You Get What You Give

This was a game that the Rangers needed to win.  They were playing a team that was tied with them in the standings and was feeling the effects of the flu bug. 

But again, as we’ve seen so many times recently, the Rangers shot themselves in the foot. 

They were shorthanded 8 times yet again, and would have made it five straight games with a five-on-three against had Chuck Kobasew not scored on a delayed penalty call.  And again, it wasn’t just the fact that the Rangers took so many penalties that was bothersome.  It was the timing of the penalties that was once again laughable.

The Rangers took a penalty in the very beginning of each period, squashing any opportunity they may have had to come out of the gates like gangbusters.  They again took a penalty right after they scored the go ahead goal, squashing any opportunity for momentum.

A couple positives though.  Tom Renney said in the post game that there were a couple of players who missed shifts because they took bad penalties.  If this is true, then its a step in the right direction from a coaching perspective, but I really didn’t notice it enough to qualify it as such just yet. 

And yes, the Rangers did get the point, but right now a single point just isn’t good enough.  They go right back at it with the B’s tomorrow at the Garden.  In that one, 2 points in regulation is CRUCIAL for the Blueshirts.