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New York Rangers Retired Numbers 2 + 35 in the Madison Square Garden (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To get you ready for the Caps-Rangers series that kicks off on Saturday at 3, we exchanged questions with Kevin from The New York Rangers Blog. Below are Kevin’s answers to our questions.  Visit their blog to see our answers to Kevin’s questions.

Other than Ryan Callahan, since I assume he’d be the obvious answer, who is the player that most embodies what this Rangers team is all about?
Dan Girardi. The Rangers are a blue collar team that is willing to do the dirty work to get the job done. And no player does it better than Girardi. He is fearless on the ice. He’ll throw a big hit along the boards, get to the front of the net to block a shot then bust it up the ice to assist with the offense. Similar to the rest of his teammates he brings that lunch pail mentality to the rink every night. Oh yeah, and he’s a pretty darn good player as evidenced by his All Star nod.

What do you think of Chris Kreider so far?
While I expected to see some great things from Chris Kreider in the playoffs, I never dreamed he’d be dominating a Game 7 in just his fifth NHL contest. His speed is deadly. There were times in Game 7 against Ottawa where it seemed like there were three of him out there. His ability to track down pucks gave the Rangers additional puck position at key moments in third period. He’s also a sniper who will bury his opportunities. But to me the most impressive part of this kid is his character. He is very humble, is willing to learn and knows his role. John Tortorella has mentioned numerous times that Kreider won’t be intimidated by the moment. Which has been proved by his two NCAA National Championships with Boston College and his Game 7 performance Thursday night. Can you think of a more pressure situation for a young player to be thrown into? He’s been unflappable.

What is the biggest difference between this Ranger team and the one the Caps knocked out last year?
Confidence. I don’t think you’re going to see a much different game plan from last year’s series. The Rangers are very comfortable playing a low scoring, defensive oriented game. While that’s the strategy of almost every team in playoffs, the Rangers feel they’re the best at it. Last year as the #8 seed they were just happy to be in the playoffs, get their young guys some experience and hope for an upset. This year, they’re thinking Stanley Cup and are confident they have the horses to do it. They have a great mix of veteran leadership and youthful enthusiasm. Helps to have Henrik Lundqvist playing at an All World level as well.

You guys made the biggest move in free agency last offseason by signing Brad Richards.  Has he been living up to his contract?
Numbers wise Richards did not live up to his nine-year, $60 million contract. He finished the season with just 66 points despite playing in all 82 games which was his lowest output since 2007-08 when he had 62 points in 74 games. He did make his points count, however, as he led the team with eight game winning goals. Having said that, Richards’ worth to this Rangers team isn’t measured by points. The influence he’s had on the development of young players such as Derek Stepan and Michael Del Zotto has proved to be invaluable and will have a positive impact on the Rangers franchise for the next decade. His leadership on and off the ice has been noticeable all season and they would not be the same team without him.

Shouldn’t Brian Boyle have answered the bell again Matt Carkner?  I’m not condoning what Carkner did, but it seems like the unwritten rule is that Boyle should have accepted the challenge.
I think Brian Boyle would have answered the bell if Matt Carkner challenged him face-to-face like a man instead of jumping him like a coward. Which was proved later on in the period when he excepted Chris Neil’s invitation to dance.

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