The Rangers are in the midst of doing some soul-searching. A pair of losses this weekend as well as three in the last four games leaves the team somewhat reeling. The same mistakes we have seen much of the season, especially during the mid-November/December, have came back with a vengeance. The manner in which those defeats occurred has the team rightly questioning their confidence and the fanbase trying to figure out why these problems can't be remediated.
Some of those issues may be personnel related. The quicker than expected decline of Dan Girardi and Marc Staal has weakened the back line. Add in the loss of Carl Hagelin, which has reduced the team speed, and you have a major factor in the Rangers' inability to sustain a consistent forecheck. Throw in the mixing and matching of lines in an attempt to find consistent combinations and you can see why the struggles have occurred. But all those reasons and many more do no explain the staggering lack of effort all too many contests, which to me is possibly the worse problem of all.
What can be done? With Rick Nash back and having two games behind them along with a few practices this week, the hope has to be that he rediscovers his game. Keep him with Eric Staal and play Kevin Hayes on the wing with the hope that by skating with their two vets Hayes will not have another brain cramp. Have Derick Brassard center Mats Zuccarello and JT Miller or Jesper Fast, with Miler or Fast serving as the defensive conscious of that line. Leave Chris Kreider with Derek Stepan and use either Hayes or Miller as the other wing. The fourth line will for now have Dominic Moore, though if his season long problems continue, I could see him benched. Move Viktor Stalberg to that line with either Oscar Lindberg or Tanner Glass. Personally, I would call up Marek Hrivik, place Dylan McIlrath on LTIR to clear the needed cap room, and have Hrivik with Stalberg and Moore.
With G's and Staal's possession numbers offensive, mirroring that of the team's, it leaves three really good defensemen. Ryan McDonagh, Keith Yandle and Kevin Klein will have to carry the load. Dan Boyle has shown he can be effective at times but too often, he hasn't been, especially on the tail end of back-to-backs. Giving credit to past performances needs to go out the window. Call up Brady Skjei and put him on the third pairing. If you are really willing to go for it, almost promote Raphael Diaz, but I know that's crazy talk. I would pair McDonagh with Klein and go with Yandle and Staal. The problem is that leaves G and Boyle, slow and sloth like. This is where I play Skjei, allowing him to use his skating skills and have G hang back to allow Skjei to do so. Skjei should be promoted because of the three games in four days, but if he isn't in the lineup in each contest, the above proposed combinations go out the window because of what would be a major third line issue.
After the almost fully blown weekend, New York has the privilege of heading out to California to take on Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose. I say that somewhat sarcastically but also partially looking forward to the trip. No, I am not crazy and hear me out. If you a team soul searching and trying to right yourself, you might say it would be best to face weaker competition. But the Rangers have historically, including this year, have played down to their competition. Meaning of you want to prove something and be forced to raise your game, what better way than having to face some of the best teams in the Western Conference.
The trip could either make or break the team. Florida did the Rangers no favors blowing a 2-0 lead in losing 3-2 to the Islanders. That win by the Isles leave them a point behind the Rangers with a pair of games in hand. Pittsburgh, even though they are without Evgeni Malkin, showed Sunday they can be dangerous while Philly isn't going away and the Red Wings defeated the Rangers on Saturday. As such the division and conference remain tight for several playoff spots. If the Rangers have a successful trip, they should be fairly secure in the two or three seed and at worst, in great shape for a playoff berth. If not....