N.Y. Rangers: Draft Will Confirm Who's Really In Charge

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Talking Tough Is One Thing; 

Drafting Tough Is Another

New York Rangers: David Quinn Named New Head Coach.

I'm not going to pretend I know anything about David Quinn, because I don't.

Nor do I care ...

I'm more concerned with the upcoming June entry draft.  Because if Jeff Gorton selects another bunch of Smurfs, then David Quinn is going to coach Smurfs.  If Jeff Gorton selects a bunch of gargoyles, then David Quinn will coach gargoyles.  If he drafts big tough two-way players with requisite speed, then Quinn will coach such players in a relative manner.

I will simply say Quinn sports a fine resume, and that I welcome a new start with a fresh face.

He becomes the 20th head coach I remember well.  I came to learn of Emil "the cat" Francis only after the famed coach's run with the Rangers ended.  The very first head coach I care to recall is Jean-Guy Talbot, whom otherwise left no real lasting impression upon me.

Fred Shero was head coach when Ron Greschner and the Rangers advanced by the hated New York Islanders en route to the 1978-1979 Stanley Cup finals.  He only lasted two seasons behind the bench (blame Barry Beck), but is worthy of an honorable mention.

Herb Brooks brought his authoritarian style - not to mention his Olympic gold medal - to Madison Square Garden in 1981 and becomes the first head coach I genuinely rallied behind.  Developing a bunch of college kids into TEAM USA and defeating the mighty Russians in 1980 earned Brooks a ton of respect.  Not unexpectedly, though, his taskmaster tactics wore thin with established NHL veterans and would be replaced by the same person he himself succeeded as head coach, i.e., Craig Patrick.

Seemingly out of nowhere, in steps Ted Sator whom astonishingly takes the original cast of off-Broadway Smurfs all the way to the conference finals.  Just as quickly, though, he also steps through and disappears beyond the Eighth Avenue steam pipes.

Fast forward ... Roger Neilson is the first Rangers head coach to win the President's Trophy.  However, like Mark Messier I couldn't stand the guy nor his system.  The Rangers clearly were in need of a major kick in the posterior, and Mike Keenan was the absolute right guy to administer just that.  But because Rangers head coaches traditionally have the lifespan of a fruit fly, Keenan left after just one (Stanley Cup) season.

Rangers fans were for the most part behind his successor, Colin Campbell.  It's just that general manager Neil Smith started making some ponderously awful trades for sake of prolonging an increasingly futile run for another Cup.

Enter the Glen Sather era ...

His body of work spanning 2000-2004 on its own should have qualified as a fire-able offense.  Unfortunately in the eyes and mind of James Dolan, the omniscient Sather can do no wrong.

John Tortorella's arrival finally marks the first time Sather starts taking seriously actual NHL level player development.  I believe now as I did back then that Tortorella slammed the brakes on Sather's impatience regarding young inexperienced players and prospects.  I'm convinced Torts did indeed hold sway over Sather, by effectively taking charge of an emerging group of players (drafted by Jeff Gorton), letting them develop together, and giving them a sorely needed identity.  If left to his own device, Glen Sather very likely would have traded many eventual endearing players, away.

However, due to his already obnoxious and increasingly erratic behavior, Torts absolutely earned his dismissal.

Shame ... (Rick Nash really let him (us) down).

Tortorella is then replaced with the diametrically opposite Alian Vigneault, whom I wanted fired the minute he was hired.  If the Canadiens didn't want him, and the Vancouver Canucks fired him in an effort to increase toughness, then I certainly didn't want Vigneault coaching the Rangers.  Let's be clear - he took Tortorella's team to the Stanley Cup finals.  But that team then underwent considerable changes to better suit Vigneault's style, of which Glen Sather was all in.  And where did that get Tex's Rangers?

Hence the genesis of today's condition.

Rewind back to the organization's statement announcing a change in direction.  My untrained ears heard Jeff Gorton wanting to gut this pig.  But I also heard Glen Sather in the background whining about wanting to rebuild while staying competitive at the same time (which we know is complete garbage nonsense).  I think Jeff Gorton recognized this as well, and may have gone so far as calling out Sather over his repeated attempts at tomfoolery (as I suspect Tortorella once did).

While serving as both assistant and interim general manager for Boston, Gorton played a large role in building up the Bruins as we know them today.  Yet, he was dismissed from Boston and hired by Sather with haste to replace Don Maloney (whom accepted the general manager's position with the Phoenix Coyotes) as head of scouting and development.  Gorton, therefore, has been a front row witness to Sather's follies for the past twelve years.  And at this juncture in his career I believe he can get an NHL job anywhere there's a need for a qualified general manager.

Therefore, why wouldn't Gorton issue Sather an ultimatum, i.e., either the rebuild goes according to his plan, or he seeks employment elsewhere.  After thinking the situation through, my fantastical scenario says Sather gave Gorton his blessings to proceed forward.

And, he did ...

• February 20: Nick Holden remarkably traded to Boston in exchange for defender Rob O'Gara and Boston's third round pick 2018 draft.  I wouldn't have given the NYR three pucks and a roll of tape ... but that's just me.  Rob O'Gara is 24-years old, 6'4" 215 lbs.

• February 23: Michael Grabner traded to rival New Jersey Devils in exchange for defender Yegor Rykov and Newark's second round pick 2018 draft.  Yegor Rykov is 20-years old, 6'1" 205 lbs.

• February 25: Rich Nash traded to Boston in exchange for three players (Ryan Spooner, Matt Belesky, and prospect defender Ryan Lindgren), plus the Bruins first round pick 2018 draft, and their seventh round pick 2019 draft.  Ryan Lindgren is 20-years old, a stocky 5'11" 203 lbs.

• February 26: Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller traded to Tampa Bay Lighting in exchange for forward Vladislav Namestnikov, prospects Libor Hajek and Brett Howden, the Bolts first round pick 2018 draft, and a conditional second round pick 2019 draft.  Defenseman Libor Hajek is 20-years old, 6'2" 196 lbs.  Centerman Brett Howden is 19-years old, 6'2" 193 lbs.

The 2018 NHL entry draft is less than thirty days away.

With an eye towards the future, Jeff Gorton spoke of becoming a more physical team.

With his mind on the present, David Quinn spoke of being a physical team.

Fine.

Now we find out who's really in charge.

Talking crunch is one thing; drafting crunch is another.  If it turns out being the latter, then Gorton is calling the shots.  If it turns out being the former, then we know Sather is still firmly in charge.

N.Y. Rangers: General Manager Jeff Gorton Orders An Off-Broadway Recast

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

CONSTRUCTION ZONE: BEWARE OF FALLING BLUESHIRTS

New York Rangers: Does Jeff Gorton really have this much autonomy, or is this just another day at the office for Darth Sather?

The last time these Rangers offered any glimmer of hope for being a playoff contender came back on New Year's day.  They have achieved just four regulation time victories since then.

(As of Tuesday morning they've won two more).

And so, Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton released a statement earlier this week saying, "We will be focused on adding young, competitive players that combine speed, skill, and character.  This may mean we lose some familiar faces ...." - blah, blah, blah - "commitment"  - blah - "building the foundation for our next Stanley Cup contender." 

Blah, blah, blah ...

We heard similar things the day they hired Alain Vigneault.

That being said, are we being led to believe this was Jeff Gorton's idea, and that Glen Sather signed off on it?

I would like to think so.  I would like to believe Jeff Gorton has autonomy.

But I doubt it.

Glen Sather has been part of the Rangers decision making process since 2000, where as Jeff Gorton has been general manager for only 32 months (under Glen Sather).  Meanwhile, Jim Dolan makes it crystal clear that Sather is here for as long as he chooses to be.

Now put all John Tortorella's antics aside for a moment and let's objectively consider his impact on the team during his four seasons as head coach.

Do the Rangers retain a majority of the club's young, upcoming talent, then actually exercise the required level of patience needed for developing a core group from which to build around had it not been for the influence I strongly believe John Tortorella exerted over Glen Sather?  I think not.  I believe John Tortorella indeed convinced Sather into suspending his otherwise nonsensical wheeling and dealing, and made him finally commit to a grassroots rebuild.

And they did - Tortorella and Sather; Sather and Tortorella.

And Tortorella gave this otherwise unknown group of youngsters a sorely needed identity.  They not only became one of the league's elite defensive teams, physically speaking, they quite literally threw down the gauntlet.  In the absence of an elite scorer at his disposal, that's all Torts had to work with.

Marian Gaborik wasn't willing to play in the grittier portions of the ice.  After which, Sather was never able to piece that situation together as Brad Richards and a few others resulted in epic fails.

Even Rick Nash was perhaps acquired one year too late.  I admit that I wanted him badly.  At the time, I thought Nash was the exact kind of player this team needed.  Unfortunately, he failed to provide Tortorella with playoff pop during their only post-season together - which not incidentally has remained Nash's Achilles heel throughout his years playing off-Broadway.  In 73 playoff games with the Rangers, Nash has produced just 14 goals and 24 assists for 38 points.

Moving forward, Alain Vigneault merely advanced what was essentially John Tortorella's team into the Stanley Cup finals.  To be fair, playing the L.A. Kings that season was like running into a buzz saw.  The Kings were that good; very talented.  They were big, physical, tough!

Just ask the Devils.

Which brings me to my next point.

Sandwiched around John Tortorella's tenure are former coach Tom Renny and present head coach Alain Vigneault.  With each coach, the conversation invariably turns to speed and skill.  Sather, Renney, and Vigneault, clearly seem to have have more in common with each other, than either of them have with Torts.  And that's why I believe Tortorella in fact influenced Sather to the extent I do.

When I think Tom Renny, I think back to a Season Lost and the NHL Lockout.  I think about the institution of a salary cap and how that forced Glen Sather away from his usual wanton spending on aging, fractured, dysfunctional players of former renown, and made him focus more on actual player development, team building, and overall management.

One can not talk about Tom Renny and Glen Sather in the same sentence, though, without including Don Maloney, the former Rangers VP of player personnel from 1996 through 2007, whom served for seven seasons under Glen Sather.  And when I think back on Don Maloney, I can't help but recall Smurfish players such as Petr Prucha.

Yeah, I went there.

In 2007, Don Maloney moved on to became general manager of the Phoenix Coyotes.  Sather replaced him with Jeff Gorton.

Name me the beefcake drafted by either Don Maloney or Jeff Gorton.

I'll wait ...

BRB ...

And so I ask what makes the combination of Maloney, Renny, and Prucha, any different from Gorton, Alain Vigneault, and Mats Zuccarello, all these years later?  And, no, I'm not comparing Prucha to MatsZucs.  That would be silly.  But like I've said many times, when MatsZucs is your leading scorer four out of the last five seasons - with this roster of players - you have a major problem on your hands.

But my overall point here revolves around Glen Sather.

The Rangers were terribly weak at center then; the Rangers are no less weak at center today.  They were getting pushed off the puck after the lockout; theyret still getting pushed off the puck just as easily today.
Their forwards never could score that one clutch goal for Henrik Lundqvist before; they haven't been able to score that one key goal for Henrik Lundqvist ever.

And therein lie the Rangers two constants since 2005: Henrik Lundqvist and Glen Sather.

Who do you suppose I hold more responsible for the Rangers inability to hoist the Stanley Cup?

Therefore, say what you will about John Tortorella.  He certainly earned his dismissal.  But, for a short time he was able to leash Glen Sather long enough to allow the Rangers to grow into a young competitive team.  Moreover, Torts demanded his team protect Henrik Lundqvist at all costs.  The Rangers have since devolved under Glen Sather minions Jeff Gorton and Alain Vigneault, whom criminally allows Henrik Lundqvist, and his team to be beaten, battered, and bruised.

I want to know whether the front office is actually tearing this down to the ground and starting over from scratch, or, if they're simply blowing smoke up our posteriors.  Are they retooling on the fly, or are they merely aiming to alleviate themselves of three or four players in exchange for a clutch of younger, unproven, less costlier speed guys?  Because nowhere in the Rangers press release did I read the word rebuilding.  Towards that end, anything less would be a colossal mistake.

I'm already on record saying, gut it.

I'd be agreeable with retaining Mika Zibanejad, Pavel Buchnevich, Brady Skjei, and maybe .. maybe, J.T. Miller.  Everyone else can and should be moved out with haste.  And I do mean everyone.

Personally, I am not interested in recouping bodies, per se.  Top rated prospects are one thing, but I want draft picks.  And perhaps the only Rangers player capable of securing a worth while number one pick is obviously Henrik Lundqvist.  Otherwise, the market among interested teams will set the price for players like Ryan McDonagh, Rick Nash, Marc Staal, Michael Grabner, Mats Zuccarello, et al.

But what the Rangers need most are draft picks; many draft picks.  Between 2013 and 2016, the Rangers did not own a number one draft pick because they were all traded away.  And then the front office wonders why they find themselves in last place of the Metropolitan Division.

If Gorton and Sather are really committed to rebuilding, then the Rangers need to completely hit rock bottom.  That's something this organization has never been willing to do.  In order to maximize the odds of selecting premier talent in the draft an organization must be smart, yes, but also willing to pay the ultimate price in the standings first.  In my lifetime, the Rangers have only ever fallen below a .400 winning percentage once, and only twice since the 1965-66 season - a year before I was born.

Look around the league.  Teams which draft elite franchise players do so only after first suffering through years of gut-wrenching futility.  And by that I mean losing 65% of regular season games.  That's what happened with Pittsburgh whom wound up drafting Sidney Crosby and Ivgeni Malkin.  That's how Washington was able to draft Alex Ovechkin, and how Chicago was able to draft Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

The Islanders and John Tavares ... the list goes on.

Even after decades of mismanagement, the Toronto Maple Leafs have passed by the Rangers under the stewardship of Lou Lamoriello and Mike Babcock.

Speaking of old Lou, look no further than the New Jersey Devils.  The team that defeated Tortorella's Rangers in the 2010-2011 conference finals has since committed to rebuilding, stripped it down, and have now passed by the Rangers as well.  The Devils have earned 62-points as of this post, and are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings with less than thirty games to play.

However, they're in this position because they paid their dues in the standings first, then followed up with effective drafting.  Last year New Jersey won the draft lottery, and with the first overall pick of the 2017 entry draft, selected center Nico Hischier.  He presently has nine goals and 22-assists for 31-points.  That's more points than any Rangers center not named J.T. Miller.

The Rangers, meanwhile, presently reside in last place of the Metropolitan Division, and eleventh place in the conference.  Their (then) 57-points are the tenth least in the NHL.  Said another way, they are a bottom third team.

They have only won five division titles over the last fifty years.  That means they qualify for the post-season as a mid to lower seed more often than not.  That sort of consistent mediocrity, again, no doubt hampers their drafting, as they're usually stuck with mid to low round selections in any given year.

So, how low are the Rangers willing to go with this?

If I had my way, I'd be spending the next two weeks ensuring the Rangers become the worst team in North America.  Then right after the trade deadline, kindly show Alain Vigneault the door.

Then again, why wait?


*Updated, Tuesday morning.

N.Y. Rangers: Far From a Happy New Year

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Bring on the Bruins;

Not like things can get any worse.

New York Rangers: What a Sad State of Affairs ...

So how do the Rangers follow up Saturday's embarrassing display at Nashville?  With another lame loss against the Stars at Dallas.

That makes ten losses in their last fifteen games.  Said another way, they've lost twice as many games as they've won since New Year's Day.  And I'm not talking overtime losses, or the shoot-out variety - at least there are potential points to be earned for such losses.

The Rangers lost these ten games outright - no points.  Moreover,  they got outscored over those ten losses by an alarming 16-46 margin.  That translates into 1.6 goals for, and 4.6  goals against - a full three goal disparity.

I reject the notion injury is solely to blame.  Then how does one explain their poor play back in October?

Let's not be naive about this situation.  The Rangers have been suffering the same recycling deficiencies and inefficiencies long before injuries to Chris Krieider, Kevin Hayes, Jimmy Vesey, Marc Staal, Kevin Shattenkirk, or anyone else who has missed time this season.

I've been saying this ever since Alain Vigneault arrived off-Broadway, and at this point, there's only so many times I can repeat myself: the Rangers are too small, and are one of the league's weakest teams up the middle.  They play with an embarrassing and woeful lack of physicality.  Teams, therefore, know taking liberties against the Rangers comes free of repercussions (aside from NHL discipline, that is).

Look no further than the Nashville Predators game.  At the very least, Alain Vigneault should have been ejected for littering the ice with sticks, pucks, water bottles, gloves, clipboards, rolls of tape, and anything else he could have gotten his hands on.

Throw a shoe at the ref ... something!!

But in response to Nashville's dirty deeds levied upon Marc Staal and Jimmy Vesey, Vigneault did nothing.

That goes back to something else I've said many times - Alain Vigneault's system gets players hurt.

Nothing ...

On Monday, he watched Henrik face another 41-shots against the Stars at Dallas.  But, again, I refuse to put all that on playing shorthanded.  That's simply called not taking the body and protecting the ice between the dots.

I don't need someone making $8.5 million to ensure my goalie is being protected.  Just someone who makes the opposition think twice about their intentions, and isn't afraid to knock rambunctious forwards off the puck, or on their ass.

Just saying ...

The Rangers have 29 games left in the regular season.  They're in last place of the Metropolitan Division, and presently three points out of the playoff picture.

As a great football coach once said, "You are what your record says you are."  That means the Rangers (25-23-5) are presently a sub par team.

I'll take that a step further and say they're the ninth worst team in the NHL.

The trade deadline is fast approaching.  Jeff Gorton already asked Rick Nash to submit a list of teams for which he'd approve a trade.

That sounds promising, but moving him should only be scratching the surface.  Jeff Gorton better be hot on the phone with other GMs looking to reduce this pedestrian population we call the New York Rangers.

And can we finally fire Glen Sather?

Please?

N.Y. Rangers: Road Kill

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREAT

NEWSDAY/Tuesday

New York Rangers: Right on cue; the Blueshirts have fallen to ninth place and Vigneault cries wolf.

He's not even true to his own system.  In fact, he's a proven hypocrite.  Because there comes a time during ever regular season when even Vigneault realizes that his style measures up against similarly talented teams of the league, but just not against the bigger, more physical, and similarly skilled ones.

Remember this one?

This time, according to the above Newsday article, he feels the team isn't doing enough towards winning 50/50 pucks.  He might be right about that.  But that requires a measure of dirty work, and Vigneault, after all, likes to keep things clean.

But what about the 50/50 chance they get pushed off the puck in the offensive zone?  What about the less than fifty percent chance they lay a hit, or block a puck, in the defensive end?  

What about all their failures in the neutral zone?

He has no answer for that.  But he's the same person who'll tell you none of it can be solved with toughness.  It's about getting a pass off before the hits come.

Think about that ... before a hit comes.

The Rangers have now lost five straight road games, and six of their last eight games overall.  Moreover, they've been outscored 6-13 in three games during this present road trip.

And, why?

Henrik Lundqvist continues getting sub par efforts in his own end.  He lasted all of 16-minutes Tuesday night against the Ducks, allowing three goals on just seven shots on goal.  

When he's forced to carry the team night in and night out, that will happen.

N.Y. Rangers: Killing Us Softly With Poke Checks

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

UNDER SIEGE

New York Rangers: Who Fails To Answer The Battle Cry Of Henrik the Great?  Why Are There No King's Horses?  Where Are The King's Men?

Just as the Rangers were felled by the old one-two against the Islanders and Penguins back in October, they walked right into the same stiff jab and overhand right ... again.

Let me take you back to October 17; the Rangers play the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden.  Henrik Lundqvist faces 33 shots on goal and the Rangers lose 5-4 in overtime.  Two nights later, the Rangers host the New York Islanders.  This time Henrik faces 38 shots on goal, and the Rangers lose 4-3 in shootout.

This past weekend ... one day after getting KO'd by the New York Islanders, the Rangers allowed the Pittsburgh Penguins 46 shots on goal.

I repeat, the Rangers, on Sunday, allowed the Penguins 46 shots on goal.

What in the name of Lester Patrick ... forty-six freaking shots on goal..!

The Rangers entered the mid-winter recess losing two of three, sandwiching a victory over the lowly Coyotes in between a pair of losses against Chicago and Vegas.

That's when I decided to crunch some numbers.  Sure enough, my suspicion was correct - Henrik Lundqvist is facing more shots on goal this season than at any other time in his career.

Under John Tortorella, Lundqvist was facing an average of 28.5 shots on goal per game.  That number inched up to 28.9 during Alain Vigeault's first two seasons as head coach.  During the next two seasons from 2015 through 2017, that number shot up to 30.2 shots on goal.  This season, the opposition is now averaging a whopping 31.9 shots on goal against Alain Vigneault's system Henrik Lundqvist.

As previously noted, the soft Rangers were off last Monday through Friday.  So, in order to get Henrik a full seven-days week of rest, Ondrej Pavelec started on Jan. 7 at Vegas, where he faced 34 shots on goal.  He then started Saturday's return from the break against the Islanders.  But Alain Vigneault was forced to pull him, not because he faced 19 shots and allowed five goals in under 27 minutes, but because the rest of the SMURFS team failed to show up.  Lundqvist wound up facing 18 shots in just over 33 minutes of wasted time.

No day off for you!

Then Sunday happened.

In yet another slow start, the Rangers fell behind just 3:14 into the game.  However, thanks to (reliable veteran) Michael Grabner, (and the rarest of goals from) Brendan Smith, the Rangers took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

But the lead was short-lived.  After the Rangers bailed themselves out of trouble early in the second period with two successful penalty kills, opposing blueliners Brendan Smith and Jamie Oleksiak decided to go at it.  After which, the Rangers seemingly lost their fight(?).  Two even strength goals later, and Rangers trailed 3-2 after two periods.  Pittsburgh was able to unleash 18 shots on goal in the second period.  They took another 16 shots on goal in the third period en route to another pair of goals, and a 5-2 final score.

In two games against the Islanders, the Rangers have now allowed 75 shots on goal.  After three games against the Penguins, Lundqvist and Pavelec together have now faced a total of 124 shots on goal (Pavelec faced 44 SOG on Dec. 5).  It's no wonder the Rangers were outscored 14-29 in these five games alone.

Henrik turns 36-years old in March, yet has now appeared in 37 of the Rangers 44 games played to date.  This puts him on pace to appear in his most games since 2010-2011, when he appeared in 68 games as a 29-year old.  Unfortunately, the schedule only gets tougher from here on out.  Therefore, opportunities for time off will be far and few between.  You watch.

How can I be so sure?

Because here we are following the same old script: the SMURFS Rangers will grow increasingly desperate over the final twelve weeks of the regular season, invariably scrambling to snag a wild card spot.

Henrik Lundqvist knows this better than anyone in that locker room.  He knows damn well what lies ahead; he sees this as clearly as the nightly parade of bodies in front of his net with nary a Ranger jersey in sight.  He also knows the Rangers are spineless points differential is tanking - now down to only plus/three - and fading fast.

And then what?

On the chances they do make the playoffs, the media makes Henrik the scapegoat anyway.  So if you do not think these very matters were circulating through his mind while he admonished the team in front of a packed Garden crowd on Saturday, then I beg to differ.  He's been there, done that.

The proof is in the standings.

The Metropolitan Division is packed tighter than my kitchen junk drawer.  Washington, Columbus, and New Jersey, still maintain the all-important top three spots.  How long the junior Devils continue playing above expectations remains to be seen, although, I do believe their style is sustainable.  The Rangers fan in me also believes the Devils will somehow ultimately decide the Blueshirts fate on Apr. 3, when they meet at the Rock.

I digress.

Losers of three straight, the Rangers remain stalled at 49-points.  With Sunday's victory, the Penguins (51-points) move into fourth place ahead of the Rangers.  Tangled up right behind the gutless Rangers with 48-points are, Philadelphia, the Islanders, and Carolina.

And right on cue, the Rangers have also been bumped down to eighth place in the conference standings.

So start growing those beards now.  Must win hockey has begun ... in January.

New year ... same Vigneault crap.

Poke check that..!



UPDATE: THE RANGERS ARE NOW ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN.
Islanders (50-points) defeat Montreal; move into eighth place of Eastern Conference standings. Ninth place Rangers (49-points) face the Flyers (48-points) on Tuesday.

N.Y. Rangers: Debacle on 33rd Street

From the desks of: 

NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT  and  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

THE RIVALRY - II

Islanders lead series 2-0

I - NYI 4; NYR 3*

II - NYI 7; NYR 2

*shootout

New York Rangers: So Much For Henrik Lundqvist's Day Off..!

Were it not for the mid-winter break, Henrik Lundqvist gets no break at all.  He has now appeared in 36 of the Rangers 43 games played to date.

Exactly one week after writing how Henrik Lundqvist is facing more shots on goal than ever, the Rangers ruined his scheduled day off with an absolutely abysmal effort against the visiting New York Islanders.

The Rangers were beaten, badly, by the likes of second year winger Anthony Beaullivier, and second year center Mathew Barzal - both of whom were Islanders first round selections in the 2015 entry draft, and both of whom registered a pair of goals each through the first two periods of Saturday's debacle at 33rd Street.

Less than seven minutes into the second period, Alain Vigneault pulled back-up goalie Ondrej Pavelec upon surrendering the Islanders' third goal of the period, and to that point their fifth goal of the game.

Both the Rangers and Islanders had been idle since last Sunday.  Therefore, rust is no excuse.  So let's be clear.  The Rangers flat out sucked.  Why mince words?  Every forward, and every defenseman, played regrettably terrible hockey.

Every one ...

Madison Square Garden wreaked of piss-poor performance.  But paying customers aren't entitled to refunds, and for that the Blueshirts should be ashamed of themselves.  Henrik Lundqvist let them know it, too.  He took his time donning his pads, then skated the length of the bench, admonishing his mates in front of the entire crowd before taking his position in net.

The Belmont-bound Islanders struck twice more in the third period en route to a 7-2 thrashing of their old division rivals.  Throughout the entire game, odd man rushes ruled the day.  Shane Prince, Cal Clutterbuck, and Thomas Hickey (thanks to a MatsZucs deflection) also participated in the scoring.

Nary a big hit from the SMURFS Rangers.  The box score says they laid 28 hits.  Somehow I must have missed them all.  I know none of them occurred in between the dots, or in front of the net.  Feeble stick checks abounded, though.

With little exaggeration, it seemed as if the Rangers unfurled a welcoming mat down center ice honoring the league's fourth best scoring team.

This is without a doubt a low point in the Rangers season.

What lies ahead is anyone's guess.

My opinion, however, remains unchanged.  Their defensmen are too small and passive; they're one of the league's weakest teams up the middle; overall they have no real toughness about them; and I do not like Alain Vigneault's system.

Saturday's loss stalls the Rangers at 49 points, and leaves them tied with the Penguins for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

The Islanders are right behind them in ninth place, trailing by one point.

N.Y. Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist Facing More Shots Than Ever

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

EMPIRE STATE

NHL WINTER CLASSIC 

FINAL

Rangers   3

Sabres      2

overtime

Today's game against the Phoenix Coyotes marks the midway point of the The New York Rangers season.  After a poor opening month of October, in which they posted 4-7-2 record, the Blueshirts have gone 17-7-3 since.

With an overall 21-14-5 record (47-points), the Rangers presently reside in fourth place of the Metropolitan Division, and seventh place of the Eastern Conference standings - just one point ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes.  Pittsburgh, meanwhile, unexpectedly finds themselves in ninth place with 45 points.  The tenth place Islanders have 44 points (but are third in the league in scoring).

The Rangers went 8-6-1 in the first half against the other top seven Eastern Conference teams, but are 8-6-3 when back-to-back losses against the Pens and Islanders are added.  They will face the Islanders and Penguins on back-to-back nights again next weekend.

Until then, the Rangers must first get through the lowly Coyotes, and the surprising Western Conference leading Vegas Golden Knights.

They have so far only faced five of the top eight Western Conference teams (Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Dallas, and San Jose) against which, they've posted a 3-2 record.  They are yet to play Winnipeg, St. Louis, and Minnesota.  However, the Rangers are only 1-3 against the likes of Chicago, Anaheim, and Colorado.

As we Blueshirt fans know well, without a top flight centerman, Rangers scoring is a collective effort, and as such they're eighth in the league, averaging 3.1 goals per game.  Defensively, the Rangers rank tenth having allowed 2.8 goals per game.  Their penalty kill is equally solid - ranked sixth in the league - but the power play is middle of the pack.

As usual, Rick Nash continues to lead the team by a wide margin in shots on goal, yet Mats Zuccarello once again leads the team in points.

Otherwise, everything else falls desperately on the shoulders, glove, blocker, stick, pads, and skill, of Henrik Lundqvist.

Let me know when this stops sounding hauntingly familiar ...!

For three straight seasons between 2007 and 2010, Henrik Lundqvist made at least 70 starts.  He's presently on pace to make 68 starts (or so...) - something he hasn't done since the 2010-2011 season when he made 67 starts.  In 2013-2014, he started 62 games, and two years ago made 64 starts.

Henrik turns 36-years old this coming March.  Entering Saturday's game, he has so far started 34 of the Rangers 40 games.  If this keeps up, Lundqvist could threaten his career high of 39 victories set during the 2011-2012 season.  He won 35 games just two seasons ago.

Here's the problem: he's presently facing more shots on goal than at any other time in his career.

During John Tortorella's four seasons as Rangers head coach, the opposition averaged 28.5 shots on goal against Henrik Lundqvist.  In Alain Vigneault's first season, the Rangers opposition averaged 29.1 shots against Henrik, and in 2014-2015, the opposition only averaged 28.8 shots against him.

The cast of blue line characters has obviously changed since then.  Starting with the 2015-2016 season, the opposition has averaged thirty shots or better per game against Henrik Lundqvist:

• (2015-2016) 30.3 shots on goal
• (2016-2017) 30.0 shots on goal
• (2017-present) 31.7 shots on goal against Lundqvist.

That being said, his 2.58 Goals Against Average is .25 points above his career average, while his .922 SV% is on par for his career.

Or, said another way, the Rangers are barley getting by.  They're younger and faster, but their over reliance on Henrik Lundqvist has only grown through the years.

He's faced 1,078 shots on goal so far this season, with at least a thousand more to come.

Devils vs. Rangers: Battle of the Hudson - II

From the desks of:

THE BRICK CITY STYX  and RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

BATTLE of the HUDSON

Series Tied 1-1

I - NJD 3; NYR 2

II - NYR 5; NJD 2

FINAL

Devils      2

Rangers  5

If you were like me, just hoping the Rangers poor start would result in Alain Vigneault's dismissal, I'm afraid we'll now need to wait a little longer.

After starting the season 4-7-2 in October, the Blueshirts rebounded to post a 9-3-0 record in November.  They are 3-1-0 so far in December, having recently earned six important points against division foes Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Newark on Friday.  That makes the Rangers 12-4-0 since the 2nd of November, elevating them from the bottom of the Metropolitan Division to within five points of the first place Columbus Blue Jackets.

With Friday's 5-2 victory over the Devils at the Garden, the Rangers now own a 16-11-2 record.

The Rangers remaining nine December games will no doubt test their collective mettle.  They'll be hosting the Stars, Kings, Ducks, Maple Leafs, and Capitals, then travel for games against the Senators, Bruins, Devils, and Red Wings.

The Rangers have excelled at home with a 12-5-2 record, and will now host their first games of the season against Dallas, the Kings, and Ducks.  They'll also be looking to avenge a blowout loss in just the second game of the season against the Maple Leafs, and their recent loss against the Capitals.

The Sens, Bruins, and Red Wings, meanwhile, will all be looking to avenge previous road losses against the visiting Rangers, who own a sub par 4-6-0 record on the road.  They will also be visiting Newark for their third encounter against the Devils.

The Rangers have been surging minus the services of center Mika Zibanejad, who Friday missed his fifth straight game (concussion protocol) stemming from a Nov. 24 hit incurred against the Detroit Red Wings.

That being said, if you regularly follow Raise Gresch With The Greats, you know one of my pet peeves is Mats Zuccarello leading the team in points.  It's always been my contention that points to greater Rangers troubles and needs (lack of a top flight center).  I love Zucs, but my point is he shouldn't be leading a this team in points ahead of Rick Nash and Chris Kreider - two of the teams ultimate underachievers.

Rick Nash routinely leads the Rangers in shots of goal.  He leads again with 91 SOGs, yet has only registered seven goals and eight assists to date.  Kreider is second on the team with 74 SOGs, and at least is one of four Rangers with double-digit goals (10), but is nevertheless lagging behind his skill set with 17 points in 29 games played.  MatZucs, on the other hand, has seven goals and 17 points, and it the only one of the three with a positive +/- rating.

Henrik Lundqvist registered his 419th career victory Friday evening, tying him with Tony Esposito for second most wins by a goalie with one franchise.  With four more victories, Lundqvist will also tie Tony Esposito (423) for eighth place on the NHL's all-time career victory list.

*

The Devils for much of the first quarter season have surprisingly jockeyed back and forth for first place of the Metropolitan Division with Columbus.  Newark jumped out to an early 8-2-0 record in October, but have trended the other way with an 8-7-4 record since.  They've recently dipped to third place behind the re-emergent Capitals, but still only trail the first place Blue Jackets by three points.

They are 2-3 in December, after losing two straight against the Blue Jackets and Rangers.  However, Friday's lost against the Rangers at the Garden was only Newark's fourth regulation time road loss of the season.  They're lagging with a 6-5-2 record at home, but own a 10-4-2 on the road.

Prior to Friday's game against the Rangers, Cory Schneider started both games of a home/home series against Columbus.  He limited the Blue Jackets to just one goal on 42 SOGs on Dec. 5, but then allowed five goals on just 28 SOGs three days later.  Keith Kinkaid made his tenth appearance of the season against the Rangers, allowing five goals on 35 shots against.

Since arriving, defensive acquisition Sami Vatanen is leading Newark blueliners with 22:10 average ice time, but is presently a minus-five, with just five SOGs, in five games so far for the Devils.  Centerman Adam Henrique, meanwhile, is thriving with a plus-two, three goals, and three assists, during his five games with Anaheim.

N.Y. Rangers: Mika Zibanejad Making Himself Center Of Attention

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

We Finally Have Good News To Report

WEDNESDAY

New York Rangers

vs.

Chicago Blackhawks

FROM

The City That Invented 

Pizza Soup

NEW YORK RANGERS: Deal To Acquire Mika Zibanejad Getting Better By The Game.

That's what I'm talking about! 

I'm still no fan of Alain Vigneault, but I'll play nice.  Regardless of coach, six straight wins is something to rejoice.  Five coming against very solid opponents: Golden Knights, Lightning, Blue Jackets, Bruins, and Oilers.  The Florida Panthers ... not so much. 

How about going on the road and taking care of the Blackhawks now ...

*

Mika Zibanejad's next game (Wednesday night inn Chicago?) will be his 19th of the season. 

Zibanejad sustained a broken fibula during his 19th game of the season last year, limiting him to just 56 games, in which he still managed 14 goals and 37 points.

He started last season strongly, with 15 points in his first 19 games before getting hurt on Nov. 20 against the Panthers at Madison Square Garden.  Upon his return on Jan. 20, he managed ten points in his first 25 games back, but then closed out the regular season strongly again with ten points in his final 12 games.

Derick Brassard, meanwhile, worked a full schedule last season for Ottawa, yet managed no better than Zibanejad with 14 goals and 39 points in 81 games.  Mind you, Brassard was a 27 goal scorer just two seasons ago for the Rangers.  He just turned 30-years old this past September, and is off to a fine start so far this season with six goals and 15 points in 16 games.  That could potentially translate into his first ever 30-goal season.  However, unlike his time with the Rangers, he remains a virtual non-entity on the Senators power play for a second straight season.

Zibanejad, 24-years old, is six years younger than Brassard.  We're almost a quarter of the way through the regular season and he leads the Rangers with 18 points, (eight goals) through the team's first 18 games.  Ten of those points (five goals, five assists) have come on the power play.  He is not the top line center this organization for so long has desperately lacked.  At least not yet.  But, he may be on his way towards an 80-point season which is more than I've been able to say (or fantasize) about a Rangers forward for quite some time.

For the moment, he's fulfilling the role of being first line center.  By next Spring, we might be raking in one hell of a return considering the Rangers also sent a seventh round pick to Ottawa in exchange for their number two.

So, yeah, this deal is absolutely getting better by the game.

The Rivalry: Rangers vs. Islanders - Part I

From the desks of:

RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS  and  FIVE FOR FLATBUSH

LOOK WHAT THE ISLANDERS DID TO THE RANGERS, 

AGAIN..!

FINAL

Islanders  4

Rangers    3

S/O

Six games into the season, the Rangers forward lines have raised far more questions than answers.  Part of the reason is because the Rangers are staffed with a preponderance of mediocrity, which in turn leaves Alain Vigneault nowhere closer to stabilizing his forward lines today, than he was in training camp. 

This goes back to what I said - the Rangers are perhaps one of the weakest teams in the NHL up the middle.  I already issued my opening statement regarding that, and the New York Rangers in general.

Think about it ... they picked Adam Cracknell from the scrap pile, and played him on the fourth line two games ago against Pittsburgh.

What does that tell you?

For the moment, the Rangers are in last place, and from what I've seen so far, that's where they belong.  In fact, the Rangers are in the midst of their worst start too the season in my lifetime. 

Thursday night's loss against the Islanders only heightens my displeasure with their present condition.  And Saturday's upcoming game against the Predators will very likely make matters worse.

Just wanted to get that off my chest before breaking out for the weekend.

I'm out.

N.Y. Rangers: Center of Attention

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

SUNDAY

Montreal Canadiens

vs.

New York Rangers

FROM

8th Avenue Ice Hut

Manhattan

New York Rangers: On The Cost Of Success Off Broadway.

Hello.

Welcome back to RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS; the Rangers department of this blog.

Let me just put it out there ...

If you think fighting for the sixth through eighth spot in the Eastern Conference is fun, then you're in for a great regular season.

I'll take it a step further.

I'm sick and tired of hearing about speed and finesse, and finesse and speed.

But why stop there?

I've also had it up to ( ( (( HERE )) ) ) with Alain Vigneault.

My opinion of the Rangers has not changed much since last season.  The Rangers aren't big enough, or nearly tough enough for my liking.  I still think they are too small on defense.  And because of Henrik Lundqvist's contract, this team will forever remain one forward short (namely a center) of getting over the hump.

Some of that can be attributed to the New York Rangers always being good enough.  That's precisely why the Rangers do not garner better results from their amateur drafting.  Just making the playoffs means middle of the pack selections.

In the micro sense, you could argue in favor of one or two players.  In the macro, they simply can not draft and develop upper echelon talent.  It's a vicious cycle of competitive mediocrity breeding competitive mediocrity.  That's why they've been, and will remain inconsequential and weak up the middle for the foreseeable future, or until this cycle is broken.

Look at the Rangers history over the last ten years alone.  The organization's attempts at developing a center started and ended with Brandon Dubinsky.  This forces the front office to rely heavily on free agency to fill key needs.  Look where that has gotten them.  Their track record of going off campus dating back to Chris Drury reveals one failed attempt to upgrade center after another, and so on.

I'm sure there were some Rangers fans who relished that 10-1 can of whoop-ass the Chicago  Blackhawks opened all over the Penguins the other night.  But here's what I feel Rangers fans need to know.  The Pens are reigning back-to-back champions for a reason, none of which really have much to do with goalies Marc-Andre Fleury or Matt Murray.

In fact, Marc-Andre Fleury is now a member of the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights, and Pittsburgh signed Antti Niemi in his place.  On his worst day, Henrik Lundqvist is a superior goal-tender to all three.  I think any NHL fan would agree.

This much is also certain: the Rangers were weak up the middle with Derek Stepan and Oscar Lindberg, and they can remain weak up the middle without them.  Derek Stepan posted 17 goals and 38 assists last season, and was only somewhat useful on the power play.  Oscar Lindberg scored eight goals with 12 assists in 60 games last season, and was useless on the power play.

Mika Zebanejad at least is 23-years young (and well...?).  He scored 14 goals with 23 assists in 56 games, but, like Stepan, was only somewhat useful on the power play.  Can he be that 50-point scorer from Ottawa again?  That remains to be seen.  Even then, so what?

I'll throw J.T. Miller into this, who frequently plays out of position.  He was second on the team behind Matts Zuccarello with 56 points (22 goals, 33 assists).  However, he, like some of the other centers, was rather useless on the power play.  Now take away Miller's stats, and the three aforementioned Rangers centers totaled 39 goals, and 73 assists, for 112 points.

Last year, Sidney Crosby led the NHL with 44 goals.  Evgeni Malkin added another 33 goals.  Together, they joined forces last season to score 161 total points.  Meanwhile, both just happen to be major assets on the power play.

Once upon a time, Pittsburgh was able to draft Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby because the Penguins were really, really bad.  At the time of their respective selections (2002-2003 through 2004-2005) the Penguins were only winning .368 percent of their games.  Malkin was the second overall selection of the 2004 draft.  A year later, Crosby was the first overall selection of the 2005 draft.

In 2004, Alex Ovechkin was the first overall selection ahead of Malkin.  The Rangers selected goalie Al Montoya with the sixth overall pick that year, and then selected Marc Staal with the 12th overall pick in the 2005 entry draft.

Now for the ponderous matter of Penguins rookie center Jake Guentzel.

In the first round of the 2013 entry draft, the New York Rangers selec.....

Oh, wait.  The Rangers didn't have a first round pick that year.

Oh, wait!  They didn't have a second round pick either.

Finally, in the third round of the 2013 entry draft, the Rangers drafted center Adam Tambellini with the 56th overall selection.  Then, with the 75th overall selection, the Rangers drafter winger, Pavel Buchnevic.

Two picks later, Pittsburgh drafted center Jake Guentzel with the 77th overall selection of the 2013 entry draft.

So, if you were to ask me how close are the Rangers to winning a Stanley Cup championship, I would answer look no further than their centers.

Why?  Because!

2016-17 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

• Goals Scored - Guentzel (13) #1
• Assists - Crosby (19) #1
• Points - Malkin (28) #1
• Goals Created - Malkin (10.2) #1
• Even Strength Goals - Guentzel (11) #1
• Game Winning Goals - Guentzel (5) #1

The Rangers opened the 2017-2018 regular season at home in disappointing fashion.  They had their chances against Colorado, but just came up short.

Saturday's 8-4 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs was far more disturbing to me.  With Lou Lamoriello and Mike Babcock in charge, the Leafs are already light years ahead of the Rangers.

But I digress ...

The Rangers starting four centermen against the Maple Leafs were J.T. Miller, Mika Zebanejad, Paul Carey, and David Desharnais.

Paul Carey, 29-years old, a 2007 fifth round draft pick (Avalanche), entered the season having played just 20 NHL games over the last four seasons.  He played 14:43 against Toronto.

What can I say about David Desharnais?  He's older than Stepan, and comes far more cheaply.  David shoots left, Stepan shoots right.  And he's a nice guy, I'm sure.  Now 31-years old, Desharnais split time between Montreal and Edmonton last season.  His best season was 2013-24 with Montreal, when he netted 16 goals with 36 assists.  He'll perhaps be no more or less effective on the power play than Stepan was.  Yet, he played 13:11 against Toronto.

The Rangers scored 253 goals last season which sort of throws everything back in my face.  They ranked third in the Eastern Conference, and fourth in all the NHL.  They outscored Montreal/Ottawa by an aggregate 34-30 margin in last season's playoffs.  Yet, were eliminated in the second round by the Senators, four games against two.

Why?  Because I feel the Rangers have no spine, or said a more delicate way, an inconsequential group of centers.

Even the Washington Capitals, who last year skated three superior centers compared to those of the Rangers, and despite all the changes Washington's made over the last two seasons, they still failed to get through Pittsburgh's strength up the middle.

Just remember the heavy price initially paid by the Penguins organization:

• (2002-2003)  27-44-6-5 (.396)
• (2003-2004)  23-47-8-4 (.354)
• *
• (2005-2006)  22-46-14 (.354)

The Rangers generally have never been willing to sink that low, or pay that stiff a price at the gate.  Don't forget, those down years in Pittsburgh almost cost the city that franchise.  The only time the Rangers finished below .400 in my lifetime came when they posted a 26-44-10 (.388) record during the 1984-1985 season.  As an older teenager, I actually remember that season very well.  Before that, however, you would have to go back to 1965-1966 when the Rangers went 18-41-11 (.336) in the regular season.


SLAP SHOTS:

• Henrik Lundqvist will turn 36-years old in March.
• Did I mention I like Mike Sullivan better than Alain Vigneault?  After all, he's no stranger to Rangers fans.

Just saying...

N.Y. Rangers: In the Middle of Nowhere

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

And so ends the 90th season of 

New York Rangers Hockey

I was certain getting through the Montreal Canadiens would be the hardest part about returning to the Eastern Conference finals.  Despite all my reservations, and to my great surprise, the Rangers wound up impressing me with the manner in which they prevailed against the Habs physicality and won the series in six rowdy games.

In pondering the Rangers next opponent, my preference was to play the Boston Bruins because (like Montreal) at least I knew what to expect from them, and also knew they were a compromised team on defense.

Conversely, I really had no idea what to expect from Ottawa (not that they're an unfamiliar team or foe).  However, knowing the Rangers enjoyed little success against the Sens during the regular season, I was nevertheless sure that a somewhat less formidable opponent lay ahead for the Rangers in Round Two.

And therein lies the rub ... doesn't it?

An age old cardinal mistake ... I know.  But I think we fans all feel the same way: the Rangers should have won that series hands down.

But opponents gets paid to compete and win as well.  So before delving into the Rangers failures, I'll render Ottawa their due respect first.

The Senators are indeed an exceptional counter-punching team.  I heard that term used in describing their style on radio prior to Game One, and they confirmed it by eliminating the favored New York Rangers.

• The Sens tied the Rangers at a goal apiece in the second period of Game One, then won on Erik Karlsson's late third period goal.

• Losing 4-2 through two periods in Game Two, Ottawa eventually tied the game at five in the third period, then won in overtime.

• After convincing Rangers victories in games Three and Four at New York, the Sens returned home where they overcame 0-2 and 3-4 deficits to win Game Five 6-5 in overtime.

Just as they knocked off Boston in six, the Sens did not allow the Rangers to linger, eliminating them with haste in Game Six at Madison Square Garden.  Said another way, their trip to the Eastern Conference finals is well earned.

Ottawa captain Erik Karlsson, while playing with a fractured foot, was the best skater throughout the series.  In fact, he has scored points in all eight of the Senators playoff victories (two rounds) to date.

Lastly, Craig Anderson was no doubt solid in net, and made some nifty saves.  Overall, however, he was not besieged to the extent Henrik Lundqvist was.  The Rangers may have peppered Anderson with more shots on goal, but far too many were taken from the perimeter, or from plain old bad angles.

That, by the way, will be my only mention of Henrik Lundqvist.  Very simply, he deserves better. There's also much to be said of the Rangers beaten and battered defensive unit.  However, my main focus is on the forwards.  I hold them most responsible for this year's post-season elimination.

They let this team down, or just aren't good enough.

Rick Nash: The Big Blue Enigma

The Columbus Blue Jackets selected Rick Nash with the number one overall pick of the 2001 draft.   During nine seasons with the Blue Jackets from 2002 through 2012, he averaged 32 goals and 28 assists (60 points).

The 2008-2009 season was his finest, and also marked the team's first and only playoff appearance during his years in Columbus.  He posted 40 regular season goals and 39 assists that season for a career high 79 points.  Nash then posted one goal with three assists during the Blue Jackets' only four playoff games.

The thinking back then was players of his size, physicality, skating ability, and proven NHL scoring record are not easy to come by, much less one entering the prime years of his career.

Desperately lacking that very type of player, the Rangers acquired just that ... a 28-year old Rick Nash.  Many or most Rangers fans (myself included) expected Nash to instantly become that unique top line forward capable of both distributing big hits and wielding TKO scoring potential.  He was going to make us fans forget about the previously failed ventures into Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Brad Richards, et al.

That being said, at the time of the trade many Blue Jackets fans were forewarning our sorrow.  I thought that was Columbus fans just exporting sour grapes.  It made me curious as hell, though, but I really wanted the Rangers to make that trade.

Keep in mind that after registering just 39 points in his rookie season, Nash never totaled less than 54 points over his remaining eight seasons in Columbus, and that between 2007 and 2011 he scored no less than 64 points in four consecutive seasons.

His off-Broadway career gets off to a brilliant start with 41 points in only 44 games during his first (NHL shortened) regular season with the Rangers.  His second season - not so much; Nash ties his career low with 39 points.  He follows that up in 2014-2015 with (a career high) 42 goals and (a second best) 69 points.  The year after, Nash establishes a new career low with just 36 points (in 60 games).  He reaffirms that mark with another 38 points in 67 games this season.  That translates to 25 goals and 44 points per season (without prorating the 2012-2013 shortened season) over his five year career with the Rangers.

Unlike with Columbus, Nash has played post-season hockey in each of his five seasons with New York under both John Tortorella and Alain Vigneault.  In four post-seasons previous to this year's, Nash registered an eerily sounding and no less inspiring 11 goals and 33 points through 61 playoff games.

... and has been well criticized for it during his years here.

Depending on your point of view, Rick Nash arguably played very well through two rounds of this year's playoffs.  He was one of the very few Rangers forwards causing traffic in front and crashing the crease with any regularity.  Throw in his defensive effort on the back-check, and I'd say he played very well indeed.

Unfortunately, his inexplicable dearth of post-season scoring remains ongoing.  Nash led the Rangers during these playoffs with 44 shots on goal in 12 games.  Of the Eastern Conference final four teams (NYR, OTT, PITT, WAS), only Washington's Alex Ovechkin (49 SOG in 13 games) took more shots than Nash through the first two rounds.  And out of that same pool of players from the final four teams, 17 scored more goals through the first two rounds than Rick Nash, whom finished with just three.  Three of those players were his team mates, one being defenseman Brady Skjei.  Otherwise, the other 16 were all forwards.

It's been reported that Nash played hurt during the second round.  Perhaps ... but he still managed 44 opportunities on net.  Did injury prevent him solely from finishing plays?

Traditionally speaking, his prime years are now behind him.  Rick Nash turns 33-years old in June, and has one more season remaining on his contract.

Centers of Inattention

I'll again refer to the pool of players among the Eastern Conference final four.  Seven of the eight skaters to register ten or more points through Round Two were forwards.  Ottawa's Erik Karlsson was the lone defenseman on the list with 13 points.  To no one's surprise, none of the other seven players wore Rangers jerseys.

Pittsburgh's top three scorers through Round Two are their centermen.  Two of Washington's top three scorers were also their centermen.  All five of these centermen registered double-digit points through Round Two.

Mika Zibanejad led the Rangers with a team high seven assists and nine points overall.  He was their lone legitimate threat up the middle.  Otherwise, the Rangers were woefully inadequate and inconsequential at the center position.

This may have been Derek Stepan's most ponderous performance to date.  The man was just awful from start to finish.  And depending on Alain Vigneault's mood, Oscar Lindberg and J.T. Miller remained relative non-factors as well.  Together, the three accounted for five goals and eight assists for a paltry 13 points.  Comparatively speaking, Washington's Niklas Backstrom accomplished that by himself!  And you can forget Ivgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.  Penguins center Jake Guentzel has not only outperformed the aforementioned trio's collective effort, but leads the Pens with nine goals.  That's more than the combined total of all four Rangers centers.

Broken Wings

Does mighty Mats Zuccarello have to do everything around here?  Apparently, the answer continues being an overwhelming Yes!

I would have appreciated Jesper Fast getting some more ice time.

Chris Kreider may have enjoyed his finest regular season as a Ranger, but this playoff will go down as one of his worst.  Three goals and an assist in 12 games is now inexcusable coming from a young man with his skill, size, and speed.  He teased us with rare and fleeting moments of potential brilliance, but nothing more.  So lets just call it like we see it: he spent most of his time skating with his head up his posterior.  He does that a lot.  It's annoying.

And where the hell was Kevin Hayes?

These playoffs were supposed to be Kreider's and Hayes' time to shine and light up Broadway; time to elevate their respective levels of competition and lead the Rangers to higher ground.

Together, they couldn't lead a dog to a tree.


I said back in October this team wouldn't amount to much.  In this instance, I do not necessarily enjoy being right.  And just for giggles, I'm still an Alain Vigneault antagonist.

This doesn't help.

N.Y. Rangers: Forwards March

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

GAME THREE 

FINAL

Senators  1

Rangers   4

Senators Lead Series 2-1

I - OTT 2; NYR 1

II - OTT 6; NYR 5*

III - NYR 4; OTT 1

*overtime

NEW YORK RANGERS: All The King's Horses Propel Blueshirts to First Victory Over Sens; Centermen Finally Do Their Jobs.

After Facing 77 SOG Through Game Two, 

Blueshirts Lighten Henrik's Load; Faces Only 27 SOG

MatsZuccs to the rescue, again!

But at least the other lines showed up.  So, let's here it for the Rangers center men, finally!  Mika Zibanejad assisted on MatsZucc's opening goal.  Derek Stepan assisted on Rick Nash's goal.   And even J.T. Miller (who needs to stay the hell out of the penalty box) assisted on Oscar Lindberg's goal.

Now if they can start winning a few more face-offs ...

Tanner Glass finally skated for the first time since Game Three against the Habs.

About that ... see how wishy-washy Alain Vigneault is?

At least he had the wherewithal to realize the team needed an increased physical presence against Montreal, and thus started Tanner Glass in Game One.  Outside of Henrik Lundqvist, Glass was perhaps most responsible for the Rangers opening victory despite only eight minutes of ice time.

But because things went awry after the second period of Game Two (Glass nonetheless accounted for 10 hits), and again in Game Three against Montreal, Glass was scratched for the remainder of the series.

Fast forward - the Rangers get woefully outplayed during their first two games in Ottawa.  I'll take it a step further: Vigneault was getting beaten at his own game.  Vigneault adjusts by shortening his bench in Game Two.  When that doesn't work, Coach lengthens his bench again, reverting back to four lines featuring Tanner Glass in Game Three, whom initiates three hits, and registers a secondary assist on Oscar Lindberg's goal.

And if I may, how about giving Jesper Fast just a little more ice time?  Take away some minutes from a very inconsequential Kevin Hayes.

Just saying ...

N.Y. Rangers Desperately Needing Home Improvement

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Home Not That Sweet Home

Overall Record at Madison Square Garden

23-17-4

Senators Lead Series 2-0

I - OTT 2; NYR 1

II - OTT 6; NYR 5*

*overtime

NEW YORK RANGERS: Ottawa Senators Beating Alain Vigneault At His Own Game.

I just don't get this coach these guys.

Montreal finished ahead of the Ottawa Senators for a reason, right?

I mean ... the Habs were one of five Eastern Conference teams this season to crack 100 points, and the only one to do so from the Atlantic Division.  Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Division registered a league high four teams with 100 point seasons.  The Rangers 102 points, incidentally, ranked least among the five, but whose complaining ...

The Habs also finished first in the Atlantic Division with a +26 goal differential.  The Rangers finished the regular season with an even better +36 differential.

The Ottawa Senators?

They placed second in the Atlantic Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference, finishing the season just under the century mark with 98 points, and posted an abysmal -2 goal differential.  Just to be clear, that's minus two.  In fact, they are the only team in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs with a negative goal differential.

Now consider that Ottawa's best forward, Erik Karrlson, is playing on a fractured foot.  Then ponder how a guy whom scored 12 goals all season, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, should suddenly net four goals in Game Two.

Want more?

The Rangers 27-12-2 road record was the best in all the NHL.  Yet, they're fresh off two straight losses at Ottawa, and are now 2-3 in five playoff games played north of the border.

What the hell else do you want me to say?!

All I know is this team gave up a two goal lead with three minutes left in regulation.

Whether at even strength, or on the PK, I still see a lot of Rangers just standing around and playing on their heels.  The Ranger forwards' collective back-checking has been particularly embarrassing.

Therefore, I'll say this very plainly: this team which elevated itself to the level of Montreal's physicality, which played with grit, high intensity toughness, and inspired passion against Montreal, is laying down to the Ottawa Senators.

The Rangers are down 0-2 in this series, and to a large extent I hold Alain Vigneault responsible for reverting back to his more preferred finesse style.

Problem is the Ottawa Senators are beating Vigneault at his own game.  It is the Rangers getting out-skated.  It is Ottawa winning the face-off battle by an 81-67 margin.  It is Ottawa controlling the neutral zone; winning time of possession; consistently getting the puck down low in the offensive end; creating better scoring opportunities.

Circling back to Erik Karrlson, he easily leads the Sens with over 66 minutes of ice time.  Did I mention he has a hairline fracture in his foot, and that he still finished games One and Two with a plus-one?  Am I to believe the Rangers do not have a top two line forward capable of at least nudging him out of the way?

Mats Zuccarello has just three SOG in two games against Ottawa.  Can no one else step up?  This is my point exactly when I say MatsZuccs can not, and should not be the Rangers best forward.  I love Zuccs, but you know what I mean - not on a team with Nash, Kreider, etc.

• The Rangers have killed 7 of 8 penalties against Ottawa, but have yet to score in eight opportunities. Their power play is now just 2 for 23 through eight playoff games.  The Rangers PK has allowed four goals in 28 opportunities.

Man up!