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Rangers set for 2nd shot at Stanley Cup finals

By WTOP Staff

IRA PODELL
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The last time the New York Rangers had a game to forget, they responded with five straight wins that put them on the cusp of the Stanley Cup finals.

They are still there, and the Montreal Canadiens aren’t going away without a fight.

New York needs one more victory to reach the championship round for the first time in 20 years. The Rangers know that Game 6 at home on Thursday is their best chance to get it.

They returned home from Montreal on Wednesday, one day after a wild 7-4 loss cut their series lead to 3-2. If New York doesn’t end it Thursday, the Rangers will have to go back to Montreal for a deciding Game 7.

New York, which went the full seven games in each of the first two rounds of this year’s playoffs, will be playing its 20th postseason game. No team that played a pair of seven-game series before the conference finals has reached the Stanley Cup finals.

“It’s an opportunity to win the game to go to the Stanley Cup final,” Rangers forward Brad Richards said. “I think everybody is alert and ready that way. We were talking about it all (Tuesday) how excited we were to get on the ice and start playing.

“We had some mental breakdowns, but I don’t think it had anything to do with (fatigue). We’ve had a lot of rest this series. The opportunity that faces us right now, we’re pretty excited about it. I don’t think there is too much letdown.”

In the second round, a poor performance at home in Game 4 against Pittsburgh dropped the Rangers into a 3-1 series hole. But New York won Game 5 on the road, took Game 6 at home, and won the clincher back in Pittsburgh to set up the matchup with Montreal.

Now that the Canadiens have staved off elimination once, the Rangers are wary of giving them any more hope they can turn the tables.

“You learn a lot from it. That’s why experience is experience,” Richards said. “You go through many situations. (Tuesday) night was a bad feeling, but today we’re getting on a plane to go back to our city, and we get to play in front of our fans.

“It’s always, forget as quick as possible and try to remember the good things that we’re doing. It was one bad night, but we’ve been doing a lot of good things in this series.”

The Rangers won the opening two games in Montreal and then split a pair of overtime decisions at home. Even though they have had success on the road and in recent Game 7s, they know that going the distance again works against them.

“It’s a desperate time,” Richards said. “You don’t want to go back to a Game 7 where anything can happen. We want to get this done. They’re a good team anywhere.

“We’re going to have to be a lot better, and we will be.”

This is as far as New York has advanced since captain Mark Messier led the club to the 1994 Stanley Cup title — breaking the Rangers’ 54-year drought.

The Garden will be ready to celebrate again Thursday. After the Rangers lost Game 4 to Pittsburgh, the loyal fans thought they might not see their team again until next season. That will be the situation again if the Canadiens pull off another victory.

“You win a game, and things change in your locker room and you start feeling better about yourselves,” Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said. “We know how it feels coming back in a series, but it doesn’t change anything in our room. We are as confident as ever going into our building, and looking forward to it.”

So are the Canadiens.

They know that if they would’ve scored in overtime of Game 4 as they did in Game 3, they would’ve had a two-game sweep at the Garden and would be the ones looking to advance Thursday.

“We’ll be ready for one of those tight-checking games,” defenseman Josh Gorges said Wednesday after an optional practice in Montreal. “I’m sure it will be again one of those hard-fought games that we’ll have to make sure that we’re even better than we were last game.”

Montreal will have rugged forward Brandon Prust back in the lineup after he served a two-game suspension for a late hit on Derek Stepan in Game 3 that broke the Rangers forward’s jaw. Stepan returned Tuesday and scored two goals while wearing a full faceguard.

The Rangers will be without defenseman John Moore. He was suspended for two games Wednesday after receiving a match penalty Tuesday night for a hit to Montreal forward Dale Weise’s head.

Moore will miss the remaining two games in this series if it goes the distance, or will sit out Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals if the Rangers advance with a win Thursday.

“It’s kind of what I would’ve thought would’ve happened,” Canadiens captain Brian Gionta said Wednesday night after the team arrived at their New York hotel. “They were very similar plays, and I guess the precedent was set on Prust’s hit.”

Henrik Lundqvist will be back in goal for the Rangers after he was pulled in Game 5 on a rare off night in which he allowed four goals on 19 shots in less than two periods. He avoided the loss when New York rallied from a 4-1 deficit to get even. Backup goalie Cam Talbot gave up two goals in relief.

“(Tuesday) night was probably the best game we’ve played in this series,” Canadiens forward Lars Eller said. “If we keep doing a lot of those things, I think the end result will be good.”

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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