After going 1-1-1 in their last three, the Rangers lead the league with 13 points and continue to get a great effort from several players, especially Aaron Voros. Scott Gomez has awakened with his new linemates and both Henrik Lundqvist and Stephen Valiquette are shining in net.

For the first time in 25 years, the New York Rangers are still perfect after the first five games. They are playing as well as can be expected in all facets of the game and their recent acquisitions, such as Aaron Voros, have played a huge role in the stunning resurgence.

Now that several days have elapsed and the pain of an early payoff exit has subsided somewhat, it's time to look back and reflect on another lost season for the New York Rangers and their loyal to the core fans.

Henrik Lundqvist's superior display in net and Jaromir Jagr's inspirational effort kept the Rangers alive for at least one more game as they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 last night at the Garden.

For the third straight game, the Rangers played well enough to win but came away with nothing. Marc-Andre Fleury made 36 stops and was clearly the top netminder on the ice, while the Penguins' power play was lethally efficient.

Trailing two games to none in their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Rangers are down, but clearly not out of it. With a couple of better bounces and calls going their way, the situation could have been quite different.

Marc Staal went from goat to hero last night when he scored the game-winning goal late in the third period in the 5-3 victory. The Rangers continue to get to Martin Brodeur both on the score board and in his head, and it's the primary reason they are up 3-1 in the series.

John Madden's centering attempt six minutes into the overtime banked in off Marc Staal's skate blade and lifted the Devils to a much needed 4-3 victory last night at the Garden. The series resumes Wednesday night at MSG with the Rangers still leading two games to one.

Henrik Lundqvist continued his masterful work against the Devils last night at the Prudential Center as the Rangers took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with a 2-1 victory. Martin Brodeur was again outplayed.

Once again, Henrik Lundqvist got the best of Martin Brodeur as the Rangers came away with a 4-1 win at the Prudential Center last night to lead their quarterfinal series 1-0. Scott Gomez had three assists and Ryan Callahan's scored the game-winner.

It took a fourth round shootout goal by Patrik Elias in the eighth and last game of the season series for the Devils to finally beat the Rangers. Yesterday afternoon's 3-2 victory ensured the Eastern Conference's fourth place Devils of home ice in the first round.

Wade Dubielewicz, diminutive in stature, stood tall in net last night at MSG as he repelled 48 shots en route to a 4-3 shootout win for the Islanders. Richard Park netted two goals including the game-winner in the fourth round of the shootout.

Jaromir Jagr's two first period power-play tallies supplied enough offense for the Rangers to defeat the Islanders last night in Uniondale. With the 3-0 win, the Rangers have secured a spot in the playoffs.

Chris Drury's 24th of the season at 1:46 into overtime lifted the Rangers to a critical 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night at MSG. The clutch Drury blasted a wicked slap shot past a screened Marc-Andre Fleury while the Blueshirts had the man advantage.

Evgeni Malkin's blast late in the opening period proved to be the game-winner as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Rangers 3-1 yesterday afternoon at the Mellon Arena. Marc-Andre Fleury was superb in net with 26 saves and Sidney Crosby added two assists.

Scott Gomez made an unexpected early return, had two assists and inspired the Rangers to a 3-2 comeback victory to remain a perfect seven for seven versus the Devils this season. Chris Drury assisted on all three goals.

For the second straight time, the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Rangers in a game that couldn't be decided in regulation. Mike Richards backhanded a shot past Henrik Lundqvist in overtime for the 2-1 victory, moving the Flyers to within one point of the Blueshirts.

With their 4-3 shootout victory last Friday night at the Wachovia Center, the Flyers broke the Rangers streak of seven straight wins in Philadelphia. Daniel Briere scored twice for the Flyers while Christian Backman assisted on all three Rangers goals.

Chris Drury's late goal tied the game and Nigel Dawes won it in the shootout, but again the story was the goaltending last night at the Prudential Center. Henrik Lundqvist got the best of Martin Brodeur as the Rangers beat the Devils 2-1; they are a perfect six for six versus them this season.

The Rangers rebounded from a dismal trip to Florida last weekend with a solid effort last night, pounding the powerful Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 at the Garden. Sean Avery led the way with two goals and Henrik Lundqvist earned his 100th career victory.

The previously red hot Rangers are suddenly ice cold after a short stint in the Sunshine State. The last place Lightning easily disposed of them 3-0 last night in Tampa. Mike Smith stopped 20 shots for his third shutout of the season.

Olli Jokinen's third period power-play goal was the game-winner as the Panthers defeated the Rangers 3-2 last night in Sunrise, Florida for their sixth straight win. The loss ended the Rangers streak of earning points in 13 consecutive games.

With a 3-2 shootout victory last night at the HSBC Arena versus the Buffalo Sabres, the Rangers swept the season series four games to none. Scott Gomez nailed down the win a third round shootout goal to move his club into a fifth place tie in the conference with Ottawa.

With sole possession of sixth place on the line, Henrik Lundqvist and Alex Auld put on a goaltending exhibition yesterday afternoon at MSG. Nigel Dawes second round shootout goal was the difference as the Rangers came away with an exciting 1-0 victory over the Bruins.

With a superior second period display, Henrik Lundqvist kept the Islanders at bay and led the Rangers to a very satisfying 4-1 win last night in Uniondale. Sean Avery netted two goals and Wade Dubielewicz suffered his first loss against the Blueshirts.

Wade Dubielewicz stopped 27 of 30 shots and five of six in the shootout to carry the Islanders to a much needed 4-3 win at MSG last night to keep their playoff hopes alive. Jeff Tambellini got the game-winner for the Isles.

Goals by Brendan Shanahan and Nigel Dawes in the shootout lifted the Rangers to a 5-4 victory over the Flyers yesterday afternoon at MSG for their fourth straight win. The two points kept the Rangers in seventh place in the East.

Nigel Dawes two assists led the Rangers to a solid 4-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes last night at the RBC Center in Raleigh; it was their third straight victory. The Eastern Conference's seventh place Rangers now have 77 points.

With a goal in each of the two victories this past weekend, Jaromir Jagr has awakened from his 12-game scoring drought. The 5-4 win in Buffalo followed by a 5-0 demolition of the listless Florida Panthers put the Rangers in sixth place in the conference with 72 points.

With a 5-0 lead almost midway through the second, the Rangers were smiling and having a great time. But by the end of regulation, the game was tied and history was about to be made. Michael Ryder's two goals led the Canadiens' all-time best rally.

With a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks yesterday afternoon at the Garden, their first win versus Western Conference competition, the Rangers swept the pair of weekend matinees to move into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Chris Drury starred with a goal and an assist.

The quickest goal ever scored at Madison Square Garden sent the Rangers on their way Saturday afternoon. Sean Avery scored ten seconds in and first star Brandon Dubinsky added a goal and two assists in the 5-1 romp over the Sabres.

With a victory against Philadelphia and an overtime loss versus the Capitals last weekend, the Rangers took three out of four points to remain in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Stephen Valiquette was superb in net in both games.

With Anaheim's 4-1 victory last night at the Garden, the Rangers record against Western Conference opponents dropped to an appalling 0-7-2. Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped 32 shots in the winning effort while Henrik Lundqvist was way off his game with just 15 saves.

The NHL-worst Los Angeles Kings, led by Jason LaBarbera's 39 saves, ended the Rangers three-game winning streak with a 4-2 triumph last night at MSG. Anze Kopitar and Alexander Frolov each had a goal and an assist in the winning effort.

It certainly was a super Sunday for New York and their fans as the Rangers rallied from a three goal deficit to stun the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 at the Bell Center. Chris Drury netted the game-winner and also added an assist.

With 33 saves, Henrik Lundqvist backstopped the Rangers to their fifth consecutive win over the Devils this season. With two straight and four out of five, the Rangers are crawling back into playoff contention. Chris Drury was the offensive star with two goals in the 3-1 final score.

Last night in Philadelphia, the Rangers wiped out the first-place Flyers 4-0, to move into eighth place in the conference. Chris Drury was voted first star with a goal and an assist and Stephen Valiquette earned his first career shutout.

In the first contest of an important four-game road trip immediately after the All-Star break, the Rangers showed nothing new in a dreary 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes last night at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Rod Brind'Amour notched the game-winner.

Brendan Shanahan's lone shootout tally lifted the Rangers to a come from behind 2-1 victory on Brian Leetch night at MSG. After the stirring pre-game ceremonies, the Rangers came out flat, but recovered in time to save the night.

With their top three lines juggled, the Rangers performed like a completely different team from the one that was swept over the weekend. In a nearly flawless effort last night at MSG, they shutout the Atlanta Thrashers 4-0.

With a 4-3 shootout win on Saturday afternoon in Boston, and a 3-1 victory Sunday afternoon at MSG, the Bruins opened a three point lead on the Rangers in the conference. Chuck Kobasew was the first star in both games with three goals and an assist.

The Rangers got two goals from their third line last night at the Garden in a 2-1 victory over the slumping Buffalo Sabres. Petr Prucha and Brandon Dubinsky provided enough scoring to barely get by.

Evgeni Malkin's hat trick and Ty Conklin's 43 save performance led the Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the Rangers last night at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. The struggling and inconsistent Blueshirts remain out of a playoff spot in the conference.

It seems as if the Montreal Canadiens bring out the best in the Rangers. Last Saturday night at MSG, they trounced the Habs 4-1 to snap their five-game losing streak. Chris Drury scored the first goal and Henrik Lundqvist returned to form.

Scott Hartnell's hat trick led the way for the Philadelphia Flyers as they overcame an early two-goal deficit to trounce the Rangers 6-2, sending the bumbling Blueshirts to their fifth straight loss.

With a seven-game losing streak in tow, the last place Tampa Bay Lightning, with their inexperienced netminder, Karri Ramo, came to MSG last night and defeated the Rangers 5-3. Chris Gratton's two goals and one assist led the way.

Shawn Horcoff's goal and assist, Sam Gagner's shootout goal, and Mathieu Garon's 29 save performance led the Oilers to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers last Saturday night at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

Roberto Luongo stopped all 28 shots as he led the Northwest Division-leading Vancouver Canucks to 3-0 victory over the Rangers last night in Vancouver, British Columbia. Stephen Valiquette took the loss and deserved it.

Of a great feed from Chris Drury in overtime, Brendan Shanahan was sent in alone on Cristobal Huet and made it count as he wristed a beauty passed him for the game-winning tally. The 4-3 win was the Rangers third straight.

The Rangers scored five power-play goals en route to a 6-1 blowout at the Air Canada Centre versus the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. Jaromir Jagr was the first star with a goal and three assists.

With his first two-goal game of the season, Jaromir Jagr broke a ten-game scoring drought in the Rangers 4-2 victory against the Southeast Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes last night at the Garden. The win snapped the Blueshirts three-game slide as well.

With their 3-1 victory over the Rangers last night, the Senators have now won five straight at MSG. Martin Gerber was the first star of the game with 34 saves and the slumping Blueshirts have dropped five of their last seven.

Last night at the Pepsi Center in Denver, it took an overtime tally at the 76 second mark from Wojtek Wolski for the Colorado Avalanche to defeat the Rangers 4-3. It was the seventh consecutive time the Avs have handled the Blueshirts.

Marian Gaborik had a career-high five goals and added one assist in Minnesota's 6-3 triumph over the Rangers last night in St. Paul. Henrik Lundqvist was replaced by Stephen Valiquette in the third after giving up all six goals on just 18 shots.

Facing just 18 shots, Henrik Lundqvist blanked the Pittsburgh Penguins last night at the Garden by a 4-0 margin. The complete team effort featured two goals by Scott Gomez and three assists by Michal Rozsival.

The Phoenix Coyotes, coached by Wayne Gretzky, paid their first visit to MSG in over five years and blew away the Blueshirts 5-1 yesterday afternoon. Recently recalled Joel Perrault starred with two goals and one assist. It was the Rangers third straight loss at home.

Mike Green's overtime goal gave the last place Washington Capitals the 5-4 victory over the Rangers last night at the Verizon Center for their third consecutive victory. But it was Joe Motzko and well known enforcer Donald Brashear who had the biggest impact.

For the first time, the Rangers and Devils played to a scoreless tie in regulation as both Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur were unbeatable. But it took just 30 seconds in overtime for Brendan Shanahan to end it.

Slava Kozlov's goal and assist led the Atlanta Thrashers to 4-2 win over the bumbling Blueshirts last night at the Philips Arena. The offense was once again inept and with three straight losses, they will soon be in dire straits.

Nik Antropov's second career hat trick led the way last night as the Toronto Maple Leafs destroyed the Rangers 6-2 for their fourth consecutive win. There was little positive to take from this debacle from the Rangers' perspective...

Cory Stillman's two goals led the way for the Carolina Hurricanes last night at MSG as they blasted the Rangers 4-0. After a dismal first period, the Blueshirts never recovered. Cam Ward stopped 28 shots for his fourth NHL shutout.

Last Saturday afternoon, the Rangers, led by Brendan Shanahan's two goals, easily defeated the struggling Ottawa Senators 5-2 at Scotiabank Place. Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves for his NHL-best 14th win.

Jaromir Jagr's goal and assist led the Rangers to a much needed 4-2 victory over the Islanders last night at the Garden. Brandon Dubinsky, Chris Drury and Martin Straka all contributed two points in the strong offensive effort.

With a penchant for passing rather than shooting, the Rangers bombarded Mike Smith and the Dallas Stars yesterday afternoon at MSG with 41 shots. But it was to no avail as he stopped all but two in the Stars 3-2 win, even though they managed just 18 shots on Henrik Lundqvist.

Olli Jokinen's fifth round effort in the shootout slipped through Stephen Valiquette's pads to give the Panthers the 3-2 win last night in Sunrise, Florida, ending the Rangers five-game road winning streak. Valiquette was superb all night long and deserved a better fate.

Henrik Lundqvist got the best of his fellow countryman Johan Holmqvist on Wednesday night in Tampa as he backstopped his Rangers to a 2-1 victory for their fifth consecutive win on the road. The game-winning goal was scored by Colton Orr, believe it or not.

Rick DiPietro won the goaltending duel last night at MSG as the Isles snapped the Rangers five-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory. They have had much success against their bitter rivals lately, including three wins in three games this season.

With all four goals scored by the defense, the Rangers came back from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in overtime last Saturday night at the Mellon Arena. With their fifth straight win, they are atop the Atlantic Division with 25 points.

Brendan Shanahan scored the only goal of the shootout, giving the Rangers a 4-3 victory over the Flyers at the Wachovia Center. With the two points, they are now tied for first place in the Atlantic Division with Philadelphia.

Jaromir Jagr's goal and assist led the Rangers to a 4-2 victory over the Devils last night at the Prudential Center. Scott Gomez, Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky and Marc Staal all contributed as well and Henrik Lundqvist got his first road win of the season.

Needing a road win badly, coach Tom Renney decided to give Henrik Lundqvist a much needed rest and was rewarded when Stephen Valiquette backstopped the Rangers to a solid 3-2 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs last Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre.

Sean Avery was at his very best last night at the Garden as the Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2. He scored his first goal of the season, added an assist and drew penalties.

A three goal outburst in the third period was all the Islanders needed as they defeated the Rangers 3-2, stopping the Rangers winning streak at four. Miroslav Satan notched the game-winner and Rick DiPietro went toe-to-toe with Henrik Lundqvist in the nets.

The big three took care of business last night at the Garden. Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan were the only players to score a goal and Henrik Lundqvist got his fourth shutout of the season as the Rangers beat the Flyers 2-0.

Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur put on quite a show at MSG last Saturday night. It took a shootout to decide the winner, and Petr Prucha was the only player to succeed when he made a great move to beat Brodeur for the 2-1 victory.

The Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals 2-0 last night at the Garden; it was Henrik Lundqvist's third shutout this year and tenth for his career. Chris Drury led the way offensively with a goal and an assist.

With his front teeth missing, Jaromir Jagr rifled a one-timer past Johan Holmqvist midway through the third period for the game-winning power-play goal in the Rangers 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning last night at Madison Square Garden.

Three goals in a little over eight minutes in the second period was all the Toronto Maple Leafs needed to down the Rangers last Saturday night at MSG. Henrik Lundqvist was saddled with yet another loss due to lack of offensive production.

With the only two goals of the game, Nigel Dawes led the Rangers to a much needed 2-0 victory over the Devils last night at the Garden. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 22 shots for his ninth career shutout.

For the first time in history, the Rangers have been shutout in consecutive games by a 1-0 margin thanks to last night's loss in Pittsburgh. The last place Blueshirts are 2-5-1 and have a measly 13 goals in eight games.

The Rangers faced the Boston Bruins last Saturday afternoon and came away with a disappointing one point in a 1-0 shootout loss. The last place Blueshirts are offensively inept right now with just 13 goals in seven games.

The Rangers expected to get back on track against the winless Thrashers last night in Atlanta, but interim coach GM Don Waddell had his club well prepared. Henrik Lundqvist was left helpless as the 5-3 loss dropped the Blueshirts to 2-4.

Another superior goaltending effort by Martin Gerber and a three-goal outburst in 52 seconds of the middle frame was all the Senators needed to defeat the Rangers last Saturday night at the Garden 3-1.

The undefeated Capitals paid a visit to the unfriendly confines of Madison Square Garden last night and came away empty-handed again when Jaromir Jagr and the Rangers manhandled them by a 3-1 final score in a game that wasn’t nearly that close.

The Islanders edged the Blueshirts last night at the Nassau Coliseum with a 2-1 victory that featured spectacular goaltending and all three goals scored by the defense.

The Rangers were blanked 2-0 last Saturday night in Ottawa against the Senators and suffered a setback when Sean Avery was caught with a vicious elbow by Chris Neil.

A good start, a pathetic middle frame and a fantastic turnaround resulted in a 5-2 victory for the Rangers over the Florida Panther last night at MSG. Chris Drury led the way with the game-winning goal and two assists.

The Rangers season ended yesterday afternoon at MSG when the Buffalo Sabres held on for a 5-4 victory, giving them the series four games to two. Johan Hecht led the way with two goals, including the game-winner on a gorgeous deflection late in the third.

Goals by Jagr and Shanahan were bolstered by another superb goaltending effort by Lundqvist in the Rangers 2-1 win over Buffalo last night at the Garden. With seconds left in regulation, a controversial no-goal ruling went in favor of the Rangers.

Michal Rozsival's slap-shot at 16:43 of the second overtime got by a screened Ryan Miller to lift the Rangers to within one game of tying their series with the Sabres yesterday afternoon at MSG. The goaltending duel left the Garden faithful breathless.

Ryan Miller rebuffed everything sent his way except for two shots while shorthanded, and backstopped his Sabres to a 3-2 victory last night. With a two games to none lead in the series, the Sabres are now heavily favored to move on to the next round.

In a brief span of just over four minutes, the Sabres turned a scoreless tie into a three goal advantage en route to a 5-2 victory in Game One of their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Rangers. Thomas Vanek's two goals led the way.

The Rangers concluded a stunning four-game sweep of the Atlanta Thrashers last night at MSG with a 4-2 victory. Matt Cullen's early third period goal was the game-winner and it took a lengthy review to prove it actually crossed the goal line.

In a performance to remember, the Rangers dismembered the Thrashers on Tuesday night, putting them one win away from the second round of the playoffs. Michael Nylander recorded his first ever playoff hat trick in the win.

Sean Avery's fluky goal, perfect assist and overall physical play led the Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers last night at the Philips Arena, giving them a commanding two games to none lead in the best-of-seven series.

Jaromir Jagr's 68th career postseason goal put the Rangers up early and Henrik Lundqvist stood his ground late when the Thrashers had a two-man edge in their 4-3 Game One victory at the Philips Arena in Atlanta last night.

Two second period power-play goals were enough for the Penguins to defeat the Rangers 2-1 last Saturday night at the Mellon Arena to close out the season for both teams. Gregg Goldstein breaks it all down...

Last night's 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the Garden assured the Rangers of a playoff berth for the second consecutive year. They will either finish in sixth and face Tampa Bay or Atlanta, or in seventh and meet the Devils in the first round.

Third-stringer Wade Dubielewicz stopped 36 shots and was a perfect three-for-three in the shootout as the Islanders postponed the Rangers playoff clinching celebration with a 3-2 victory at the Nassau Coliseum last night.

The resurgent sixth-place Rangers are just two points short of a guaranteed spot in the postseason and much of the credit goes to Sean Avery, who has brought a new attitude to the Garden.

As second period stumble turned a 2-0 superior first period into a disastrous 5-2 deficit en route to the Canadiens 6-4 triumph over the Rangers last night at the Bell Centre. The loss snapped their five-game streak, but they remain in sixth place.

A pair of afternoon 2-1 overtime road victories made for a winning weekend as the Rangers have now won five straight and reside in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Henrik Lundqvist was brilliant in both games and was voted first star.

Colton Orr sent a strong message just 21 seconds into last night's Flyers-Rangers game when he knocked out enforcer Todd Fedoruk with one solid punch, dropping him to the ice. It was payback and sweet revenge for the Blueshirts...

Jaromir Jagr finally got his 25th on the season and it couldn't have come at a better time. With precious few seconds left in regulation, his attempt deflected in past Jocelyn Thibault for the 2-1 victory over the Penguins last night.

The Rangers staged their own version of the St. Patrick’s Day massacre last Saturday night at the Garden when they annihilated the Bruins 7-0, giving Henrik Lundqvist his fourth shutout and another 30-win season.

As the opportunities to earn points diminishes, so does the Rangers chances of qualifying for the postseason. Last night at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, the Rangers played well enough to win, but again couldn’t hold onto the lead.

For the second time in three games, Marek Malik inadvertently deflected the game-winning goal past a stunned Henrik Lundqvist. The 3-2 loss, in which the Rangers blew yet another two-goal lead, currently drops them out of playoff contention as Carolina, Toronto and Montreal all won.

Jaromir Jagr's beautiful wrist-shot cleanly beat John Grahame in the third round of the shootout to propel the Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes yesterday afternoon at the Garden.

Out of energy and unable to stay out of the penalty box, the weary Rangers surrendered another two-goal third period lead, losing to the Penguins 3-2 in overtime. League-leading scorer Sidney Crosby tied the game with his 100th point.

Chris Simon's inexcusable flagrant high-sticking match penalty gave the Rangers a man advantage late in the third, and Petr Prucha made the Isles pay when he got the game-winner on the ensuing power play. [With Video]

Even Rick DiPietro's greatest performance of his career (56 saves) were not enough as the Rangers played a most entertaining game, never letting up for the entire 60 minutes. It took a shootout game-winning goal by Matt Cullen in the second round to decide the victor.

Last Saturday afternoon it was role reversal at the Garden as the Rangers came from behind, wiped out a two-goal third period deficit and won in a shootout against the St. Louis Blues.

Sidney Crosby's shootout winner completed the Penguins rally for a 4-3 victory over the Rangers last night at the Garden. It was another third period collapse for the Blueshirts who had a great chance to earn two much needed points. For the second time in three games, they yielded not one, but two shorthanded goals.

Marcel Hossa's two second period goals and perfect goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist kept the Rangers ever-dimming playoff hopes alive. The 4-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens kept the Blueshirts within striking distance of the last playoff spot.

Two shorthanded goals by the Western Conference’s 15th ranked Blue Jackets in a span of 4:52 in the second period turned a one goal deficit into a one goal lead, and they were able to hold off the barely breathing Blueshirts 3-2 last Saturday night.

Jamie Langenbrunner's fourth round shootout attempt completed the Devils comeback and gave them a sweep of the two-game series with the Rangers this week. After building a two-goal lead in the first half of the game and playing spirited hockey, the Blueshirts once again let it slip away.

Martin Brodeur had slightly better luck on his side last night as he led his Devils to a 2-1 victory over the Rangers. All three goals were the result of beneficial bounces or deflections, and unfortunately for the Rangers, they were victimized twice.

After getting stung on the left shoulder from a rifled shot on Saturday, Henrik Lundqvist quickly came back yesterday with a solid performance, stopping 21 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Hossa and Martin Straka were the offensive stars and also responsible for the much needed two points.

The sight of Brendan Shanahan laying motionless on the ice after a collision with Mike Knuble typified what kind of afternoon the Rangers had when they lost 5-3 to the Flyers at the Garden.

In one of their finest all-around efforts of the season, the Rangers overwhlemed the injured Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 last night in Raleigh for their third straight victory. Though still three points out of playoff contention, the juggled line-up has sparked the Blueshirts and given them renewed confidence.

The Rangers continued their march toward respectability with a defensively solid 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals last Saturday night at the MCI Center. It was their second straight win.

Henrik Lundqvist got his revenge from last Saturday night's loss in Tampa Bay with a 29 save performance, shutting down the Lightning in a 5-0 romp. The battle of the Swedish netminders was no contest this time; Holmqvist was pulled in the second, while Lundqvist was stellar.

When Martin Brodeur is at the top of his game, no goaltender can match his brilliance, including Henrik Lundqvist. He held the fort while the Rangers pressured offensively for the first two periods and the Devils responded with just enough firepower to force overtime. In the shootout, Brian Gionta's first round goal was all the Devils needed.

Last night's contest at MSG figured to be quite a goaltending duel between Henrik Lundqvist and Dominik Hasek, but that wasn't the case at all as both netminders had difficulties. Hasek's came early as the Rangers opened up a 3-1 lead, but they let another one slip away as Lundqvist's problems in the third proved costly.

With their second straight loss, the Rangers fell to 11th in the Eastern Conference, five points out of the last playoff spot. Vincent Lecavalier got the game-winner on a third period power-play and both Swedish netminders performed admirably.

Andrew Raycroft's 37 saves and Mats Sundin's breakaway goal early in the third was the difference in last night's defensive battle as the Leafs dropped the Rangers 2-1 moving them further away from playoff contention. After the game, Brendan Shanahan voiced some interesting comments.

The newly formed Prucha-Cullen-Ortmeyer line worked wonders last night, as they led the Rangers to a decisive 6-1 wipeout of the Bruins in Boston. Prucha's scored two goals and added an assist, first star Ortmeyer tallied three assists, and Cullen had a three-point night as well.

The Rangers defeated the pitiful Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 on Saturday afternoon, sending them to their ninth straight loss and tenth straight on home ice. Jaromir Jagr looked rejuvenated and recently acquired Jason Krog banged home the game-winner early in the third period.

The Rangers limp into the All-Star break with another disappointing loss as they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Atlanta Thrashers last Saturday afternoon at MSG. They have now gone down to defeat in four of their last five games, continuing their inconsistent play.

Martin Brodeur recorded his eighth shutout of the season and 88th of his glorious career, leading the New Jersey Devils to a 1-0 victory over the Rangers at the Continental Airlines Arena last night. With the win, the Devils opened up a seemingly insurmountable ten-point cushion in the Atlantic Division going into the All-Star break.

Michael Nylander's goal and assist led the way as the Rangers ended their brief two-game losing skid with a well executed 3-1 victory over the Bruins yesterday afternoon at the Garden. Jed Ortmeyer converted on a late penalty shot for his first goal of the season to ensure the win.

A four-goal outburst early in the third period turned a 5-0 Ottawa advantage into a one goal game, but it wasn't enough as the Senators held on for a 6-4 victory at MSG last night. The boos turned into cheers for those magnificent seven minutes, but it was all for naught as the Rangers dropped their second straight.

Mike Sillinger's pair of goals, leading the Islanders to their fourth straight victory over the Rangers this season, stopped both the Islanders six-game losing Streak and the Rangers four-game winning streak last night at MSG. Jaromir Jagr, Michael Nylander and Martin Straka all had a great game to no avail.

Matt Cullen scored the first goal as well as the game-winner, leading the Rangers to 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. It was their fourth straight win, putting their recent seven-game losing streak far behind them.

Martin Straka's sixth career hat trick provided all the offense for the Rangers last night at the Garden as they defeated the last place Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 for their third straight victory. Henrik Lundqvist played solidly once again, but tried in vain for an empty-netter that ended up raising his own GAA.

It took eight exciting rounds to decide the winner, but when Marcel Hossa beat Brodeur for the fourth Rangers goal in the shootout, the Blueshirts came away with a much needed 3-2 victory. Each team had their chances to win the shootout and the bipartisan crowd certainly got their money's worth.

The losing streak is over and maybe now the Rangers can restore their confidence after a bitterly fought battle against the Washington Capitals last night at MSG. The 4-1 contest featured numerous fisticuffs, nasty displays and superb goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist.

Daniel Afredsson's deflection squeaked through Henrik Lundqvist's pads just 32 seconds in for the only goal in the Senators 1-0 victory last night in Kanata, Ontario. The loss was the seventh straight for the reeling Rangers.

For the third straight time on home ice, Rick DiPietro and the Islanders shutout their opponents. This time it was their archrivals, the Rangers, who stumbled to their sixth consecutive loss. The 2-0 victory extended DiPietro's scoreless streak to over 185 minutes.

Defenseman Dan Boyle led the way for the Lightning on Saturday night, with three goals and one assist, as Tampa rebounded from a 3-0 third period deficit to defeat the Rangers 4-3. For the Rangers, the game should have served as a long overdue wakeup call; significant changes are needed, and fast.

What a difference superior goaltending can make in this league. Ed Belfour came up giant when needed and the Panthers were able to rally with three unanswered third period goals to send the Rangers to their fourth consecutive defeat last night in Sunrise, Florida.

The Rangers did it again last night; they marched themselves into the penalty box time and time again and let another game get away. The Islanders 4-3 triumph was their third straight defeat and their tenuous Atlantic Division lead is down to just one point. Kevin Weekes was again subpar in net for the ailing Blueshirts.

The Rangers played back to back games this weekend, and didn't bother to put forth much of an effort. After being knocked out by the Leafs on Saturday night by a 9-2 score, the embarrassment continued at MSG on Sunday, as Patrik Elias and Sergei Bryline each scored twice in the Devils' 6-1 victory.

The Air Canada Centre was a very unpleasant place for the Rangers on Saturday night. Paced by Kyle Wellwood's hat trick (plus two assists), the Maple Leafs routed the Broadway Blueshirts by a decisive 9-2 score. Tonight, the Rangers will look to get back on track against the Devils.

Henrik Lundqvist put on a goaltending clinic last night in Dallas as he backstopped the Rangers to an improbable 5-2 victory. His career high 43-save effort earned him first star of the game. Two unlikely offensive heroes, Matt Cullen and Karel Rachunek, each netted a pair of goals.

The Rangers won for a season-high fourth straight time last night, defeating the injury-depleted Flyers at the Wachovia Center by a 3-1 margin. Though they dominated for much of the game, the teams were separated by one goal until late in the final period. Jarkko Immonen notched the game-winner.

Thanks to superior goaltending from both Henrik Lundqvist and Kevin Weekes, the Blueshirts had a winning weekend and earned the much-needed four points to remain tied for the lead in the Atlantic Division with the New Jersey Devils.

Henrik Lundqvist remains the king of the shootout, with a perfect 22-0 record this season, and Brendan Shanahan scored the game-winner to complete the Rangers' 3-2 victory over the Penguins last night. The much-needed victory broke the Blueshirts' four-game skid.

It was a wildly emotional ride last night at the Garden between the Rangers and the Islanders, but Viktor Kozlov took advantage of horrific goaltending by both Henrik Lundqvist and Kevin Weekes. For the first time in his career, he netted four goals in the Islanders 7-4 victory and they now lead the Atlantic Division.

The Sabres completed a sweep of the four game season series last night in Buffalo with a 4-3 shootout victory. Daniel Briere badly faked out an overmatched Kevin Weekes to notch the only goal of the shootout.

Following the conclusion of the NHL lockout, the NY Rangers exercised their buyout option on Bobby Holik, whose onerous contract far exceeded his value to the team. But on Tuesday night, Holik (now a member of the Thrashers) showed he's still capable of wreaking havoc on the ice.

It was a great weekend for Martin Straka but it wasn't enough as the Rangers split a pair of weekend back-to-back games, first against the young upstart Pittsburgh Penguins and then the league-leading Buffalo Sabres. Both affairs needed overtime to decide the winners.

Jaromir Jagr's two goals and Henrik Lundqvist's 34 save shutout performance led the way in last night's 4-0 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes at MSG. For the second straight game, both on home ice, the Blueshirts demonstrated just how good they can be.

Jaromir Jagr got his 600th early on and Brendan Shanahan, Martin Straka and Michael Nylander all contributed offensively in a dominant 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning last night at MSG. Henrik Lundqvist also performed admirably with 27 saves.

The Rangers haven't been scoring lately and can't stop their procession into the sin bin; that's a recipe for disaster in the NHL. Last night in Pittsburgh, the young upstarts proved as much in their 3-1 win, dropping the Blueshirts to just one game over .500. Details inside.

The Rangers couldn't summon up enough strength and willpower to withstand the resurgent Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes last night in Raleigh. They dropped a 2-1 decision despite Kevin Weekes being the beneficiary of four shots hitting the goalposts.

It took just 90 seconds for the Rangers to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 advantage early in the final period last night against the Atlantic Division leading Devils, transforming the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden from funereal to frenetic.

Last night, the Rangers were looking for a sweep of their three-game road trip at the Verizon Center but Olaf Kolzig (41 saves in a magnificent performance) and the Washington Capitals had other ideas.

The Rangers continued their winning ways last night in Atlanta with a convincing 5-2 victory over the southeast division leading Atlanta Thrashers. In one of their best played games of the season, the Rangers got off to a quick start and never let up, improving their road record to an impressive 7-2.

Michael Nylander’s beautiful shootout goal lifted the Rangers to a 4-3 victory over the Panthers last night in Sunrise, Florida. Henrik Lundqvist stopped all three attempts, and has now repelled all 19 shootout attempts he's faced this season.

Daniel Briere and the powerhouse Sabres lost their first game on Saturday night and came into the Garden last night in no mood to drop another. After three Rangers power-play tallies in the second, they put it all together and rallied for a 4-3 overtime win to disappoint the partisan crowd.

The Rangers concluded their West Coast swing with another victory over a Pacific Division powerhouse thanks to another strong performance by Kevin Weekes. The 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks was just what the Rangers needed to gain momentum going into Sunday's game against the Buffalo Sabres at MSG.

The inconsistent and unpredictable New York Rangers took care of the NHL point- leading Ducks last night in Anaheim with a 4-3 overtime victory. Points-leader Jaromir Jagr got his fourth goal of the young season to vault the Blueshirts back to .500. Kevin Weekes got the call in net and earned his first victory.

So much for the notion that a change of scenery was just what the Rangers needed to jumpstart their engines. After decimating the Coyotes on Saturday night, Rangers fans expected the momentum garnered from that effort would have carried over to the succeeding games on the West Coast swing.

The Rangers started off thei