Brad Richards News

The time, ladies and gentlemen, is fast approaching. If the New York Rangers ' organization expects to realize the full potential of a host of young and talented players and capitalize on an all-world, in-his-prime goalie in Henrik Lundqvist, John Tortorella , their feisty, brusque, irreverent and stubborn coach, simply must go.

Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers stops a shot in the first period against the Boston Bruins on February 14, 2012 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

If you're a Rangers fan, you have probably hit the panic switch repeatedly through Games 1 and 2 at TD Garden.

Coach John Tortorella delivered a cryptic message relating to adjustments "not on the ice" the Rangers require in advance of this afternoon's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bruins, but alternate captain Dan Girardi wasn't cryptic at all in assessing the club's performance in Thursday's Game 1, 3-2 overtime defeat.

The Boxford native and former BC star was playing in front of friends and family, and against the Bruins, the team he grew up rooting for.

NY Rangers coach John Tortorella said the Blueshirts' 0-3 record in overtime wasn't "playing with [his team's] head at all." Yes, much has been made of the Rangers' 0-3 record in overtime this postseason, including Thursday night's loss to the Bruins in Game 1. But John Tortorella doesn't think that's going to have an effect on his players.

The Rangers had an opportunity to jump on top of the Bruins and steal the first game of the series.

In Seaford accident on Sunrise Hwy/NY Rt-27 EB at Rt-135/Seaford-Oyster Bay Expy and before Washington Ave.

Nearly everything about the Rangers' Game 7 victory over the Capitals was improbable, and yet the 5-0 drubbing they authored on Monday wasn't even the most surprising result of the night.

Nearly everything about the New York Rangers' Game 7 victory over the Washington Capitals was improbable, and yet they won 5-0. On the karma scale, this matchup of Original Six teams is pretty much a dead heat as these classic clubs get set to meet in the postseason for the first time in 40 years.

It was exciting for a game or two -- as the Wild clung to whatever chance they had to extend this thing past the standard 5-game loss, the NHL's way of telling a team, "You did pretty well to get that one win but you still got clobbered." This was actually a pretty good series.

As a longtime Rangers hater, someone who once rooted for the Russians to rout the Broadway Blues during their tours many years ago, I always found goalie Henrik Lundqvist's nickname disturbing.

Despite being down 3-2 in the series, the Rangers posted back-to-back shutouts to come back and win the series.

Look at the scoresheet from tonight's 5-0 Game 7 win and you'll see that depth was the story of the victory -- and for the entire series against the Capitals -- and how they dug out of a 2-0 hole.

It was a strange and somewhat sad sight. Brad Richards, 32, was on the ice for an optional skate before a back-to-back game, an event generally reserved for fourth-liners, rehabbing players and spares.

It's even in large part because the Caps keep insisting on getting even. They still apparently believe the way to retaliate for a bitter one-goal Game 7 loss to the Rangers a year ago is to continue to retaliate.

They haven't met in the playoffs in 40 years. They haven't meant when it has really mattered since Emile Francis was coach and Glen Sather was one of his Rangers players.

James Reimer was on his toes, and splitting them, in Toronto's win over Boston on Friday night.

New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, bottom, skates past his team bench after giving up the game-winning goal against the Washington Capitals in overtime of Game 5 on Friday.

In a series that has seen the home team win every game, that trend continued in game 5 as the Capitals needed overtime to beat the Rangers 2-1. They now take a 3-2 series lead to Madison Square Garden with the Rangers on the brink of elimination.