Well the Rangers ended their losing streak with a big win over a good Ottawa team. Now they go west for three games, where in the past they have done exceptionally well. This win was a testament to their defense, which played tight and tough, and to Ryan McDonagh with a goal and two assists.
However, reader McPhilly grabbed my attention the other day with his comments on how the Rangers fall into and out of sync many times over the years. Well think about it. Its a normal function for a team and an organization that is shaky. The Stealth, GM Glen Sather, spent thirteen years spending and drifting. Remember when, as Oiler GM, he said that if he had the Ranger money he would win the Cup every year. Duh!
But let's not blame just Sather. Since 1940 the Rangers have won one Cup. One Cup in 75 years. Wow! So there is more than one culprit in the Ranger body to blame for this. The Rangers are loaded with excellent Public Relations. They sing the organization's praises. Some praises. One Cup in 75 years. The worst performance of any of the Original Six.
So we load the rafters with players, who at best have won one Cup and leave out a guy like Frankie Boucher, who has three Cups to his credit. And we bring to attention great players who have great stats but no big wins. We promote charities that help the unfortunate and that is good. However, we have a suffering fan base that pays a fortune in ticket prices and food and drink and the elusive Cup is no where in sight. No where.
I guess it's safe for me to say that in my remaining lifetime, I will not see another Cup. We are not tough enough to win another Cup. We can't beat the Canadiens and the Lightning. The Caps, Red Wings and Islanders are closing fast. Meanwhile, if you like hockey, enjoy the game. Looking for a championship, try another sport.
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3 hours ago
You hit the nail on the head, Mike. This team may win a ton of games, but they are not playoff tough. Hard to see thru going very deep. A pity, but it's the Rangers.