RETIRE GRESCHNER'S NUMBER!
The Chris Drury/Gerard Gallant Era Begins
How appropriate that the Rangers should start the new season against the Washington Capitals. Lest we forget, it was Tom Wilson's indiscretions against Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin that generated a season-ending maelstrom at Madison Square Garden.
To this day, I'm still very conflicted over the way last season, and the former regime came to an abrupt and fateful end. I was a major proponent of Jeff Gorton and John Davidson and in lockstep with their rebuild. However, a continued lack of physicality remained an outstanding issue and was brought to a head after playing Washington.
Yes! Jim Dolan meddled in Ranger affairs unlike any other time since being handed stewardship of the team by his father. That is an entirely different conversation. In any event, I was still never wholly comfortable and settled with the new front office for as long as Glen Sather remained in the room - again, another conversation.
I heard all the rumors and scuttlebutt and read every account, and I am still unable to decipher what exactly happened and whether I agree with any of it or not.
That being said, I am yet to protest the respective dismissals of Gorton and Davidson. Nor am I averse to moving forward under Chris Drury with Gerard Gallant as head coach.
This was easily the strangest off-season in my life as a Ranger fan.
Insofar as Wednesday night's opener,
... terrible.
Five goals allowed on 27 Washington shots on goal, three goals allowed on the power play, and two second-period goals scored within 0:24 seconds of each other.
Alexandar Georgiev looked out of sorts, just 22 saves and none on the penalty kill.
Big money man Mika Zibanejad led all forwards with 25 shifts and 20:26 minutes but generated no assists, no goals, and not a single shot on goal.
I do not want Chris Kreider as captain of this team, although he did score the Rangers' only goal.
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