So, if you read my “how to fix the rangers” piece from yesterday, or my post game rant from the Flyers game, you’ll know what I am about to say. The Rangers have yet to play a complete 60 minute game in all 3 zones, barring the effort against Toronto (with a very lackadaisical effort from the Leafs), let alone string it together for several games. Well, that is still true in this one, despite winning convincingly, but 8 out of 9 ain’t bad, and it certainly gives us something to build on.

	First Period	Second Period	Third Period
Offense
Defense
Goaltending

As you can see from the little table above, I felt the Rangers played very well in all facets, except for offensively in the 3rd. They really had no chances, and most definitely took their foot off the pedal, big time. The Rangers played such an effective game because they were able to control the puck in the offensive zone for such long stretches. It seemed every other shift was spent in the Montreal zone (when the Rangers weren’t killing a penalty that is), followed by the Habs having to dump the puck in, change, and get back defensively for the next Rangers push. THAT is Rangers hockey. Not up and down trading chances hockey (Tampa Bay/Carolina Hockey). Not playing in our own zone for 18 minutes then jumping on a turnover and getting a goal (Devils Hockey). No, we are built for puck possession, then 5-man regroup and solid defensive zone coverage.

A big thing in this game though were the penalties. The Rangers, I believe, took 8 penalties, while the Habs took only 3. This was not a well called game. In fact this wasn’t even a poorly called game. This was a one-sided, atrocious display of officiating, and it had me literally screaming when my team is winning by a large margin and they call Marcel Hossa on a slash for trying to play the puck. I haven’t said much about the reffing this year, surely less than last year at least, but my God, this was friggin horrible. Once again I would send in a complaint if I was the GM. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, and the Rangers need to show the NHL they are sick of getting shafted by the refs.

Personally I thought the Rangers got called for 3 atrocious penalties, and they let 3 blatant Habs penalties go uncalled. You should have seen roughly a 5-5 or 5-6 or 6-5 penalty distribution in this game. One team should not have had nearly 3 times the power plays as the other, especially with the high degree of blatant stuff that was going on out there going uncalled for the Habs.

I was very impressed with most of our players. Marcel Hossa had a very strong game once again, and continues to make himself indispensable out there. You can’t take this guy out, he kills penalties very well, and he controls the puck single handedly for entire shifts. That immediately is a defensive gain right there. I know we are banged up right now, but in a week or so when we should be healthy, this is the lineup I would like to see:

Straka Gomez Jagr - 20-22 minutes
Avery Drury Shanny - 16-18 minutes
Prucha Dubinsky Dawes - 10-12 minutes
Hossa Betts Orr - 7-9 minutes

Basically the same lineup we have been asking to see for a while now, in fact it might be just 1 player off from my opening day suggested lineup (Callahan < -> Dawes).

Before anyone shouts at me for flip flopping or being wrong or whatever, I want you to carefully re-read my proposal to fix the Rangers. Note the bottom of each and every section. My first suggestion was to fix the problem with the #6 defenseman (which still needs to be done), and see if the Rangers can find their game with 1 small ancillary move. Then my suggestion was to fire the coach, again, nothing to do with the roster, and see if that lets the Rangers find their game. My final suggestion, to tear it all down, was predicated on neither of the previous moves being effective AND the Rangers being out of contention by the trade deadline. I still stand by that thought process. Start small, fix that minor thing, then go bigger, then go massive. Don’t do something massive right off the bat.

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Looks like Renneys theory that an all kid line would be suicide is proven wrong. Dubinsky Prucha and Dawes have been by far and away the best line out there, even if they didn’t score 2 goals. They just arent getting enough ice time (or so it appears) for my liking, but are controlling the puck, playing solid in their own zone, and generating a lot of offense out there.

While there was a lot to like love in what the Rangers did out there, make no mistake about it, there were some terrible plays as well. I’m not sure the exact total, and I dont have time to look it up, but I think they took 4 or 5 penalties in that period alone. That is not going to cut it, particularly 2 5 on 3 advantages, both for well over a minute.

Part of the blame belongs to the refs, who are calling a sickeningly one-sided game, from waiving off a clear goal (later reviewed and overturned), to not calling damn near anything on the Habs, to at least 2 phantom calls on the Rangers, one of which led to a 5 on 3. I am very angry at the way the refs are clearly trying to give this one to the Habs, call a fair game refs, thats your bleeping jobs.

However part of the blame also resides on the Rangers. Jagr should know by now what a hook is (though the call on Hossa was mystifying to say the least), and Rozsival has nobody to blame for shooting the puck out of the rink in his own zone. Discipline fellas, discipline.

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In a near carbon copy of the last game, the Rangers played a solid 3-zone game, but took way too many penalties (2). Speaking of penalties, what was with that call on Staal for boarding? Since when did it become illegal to play hockey? This was nothing like the Hollweg boarding call that I was disgusted at. This was a legitimate hockey hit, and Kovalev was not in a prone position, and it was more from the side/back then straight on his back, plus Kovalev was turning at the point of contact.

So 1 down, 2 to go as far as playing a complete period in all 3 facets. Now do it 2 more times.

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