The Rangers put on a dismal performance Thursday, falling 4-0 to the Bruins. After dropping two straight to Pittsburgh, but carrying the third period, New York was a no-show against Boston. The worst term you could put on an athlete is that they are soft, mentally or physically. Right now, and much of this season, the Blueshirts are Charmin mentally, with the inability to turn the tide if anything goes against them in a game.
Not much to say about this one, but here are a few thoughts:
1)
Special teams - the penalty kill has for the most part, kept New York in games. Brilliant for much of the season, expecting perfection nightly is too much. As the adage goes, win the special teams battle and most likely, you will win the game.
With the power play in cold storage, at least the PK kept the team even in the special teams category. But, you cannot give up shorthanded goals as New York has done lately and expect to win games. Not all the struggles can be blamed on the absence of Artemi Panarin. Not having hom doesn't help matters, but the Rangers struggled even when he was here. Then, to top it off, Patrice Bergeron scored on the Boston PP, and then, it truly was lights out.
2) Alexandar Georgiev never met a long shot he could stop. Two more shots from distance beat Georgiev on Thursday. This has been a problem since he arrived in New York and has shown no signs of abating. I got why coach David Quinn went back to Georgiev, but after the way Kinkaid played versus Pittsburgh, I would have started him. When Igor Sheshterkin returns, time to ride him.
3)
Preparation and execution You look at the way Boston and the Isles play and see the vast difference between those two squads and New York. They know their system, know how to support one another, execute, are able to adapt and don't falter, In addition, they are mentally tough and have a true identity. The Blueshirts lack all of the above.
What is their identity? Why do they have slow starts almost nightly? What is the cause of their inability to adjust? How can they fail to execute repeatedly? Part it is on the players, but the coach has to be singled out as well. The team's repeated issues have to fall on the head of someone and heavy lies the head that wears the crown. You know my view of Quinn, but the blender, continued mistakes, slow starts, inability to adjust and myriad of other problems aren't presenting the best case for him to return.
4)
Leadership Ryan Callahan made his debut as a studio host Thursday. Perfect timing. The player who would give up an arm and a leg to win watched a team with no heart lose. Rick Carpinello summarized his appearance and what he said perfectly, maybe the video and words should be posted on the locker room for all to see:
Callahan talked about the “quiet” on the bench after a goal like that, or at moments such as that, in a game, and how somebody needs to step up and do something the next shift, or to stand up and holler on the bench.
“Take the bull by the horns,” he said.
Callahan was correct, too, to say the Rangers took their foot off the gas after a strong start, bringing back their season-long habit (more than one season, actually) of getting away from getting pucks deep, making an opponent’s defensemen turn and play facing the end wall, spending time in the offensive zone and creating offense off the forecheck.
That was the calling card of the Black-and-Blueshirts of the Callahan era before and after he replaced Chris Drury, who retired, as captain. The team that turned the corner the following season, ahead of schedule.
But how many times this season has a game just gotten away from them when maybe somebody could have put a stopper in the leak. Somebody could have said or done something to re-focus the deer-in-headlights looks on the bench.
That guy hasn’t been there. That guy is in the studio now.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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