Hilfestellungen » travails in India would suggest, then th

Sitting atop the Metropolitan Division and with one of the leagues best records, it may be hard to find fault with the New York Rangers play.Recent results at Madison Square Garden seem to indicate otherwise.The Rangers look to halt a three-game home losing streak as they meet the surging Ottawa Senators for the first time this season Sunday night.New York won six of its last nine against Ottawa, but the three losses all came in Manhattan. Thats where New York (15-6-1) got off to a hot start this season, winning eight of its first nine and outscoring the opposition 42-19.However, the Rangers were outscored 13-6 in consecutive losses to the struggling Vancouver Canucks, the Florida Panthers and the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Ottawa comes into this contest in position for a season-high fourth straight victory.A reason for those struggles could be traced to Michael Grabner, J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes all slumping simultaneously.From Oct. 13 through Nov. 6, nine Rangers had at least seven points at Madison Square Garden. Miller led the way with 12 points (five goals, seven assists), followed by Hayes with 11 (five goals, six assists) and Grabner -- enjoying a career resurgence -- had eight, including six goals.Over the last three home games, though, Miller and Grabner havent had a point and Hayes recorded one assist.In the Rangers 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, Hayes scored and Miller drew an assist, but the star of the game was Henrik Lundqvist as he made 19 of his season-high 40 saves in the third period.Tonight we werent great; our goaltender was, Rangers defenseman Marc Staal told the New York Daily News.With a minimum of 35 career appearances, Lundqvist has a losing record against only one opponent. In 36 games against the Senators, Lundqvist is 15-17-3 with a 2.08 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and one shutout. When he faces them at home, though, King Henrik is 5-12-2 with a 2.32 GAA and .921 save percentage.Lundqvist needs one win to tie Mike Vernon for 13th on the career victories list with 385.Antti Raanta, who relieved Lundqvist in Wednesdays 6-1 home loss to Pittsburgh, gave up five goals and lost in his only appearance against the Senators in 2014 while with the Chicago Blackhawks.Ottawa (13-7-1) is coming off Saturdays 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Craig Anderson stopped 32 shots and Kyle Turris broke a 1-1 tie with 3:32 to play.In eight career starts at Madison Square Garden, Anderson is 6-1-1 with a 1.59 GAA, a .951 save percentage and two shutouts. However, Anderson has been on the losing end in each of his last two games there, surrendering six goals.Ottawa coach Guy Boucher did not immediately say if Anderson or Mike Condon would start in goal. Condon hasnt played since giving up a season-high five goals in a loss to the Nashville Predators on Nov. 17.Thats why youve got flights, Boucher said. It gives you a bit of time to reflect on what you want to do the next day.Ottawa has surrendered the opening goal in 11 straight games, posting a 6-4-1 record.You dont want to get in the habit of playing from behind, but were showing good mental toughness by not letting a goal affect the way we play, Anderson said.The Senators also are 2-0-0 in the second games of back-to-back contests this season.Surprisingly, the Senators most productive scorer at Madison Square Garden is Chris Kelly with seven goals, including a pair of game-winners, and two assists in 11 games. Kelly, who returned to Ottawa as a free agent in July after five-plus seasons with the Boston Bruins, has a goal and two assists in 21 games but hasnt registered a point in 13 straight.New Yorks Matt Puempel wont have to wait long for a chance to face his former team. Puempel, a first-round pick by Ottawa in 2011, was claimed off waivers by the Rangers on Monday, one day after ex-Senator Mike Zibanejad suffered a broken leg thats expected to sideline him for up to two months.Puempel, who failed to earn a point in 13 games with Ottawa, scored in his first game with the Rangers on Friday -- and took a shot at his former organization.They let you play here. They let you play to your strengths, Puempel told the New York Post on Saturday. They know there are going to be mistakes. Theyre not barking at you every time you come off the ice. Its beneficial.The Rangers acquired Zibanejad in July for Derick Brassard and swapped picks in the 2018 NHL Draft. Zibanejad, a two-time 20-goal scorer at 23 years old, had five goals and 10 assists in 19 games.Brassard is struggling with his new club, posting three goals, including one on the power play, and six assists in 21 games.The 29-year-old Brassard averaged 21.3 goals and 33 assists in three full seasons with New York from 2013-16. He also provided a spark on the power play, leading the team with eight man-advantage goals last season and tying for the team lead with seven in 2013-14.Niklas Kronwall Jersey .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker. Evgeny Svechnikov Jersey .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. http://www.redwingshockeyauthentic.com/jonathan-ericsson-jersey/ . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. Dylan Larkin Red Wings Jersey . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans. The promotion boasts 14-straight years of business and is operated by MFC president Mark Pavelich, who is often overlooked in this country for the foundation hes established for MMA in Canada. Bob Probert Jersey . -- Al Jefferson found a groove just in time for the Charlotte Bobcats.Exactly a year from now, England and Australia will be resuming hostilities as the first Test of the 2017-18 Ashes series gets underway, and to judge by both teams form in their respective series against India and South Africa, there will be plenty of batting collapses on both sides and plenty of results.Thats certainly how the folk at Bet365 see it, with Australia a not-outlandish 22/1 to repeat their 5-0 whitewashing of England in the 2013-14 tour, but only 125/1 to win the series by a 1-0 scoreline.England are deemed even more unlikely to emerge from the tour with a 1-0 series win - they are priced at 175/1 to achieve that feat, and seeing as the last such scoreline was way back in 1975 (Australia were the winners on that occasion), this seems entirely fair.So, what of the more mid-range scorelines? England, on current form, are as close to favourites for a tour of Australia as they can ever hope to be. They are currently 13/5 to win the series outright, but 11/8 to retain the Ashes (which they would achieve in the event of a draw).And, in keeping with the bookmakers belief that results will be plentiful, the 2--2 scoreline, at 6/1, is deemed far more likely than 1-1 (20/1) or 0-0, which is a Headingley-esque 500-1.ddddddddddddSo, if you fancy a long-distance flutter, and believe that England arent quite as bad as their current travails in India would suggest, then the value would appear to lie in backing England for a hefty victory.Theyve never beaten Australia 5-0 in any series, but their odds of doing so are a tantalising 150/1 - which is surely worth a speculative tenner. Youll have forgotten about it come this time next year. A 4-1 win to England is 50/1 (compared to 8/1 for Australia), while a repeat of their 3-1 scoreline from 2010-11 is 16/1 (Australia are 5/1).Two other factors to consider - one of the contests is likely to take place under lights, which may disrupt Australias traditional home advantages (albeit theyve won both their matches with the pink ball to date). And secondly, Englands bogey ground, the WACA in Perth, may be out of service with a new stadium set to be launched. ' ' '