Some math in a minute, but let’s talk about this game first shall we? I do not want to hear about all our injuries, because we all saw damn well if the Rangers played hard, like they did in that 3rd, they would dominate this Tampa Bay Lightning team that was the worst team in the East coming into this game. This game hurts a lot, because the Rangers weren’t beaten, the Rangers just didn’t show up.
Ok, I know I promised a long rant, but I just can’t do it, my brain my explode, so instead I will do some nice math for you.
The Rangers trailed for most of this game. They scored an early one, but after 8:24 in the first period they were down for good. Now I don’t want to forget the fact that the Jagr line was on the ice for 7 of the 8 goals scored in this game (3 for, 4 against), but clearly things happened when they were on the ice. They scored, the had chances, they had wide open nets missed, they did what they could.
With that said here are some interesting numbers:
Colton Orr: 13:16
Ryan Hollweg: 13:51
Blair Betts: 16:05
The Rangers “4th line” had more minutes each than any other forwards except for Jagr, Drury and Gomez.
Just think about that for a minute. This 3-some has a combined 3 goals for this season. That is less than Dawes, Prucha, Dubinsky or Shanahan by themselves. Combined they are a -25, so it’s not like they are some sort of supreme defensive tandem, in fact they are ranked 18th (Betts) 21st (Hollweg) and 24th (Orr) on the team in terms of +/- out of the 24 players that have played for the Rangers this year. So this is the tandem that Renney wants on the ice for 24% of the game?! A line that manufactures zero offense, and are among the worst on the team in terms of +/-?!
Yikes.
Let’s look at this even further shall we? The Rangers have scored 105 goals this year, with these 3 players accounting for 3 of those goals. That means they account for 2.8% of the Rangers offense, however in this game they accounted for 23% of the Rangers ice time. Does that really make sense to you?
Look, I understand that you can’t play the other lines continuously and that rolling 4 lines helps keep the other guys fresh, but you have to be a little more sensible in the way you manage your team. When you are down so many key guys, you ride your horses (Gomez, Jagr, Drury) and put them on the ice for 28 to 30 minutes, and shorten the less effective guys as you go along. ESPECIALLY when you are down for the bulk of the game. Heck, you could make a kid line of Dawes Moore and Prucha/Dubinsky and play them 4 minutes total, and increase the ice time of everyone else. Play your vets if you want, I don’t have a problem with that in a game where your bench is short, but don’t frigging put talentless hacks out there for a quarter of the game and act surprised when you are down by 3 goals.
What does Korn think about the Rangers right now?
Fire Renney?
You bet your ass Fire Renney.
