I want to be criticial, and I will, but first of all I want to acknowledge the way this team has fought this past three weeks. I’ve recently expressed a concern that the team had tuned Tortorella out and that they were ambling through to the end. Not so. This team showed character and a back bone that should bode well for those returning next year. What this team lacked in was depth and skill and a genuine physical presence throughout the blue line. These are things that Mr Sather has to be held accountable for.
Make no bones about it, The Flyers deserved to win as they shelled the Rangers all evening while their passing was crisper and forecheck keener. However The Rangers have Henrik Lundqvist and boy does that mean alot. I have no qualms declaring that we have the best goaltender in the world. Sather, PLEASE get him some more help on the back end and we can genuinely overachieve. No offense but Anders Eriksson is not the answer
Now the critique. We allowed the Flyers too easy access to our zone all night, were (barring our ’4th line’) too passive offensively and our key players – Henrik aside – were outplayed by the Flyers’ equivalents. You also can’t expect to win a game when you give up 45+ shots. I was also disappointed that we didn’t play as aggressively as Friday which is ironic seeing as this year we’ve been a better road team.
So now the season is over. The 10th overall pick in the draft is ours. I’d rather have had a top 5 pick and a chance at the big boys but we will get a good player in a deep class with the pick. Fingers crossed the lottery will move us a spot or two…
What needs addressing in the summer? Well, most Rangers fans know the answer to this. Ironically the way Roszival has played recently im ok if he stays IF they demote Redden, if not Rosi has to go (cap space!) and we need to bring in an ‘edge’ to the back end. Did you see how Pronger cleaned out Shelley ilegally? Well as ilegall as it was we dont have a player that threatens to smoke guys coming into our zone – Most successful teams have that kind of guy. We also need a top 6 center/scorer and we need to get a reliable back up (Auld can be that guy) for the King.
This team has alot of ‘building sites’ right now but a core is there so, with some right moves, things look good. We’ll go into detail about each and every area of need (and strengths) throughout the next few weeks, stay tuned.
A good win last night against a bad club. The 5-1 win featured things that were more important to me than any one name hitting the score sheet.
Firstly, the depth continued to contribute. Artem Anisimov’s line continues to inspire and it’s getting to the point where there may be a public outcry if Brandon Prust doesnt get a new deal. He is the most offensively gifted ‘fighter’ we’ve had in a long time. His pass to Aaron Voros was perfectly executed and showed patience and vision. Merely a 4th line thug? maybe not.
Erik Christensen, Vinny Prospal and Michael Roszival all looked charged up and contributed significantly.
But most importantly, for me (especially given my recent comments) was that the team seemed to respond to Tortorella.
Lundqvist looked very sharp following his shaky outing (and subsequent pull) against Buffalo and Christensen, who apparently was challenged personally by Torts came out like a bat out of hell while everyone checked and pressured the puck furiously.
Yes, this all needs to be tempered by the fact this was against a poor club with nothing to play for and it was one game in isolation but it does offer hope for the Flyers ‘series’.
May as well finish on a controversial note; with Derek Spean and the prospect centers a little while away from the big club, IF (and its a mighty big if) Olli Jokinen could play like he did last night i’d offer him a 1 year incentive ladden deal.
He clearly still has the skills and size to do what he once did in Florida but something has lacked this year. However last night he shot with frequency, played with urgency and was a shark to the puck. If he can play more like the Olli Jokinen of old he can still be a very good player and fill a need. Yes i know, its a big IF….
So to summarise; the players listened to Torts, everyone contributed. Bring on Philly?!
The Rangers had a very heroic comeback win last night. I am in Atlanta, thus I could not watch the game. But I was getting text messages and saw that the Rangers, down 2-0 going into the second fired off four unanswered goals, three in the second period, en route to the 4-3 victory. It was a good victory, even if flawed during the first period. Torts relied heavily on his workhorses, and they delivered. Those workhorses did not include the recently called up Corey Locke or Anders Eriksson.
Starting with Eriksson, the defenseman played just 7:44, none of which were on special teams. With this decreased playing time, only two possible conclusions can be made. The first is that Eriksson was being taught a lesson by coach John Tortorella, and was benched for a period of time, or that Eriksson simply has not won over the coach, and his ever decreasing playing time is a result. Regardless, it makes sense to insert Matt Gilroy back into the lineup if Eriksson is only playing seven minutes a game.
Moving on to Locke, whom many fans wanted to see on the Rangers due to his “pretty” statistics in the AHL, the tiny forward skated in just 6:35 of the 60 minute game, with his time tapering off towards the end of the game. He also did not play a single second on the powerplay, which is supposed to be his specialty and source of all his points in the AHL. When Enver Lisin generally sees more ice time, it is safe to say that Locke’s debut wasn’t a success. I wouldn’t expect him to be with the Rangers much longer. Hopefully, Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan will be back in the lineup for the trip to Florida, and there will be no need for Locke in the lineup.
What a game. Playoff hockey, playoff atmosphere and end to end stuff. Last nights game was everything you could have hoped for and another occasion our favourite team infuriated me. Again, The Rangers played well offensively, matched their opponents energy and never gave up. Had they done this a few weeks ago I think we’d be arguing over 6th seed rather than potential tee off times.
Last night offered a big glimpse into the future. The games right now are do or die and despite being on the 4th line Anisimov is finding a way to contribute. His goal was a thing of beauty, patience and skill. This kid has the game and skill set to do very well in this league and is making plays at the most important time of year for his team. Gold. His line mate Brandon Prust had a great game and seems to be the most gifted (offfensively) enforcer we’ve had in along time. He can win fights and he can make the occasional play and he hits… Rangers fans, this should be our guy next year.
As with AA, Mike Del Zotto, at this point in the year, has really found his game again and is playing like he did in October/November. He is making plays, running the PP and is playing better defensively too. This kid is really stepping up. Im so excited to see this kid when he matures. People have really forgotten about Bobby Sanguinetti havent they?
Chris Drury; can we call him clutch again? maybe its too soon for that but he was where he needed to be when he scored. His job is to get to the front and score dirty goals and he can do it well. That goal preserved this teams playoff hopes. Sean Avery had another good game, was engaged and was a thorn in the Devils side. If he plays like this every game we have to be happy. Alot of key players for the future contributed last night. Lets hope their contributions also extend the present. Last night was a playoff game in many ways, will it be the last this year?
Last night infuriated me. Why? Because the Rangers played great hockey. They were first to the puck, the passing was crisp, players had jump and they, above all, wanted it more. Its just a shame that this great game has come too late, in my humble opinion.
Behind Henrik doing what he needed to, guys like Avery and (despite being on the 4th line) Anisimov played very strong games. Avery has been excellent for several games now and one can only hope Tortorella leaves the reigns off next year. If Avery plays like he did last night, there are few in the league that can match his all round package – he can play, antagonize and make a positive difference all over the ice.
Then there was the Rangers main ‘hopes’ for the future. Lets start with Mike Del Zotto. Last night he reminded me of Mike Green. He looked to finish at every opportunity and he was extremely poised and eager. Defensively strong too, it was a great game by MDZ. I for one can ignore the ugly +/- as he’s a teen learning D, playing on a wickedly inconsistent team. This kid will hit 50 points next year if we can actually get Gaborik some consistent offensive help.
Speaking of Gabby - our other main hope for the future – he had his legs, he was involved everywhere and was leading the team offensively in every way you want your stud to.
There really isnt much to complain about from last night (I for one have already written off Jokinen and last night showed why). If anything its perhaps we should have scored 7 or 8 such was the offensive push the Rangers displayed. It was good to see contributions from every angle. Drury was solid, Callahan played well up and down, Christensen and Girardi both played nice games…
So then Rangers, another 9 of those please.
Final thought: Atleast we can say this; The Rangers have the best record in the league……. in 3D.
Following a 2-1 loss against Boston the Rangers can start reserving tee times – season over. In another game where the Rangers were out played physically and lacked hustle, effort and skill, a lack of power play potency was perhaps the main issue. Having a four minute PP where you do not register a single shot is simply unacceptable. That is on the coaches because in my opinion its down to execution and a lack of clarity. Where is the movement off the puck? The effort, the willingness to let rip?
As mentioned earlier in the week, if the Rangers lost to St Louis and Boston it should signal a time to audition for next year. Alex Auld, Sanguinetti, hell even Parenteau again, anyone??? I want a draft lottery pick now, more than ever. Thank god for Atlanta and Carolina showing some form. Keep winning boys, we want Hall or Seguin!
If Sather thinks his team can achieve a minor miracle of getting into the playoffs then follow it by not being masacred by the Caps in the 1st round then he’s more mentally unstable than we think.
I’d love to see a sign, any sign from the leadership to indicate what happens now. Call players out and follow through on the words, bench a big ticket, bring up some prospects. Anything that can be a sign to the future. The worst thing right now is that other than some token heated exchanges between coach and media this team is starting to represent the darkest recent Rangers era of 1997-2003. How? This team is coasting, doesnt seem to care and is underachieving.
Not good enough.
Henrik Lundqvist stunk the MSG out last night. The defensive corpse forgot what coverage means and several forwards forgot the term backcheck. That may be one way to describe tonights listless performance.
Yes the Blues only had 16 shots (a season best against for the Rangers) but forget not that if either of two shots off posts go in or someone other than the limited BJ Crombeen has that breakaway against Hank its not inconceivable that the game is over in the Blues favour after 1. The Rangers didnt deserve anything tonight. They were careless, riddled with poor execution and today were exposed to the fact The King also has bad days.
The good about tonight? Avery continued to resemble Avery and Gaborik looked much better with his 1+2, had some jump. The funny about the game? Redden had 1+1? wow, thats a rarity – go buy a lottery ticket…
For me, the best part about last night is this: The Rangers currrently own the 8th overall pick in the draft. Clearly, the Rangers themselves wanted a lottery ticket tonight.
Why arent the Rangers going to make the playoffs now? Last years playoff cut off point was 93pts. The Rangers need to go 11-0 to get that this year. They need to be perfect yet this is the least perfect, most inconsistent Rangers since the lockout.
Happy golfing guys…. atleast you and your pal Brian Burke can go fishing earlier this year Glenn.
Being based in the UK (and the UK time zone) poses a challenge to your average European NHL fan. It requires dedication. So… I stayed up late (despite an eraly A.M. work meeting) to watch the Rangers take on Montreal. I wont lie to you though, I got the sleep that I needed all along. Why? come the 1st intermission I tuned out and turned my laptop off and went to sleep. I couldn’t watch any longer. Why you ask? I knew we’d lose. I had no faith in a comeback.
The way the Rangers played against the Habs disgusted me. I won’t go into detail about why because you all know it. Lets keep it brief: work rate, desire and a lack of offense. Thats some key reasons right there why the Rangers lost. I can handle a lack of talent but not desire and work rate reminiscent of the NYR 1997-2003.
As Dave points out, mathematically they can still do it, but despite being an optimist im telling you they wont. This team cannot win 9 of 12 right now. So what now? Im all for a high draft pick as I’ve said before but this team also has other concerns.
If the Rangers lose the next two games I’d start planning for next year. Of the final ten games they should rest Lundqvist and give Alex Auld 6 starts. This team was not helped this year by its goaltending beyond Henrik. Lets see if Auld can provide them with the back up next year that they need. Give him a real audition. I think he can be the perfect 15 start compliment to the King and solve one problem area.
Bench Redden and Roszival (I know, never going to happen) and give Sanguinetti and Heikkenen or McDonagh (apparently might be coming out of college) extended looks. Give Grachev a game or two (even if he hasn’t earnt it just yet)… Dont hold back, start the audition process now, and look to this years draft and next season.
The problem with all of this? It’s unlikely to happen because a) it means Tortorella would be putting his own job on the line because you know Sather wont take the fall for a lottery ending season and b) until the playoffs are absolutely 1000% ruled out, this team (read: senior management) wont look to the future.
But wouldnt it be good to know – ahead of camp – that Sanguinetti and co. can make the grade and wouldnt it be nice not to be the Caps 1st round cannon fodder and instead have a Seguin, Fowler or Tarasenko to plan with?
Even with last night’s loss to Montreal, and Boston’s win over Carolina, the Rangers are still mathematically in the playoffs. Of course, I say mathematically because based on the way they played last night, they don’t have what it takes to play to the estimated 18 points they will need to make the playoffs (numbers via SportsClubStats). That means a 9-3 or an 8-2-2 finish.
Considering the schedule, that is a very tall order for a very inconsistent team. It seems that sometimes, the Rangers show no fire at all, no desire to win. Maybe they were just dominated by a very good, very hot Montreal team last night. But what I saw during the game was disturbing. People standing around, waiting at the blue line for someone else to make a play. That’s not what the good teams do. The good teams make their own plays, they don’t wait around for someone else. Too many times, especially on the powerplay, were the Rangers caught standing still either in the zone or at the blue line.
To reach that 8-2-2 mark, the Rangers absolutely must win Sunday’s showdown with Boston. A loss on Sunday would be the final nail in the coffin of the Rangers postseason hopes. They will have to win every single game they are supposed to win, which includes two vs. Toronto, two vs. NYI, and Thursday’s tilt against St. Louis. Those are six must win games. If they manage to do that, it means finishing March 5-1 (with the second Toronto game coming in April). Finishing the month 5-1 means that the Rangers will need to finish April at 4-2 or 3-2-2. It’s doable, but the Rangers are going to need to play like they want to continue their season, and not hit the golf course early.
In case you were living under a rock for the past few days, which is possible considering a ton of people lost power over the weekend, then you missed some Sean Avery drama. First, he was scratched in Atlanta. The reason being that he was not engaged enough, and that he hasn’t been Sean Avery in many games this year. Then, he was reinserted back into the lineup against Philly, a game where both teams had their heavyweights dressed because of that whole Dan Carcillo incident.
What happened during that game was Avery at his best. He scored two goals, he was hitting everyone in sight, he was drawing penalties. He was doing what he is paid to do, be a pest. He coaxed Scott Hartnell into dropping his gloves, drawing a roughing minor on that particular caveman. More importantly, he was a contributing factor in a must win game.
The Rangers now sit just one point out of a playoff spot, but 8th place Boston has two games in hand. The Rangers’ have two of their three games are the most crucial games of the year. They face Montreal, the #7 team in the East, then St. Louis, then they face off against those Bruins. The first and the last games will be the determining factor of the Rangers playoff chances. If they win both, then I think that they will sneak into the playoffs. If not, then, well, I don’t think they can get in. That game against Boston on Sunday is the most important game of the season.
Game Wrap-ups, State of the Rangers | jurgenno88, 12 Apr 10 | 
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