Rangers-Panthers set to create Florida memories — and they’re likely to be physical
NY Post
SUNRISE, Fla. — The Rangers and Panthers have played a slew of games down here since the Puddy Tats moved to this outpost for the 1998-99 season, and maybe one of them was noteworthy.
That would have been the Feb. 16, 2000, contest in which Brian Leetch moved up from defense to play left wing for the only time in No. 2’s career. John Muckler, then the head coach, wanted Leetch to match up against and shadow right winger Pavel Bure, the most explosive and compelling player in the league.
Bure did not score while on the ice against Leetch, who logged 23:47 of ice time. The “Russian Rocket” did, however, score his league-leading 41st goal in Florida’s 57th game, at 7:46 of the first period for the 1-0 goal in a 3-0 game when Jan Hlavac failed to change on the fly when Bure hopped on.
Best laid plans and all that.
One year shy of a quarter of a century later, there will be significant Rangers-Panthers games here, and they will be Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Final, the first coming up Sunday afternoon. They will produce memories more substantial than the aforementioned curiosity from the darkest age in Blueshirts history.
This is a whole other matter. The Rangers are in the embryonic stages of constructing a group that will have staying power. They continue to establish themselves as a meat-and-potatoes team with a gilded touch of flair that can grind with heavier teams like Carolina and Florida.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
DETROIT — Cody Bellinger was healthy again and a right-hander was on the mound for the Tigers.
The playoffs begin in less than two weeks.
Darius Slayton is already going to bat for the Giants’ potential first-round pick.
Victor Robles put his body on the line to make an impressive catch on Sunday, but had to be carted off the field because of it.
It’s not every day that someone is chirping at the baby-faced assassin – let alone an opposing coach.
There will be enough time to obsess over the things the Knicks don’t have, and why they don’t do well. Bank on that. There will be acres of space and hours of conversation devoted to the vast chasm between where the Knicks are and where they want to be — and, perhaps more tellingly, where they were expected to be. That’s coming, don’t worry.
Peter Laviolette chuckled as a grin started to spread across his face.
David Peterson bent over behind the mound in Sunday’s fifth inning, giving the appearance of perhaps a back ailment.
New Jets coach Aaron Glenn will stand in front of his team on Monday as the Jets begin their offseason program.
He will be tempting, of course, because by the time all is said and done, Kevin Durant will be on the short list of the greatest players in NBA history. Top 10? Maybe. Top 20? For sure.
So, another game like this winds up in the void column, with a void of scoring accompanied by a void of emotion, and you can select which is the chicken and which is the egg in this scenario.
Carlos Mendoza thought about it.
ATLANTA — Clearly upset that he was pulled before he could get a triple-double, Josh Hart stormed off the court with 90 seconds remaining, but both he and coach Tom Thibodeau took the flare-up in stride.