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For close to 53 minutes Steve Valiquette was pitching a shutout and the Rangers were playing their rope-a-dope style, defense at all costs game and then the house of cards collapsed. The culprits? The team and the clueless coaching staff. The giveaways were as good as those on The Price Is Right and more expensive. First Gomez, then Rozsival, then Fritsche and Valley who was the rock most of the game suddenly became a sieve. Five goals in 5:52 wiped out the Rangers lead and has the Rangers at 10-3-1 looking suspect.The Rangers right now need to regroup and regroup fast. The game also showed how fragile this team is especially in the offensive area. They passed on Shanahan, are vacillating on Sundin and have benched Prucha; and for all intents and purposes his career with the Rangers is over. So trade him. The mere presence on the team of such bodies as Fritsche, Voros and Sjostrom to the exclusion of Prucha annoys me to no end. Putting Zherdev on with Dubinsky and Voros practically insures that The Z Man is taken out of the game offensively.
So the Rangers are 10-3-1 and falling and in danger of collapse. But wait, here come the Islanders on Tuesday and that should straighten us out. But will it? Be careful of what you wish for.
I think they will regroup. They're probably totally shocked and p.o'd at themselves, pretty sure Renney is. Can't hand the meltdown on him.
Due to circumstances, I only got to watch the latter 5 minutes of the 2nd and first five minutes of the 3rd, so in other words I can't speak with any authority on the game as a whole. BUT, in the short time I watched, I could hardly believe the turnovers and incomplete plays. Toronto forechecked, but it didn't really appear as a factor in some of what I saw.
Ten minutes may be a pretty poor sample size, but I'm quite happy I didn't see the last half of the third! Although, I've never seen a train wreck, and it may have been quite exciting. I fully expected to check the wrapup later and find that the Rangers hung on for a 2-1 victory, or added an insurance goal. Holy crapola, I'm sure this is out of the team's system.
Saw the powerplay from the penalty Orr drew. I've seen that powerplay before, many times (sigh) What's that saying about familiarity again?
blow-me-down-I imagine that's the way it was at Little Big Horn. BTW. You didn't miss anything.
If this team is going to slog along by scoring 2 goals every game they're going to hope Lundqvist doesn't fall down this trap-door that got Valley.
Well I feel like we're back to the old team we once knew... Mike, even with an entirely new squad and philosophy with the Rangers -- you & I have said it for years. A failed power play unit continues...a defensive system with leaks...line changing every game. Bungled chemistry. New Player Adjustments.
It comes down to the Coach and the coaching staff. Clueless.
I may need to do something drastic...
tdr
I'm not so down on the defensive corps at all, not saying they don't make mistakes, but I actually think they hold together quite well most nights, not stellar in Toronto maybe but the whole team was on some kind of mind vacation.
Need to get the big presence who can score, like Sundin. All the line shuffling in the world isn't really going to cover up that glaring deficiency, even if we find one hot line (again) with all the effort. Getting Sundin would have an effect on maybe one or two of the youth, but who cares, not the end of the world. It's not like we are going to tell Dubinsky or Callahan to take a hike. I'd prefer making the playoffs while the best young players contribute and learn, and then going deeper than past years. Rangers are not that far from being very formidable, but they still need something.
I'm past worrying about Prucha, because Monty Python couldn't have scripted his treatment any better. If he is part of a package to get Sundin, that would be okay with me, only because he will never be a core player here again.
Another reason I want Sundin. He would be on the power play and perhaps he could get everybody to move. I think he would be a leader, I know he would be a leader.
"Where's the Prucha?" does sound like a Monty Python skit. The Rangers with Lundqvist are close, but will the blind squirrels find the acorn the team needs?
I think this loss has shocked many Rangers fans back to reality.
The same-old, same-old as last season does seem like a possibility, however with fewer goals by the Rangers. It's a merry-go-round, just hoping we get a chance to grab for the cup if they make the right patches.
So we'll ride on for now.
joe the pucker-They better hope for a lot better than that.
tdr-Please do something drastic. Isn't it amazing that basically nothing has changed in the last three years.
blow-me-down-Its obvious that a big guy is needed, Sundin or someone. There is no way that this team, as presently constructed, is going anywhere and that includes the playoffs.
I never realized how fickle Rangers fans are. Your not happy unless the team is the best in the league winning every game. This team as it is constituted needs to
play a full team game every night. It's hard to watch sometimes but the wins have been very satisfying.
I like the fact they don't have a big gun to rely on. They must rely on everyone. Before the season many were bemoaning "where are the goals going to come from. Have you seen the scoring stats? They are very evenly spread. I was reading other sites. they're ready to trade Dubinsky and anyone else to get Sundin and a hard hitting defenceman. Why don't you all have a little more patience and enjoy what's been really good so far. Just wait till they jell. I for one hope I'm amazed
anonymous-I for two, hope you are amazed also. In one breathe you say they are playing well and then you counter that they need to be consistent every night. What is it?
I don't expect them to win every night, but I do expect a strong, consistent effort every night. I don't like the fact that our clueless coaching staff is taking the game out of the players hands.
Patience? Who the hell has more patience then me. I would hardly call two Stanley Cups in 70 years a hot streak.