Rangers should have tied this one. They had 3 or 4 wide open nets that they just couldnt hit. I have no idea what the hell is going on with this team. They continue to play well (2nd period not withstanding) and yet the puck just won’t go in the damn net. I can’t even count how many glorious chances they had where the puck went wide, or was flubbed or mishandled or whatever the case may be.

At this point, the excuses need to stop. This team has to start scoring. They need to play more aggressive in the offensive zone, and need to start doing it in a hurry.

This is no longer funny. Its almost like watching the movie Angels in the outfield, but in reverse. Somehow the pucks just will not do what the Rangers want, and seem to do whatever the other team wants.

One has to wonder at what point this team makes a trade or some sort of a change of pace to shake things up.

Another thing that really hit home while watching this game, is that we are no longer a “wave” team, where each line generates offense. The fact of the matter is, we have 2 guys in this lineup who have no business playing where they are. First Jason Strudwick plays on the 4th line, to make an already ineffective 4th line, actually worse. Secondly having Hollweg on the 3rd line effectively neutralizes whatever game Prucha or Dubinsky can play, because the guy simply has no offensive talent whatsoever. Prucha feeds him a pass for the 2 on 1, fumbles the pass, Dubinsky sets him up with a point blank shot, hops over his stick and goes out of the zone. The guy just has no business playing with offensive players.

Shanahan is killing this team with those shots that are wide, and go completely out of the zone. it stops the rush, it traps all the forwards in the zone, and it deflates the whole team when a rush is wasted like that. Hit the net Shanny, or at least keep the play alive for a cycle by pulling back, or simply dump it in on goal low, and try to get rebounds. DO NOT miss with a snapper wide right, and have it go all the way out of the zone.

My solution: Bring up Lauri Korpikoski. He plays a speed game, plays both ends of the puck, and is a fantastic own zone player, and has limitless untapped offensive potential.

Of course, we could try to see if another talentless player in the mold of Jason Strudwick is available, it seems to be par for the course at times.

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*sigh* 20 minutes after I gushed about how brilliant the Rangers were playing, they go and take a dump all over my credibility. Goal number 1, all on Henrik, very soft goal that he should have had. Goal #2, all on Henrik, as usual the worst stick handling goalie in the league hurts himself by doing something dumb behind the net. I wish to God he would just stay in the net and never be allowed to play the puck back there. Can we remove the trapezoid and just make the entire area behind the net an unplayable area for the goalies…or just our goalie? The third goal was all on Fedor Tyutin, who released his man right in front of the net and played the wrong side. Instead of getting between the man and the puck, he freely gave that position to the forward and instead went to the other side of the goal. Why? I have no idea, it was just a horrendous play.

Maybe the Rangers got cocky after scoring that goal, or maybe they just had a few breakdowns that are natural when a team has been playing so well defensively for so long. Either way, you CAN NOT let crap like that happen.

On another note, why is it everytime we are on a breakaway or a 2 on 1 the forwards with the puck are offensively inept players? You never see Gomez and Jagr on a 2 on 1. Its always Hollweg and Betts, or Strudwick and Dee the sarcastic sister from good times. Its very strange, very strange indeed.

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Want to know why so many people picked the Rangers to be Stanley Cup Favorites coming into this year? This is why. When you have a team with superstar after superstar, who can and will actually play defense, you are going to win a lot of games. Look at the play with Jaromir Jagr. Here is a play with a guy notorious for not playing defense, who saves a breakaway by busting his ass back after being the deepest guy in the offensive zone seconds before. That, is why this team will win. When a team can hold the most potent offensive club to only 5 shots on goal, none of which were particularly impressive, then will win a lot of games. We more than doubled them in shots, and had a few chances. I know im being redundant here, but eventually, they will go in.

Great period by the Rangers.

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