Photograph of Rangers coach Tom Renney (rear, center) and other Rangers players after the Penguins knocked them out of the playoffs by Gene J. Puskar/AP Pittsburgh 3 Rangers 2 OT: In the end it was another weird bounce that brought a close to the Rangers’ season. Dan Girardi tried to kick the puck out of the zone and instead of clearing it, deflected it right to Marian Hossa. Hossa deposited it past a surprised......

You have to pick your poison when playing the Penguins. Do you try and stop Pittsburgh’s top line, anchored by Sidney Crosby, or do you focus on shutting down the equally talented, Evegni Malkin and his line? And, don’t forget about the defensemen, Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney are both threats to score when they touch the puck. Clearly, keeping the Penguins off the scoreboard will be a monumental task. But, the Rangers have a......

Photograph of the Rangers' Ryan Callahan putting a puck pasting Devils goalie Martin Brodeur by Bill Kostroun/AP Rangers 4 Devils 1: Don’t let the score fool you, this was a close game for about 57 minutes. New York got on the board first thanks to Brendan Shanahan, but New Jersey answered with a power play goal from Paul Martin. The game remained tied until the 7:23 mark of the third period when the Devils......

Rangers 2, Penguins 1 (OT): Barring a Mets-like collapse, the Rangers will make the playoffs. Monday's victory probably boosted their spirits, too. Chris Drury scored in overtime after assisting on Jaromir Jagr's goal in regulation. At 93 points with three games remaining, the Rangers are one point away from clinching and tied with the Devils for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference. But catching the Devils and the home ice in the first round......

Rangers 3 Buffalo 2 (Shootout): The Rangers earned at least a point for the 13th-straight game and swept Buffalo in their season series with another big win Monday. Things got off to a bad start as Buffalo scored only 16 seconds into the first period, but the Rangers tied things up just over a minute later thanks to Fedor Tyutin. Jaromir Jagr netted his 18th to put New York up 2-1, but Buffalo tied things......

Rangers 4, Islanders 1: Two days after having their dramatic rally ruined in a shootout, the Rangers crushed the Islanders, 4-1, and continued their surge at the season's most critical times. They drew Wade Dubielewicz in goal -- Rick DiPietro had missed too much time following the death of his grandmother -- but most goalies would have had trouble Thursday. The Rangers led this one 89 seconds into the game on a Brendan Shanahan goal.......

Photograph of Rangers Brandon Dubinsky and Jaromir Jagr celebrating Dubinsky's first period goal, with Hurricane Bret Hedican looking on, by Karl B DeBlake/AP Rangers 4 Carolina 2: It was the perfect blend of the old and the new for New York on Thursday. Brandon Dubinsky got things started for the Rangers with a great backhand off of the pretty feed from Jaromir Jagr. Sean Avery came off the bench at the right time to......

Photograph of the Rangers celebrating as Buffalo Sabres player Ales Kotalik skates away by Frank Franklin II/AP Rangers 5, Sabres 1: Five days off, but only 10 seconds to score. Sean Avery got the Blueshirts off to a great start and they finally got the taste of Sunday's overtime loss to Washington out of their mouths. "I don't think we expected that great of a start," said Brendan Shanahan. He has to be telling......

Rangers 4, Flyers 0: Stephen Valiquette didn't really have to work for it, but he got his first career shutout. Even when the Flyers are hot and the Rangers are cold as ice, New York finds a way. Nigel Dawes, Petr Prucha, Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan all scored. The Rangers hadn't won the road this year. Philadelphia had enjoyed a 12-2-1 streak. The Flyers are in first, but they are only five points ahead......

Nets 87, Bucks 80: For one night at least, Jason Kidd did his best to help the Nets get maximum value in a trade. The Nets also proved that even they couldn't find a way to lose a weak team playing without its best player (Michael Redd). The fans cheered loudly for Kidd before the game, so they either want him gone -- and are cheering his efforts to leave -- or love him so......

Photographs of Brian Leetch's number being retired at Madison Square and Leetch acknowledging the crowd by Frank Franklin II/AP Beloved former Ranger Brian Leetch only made one mistake, mentioning Jim Dolan in his speech and the Rangers only made one mistake, letting Marian Hossa get free to score a goal. Hossa’s goal early in the second period put Atlanta in front and threatened to ruin Brian Leetch Night, but the Rangers recovered. Michal Rozsival......

Rangers 4 Montreal 3 (OT): The Rangers played one of their most uneven games of the season, but they turned it on when they needed to and got the win. Daniel Girardi and Jaromir Jagr scored in the first period to give New York a 2-1 lead heading into the second. And that’s where the Rangers went to sleep, getting only one shot in the period while the Canadiens built a 3-2 lead. That’s where......

Sonics 117, Knicks 110: Knicks fans deserve a lot of credit. No one's pointing out how hard it is to chant "Fire Isiah." That phrase has a ton of vowel sounds. They held off for part of this game, but at the end, the result was the same. Zach Randolph is the only self-respecting Knick, though Jamal Crawford has been putting up better numbers with Stephon Marbury still out. The sum of the parts is......

Rangers 1 Devils 0 Overtime: This was one the Rangers needed to win and it showed. From the start of the game they played a smart, defensive style that gave New Jersey very few chances. It worked to perfection as the Devils only got 17 shots during the entire game, but the problem was the Rangers couldn’t score. Time and again Martin Brodeur stopped them and when the game went to overtime, it appeared likely......

Rangers 5 Ottawa 2: The Senators may be in a funk of late, but they still have the best record in the Eastern Conference. That may not last for too much longer as the Rangers beat Ottawa soundly Saturday afternoon, scoring three goals in the first period and forcing a goaltending change. Everything seemed to work for New York as the power play scored twice, Brendan Shanahan had two goals and Blair Betts even got......

Stars 3, Rangers 2: What good is outshooting the opponent 41-18 if it doesn't lead to a win? That's what the Rangers have to ask themselves after Sunday's disappointing loss to the Stars. No matter how this game is measured -- except for the score that is -- the Rangers appeared to outplay the Stars. Mike Smith repeatedly stifled the Blueshirts' attack, however, and goals from Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan didn't end up as......

Rangers 4 Philadelphia 3 (Shootout): The Rangers have overcome their slow start and moved into a tie for first place. Brendan Shanahan had a goal in regulation and the game-winner in the shootout to power New York. Henrik Lundqvist kept the Flyers off the board in the shootout, stopping all three shots he faced. Marc Staal played another solid game paired with Rozsival and Marek Malik has to be worried about regaining his starting spot.......

Celtics 112, Nets 101: Early indications have the road to the NBA Finals going through Boston. If the Nets entertain any hopes of becoming a legit contender, they'll have to find a better measuring stick. As if the Nets didn't have enough concerns about Vince Carter, their star left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury. At least he had 17 points when he left. Beating up on the Eastern Conference may......

Rangers 2 Philadelphia 0: These teams really do not like each other and it was evident early on Monday night. The gloves came off just 54 seconds into the game and another fight broke out seven minutes in. That ended the boxing portion of the evening, but both teams continued to hit hard and often in a physical contest at MSG. The Rangers dominated the first period, but would have had nothing to show......

Maybe all the Rangers needed was a punch in the mouth. Not a punch per se, but a high stick that knocked some teeth out of Jaromir Jagr’s mouth. Jagr shook off the hit and the Rangers shook off the malaise that has plagues their power play all season with two goals in the third to win 3-1 over Tampa Bay. New York took an early lead in the first period on Nigel Dawes’ third......

You may not have noticed that the NHL season started last weekend. While two games between two California teams in London may not have captured your interest, the three local teams that begin play tomorrow and the next few nights will all be fascinating stories throughout the season. No team enters the season with bigger expectations than the Rangers. After landing two big centers in free agency, Chris Drury and Scott Gomez, New York......

Rangers 5, Flyers 0: This game needed 21 seconds to have a fight that ended up with Flyers forward Todd Fedoruk leaving the ice on a stretcher and headed to St. Vincent. While that may do it for some hockey fans, would the game be better if players limited the violence to the legal and clean collisions allowed in the contact sport? No one wants to see someone leave the ice like that. Looking......

Rangers 2 Blackhawks 1: The last time the Rangers saw Brendan Shanahan he was strapped to a stretcher, so when he came into the locker room before the start of the game to say hello to his teammates it was a surprise. Perhaps it even inspired them as New York jumped out to the lead less than two minutes into the game and never looked back. Marcel Hossa scored his fifth goal in seven games......

Flyers 5, Rangers 3: Something you never want to see at a sporting event is a player carted off on a stretcher. That's just what fans and players at The Garden witnessed last night. After a violent collision in the 3rd period with Mike Knuble of the Flyers, Brendan Shanahan was taken off the ice on a stretcher. Shanahan, the Rangers' leading goal-scorer, was kept overnight for observation at St. Vincent's. The Rangers said......

Nets 116, Jazz 115: Just when the Nets thought their road trip couldn't get any crazier, it did. They'll take a come-from-behind win instead of a come-from-ahead loss, of course. Vince Carter hit a 30-footer at the buzzer, the last three of his 29 second-half points. With the win -- the fourth down-to-the-wire and the second buzzer-beatter game on the trip -- the Nets salvaged a 2-3 record on their Western swing. Things could have......

Islanders 4 Flyers 2: Rick DiPietro is definitely trying to earn his 15-year contract. Rick had another great night in the nets, stopping 29 of 31 shots and keeping New York in the game while they were blitzed in the first two periods. Jason Blake led the way for the Islanders with 7 shots and a goal and Miroslav Satan added 2 assists. Tampa Bay 3 New Jersey 2 (shootout): Martin Brodeur had a great......

-Suns 161, Nets 157 (2OT): Two great point guards went head-to-head, but Steve Nash's nine-point second overtime outlasted Jason Kidd's performance as the Suns won a thriller at the Meadowlands. Kidd had 38 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists for a triple-double, but he couldn't top Nash's career-high 42. The energy that the Nets lacked against Dallas on Tuesday was out in force on Thursday, but energy and firepower are needed to top the Suns.......

It was a night when Henrik Lundqvist showed the form that made him the king of the Garden last spring. Facing a feisty Carolina team, Lundqvist made several huge saves early in the game and propelled the Rangers to a 4-0 victory. Lundqvist’s brilliance overshadowed great games from Jaromir Jagr and Marcel Hossa. Jagr scored two goals and just missed a third on a beautiful give-and-go from Brendan Shanahan. Hossa was everywhere, scoring his first......

-Rangers 3 Devils 2: Through two periods New Jersey displayed the form that has made them a great franchise the past twelve years. The Devils played great defense and when they did allow a shot, a rarity in the first 40 minutes; Martin Brodeur was there to back them up. Throw in a soft goal allowed by Lundqvist and a conversion on a 5-on-3 power play and New Jersey seemed in complete control heading into......

- Rangers 3 San Jose 1: New York completed a successful west coast swing with their second win in as many nights. Kevin Weekes looked stellar between the pipes, stopping 29 of 30 shots and Matt Cullen, Martin Straka and Brendan Shanahan scored. With Weekes playing well in consecutive games, the question is, who will start in goal on Sunday? - Derek Jeter wins another gold glove: Jeter is many things, but a great......