Results tagged “mattcullen”

The game was stopped midway through the second period after an ugly collision between Colton Orr and former Ranger Matt Cullen. Cullen took this worst of it as he was momentarily knocked unconscious and had to leave the game. While it didn’t look intentional, the referee assessed an interference penalty and a game misconduct on Orr. Orr should expect to hear from the league office in Toronto shortly.

Henrik Lundqvist kept the Rangers in the game with 32 saves, but Ryan Miller was also up to the task. Miller made several great saves when it mattered and the Rangers couldn’t break through. Thomas Vanek had two goals for Buffalo while Hossa and Shanahan got the only tallies for New York.

Five minutes into the third period, Matt Cullen unleashed a vicious slapshot that caromed off the top crossbar and appeared to bounce out of the crease. Replays showed the puck had bounced down into the goal and the Garden erupted when the tally was put on the scoreboard.

Rangers 2, Islanders 1 (SO): What a shame it would have been if the Rangers had lost this game. They outshot the Islanders, 57-30, and, as the team looking in on the playoffs, they needed this game more. So they and Madison Square Garden breathed a collective sigh of relief when Matt Cullen scored in a shootout and a bigger one when Henrik Lundqvist stopped Randy Robitaille's shot to give the Rangers a 1-0 edge in the three-round shootout.

-Rangers 5, Stars 2: Matt Cullen scored two goals, including the go-ahead score 57 seconds into the second period as the Rangers rolled to their fifth straight win. They haven't lost since Dec. 3, when the Islanders took them down. With the Devils' loss, the Rangers lead the Atlantic Division by four points, and they're finally playing hockey like they did during their best stretches last year. Thursday's game was wide open, but the Rangers adapted. Henrik Lunqvist made 43 saves.

- 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?

The Rangers are not going to sneak up on anyone this year. Last year, they were the surprise of the league, surging to first place in the Atlantic Division before collapsing late in the season to lose the division and get swept out of the playoffs. In the offseason they added players who know how to win in Brendan Shanahan, Aaron Ward and Matt Cullen to their solid core of Jagr, Nylander, Lundqvist, Straka and Prucha. Expect them to return to the playoffs and advance a couple of rounds.