Just When You Thought They Were Done
Okay, so a lot of people thought the Rangers were done a long, long time ago. I didn’t really completely give up on the season until last week. And then what do they do? Continue to be the enigma they’ve been all season long.
Nine out a possible 10 points in the last five games. The Rangers haven’t really beaten any top tier teams in that stretch, but they’ve been doing something they hadn’t for most of the season – win games they’re supposed to win.
With a game on hand and only two points behind a miserable Philly team right now, the playoffs…yes playoffs, actually look a whole lot better than they did after an atrocious loss in Boston a couple Sundays ago. Again, I don’t want to go too nuts over this long-awaited spurt of good play, but it’s hard not to get a little excited to finally see something coming together.
I want to reserve my optimism a little at this point, but the Rangers are clearly in the driver’s seat for a playoff berth. If they win, they will be in because of those final two games against the Flyers. Games against Philadelphia are always more of a brawl than a hockey game, but can you imagine the intensity that there will be in both contests if the final playoff spot is on the line?
Say what you want about hating this team, not even wanting this team to make the playoffs, them being bad, etc. I want to see those games mean something and I want the Rangers to make it into the postseason. Do I think the Rangers will make noise in the playoffs if they get there? No. But I love playoff hockey, especially when my favorite team is still in it.
Call me crazy, naive, whatever. Let’s just hope this wasn’t the ultimate jinx and the Rangers don’t go out and lay an egg against Florida tonight.
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17 Responses
sully April 3rd at 7:55 pm
if hey do make the playoffs i think if they avoid playing the caps/ penguins in the first round they can make a serious run for round two, because this has played some of their best games against the devils, and also i dont think sabres are on the level of play as the others, anyhow hank vs miller/marty should be fun to watch, lets wait and hope
sully April 3rd at 8:31 pm
have the defenseman this year double the goal amount of last year defensemen?
sully April 4th at 9:48 am
check out this article, the rangers almost got stamkos last year
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/shaken_not_stirred_T6N63otVVq92kFkpEFVBMI
sully April 6th at 8:34 pm
i believe this team showed what not to do tonight
ausdave April 10th at 10:48 pm
well now for the winner take all fight for 7th spot time to wait and see.
gregg m April 11th at 4:57 pm
oh well. hope torts is done in ny now!
sully April 11th at 5:01 pm
this team needs an entire management and lower management make over, fire everyone except the medical staff
Richard S. April 11th at 5:36 pm
i missed it by 5 min. I called that they would clinch the last day of the season.
http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/09/27/roster-down-to-22/#comments
Oh well, maybe now Slats will be kicked to the curb. We need to ditch our zero, and get ourselves a hero!!!!
sully April 11th at 5:43 pm
which big goal scorer is a free agent end of the year
Richard S. April 11th at 8:10 pm
we have no money, so it doesn’t matter
Richard S. April 11th at 8:32 pm
the Rangers have 46 mil on the books next year. if the cap stays the same, which it isn’t, they have about 14 mil to sign 4-5 forwards, resign marc staal and Girardi, and find a backup goaltender.
If they could get, rid of Redden or drury, then they could afford to sign kovulchuck or patty marleau. If they got rid of both, then they could sign both.
Oviously the biggest goal this offseason is to sign Staal long term. look for him to get 20 mil over 5yrs. Then the question is wether or not they want to keep Girardi. I think that 15mil over 5 yrs would br great for this team. But I like Girardi.
With the D locked up, and 7 mil left, Auld would be another 1 mil for the backup job. That leaves 6 mil for forwards. with guys like Grachev ready to come up they might have the money to resign Prospal, but only if this team gets way younger and only if they can resign shelley and prust to similar deals they have now.
The Rangers have really dug themselves a hole, and this offseason we are really gonna see how big this hole is
sully April 11th at 8:53 pm
if they dont bring back girardi that means sanguinetti will get that final d spot, they would resign prust and shelley which gives them 2 left, if as you say they bring back auld, then why not give that final spot to derek stepan.
also why dont we give johnson a chance to be the back up for a while?
sully April 11th at 9:58 pm
i thought of something, why dont erik and eric try to set the world record for long podcast of complaints about a GM?
Richard S. April 12th at 2:31 am
Sully your funny, Erik and Eric doing a podcast, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Richard S. April 12th at 2:51 am
so Sully, that would give them a lineup that looks like this
Gaborik-Drury-Dubinski
Callahan-AA-Avery
Prust-Kreider-Grachev
Shelly-Boyle-Voros
Redden-Rosival
Staal-Del Zotto
Gilroy-Sanguinetti
Lundqvist
Auld
That Lineup would cost about 50.5 mil
That is about 6-9 mil below the cap for next season. We could sign Marleau for 6 mil per have a #1 center who is only 31 and still be 1-3 million below the cap.
sully April 12th at 5:52 am
i actually said stepan not kreider,but marleau works also
Richard S. April 12th at 1:26 pm
i meant stepan too, dont know why i put kreider, hell be at college for at least 2 more years