The New York Rangers: The Road Back to Playoffs

New York Rangers got Keith Yandle, defenseman Chris Summers and a 2016 fourth-round pick from Arizona Coyotes for Anthony Duclair, John Moore, a 2016 first-round pick and a 2015 second-round pick.

The Eastern Conference is wide open, and the Rangers just went all in on a game-changing trade. The Rangers, have the league’s seventh best goaltending at even strength, and when Henrik Lundqvist returns from injury, that could improve.

​Image Credit: espn.com

Rangers winger Marty St. Louis, a 39-year-old former Cup winner with Tampa Bay who's seen it all, says one of the best things about this Rangers team is "it's always a different guy leading us every night. Six, seven, eight guys are on top of their game and it pulls the whole team through. Then another night, it's six or eight other guys. We knew when Hank went out, we had to collectively pick it up. And that's what we did."

The Rangers were solid defensively, created plenty of scoring chances for themselves and got big saves from Cam Talbot when they needed them. They played with confidence and relief to he trade deadline ending. 

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​It's a long way to the end of the regular season, let alone to the Stanley Cup finals. But what the Rangers did before Monday's deadline and in the game that followed were more proof that this team believes  it can get back there. It gave the blueshirts the confidence boost they need.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

The NHL All Star Game and Why It Gets No Attention

Article by: Christine O'Connor 

Twitter: @christineeeeO

Image Credit: nhl.com

The NHL All Star Game happened last weekend. So why didn't we hear about it? Maybe because the media has been completely wrapped in Deflate Gate or what Marshawn Lynch is getting fined for daily.

The NHL All Star game seems to lose more entertainment value and meaning year after year. 

The NHL's All-Star game has had many formats and has grown into a weekend extravaganza without any logic behind the selection of players or teams. Like the All-Star game in other sports, its relevance is up for debate in a long sports calendar. 

The game was once played before the season as a matchup between the previous season's Cup champion and stars from other teams. Now the NHL's All-Star game has been an East-vs.-West game at midseason. Sunday's game at Nationwide Arena, a game between teams whose captains were chosen for being a fan favorite or the face of the team. 

So with the NHL All Star game becoming almost irrelevant and ratings continuing to plummet, why does it still happen yearly (excluding the years when the Winter Olympics take place)? 

It's just business. 

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the weekend's festivities will generate $12 million in visitor spending. Owners love to host the event because they can promote their teams during fan festivals and other related events.

Maybe the NHL can do something make it a little more interesting and bring some more importance to the game like it once had. 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: The 1994 Stanley Cup Championship New York Rangers.

Image Credit: NYDailyNew.com

by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

We are back with yet another EXCLUSIVE interview! We'd first like to thank the very AMAZING staff at MAB Celebrity for letting us be apart of this event. If you love sports, you should definitely check out some of their upcoming shows. We have been attending various MAB shows throughout the years, and we were absolutely honored to have been apart of this historic event!

MAB-Celebrity does public signings throughout the United States, but not to worry. Don't live in the area and need something signed? MAB also does private signings. Check them out here for a list of upcoming private and public signings.

On October 25th, we arrived early and got to meet and greet with some of the 1994 Stanley Cup Championship winners, the New York Rangers.

We also met none other then "The Nature Boy" himself, Ric Flair! Woooooo! Although we were unable to interview Flair, it was great to meet such a humble down to earth guy, who seemed to be in very good spirits and happy to be there. Hulk Hogan also appeared at That 90's Show, however we were also unable to obtain and interview with him. Hogan was in great spirits and seemed very happy to be there.

Please check out our interview below. Jay Wells, Steve Larmer, Joe Kucor and Stephane Matteau, (better known as the Ranger who scored the game winning goal in the 1994 cup) discuss the current state of the Rangers, Madison Square Garden, Anthony Duclair, Gary Bettman and the two lockouts, as well as what it was like winning the 1994 cup and a lot more.

'That 90's Show' Autograph Signing with Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The 1994 Stanley Cup Champions & New York Mets Alumni THIS WEEKEND!

Images via mab-celebrity.com

by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

Attention Northern New Jersey, New York and the tristate area! Calling ALL you sports and wrestling fans out there! This Saturday, at The Hilton Hasbrouck Heights-Meadowlands, address is: 650 Terrace Avenue, Hasbrouck Heights NJ 07604. Former WWE Superstars Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Ken Shamrock will be signing autographs & taking photos with fans! In addition to those 3 cool guys, the card is stacked with various New York Rangers alumni, none other then your 1994 Stanley Cup Champions!

If you love baseball, you also might wanna check out Jim Palmer, & Rollie Fingers (Sunday ONLY), in addition to some of the New York Mets alumni. 

Scheduled to appear are: 

-Joe Kocur

-Stephane Matteau

-Ed Giacomin 

-Ron Duguay 

-Pete Stemkowski

-Cleon Jones

-Jerry Koosman 

and many more! To get ALL the information you're gonna need such as times, the ENTIRE lineup, pricing and more, check out MAB Celebrity here ! 

Did I mention kids 10 and under are FREE? Also I'll be there bright and early Saturday morning, so come say hi! I'll be taking photo ops, free of charge! See you there! 

http://mab-celebrity.com/that-90s-show

Will The NHL Lose The Younger Generation in NY?

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Women In Sports; Why They Are One Of The Best Assets To Sports.

Image Credit: The Queen of Baseball

Sometimes in sports, it seems that negativity on a certain topic is so overwhelming that as sports fans we in the general public lose sight of all the amazing reasons why we love sports. Sports are fun, they’re entertaining, they’re a magical release from the rigmarole that is our every day lives. We all enjoy sports, we meaning men and women. And this week with all the extra curricular shenanigans that has been brewing in the sports world, I think that sometimes the sporting public forgets how amazing and important women are to the sporting landscape on so may different levels. Women rock, and sports has proven that women are just as spectacular and important to the landscape of sports as men are. And it’s time we sit back and appreciate why women in sports is such a phenomenal thing. Because it’s not applauded enough, and it should be.

Whatever We Can Do, They Can Do…And Maybe Better…

Physically men have the edge over women and I don’t think that’s something that needs to be debated or is even important. Physicality is where the difference ends. Women are skilled at any and everything they put their mind to and sports is no different. The best example of this is in soccer. I know I know, America doesn’t really care about soccer. Well I do, and so do many other Americans; as well as the entire rest of the planet. Soccer is an amazing sport and it’s safe to say that the greatest American soccer player of all-time is Mia Hamm, a woman. Hamm was so good at her craft that she wowed men and women across the globe for years with her skills. Hamm and the US Women’s soccer team reached the peak of their dominance by winning the 1999 World-Cup with a this penalty kick by Brandi Chastain leading to her awesome shirt waving celebration. 

Image Credit: www.bleacherreport.com

Between Hamm, Chastain, and the rest of the USWNT, America and the world were fully aware of what women are capable…Greatness. But it’s not only in soccer. Basketball has always been where so many talented women flourish. If you get a chance, watch the YouTube videos of NBA legend Reggie Miller talking about his sister the legendary female basketball player Sheryl Miller. Miller was lights out during her days as a player and her, Sheryl Swoops, Cynthia Cooper, Tamika Catchings and Rebecca Lobo paved the way for the new generation of young stars like Britteny Griner, Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins. The WNBA may not get the respect or coverage it truly deserves, but that doesn’t make the athletes any less fantastic. From legendary Track & Field legends like Florence Griffith “Flo Jo” Joyner, and Jackie Joyner Kersee, to young softball phenom Mo’ne Davis, women can shine just as much as men. Even the greatest of all-time boxer Muhammad Ali has a daughter that was the greatest at her craft as well in Laila Ali. And let's not get started on the tennis greats from Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova to the Williams sisters because that's an entire article itself. 

Even on the sidelines Pat Summit has proven that women can do basically anything men can do; and maybe better.

Sports Need Women’s Points Of Views More Than Ever…

Image Credit: Gatoradebaths.blogspot.com

We all know what women can do on the field/court/track, etc. It’s some of the amazing work women have been doing off the field that makes women in sports so important. For too long there was only one point of view, the male point of view. Now, there are some incredible sports writers and analyst across the globe that are absolutely must reads. Women like Michelle Beadle and Jemele Hill and Josina Anderson have all paved the way for female journalist. But for me, the best one ever has to be Jackie McMullen from Boston. She is an absolute Rock Star in my eyes and she’s one of the best sports journalists on Earth, period. Whenever she writes a piece or appears on a program I make sure to tune in even though I despise Boston sports. But it’s not only McMullen that’s raising the bar for journalist of both genders. During the entire Donald Sterling fiasco it was Romana Shelburne of ESPN L.A. that was on top of the story every step of the way. Her reporting on Sterling was first-rate and she was the envy of sports journalist everywhere during that time. We need female point of views in sports and every woman I’ve mentioned, and all the ones who I didn’t mention, are helping with the process. Where a man will see something in black and white, a woman will show us all the gray area and give us a different perspective. Or, they’ll enhance the perspective we’ve already had. It’s awesome. Thank the heavens for women journalist in sports.

Women Just Make Sports More Fun…

Let me take you back to May 6^th 2014 on the day NBA MVP Kevin Durant gave his acceptance speech. Durant gave a great speech then capped it off at the end with talking about how amazing his mother was and how pivotal she was to all the success he’s had in his career. Durant was not only speaking of himself but for all the men on Earth that has had a mother, grandmother, sister, Aunt, friend, wife, fiancé, or girlfriend support them at every step of the journey. I know on a personal level my three brothers and I would never have accomplished anything without our goddess mother behind us. It wouldn’t have been possible. From sports to academics our mother was there. And from listening to Durant’s speech, to listening to other athletes in general talking about the strong women in their lives that encouraged them to do great things in sports, women have always been in the fabric of sports greatness. From the women who watch sports just because they love seeing their team win, to women who aren’t even into sports but are willing to learn because of their significant others, they’re are all great. Women make sports fun and insightful and all the other adjectives that you can think of.

So fellas, do yourselves a favor, embrace women in sports. They aren’t going anywhere and thank God for that. And ladies, keep breaking down barriers and smashing through glass ceilings and saving some idiot men from themselves. Women in sports are here to stay, and I couldn’t be happier about it. 

by Frantz Paul

Edited by: Dana Pellotta 

Owner/Editor in Cheif