” coach David Quinn said with a grin after practice Saturday. “It’s just a much more calming, concise day. We feel […]

David Quinn and Brendan Smith have a relationship that dates back more than a decade, to when the then-Boston University assistant coach was personally trying to recruit the defenseman out of Toronto, who as a 16-year-old was deciding a) whether to go the OHL route or college route to the pros; and then, b) which […]

Expectations are in the eyes of the beholders, but the simple truth is that you can expect the Rangers to play a system meant to protect them and minimize their deficiencies as opposed to one that illuminates and exacerbates them. “Checks and balances is probably the best way to put it,” Kevin Shattenkirk said following […]

You’re going to be seeing the old Henrik Lundqvist in nets this season, and that has nothing to do with the goaltender’s March 2, 1982 birthdate. “I’ve been reflecting this summer and over the last few days and what I come back to is that I am consistently most successful when I’m confident in my […]

Things turned around for the Devils a little faster than most people thought. As general manager Ray Shero orchestrates a rebuilding process, the young team broke a five-year playoff drought last season before getting blown out in a five-game, first-round series by the powerhouse Lightning. They also got a MVP season from Taylor Hall, the […]

Click:check balance my gift card The Islanders are going to do what they can to forget about John Tavares, but the gaping hole left by the departed captain is too big to ignore. After a long, drawn-out and mismanaged process, Tavares left the Isles to sign a free-agent deal with his hometown Maple Leafs this […]

This will be a two-track season for the organization, one in which the Rangers will more likely than not take the local to the bitter end of 2018-19, and the other in which kids spread across the globe will attempt to get on the fast track to Broadway. Progress will be measured more by the […]

Brett Howden made the team and then changed his number. One of the slight surprises of the Rangers training camp was the 20-year-old Howden cracking the opening night roster, and soon thereafter he switched from No. 48 to No. 21. It was his number all during his junior days, and now he gets to wear […]

The NHL is about levels, but it is about windows, too. Windows that are closing. Except the window that was supposed to be closed last year opened for the Capitals before Barry Trotz made like Johnny Keane and walked out the door with the championship belt wrapped around his waist. Keane faded into ignominy in […]