Tighten your seat belts folks, it's going to be a long, tough, gut wrenching year. The Rangers followed up their best game of the year, against the Caps, to their worst game against a Devil team that won its first game of the year. The Devils actually passed the Rangers in the standings as the convoluted point system has the Devils, 1-4-3, one point ahead of the Rangers, 2-5-0.
Henrik Lundqvist didn't have to face an old nemesis, Marty Brodeur, instead it was Cory Schneider, who posted his 5th career shutout in beating the Rangers 4-0. Lundqvist, to be perfectly honest was awful. He surrendered the four goals on the first 12 shots of the game. To be fair, the King didn't have much of a team in front of him.
It's time for the Stealth, the GM, to awaken from his slumber and restructure this team. Granted Callahan and Nash are hurt and Hagelin still isn't ready this is still a poor excuse for a hockey team. It would be hard pressed to beat a good AHL team. The coach made a good start with the benching of Del Zotto, but more needs to be done. Last night's lineup was a collection of 3rd and 4th liners playing down to their reputations. Taylor Pyatt on the first line? Gimmee a break.
What is equally puzzling is the poor play of Girardi and McDonagh. Did they burn themselves out last year? Some of last year's habits are still prevalent, like going out of their way to block shots. Callahan may be out over a month with a broken hand blocking a shot. Why block a shot with your hand when you have a $7 million dollar goalie in the nets?
It is no easy job Vigneault has in trying to fix this team. To me the biggest job he has is to get the Stealth GM out of hibernation to do his job, which is basically to revamp this team before it's too late. However, any more performances like last night might make it a moot point. There is time and let's start it now. The Ranger fans deserve better and the sooner we start the better. Don't let us down.
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7 hours ago
Hit the nail on the head as always Mike. Its never easy with the Rangers. I'm not even looking for easy, all I ask for is effort. Last night was horrible in that regard. Yeah we have injuries, yeah we're making huge changes and yeah our game plan is changing, but none of that matters if the players don't put the work in. I can handle losing. What I can't handle is not showing up.
This new coach really has to reverse a lot of brain washing and its no small task. After the first period Pyatt said the Rangers had to improve the forechecking. Well, I would agree if there were actually a forecheck to improve on. I didn't see one last night. This game plan requires having the puck. They hardly had the puck at all. A team of all stars can't score goals if they never have the puck or shoot the puck, never mind this "blue collar" mix of players Sather assembled in a series of so called depth moves. Depth? What depth? I'd say the term "depth move" is code for talent and salary dumping wouldn't you?
Bottom line is, if the Rangers want to execute they have to start working for it. Yeah Henrik isn't saving their butts right now, but he's human and sometimes the word team means that the rest of the players save Henrik's butt when he needs THEM. Good Lord!