Positive Signs Emanating from Blueshirts

Following on from Michael’s great re-cap(s), just wanted to shed some light on what I saw in last night’s victory. Last night was a dismal hockey game, it was offensively inept and the Rangers were unable to sustain consistent pressure but the game did provide some insight into a few key things. Firstly, the Rangers are able to play to a plan. It was evident that the Rangers defence was ordered to pinch frequently and did it effectively. What was more promising was the way the forward lines reacted. Brandon Dubinsky in particular recognised when to drop back when defencemen pinched in and it was too risky for him to join the attack. That kind of communication and ‘on the same wave length’ bodes well for the rest of the year.

Then there was the mentality the Rangers showed. They were frustrated all game, couldn’t sustain the attack, for a good stretch they held on to the narrowest of leads and found their victor in the goal posts but they never panicked and kept at it, stuck to their game. The Rangers showed poise, and patience. They were playing an inferior opponent that wouldn’t go away but they stuck to what they knew and got a deserved (albeit ugly) victory. Patience and sticking to a plan; two areas that will serve the Blueshirts well if they can keep them up all season.

Thoughts on some of the Blueshirts

• Brandon Dubinsky was much better last night. He was engaged, played effectively offensively and was involved all night. His play going backwards was much better than the night before too (and not just because the Rangers got the shutout).
• Artem Anisimov got more minutes than the previous game and looked better for it. He looked more confident and played better offensively; he could have scored were it not for a good save from Roloson (who was excellent). Tortorella would be better served getting Anisimov back into the top 9.
• Christensen; He did so much good last night but is still frustrating. He was surprisingly effective defensively and because of his skill on the puck caused the Isles to think twice when he had it. He also showed his distribution skills with his deft lay off to Frolov for a solid chance but there were times when EC simply makes the wrong choice. Too often he stick handled down blind alleys when there was a line mate well placed. If he can cut down (and it’s a big if) on the in-game inconsistency he can still carve out a solid career as a Ranger, although he shouldn’t be a realistic top line option.
• Mike Sauer; Sauer impresses with his simplicity and if the Rangers were sensible they’d give him a new one year deal and not rush the prospects in Hartford. Sauer plays hard and rarely makes a costly mistake. Such reliability and consistency is invaluable and given the likely, relatively small cost to renew his deal, Sauer could represent a cap bargain, something every successful team needs in the cap era.