The Rangers home free fall continued again on Friday. This time, it was the Islanders who jumped to an early lead, and after falling behind 3-2, found a way to rally to beat the Blueshirts. Where to begin in trying to figure out what's happening and where to go from here, which has unfortunately become an all too frequent occurrence on this blog and in the media.
The numbers are staggering. New York is 1-4-2 on their current homestand, 2-8-2 in their last 12 and 6-10-2 overall this year at the Garden. In this homestand, New York has allowed four, four, four, four, three, four and five goals. The team has trailed by two or more goals during each of their past six games while getting outscored by an aggregate 10-4 in the first period during that span. New York has scored three goals in each of the past three games and lost twice.
So who to blame? The easy culprits for this nightmare are GM Glen Sather and coach Alain Vigneault. Sather for the current roster construction or destruction depending on your view, taking a roster that looked to be on the verge of making a long playoff run and somehow failing to augment it. The same thing happened when the Rangers had Jaromir Jagr, believing that adding Drury and Gomez were the answers, then seeing that fail, allowed Jagr to go, replacing him with inferior players. This time, it was the view, which we all shared that the Rangers needed a center as a pivot man alongside Marian Gaborik and then needed another stud winger to pair with Gabby. So they added Brad Richards and then Rick Nash, only to see those moves backfire. Then, it must have been the coach, so the inmates ran the asylum, pushing out Torts. But, ultimately, the roster appears to still lack the upper end talent needed, but more important, the bottom-six, which was an issue in the past, remains a problem, that inability to get supplemental scoring along with draft that scoring falls upon the GM.
This leads us to Vigneault. The current roster was built more for Torts' style of play and not for the system Vigneault wants to use. Of course, it might have made sense to see if Torts could change his style, but given what we have seen to date, it looks as if the style that they did play was the wisest for their "talent" base. But what's the most damning is the lack of identity on this team. In the past, you knew what you would get when you faced the Rangers; a blue-collar, hardworking, bring it nightly squad. Do we see that here? What we have seen is what looks to be a disinterested squad, who either is playing down to their talent level, or if you believe they lack that talent, then the blame shifts right back to Sather. What I would like to see is some emotion, some fire behind the bench rather than the placid, gum-chewing coach that is there now. I can give him credit for attempting to shift styles and mix up lines, as well as the improvement in the power play, yet the constant falling behind nightly falls on the coach as well as the players.
There are many on the list who deserve the blame, but two stand out. Henrik Lundqvist and Rick Nash. I will cover Lundqvist first, though it seems as if I have done this just recently. As Lundqvist goes so goes the Rangers, and right now, the only place they are going are further down in the standings. First it was the lack of a long-term contract that was causing his issues, but on December 4, he was signed to an extension for seven years and $59.5 million. Right now, that deal looks like a major albatross around the team's neck, as Lundqvist has to date more than failed to live up to that extension, which I know doesn't kick in until after this season, posting a 2-4-2 record in his eight consecutive starts since inking the contract, allowing 25 goals and 24 in the last seven. He has a pedestrian 2.77 goals against average, a 10-15-2 overall record, and a .905 save percentage, which doesn't even reflect just how bad he has been at times. It's gotten to the point where in the past you were confident he would make a save, now, you are wondering just how and how often he will be beat, especially in a shoutout.
Lundqvist is the face of the franchise. He is the one everyone looks and turns to in order to carry the team, especially when they struggle. I don't want to hear how he knows he has to be better or how he realizes that he must be find a way to snap out of his recent slump, right now, that's lip service. I wish I knew what the issue was. Is it that he has been overworked in the past? Or being overworked now? Has it been the mental strain of having to carry the team nightly? Is he struggling so much positionally that it's overshadowing anything else? Was he bolstered by the system around him, which masked some of his weaknesses? If he doesn't find a way to get his game back in order, the Rangers have no shot and the deal that they signed him to will be an nightmare for the next seven years. I think he will find his game, the question is will it happen now or one he arrives at the Olympics? If it's the latter, the only thing keeping the Rangers in the playoff race is how bad the Metro division is right now.
The other culprit is Nash. I wrote this just a few days ago and it's becoming more and more true. "Unfortunately, once again, Nash who should be one of the team's top players, failed to step up and show up. I wish I could say it was a one-time aberration, but recently, he hasn't been good enough. Whether it's a fear of getting hit due to his concussions or not being in the right place, he has not gone into the dirty areas and also taken himself out of plays with poor positioning. The team needs the Nash who uses his physical skills and speed to create and convert chances. Right now, he is just not doing it and if the team has any chance, Nash has to be a lot better." If he wants to be paid like a superstar - which he is at $7.8 million per year - then he has to play and dominate like a superstar. What we have seen here in NY, especially lately, is a player who seems more suited to be a support type player rather than one who can carry a team on his back.
It's easy to say blow this team up. Keep McDonagh, Zuccarello, Kreider, possibly Zuccarello. It all sounds great in theory, trade the assets off and replace them with picks to build for the future and players to help that process along. But as said by others, what guarantee us there that doing so will pan out as expected. As we have seen in the past, the tear down several years ago resulted in a middling return at best. Plus, the trade of Leetch was an unmitigated disaster, not because the move shouldn't have been made, but what they got back was so weak it almost seemed pointless. Because of that, if thinking of dealing Callahan and/or Girardi, then the return you get back for either or both of them better warrant ripping out the heart of the team. The decision may be made for them by continuing to struggle, at which point, not dealing one or both of them would be a stupid move. But, in my view, we currently are not at the point, though it may arrive here sooner than expected, especially if the Rangers continue to play with little emotion and positive results on the scoreboard.
All that said, I can understand the other view of just tear it down and start over. Build through the draft, target the right players and restore this franchise to where we thought it was. The best way I can express that I understand the view is that right now I am embarrassed to be a Rangers fan. As some of you know, I wear a baseball hat to work and rotate amongst the team is root for. Lately, I look at the Rangers cap and go, nah, can't really wear that today. Not because they lost but because of the way they have looked when they lose.
For better or worse, the Rangers are back in action again tonight in game eight of the nine-game homestand. All signs point to Cam Talbot, who has a 6-2 record with a 1.74 goals-against average and .934 save percentage and hasnโt started in nearly three weeks, getting the nod against the Wild. If the Rangers were smart, as Larry Brooks wrote and many of us feel, they would start Talbot on Monday at home against the Maple Leafs to finish the homestand, that would give Lundqvist almost a full week with the Rangers next playing Friday in DC following the Xmas break.
The lines Friday were: Nash-Stepan-Zuccarrello Kreider-Brassard-Hagelin, Richards-Miller-Pouliot Boyle-DMoore-Dorsett
I wrote about Nash above. Kreider looks to be the latest in the doghouse, while sticking Richards on the third line to mentor the kid Miller seems shortsighted and Pouliot hasn't actually been one of the best Rangers lately. Put Richards back on the second line, shift Brassard down and move Miller to left wing to play with Pouliot. If Hagelin struggles, though he has been good lately, move Pouliot up and give him a shot.
The Rangers continue to remain at a crossroad. Despite all the rumors surrounding this team, especially MDZ, the only way I see a deal being made is if Dolan or AV force one to be made. That's not to say its right, just what I believe. Or, Sather ends up making a trade just to make a deal and it proves to be the wrong one. We all are frustrated at how poor this team looks and how they fall into the same pattern nightly, there are lots or culprits but unfortunately, no one is being held accountable. Welcome to Rangerstown 2013-14.