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.
Dawes Drury Shanahan
Korpikoski Dubinsky Prucha
Hollweg Betts Orr
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.
