Eating My Words (Well…Some of Them)

So it’s five games into the season and Marek Malik is already doing his best to make Eric and I look dumb. After a fantastic first game in which he had a career high three points and played a relatively flawless defensive game, he has used the last four games to remind anyone who didn’t remember (including us) why he is so vilified by Ranger fans.

As you may be able to tell, we will not be stubborn on this podcast/blog. If we are clearly wrong on a point, we will come out and admit it. Our unwavering support for Marek Malik in the first episode was definitely a little misguided and in that regard we were wrong. Malik’s brain freeze against the Isles was one thing, but his essentially inept play against the Senators was inexcusable.

All that being said I do still think that there may be a place for him on this team, but not playing over twenty minutes a game. Especially not when Tyutin and Girardi are truly emerging as great defensemen (yes, I said GREAT because it’s truly what they are becoming).

The one point, however, on the Malik situation that I stand by, is that the incessant booing has to stop. It’s one thing if it is directly after a huge gaffe, but to boo when the guy’s name is announced for an assist is asinine. If you are truly a fan of the Rangers, then the number one thing that you should want is for the Rangers to win. Whether you like it or not, it doesn’t appear that Malik is going anywhere soon. So all that booing Malik does is make him more nervous and in turn makes him play tighter. In turn, the only thing your booing is doing is hurting a Rangers team that you love.

Give the guy the same shake as everyone else. Boo him when he’s bad, cheer him when he’s good, and don’t do anything when he’s simply got the puck on the ice. But by doing booing him every time he breathes, you’re essentially just hurting yourselves.

On another note, while we will admit our mistakes, we also have no problem reminding you all when we’re right. In the third period against the Senators, Tom Renney finally moved Gomez into the first line center slot. After the game he told reporters that he would continue to look at this combo this next week.

Again, this is a move that I think had to be made and will help to jumpstart what has, for the most part, been a stagnant Rangers offense thus far.