Part Time Players

Want to know why the Rangers are Dregs? Because, they can't play sixty minutes of hockey. Maybe a few can. Maybe Avery, Staal, Callahan, Dubinsky, Lundqvist and Gaborik. Maybe. Last night they did their usual and came out flat in the first period and allowed the young Yotes to swarm all over the young goalie, Chad Johnson, for three quick goals. Maybe he let one easy one in. Maybe. Girardi and Del Zotto were on for all three goals.

They took seven penalties. Seven stupid penalties. Michal Rozsival was the leader with three, a hat trick you might say. Why is this guy still on this team? Of course you could ask that question of quite a few of the players. You could ask why is Chris Drury still the captain of this team? Fortunately, the penalty killers were perfect killing all seven Coyote power plays. But seven is seven too many and disrupts the flow of the offense. You might say what offense, since they 'generated' all of 26 shots on goal, including all of four in the first period.

They closed the gap in the third with goals by Gaborik (30) and Avery (6) but as usual, too little, too late. Their last chance came with a little over a minute to go when Gabby almost scored a shorthanded goal but his shot kissed off the post. But Rangers have been hitting posts and crossbars since Bones Raleigh made in fashionable back in the 1950 playoffs. It is the Rangers lot in life to hit posts and crossbars when games are on the line.

I firmly believe that 1994 was an aberration. That Cup was solely won on the grit and determination of one man, Mark Messier. He willed it. He demanded it. He made it happen. What we are watching today is a normal Ranger team of fat cats, making too much money with no loyalty to the team or its fans. They are following the lead of their coach who disrespects sports writers and has disdain for the fans. Too bad he doesn't vent that anger toward the Stealth GM but he can't because they are two peas in a pod.

I am sick and tired of this team and their lackadaisical approach to every game they play and how they play it. They are cheating the fans who are paying top dollar to see sub par efforts and results. It has never changed over the years except for that one magical year when The Messiah arrived. All the rest of the years have been the same from Frankie Boucher's Ice Follies to this collection of misfits.

Want another stat to convince you of the futility of this team. The power play was 0-3. In the last five games, all losses, the PP is 0-16. In the last 17 games the PP is 6-67. The defense rests. I should have stayed in bed this morning.

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