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Rangers get bit of a break before East finals

By WTOP Staff

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Rangers’ latest seven-game playoff victory came with a bonus: a much-needed break.

The overworked Broadway Blueshirts suddenly found themselves in a different and enviable position, resting and waiting for their opponent in the Eastern Conference finals.

Now they know they will meet the Montreal Canadiens with a spot in the Stanley Cup finals on the line.

The Rangers enjoyed a full day off on Wednesday before settling in to watch Game 7 between Montreal and the Boston Bruins. The Canadiens outlasted Boston, which led the NHL with 117 points in the regular season, and advanced with a 3-1 road win.

One night earlier, the Rangers also captured a Game 7 victory away from home when they knocked out the favored Pittsburgh Penguins.

After a hectic ending to their first-round series against Philadelphia, and a hurried and condensed start to their matchup with Pittsburgh, the Rangers got a three-day break before they face Montreal in Game 1 on Saturday.

Although the Canadiens have one fewer day to prepare, they will have home-ice advantage. The Rangers were 1-1-1 this season against Montreal, which finished four points ahead of New York.

The Rangers returned from Pittsburgh after a stirring 2-1 win in Game 7 on Tuesday that capped the club’s first comeback from a 3-1 series deficit. This rally seemed particularly unlikely after the Rangers fell into the hole with a Game 4 home loss in their worst performance of the playoffs.

But once they stayed alive in Pittsburgh and then won Game 6 at home, the tide shifted into their favor as the NHL’s best recent Game 7 team set its sights on another winner-take-all matchup.

The Rangers are in the conference finals for the second time in three years, but they haven’t reached the Stanley Cup finals since winning the title in 1994.

“We battled so hard as a team the last three games,” Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said after a 35-save performance. “After losing that fourth game it was tough. We got such a good start in the series and then had a big letdown.”

New York began the series with an overtime win in Pittsburgh before dropping three straight, including consecutive shutout losses in Games 2 and 3. That marked the first time the Rangers were blanked in consecutive playoff games since 1937.

Lundqvist then picked up his game even more, to match Pittsburgh netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, and delivered his team to the NHL’s final four.

“It’s been so intense the last couple days. Now it’s really important to reload physically and mentally,” he said.

The Rangers have won five Game 7s in the last three playoff seasons, an unprecedented feat in the NHL, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, and they became the third team to win five consecutive Game 7s.

Lundqvist has been in goal for all of them.

The Swedish star became the first goalie to win five straight Game 7s, and in doing so has posted a 0.80 goals-against average and a .973 save percentage. He is also the first to allow one goal or fewer in five consecutive deciding games.

Lundqvist is 5-1 with a record-low 1.00 goals-against average in Game 7. In New York’s final three wins over the Penguins, he stopped 102 of 105 shots.

“I’m sure they were frustrated at Henrik and the way they were playing,” Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh said of Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. “We knew Hank was going to make the save most times if he could see it.”

The Rangers wrapped up their first-round win over the Flyers with a 2-1 home victory in Game 7 that completed a stretch of three games in four nights. New York then started the second round after just one day off and jumped into an unprecedented second run of three in four days.

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault was reluctant to say his team was tired, but did refer to the schedule as “stupid” following a frustrating home loss.

Yet somehow his club overcame it and the 3-1 hole against the favored Penguins. It remains to be seen how much the wear and tear will impact the Rangers against Montreal.

“It’s just going to get a lot more fun,” McDonagh said.

Since the NHL went to all seven-game series in 1987, no Stanley Cup champion has played more than one seven-game series before the finals.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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