I know everyone first instinct tonight is to blame the refs. Yes, they made some truly awful calls, however they also missed a few calls on the Rangers that were obvious, including a high stick by McDonagh and a high stick by (I believe) Stepan on St. Louis. Yes, the refs called a terrible game, but the Rangers lost this one. They lost it when they didn’t muster anything on their power play. They lost it when they came out to start the game without playing a physical game instead they tried to play a cerebral game. They were solid positionally, but this team needs to finish their checks, that’s what gets em going.

You also have to give a ton of credit to the Lightning, their defensive zone coverage was outstanding, and they worked just as hard as the Rangers which is why they took the 2 points. When the Rangers can’t outwork the opposition, they don’t have the talent to win. I’ve said it a bunch of times before, and I will keep saying it until this team gets some more hard working talented players on their roster.

Rangers also had some bad luck on their side, hitting a post, and somehow having St. Louis sneaking a weird angle shot in. Henrik usually stops that, and the Dubi shot should have gone in. But, them’s the breaks as they say.

Sorry for the quick wrap, got a hockey game of my own shortly, wish me luck!

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I’m sure you’ve heard by now. Hell, I’m probably the last one to hear after spending the day with the GF, but the Rangers traded Kennedy and a 3rd for McCabe. It’s a good deal for the Rangers as they get a legitimate canon from the point on the power play, but it really doesn’t solve their biggest problem. Lack of scoring up front. To me the Rangers need to use this as a prelude to acquiring Stastny or Richards. Preferably Stastny. If it’s true that he is available, I would be more than willing to trade Michael Del Zotto, Artem Anisimov, Evgeny Grachev and a first for him. He’s a 70-80 point offensive machine that isn’t even in his prime yet. Is that a lot to give up? Damn straight it is, but imagine this lineup going forward:

Dubinsky – Stastny – Gaborik
MZA – Stepan – Wolski
Christensen- Prospal – Callahan
Fedotenko – Boyle – Prust

That is a significant upgrade to what we have today. Granted, this is depending on Gaborik getting over whatever the hell has him out of the lineup, and the Rangers somehow making the dollars work (not sure you can).

Do your magic Glen, go get me Stastny.

Getting back to the actual trade. The real reason I think it’s a win? Because it makes our chances of making the playoffs higher. McCabe is an upgrade over Del Zotto (for now), and if that’s the case then we have upgraded this team for this season. Why is that important? Why is making the playoffs so important? Because the Rangers kids need to see a payoff. They need to see that them playing Torts’ style, the scratch and claw for every inch of ice style of hockey, wins, and it gets you the result you want, the stanley cup playoffs. Will this team as currently constructed do anything in the playoffs? Probably not. But that’s not the point. These kids need to be rewarded, to get their foot in the door, to start that trend of being perennial winners even if it’s not a Stanley Cup.

This is a good trade, and the Rangers should try to do more to get us into the playoffs. But, I wouldn’t give up any of my kids for a rental or a guy I can just pick up via free agency. No, I’m only willing to give up these kids if it gets me something we don’t have in the system, a bona fide #1 center in the prime of his career.

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