Back during the 2008-09 season, when the prior defensive guru Tom Renney was running things (until he was fired on Feb 23, 2009) the Rangers perfected the strategy of grinding out ties and hoping to win games during the OT or shootout. During that season the Ranges won 10 of 16 shootouts, thank you Hank. The Rangers eventually limped into the playoff that season in 7th place under Torts.
Last night's game reminds us how that strategy again might well be the ticket to the promised land. The Rangers won a 2-1 shootout victory over the 'Canes.
Leave it to Lundqvist, be thy motto, since no one on this team can score consistently. The team's record is 3-2 in shootouts this year.
Therefore you can skip watching the first two periods of a Rangers game and just tune-in for the final 30 minutes. Works for me.
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Wow Mike Jeanine was just talking about the 08-09 team and Tom Renney to me over the weekend. She was asking me honestly, can you think of one way Torts is better than Renney? And I can't. He isn't. He is just as average of a coach. The only difference is Tom Renney had respect for players and people in general. This group we have now is much better than any team Renney had and they score just as few goals so one could actually argue that Renney is a better coach than Torts. Sad indeed. I'm sure you are correct that the Rangers will ride the coat tails of the King and limp into and out of the playoffs, but I am still skeptical about making the playoffs. Last night they came out flat and had a poor first period AGAIN showing no signs of the desperation they talk about. They picked up their play for the rest of the game to match Carolina's level but that's as far as it goes. Seriously, Step would never have scored that open net goal if our warrior Callahan didn't run over Ellis. Smart move by the captain and the only sign of desperation IMO. You have to go to the net and that's what he did. If he hadn't, we are discussing a 1-0 loss. Its mind boggling. Poor Henrik.
Andy, I know how it is to imagine the possibilities. I do it all the time. Its crushing to think about it, but I get all excited when I do. This team has so much potential. I'm so nervous at the idea that Sather might start to rip it apart soon. I want to see what they can do together. All we can do is hope that it won't be much longer before Torts is gone and this group will have a chance to succeed. They truly deserve that. Especially Henrik.
The 2008-09 Rangers were a terrible offensive team. They were the only team in the playoffs that season that had a minus goal differential, 210 goals for, 218 goals against, minus 8.
This team is just like 08-09, they currently have 67 goals for, 68 against, for minus 1. Four years under Torts, $millions spent on the likes of Richards, Gaborik, and Nash and we still stink offensively. I give up until someone new comes in and shakes things up. Torts is not the man to win anything.