Former Rangers coach Alain Vigneault is back in the NHL, and his old team is going to be seeing plenty of him.

Vigneault was named the new coach of the Flyers on Monday after sitting out the 2018-19 season. It was Philadelphia where Vigneault coached his final game with the Blueshirts last season, getting fired by Jeff Gorton just hours after the season finale when the team returned to New York.

"It is an honor to be selected as the next head coach of the Flyers," Vigneault said in a release. "The history they have established and the passionate fan base has made this a first-class franchise. I am excited to work with Chuck (Fletcher,) the talented group of players and prospects coming up through the system, in order to return Philadelphia to the top of the NHL landscape."

The probable top two picks in the 2019 NHL Draft have topped NHL Central Scouting's final rankings lists.

American center Jack Hughes is ranked No. 1 on Central Scouting's list of North American skaters, while Finnish wing Kaapo Kakko is ranked No. 1 on its list of International skaters. 

The Rangers drew the No. 2 pick in the June draft during last week's NHL Draft Lottery, while the Devils came away with the No. 1 pick. Hughes has long been considered the consensus No. 1 selection, but there's been recent talk of Kakko at least closing the gap on Hughes as far as who the top prospect is in this year's draft class after a strong season in the Finnish Liiga.

Winter is here.

With Game of Thrones set to return Sunday for its eighth and final season, New York athletes gave their predictions and talked about theories for how the saga will end.

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The ping pong balls went the Rangers' way Tuesday night, and by getting the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, they not only end up with their highest ever selection in the draft, but they're guaranteed to get a game-changing prospect for their rebuild.

They're likely to end up with Finnish right wing Kaapo Kakko, assuming the Devils select American standout Jack Hughes at No. 1. Those two players are the top tier of this upcoming draft class, with the consensus being that Kakko has the ability to be a star in the NHL.

Get to know the player who might accelerate the Rangers' path toward contention:

Record-setting season

The Rangers had their biggest win of 2019 on Tuesday night at the NHL Draft lottery. 

The Blueshirts, projected to have the sixth pick, jumped all the way to the second overall pick for the NHL Draft, which takes place on June 21 in Vancouver. 

The Rangers had a 23.3 percent chance of landing a top-three pick. They have never chosen within the top three picks under the current draft format. 

Come Tuesday night, the Rangers will be hoping the ping pong balls are bouncing their way. 

After a rebuilding effort that saw them finish seventh in the Metropolitan Division, the Rangers enter Tuesday night's NHL Draft lottery with the sixth-best odds of winning the No. 1 overall pick (7.5 percent). Additionally, the team owns a 23.3 percent chance of gaining a top three pick, according to tankathon.com. 

The Rangers sunk their odds with a meaningless overtime victory Saturday in Pittsburgh. 

Ending the season on a high note is surely a morale boost for the organization and its players. 

But the Rangers' 4-3 overtime victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday actually knocked the Blueshirts from fifth to sixth in the NHL Draft lottery draw, when they could have moved up to fourth had they lost in regulation to the Penguins. 

Instead, the meaningless victory means the Rangers now own a 7.5 percent chance of drawing the top pick in the lottery; they have not selected first overall since 1965. 

The Rangers capped their season with an overtime win over the Penguins, 4-3, on the road. >> Box score

First Period:

• 6:36 PIT Sidney Crosby: Assists: Jake Guentzel, Jared McCann
• 12:48 NYR Brendan Smith

The Rangers are out of the playoffs and relegated to setting a foundation for next season and playing a spoiler role.

Friday, New York lost its third straight but nearly prevented the Columbus Blue Jackets from clinching a playoff spot. The Rangers scored with seven seconds left in regulation before losing 3-2 in a shootout.

It seems likely that veteran Henrik Lundqvist will start in goal for the Rangers after Alexandar Georgiev started against the Blue Jackets.

The Rangers couldn't give the Madison Square Garden faithful one more win at home this season, falling to the Blue Jacets, 3-2, in a shootout >> Box score

First Period:

N/A

While the Blue Jackets are hoping Friday marks the beginning of a playoff run, the Rangers (31-36-13, 75 points) will be ending an era with their home finale.

The team announced Thursday that president Glen Sather will step down at the end of the season, though he will remain with the organization as a senior adviser.

Sather -- who built four Stanley Cup-winning teams as the Edmonton Oilers' general manager and head coach from 1977 through 1989 and then oversaw another Cup winner as general manager in 1990 -- was named the Rangers' president and general manager on July 1, 2000 and remained in both roles through the 2014-15 season. >> Read More

With Glen Sather stepping down as president of the Rangers on Thursday, the hunt is on for James Dolan & Co. to find his replacement. 

The search is reportedly on already, and one name that immediately comes to the forefront is Steve Yzerman. According to The Post's Larry Brooks, Yzerman is "amenable" to listening to the Rangers about the job. 

It is unknown if the Rangers have reached out to the Tampa Bay Lightning to talk to Yzerman yet. He is currently in the final year of his contract as an advisor to the owner. He served as the team's general manager before holding this role, and played a key role in building the Lightning into the Eastern Conference powerhouse they are today.

Glen Sather was already a Hall of Famer before he arrived in New York as a 56-year-old on June 1, 2000, building and coaching the Oilers dynasty of the 1980s to four Stanley Cups and adding one more solely as an executive in 1989-90, two years after ownership forced the trade of Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles.

The cigar-chomping Sather is an iconic figure in NHL history, an undisputed giant of the game. His Rangers legacy is complicated.

For there is an unmistakable void in Sather's 19-year run with the Blueshirts, the first 15 of which were spent as both president and general manager before he ceded the GM title to Jeff Gorton, with a 90-game stint as coach across the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons sprinkled in.

Though he orchestrated one of the most memorable runs in franchise history during which the Rangers went to the playoffs 11 out of 12 years, the 75-year-old will step down as president and into an advisory role, as the club announced Thursday, without a Stanley Cup.

Rangers president Glen Sather is stepping down as the team's president, and will transition into a role as senior advisor to the owner and alternate governor, the team announced on Thursday. 

Sather, 75, has been team president since June 2000 and had also been New York's GM from 2000 to 2015 before he relinquished duties to Jeff Gorton.

Sather also coached the Rangers for 1 1/2 after he fired Bryan Trottier midway through the 2002-03 season.

The Rangers couldn't come back from the Senators' quick start in a 4-1 loss at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night. >> Box score

First period:

• 12:14 OTT Bobby Ryan (Power Play); Assists: Chris Tierney, Brady Tkachuk
• 13:29 OTT Zach Smith (Short Handed); Assists: Magnus Paajarvi

With little to play for in the final week of the season, both the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators hope to finish strong.

Each club looks to bounce back from a loss Wednesday night when they meet in New York City. Both New York and Ottawa will miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

The Rangers (31-35-13) had won two in a row before falling 4-2 at New Jersey on Monday night. Rookies Brett Howden and Filip Chytil each scored, and Henrik Lundqvist made 37 saves in losing his fifth straight start while still one win shy of 450 for his career. >> Read More

The Rangers allowed two late goals in the third period as they lost to the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Monday at Prudential Center. >> Box score

First period:

• 3:54 NJD Miles Wood; Assists: Connor Carrick, Mirco Mueller
• 14:34 NJD Travis Zajac (power play); Assists: Damon Severson, Nico Hischier
• 18:40 NYR Brett Howden; Assists: Connor Brickley, Neal Pionk

Harvard defenseman Adam Fox, whose NHL rights are owned by Carolina, won't be signing an entry-level deal with the Hurricanes, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, and the Jericho, N.Y. native is being linked to the Rangers.

The Hurricanes will try to trade Fox, owner Tom Dundon told The News & Observer. Carolina acquired Fox's rights from Calgary in a trade at last year's NHL Draft which saw the Hurricanes bring in Fox, Dougie Hamilton and Michael Ferland for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm. 

LeBrun had recently mentioned that the Rangers are believed to be among the teams interested in Fox, a third-round pick from the 2016 draft, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the 21-year-old righty were interested in joining the Blueshirts, who were his favorite team growing up. 

This spring marks the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest non-Stanley Cup Finals playoff series in history -- the New York Rangers' epic seven-game Eastern Conference finals win over the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers, on their way to their first championship since 1940 that season, trailed three games to two before winning Game 6 when Mark Messier backed up his victory guarantee with a natural third-period hat trick and winning Game 7 on Stephane Matteau's goal in the second overtime.

The tri-state rivals will not commemorate the anniversary with a similarly high-stakes meeting this spring. Instead, the Rangers and Devils will each be looking to take solace in playing out the string in inspired fashion Monday night, when they complete their season series as New Jersey hosts New York in Newark.

The Rangers won consecutive games for the first time since the All-Star break, defeating the Flyers on the road, 3-0, on Sunday. 

Goaltender Alexander Georgiev was excellent in net once again, stopping all 29 shots he faced. He's now made 62 consecutive saves. 

The team received goals from a trio of players in the well-rounded offensive effort. >> Box score

First period:

• 16:25 NYR Pavel Buchnevich; Assists: Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider
• 19:57 NYR Ryan Strome; Assists: Brett Howden, Brendan Smith 

A practically lost season for the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist is going to be even more barren as the calendar flips to April. 

With the team well out of playoff contention, the team is expected to sit the 37-year-old goaltender and organizational stalwart for the majority of remaining games. Backup goalie Alexander Georgiev, who started in Philadelphia on Sunday, is expected to receive most of the playing time in net. 

The team prepped for Lundqvist for this decision by keeping an open dialogue with him. 

After allowing two goals in a 27-second span during the first period, the Rangers rallied to defeat the Blues Friday night, 4-2. Rookie goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 44 saves, and his six 40-save games are the second-most by a rookie in franchise history behind Mike Richter's seven. Jimmy Vesey scored the go-ahead goal in the third and Chris Kreider's empty-netter snapped an 11-game goalless drought. >> Box score

First period:

• 14:35 STL Vladimir Tarasenko; Assists: Brayden Schenn, Ryan O'Reilly
• 15:02 STL David Perron; Assists: Jaden Schwartz

It appears Alain Vigneault has secured his first coaching job since being fired by the Rangers last April.

TSN's Darren Dreger reports that Vigneault will be the head coach for Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championship in Slovakia. Hockey Canada is expected to make the move official early next week, according to the report.

Vigneault has not been heard from publicly since he released a statement after his firing. His job with Team Canada could be a precursor to a return behind an NHL bench for the 2019-20 season.

The climb ended long ago for the Rangers (29-34-13), who are in the second year of a rebuilding project. New York hasn't won consecutive games since it headed into the All-Star break on a three-game winning streak.

The Rangers are just 8-14-6 since the All-Star Game and have fallen on especially hard times lately. Of New York's last six losses, five have been by at least three goals.

The defeat Wednesday embodied the issues facing the youthful Rangers, who trailed the Bruins 3-2 more than midway through the third period before allowing Boston to score three power-play goals in a span of a little more than four minutes. The final two goals were scored during a five-on-three opportunity generated when New York was whistled for having too many men on the ice 31 seconds before defenseman Brendan Smith was sent to the penalty box for high sticking.

David Pastranak tallied a hat trick and two assists, as the Rangers couldn't stop him in a 6-3 loss to the Bruins on Wednesday night. >> Box score

First period:

• 2:48 BOS David Pastranak (Power Play); Assists: Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron
• 16:29 NYR MIka Zibanejad (Power Play); Assists: Ryan Strome, Pavel Buchnevich

New York won 3-2 at Boston on Jan. 19 -- the Bruins' most recent regulation home defeat -- and 4-3 in a home shootout Feb. 6. But the Rangers enter amid a 2-7-5 stretch following Monday's 5-2 home loss to Pittsburgh.

Goals by youngsters Brendan Lemieux and Vinni Lettieri gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead late in the first period against the Penguins. However, New York managed 19 shots on goal over the next two periods after recording 16 in the first.

"First period, we were all over them," defenseman Brady Skjei told the Rangers' official website. "Just kind of got away from it. >> Read More

Copyright 2019 by the Associated Press

The Rangers' season will end in a few weeks, but it's already over for Jesper Fast. 

Fast had been playing through a shoulder injury over the last few weeks, and perhaps even the past couple of months, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. 

Ultimately, the team decided it wasn't necessary for the 27-year-old to continue playing through the injury. Rangers coach David Quinn hopes Fast will not have to undergo surgery during the offseason. 

The Rangers allowed five unanswered goals after taking an early two-goal lead as they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Monday at Madison Square Garden. >> Box score

First period:

• 8:25 NYR Brendan Lemieux; Assists: Pavel Buchnevich, Mika Zibanejad
• 15:15 NYR Vinni Lettieri (power play); Assists: Tony DeAngelo, Filip Chytil
• 15:41 PIT Nick Bjugstad; Assists: Marcus Pettersson, Dominik Simon

The Rangers (28-32-13), who are out of playoff contention, are coming off a 3-2 home loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.

They have had three days to prepare for Toronto. The teams have split their first two meetings this season.

Defenseman John Gilmour and forward Vinni Lettieri were called up from Hartford of the American Hockey League for the game Tuesday. Lettieri played in his 19th game for the Rangers this season. Gilmour played in the Rangers' final 28 games last season but was playing his first NHL game this season.

Alexandar Georgiev is a puzzle the Maple Leafs cannot solve. The rookie goaltender made 44 saves and Ryan Strome scored in overtime to give the Rangers a 2-1 win in Toronto Saturday night, snapping a five-game losing streak. Georgiev, who made 42 saves in regulation on Saturday, stopped 55 of 56 Maple Leaf shots on Feb. 10 at MSG. He's the first Rangers goalie since the 1967-68 expansion to record multiple 40-save wins against the same team in a season. The Rangers had lost 11 of their previous 12 games. >> Box score

First period:

• N/A

The Rangers (28-32-13), who are out of playoff contention, are coming off a 3-2 home loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.

They have had three days to prepare for Toronto. The teams have split their first two meetings this season.

Defenseman John Gilmour and forward Vinni Lettieri were called up from Hartford of the American Hockey League for the game Tuesday. Lettieri played in his 19th game for the Rangers this season. Gilmour played in the Rangers' final 28 games last season but was playing his first NHL game this season.

With nine games remaining and the Rangers simply playing out the string, the club may shut down banged-up right wing Jesper Fast for the remainder of the season. Fast has been dealing with an upper-body injury and the rebuilding Rangers are not in playoff contention.

"We haven't finally made a decision, but we're certainly leaning in that direction," David Quinn said Thursday. "We certainly don't want to put anybody in harm's way, and if it makes sense to shut someone down for the year, we'll do that."

The Rangers late comeback was all for naught, as the Red Wings finished them off in a 3-2 loss for the Blueshirts on Tuesday night. >> Box score

First period:

• 17:16 DET Frans Nielsen; Assists: Taro Hirose, Brian Lashoff

It's been nearly a month-long scoring drought for Chris Kreider. 

But the Rangers assistant captain has a reason behind his production issues. On Monday, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported Kreider has been has been hampered by a balky hamstring since Feb. 27, when the injury occurred during the Blueshirts' game against Tampa Bay. 

"You're going to have dips in your game," Kreider told the Post. "The season is just so long. But you have to learn how to approach them, deal with them, separate the good from the bad and put everything in perspective. And you learn as you go along. I know I learned from watching and talking to Rick Nash when he went through lulls, and his message was to simplify things and get back to the basics."

The Rangers announced on Monday that they've recalled defenseman John Gilmour and winger Vinni Lettieri from AHL Hartford.

Gilmour, who was named an AHL All-Star this season, made his NHL debut last February but has been in the minors all season. The smooth-skating 25-year-old leads the Wolf Pack with 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) in 66 games. He had five points in 28 NHL games last season.

Lettieri, 24, has 23 goals and 23 assists in 44 games with Hartford this season. He made his NHL debut two days before New Year's Eve in 2017. He had five points in 19 NHL games last season but has zero points in 18 games with the Rangers this season.

For the second straight season, the Rangers are enduring a post-deadline nosedive. They sealed an 0-4 road trip with a 5-2 loss to the Wild Saturday night and have lost 10 of their last 11 games. Mika Zibanejad snapped an eight-game goalless drought with his career-best 28th goal. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 42 of 46 shots. >> Box score

First period:

• 4:40 MIN Ryan Donato; Assists: Pontus Aberg
• 6:00 NYR Mika Zibanejad; Assists: Kevin Shattenkirk
• 16:05 MIN Ryan Donato; Assists: Luke Kunin, Jason Zucker

New York heads to Minnesota on a three-game losing streak and has been blown out in its last two losses, getting outscored 9-2 in defeats at Vancouver and Calgary, the latter by a 5-1 margin on Friday.

The Rangers were tied 1-1 after the opening 20 minutes against the Flames but gave up two goals in 70 seconds in the second period.

"We just weren't real dialed in defensively tonight, not only the goals that they scored, but how many times did you look up and all of a sudden, there's a 1-on-3 in front of our net," New York coach David Quinn told reporters. "We cheated the game too often tonight, very loose defensively, didn't hit anybody, didn't want to get hit and we played very slow.

It was tough sledding once again Friday night for the Rangers, who were routed by the Flames, 5-1. The Blueshirts lost all three games in Western Canada and have to play again Saturday. Matthew Tkachuk had a hand in every Calgary goal with two goals and three assists for his first career five-point game. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 27 of 32 shots as the Blueshirts lost for the ninth time in the last 10 games. >> Box score

First period:

• 10:00 CGY Johnny Gaudreau; Assists: Matthew Tkachuk
• 11:10 NYR Neal Pionk; Assists: Ryan Strome

The Rangers arrive in the Stampede City having lost eight times in nine games, although they've collected five charity points (1-3-5). New York is coming off a 4-1 defeat to the Vancouver Canucks, a loss essentially decided during a five-plus-minute stretch in the second period.

After Chris Kreider was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for elbowing, Brendan Lemieux was given a major penalty, too, for a hit to the head. The Canucks tallied three times in just over three minutes. Two goals came 11 seconds apart.

"You lose two forwards and you're completely out of sync," coach David Quinn said. "You kill (10) minutes of penalties in that period, I mean really, you're really at an incredible disadvantage. I thought we got off to a good start. I liked our pace in the first period, I really liked our energy. I thought we had a real good first period. Then it just completely unraveled in the second period."

Rangers left wing Chris Kreider was fined $5,000 for elbowing Vancouver's Elias Pettersson during Wednesday's game, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Thursday. The fine is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.

Kreider smashed Pettersson in the face with a spinning elbow at 4:18 of the second period. He was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct. 

Despite coming back from a two-goal deficit, the Rangers lost to the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in overtime on Monday at Rogers Place. >> Box score

First period:

• 6:08 EDM Connor McDavid (power play); Assists: Alex Chiasson, Leon Draisaitl
• 8:02 EDM Matt Benning; Assists: Leon Draisaitl, Zack Kassian

So do the Rangers.

The Blueshirts are coming off an overtime loss in Edmonton on Monday and have only two wins in their past 10 games, both against another non-contender, the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers have struggled since they amped up their rebuilding program by sending forwards Jimmy Hayes and Mats Zuccarello to Winnipeg and Dallas, respectively, at the trade deadline.

Some young Rangers, such as forward Brendan Lemieux, acquired from Winnipeg in the deal for Hayes, are seeking to earn more ice time. Meanwhile, older Rangers, such as defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, are fighting to keep their jobs.

Despite coming back from a two-goal deficit, the Rangers lost to the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in overtime on Monday at Rogers Place. >> Box score

First period:

• 6:08 EDM Connor McDavid (power play); Assists: Alex Chiasson, Leon Draisaitl
• 8:02 EDM Matt Benning; Assists: Leon Draisaitl, Zack Kassian

After seeing their four-game win streak snapped, the Edmonton Oilers will try to rebound against the visiting New York Rangers on Monday.

Former Rangers legend Harry Howell has passed away, the team announced Sunday. He was 86. 

Howell played for the Rangers for 17 seasons, from 1952 to 1969, and played professionaly until he was 40. His best season as a Blueshirt came in 1966-67, when the Ontario native accumulated 70 points and won the Norris Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL's top defenseman. 

Our #NYR family mourns the passing of Blueshirts legend and Hall of Famer Harry Howell.



Harry will always remain in our hearts and his #3 will forever grace The Garden rafters. pic.twitter.com/1rk92DaQ0A

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The Rangers took over in the third period, collecting three unanswered goals to beat the Devils, 4-2, at The Garden. >> Box score

First Period:

• 16:26 NJD Damon Severson; Assists: Kenny Agostino, Michael McLeod
• 19:49 NJD Blake Coleman (Power Play); Assists: Will Butcher, Travis Zajac

The New York Rangers are on their longest skid of the season and frustration is setting in following an array of close losses.

The Rangers attempt to halt a season-high six-game losing streak Saturday night when they host the New Jersey Devils in the third meeting of the season between the Metropolitan Division rivals.

New York is 0-2-4 since its last win two weeks ago against the Devils in a 5-2 game. Each loss has been decided by two goals or fewer with two going to overtime and two being decided in the shootout. >> Read More

The Rangers tied the game late in the third but ended up losing to Detroit in a shootout Thursday night, 3-2. The Blueshirts have lost six straight games, with four of those coming in either overtime or a shootout. Henrik Lundqvist, who made 43 saves, became the third goaltender in NHL history to appear in at least 850 games with one franchise. Pavel Buchnevich scored both of the Rangers' goals. Kevin Shattenkirk was a healthy scratch. >> Box score

First period:

• 8:43 NYR Pavel Buchnevich; Assists: Brett Howden, Brendan Lemieux

The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings are doing a fine job improving their draft lottery position. But the momentum toward attaining a high pick will be slowed for one of those teams on Thursday when they face each other in Detroit.

The Rangers (27-28-11, 65 points) have lost their last five games, while the Red Wings (23-33-10, 56) carry an eight-game slide into the matchup. Both occupy the same spot in their respective divisions, with the Rangers entrenched in the seventh spot in the Metropolitan and the Red Wings seventh in the Atlantic.

They're also both coming off one-goal losses on Tuesday. The Rangers were blanked by Dallas 1-0, while the Wings lost in overtime at rival Colorado, 4-3.