Rangers Recap: Rangers Playoff Hopes Slowly Getting Crushed as they are Pummeled by Devils, 6-3
by Nick Montemagno on Mar 10, 2010 10:16 PM EST
in Rangers Recaps
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There are only fifteen games remaining in the 2009-10 season for the New York Rangers. In order to make the playoffs, they are going to need to win at least ten of those. After seeing what the squad displayed on this night, they are lucky if they win five of their last fifteen, because that uninspiring loss was atrocious. They did not get the offense, they certainly did not get the defense, and the goaltending was below average. Yea, not too great of a winning formula.
You knew it was going to be a long night when Rob Niedermayer scored on a scrambly play just four minutes in. Unfortunately, the defense would not get any better from there. Bryce Salvador somehow managed to get a slapshot from the point through to Lundqvist, where it was deflected off of Olli Jokinen and past Hank. The Blueshirts did manage to squeeze a goal in-between the two Devil tallies as Marian Gaborik broke out of his scoring slump, feeding Vinny Prospal for a tap-in.
The second stanza was just a complete mess, at least the second half of it. Erik Christensen scored a marvelous goal to open the period, beating the defense as well as Marty Broduer, making it a tie game once again. However, Zach Parise was able to regain the lead with a powerplay goal, only to be answered by Brandon Prust's first as a Ranger off a Shelley rebound. That would be the end of the Rangers scoring.
Jamie Langenbrunner and Brian Rolston scored within two minutes of each other, eventually leading up to the removal of Henrik Lundqvist from the game. Now before everyone starts ripping Hank for a bad performance, look at the outing the defense was having. Dan Girardi was about the only player on defense that was even noticeable for the Rangers, besides when Redden was found sliding down by Brodeur's crease when his team was being scored on in the other end. Lundqvist did not play well, no question, but this was not his fault.
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Alex Auld, Lundqvist's replacement, played quite well, stopping nine out of ten shots and only allowing one goal to Travis Zajac in the third period. Auld had to face several odd-man rushes immediately following his entrance, which means this team did not make any adjustments or feel any emotion while seeing their all-star goaltender sitting on the bench. That is a depressing thought.
John Tortorella has lost himself, and just may have lost this team. The postgame rubbish with reporters is getting old. No need to take out the anger from your own mistakes on an innocent bunch of people trying to do their job. There is no need for that and makes the organization appear to be low-class.
Secondly, his decisions on the ice are doing nothing but hurting this team. Let's face it, he no longer has a resolution to this club's problems. Right now they are rapidly descending through the standings and dropping out of the bid for a playoff berth. Torts needs to get a grasp of his squad fast and get them back on the right track, but for some reason, I just do not think he can pull it off.
I am not going to sit here and point the finger of blame at individuals, so I would just like to take a look at the big picture to put a wrap on the night. The New York Rangers need to win 67 percent of their remaining games. What we painfully witnessed tonight is not a product of hockey that is going to win you 67 percent of the remainder of your season. So my question to you is, can they do it? Can they make the playoffs? I am beginning to have my doubts at this point.
The Rangers are back at it on Friday when they take on the Atlanta Thrashers at Philips Arena and following that they will clash with the Flyers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon. Two extremely crucial contests that the Blueshirts have to win, and if they do not, they will fall in the standings drastically.
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Tonight... and often
Note to Wade Redden- You seem to be a very nice guy and decent teammate, but can you please just retire? You don’t skate, you don’t defend – there’s just no passion in your game. Please retire. I’m begging you.
Torts – we need help on D – we don’t need them playing forward or goalie. That’s what it looked like against the Devils – standing in front of the goal, deflecting shots and not taking the man. Reds has no place on this team – when are you going to see that? You’ll see what we could have had on Friday against Chelios. Now HE’S a d-Man.
Why was Greg’s post removed?
"Jaromir Jagr.... it's a POWER PLAY GOAL!"
- Sam Rosen
"Marian Gaborik.... it's a POWER PLAY GOAL!"
-Sam Rosen
Gregs post was hidden, it will be back in the morning, we had to get the recap up first
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Mar 10, 2010 11:14 PM EST up reply actions
slip sliding away marian who ?
bring on the n.h.l. draft already oh yeah sather drafts garbage o.k bring on baseball lets go mets …
I will continue to defend Torts until next season,
But damn do I miss Tom Renney and Jaromir Jagr
by CrazyRangerFan on Mar 10, 2010 10:45 PM EST reply actions
What about the alternate jerseys?
I think that is what I miss the most.
by The Last Shall Become First on Mar 11, 2010 12:08 AM EST up reply actions
And to think
I saw so many fans loving it when he left at the beginning of the next season (when they were winning all the games) saying how the “new” Rangers would go to the net instead of scoring off of “pretty” plays.
We never go to the net and I miss pretty plays. God Christensen’s goal was a beauty though.
"Malik now." "6 foot 6, 238, not a noted goal scorer but he's gonna give it a shot here." "Malik has not scored this year. In on Kolzig, faked it....SCORES"
Tonight's game
Please implode for the rest of the season. Don’t let Sather or Tortorella off the hook. How low can we go!
Boy am I glad we have Jody Shelley. What would we do without him? Probably the same things we do with him…suck.
Bettman's Nightmare: A Blog Where Hockey Aficionados Dismantle That Mighty Empire, One Balsillie at a Time
http://bettmansnightmare.blogspot.com/
by Bettman's Nightmare on Mar 10, 2010 11:12 PM EST reply actions
I'm done watching for the rest of the season
I decided a few games ago that I want them to lose every game for the rest of the season and the way it is going it could very well happen. Its the only way REAL changes will be made after this season, via sather, torts, and the removing the bad baggage. And it will give us a nice prime prospect which is something we need. I mean this could be howes big chance to show us which gem he could really pick out out of the elite prospects. If we make it into playoffs and win a few games it only gives them comfort in keeping their jobs. Hope you all still consider me a real fan, but I think this is what needs to happen, by hitting bottom is the only way the owners will admit we have problems that need to be fixed
Toad McGee
Toad
The only problem these owners will be worried about fixing is EMPTY SEATS!! Until that happens, you will see no change in things.
by I hate people on Mar 10, 2010 11:20 PM EST up reply actions
The best thing that could happen!!
Making the playoffs should be the LAST thing on their minds! If they did, they are destined to go nowhere fast and what would they get for their troubles??? Zip….nada….NOTHING!!
They should do what they can to make themselves the worst team in the league(which shouldn’t be too hard for them), and get the number one pick!! Sadly, this won’t happen because they’ll tell you about their pride (which hasn’t seem to existed all season).
It is getting really hard to stay positive.
by WalkerNYRanger on Mar 10, 2010 11:57 PM EST reply actions
The Season Is Over
In the immortal words of Herm Edwards “You Play to Win the Game”, but I really don’t want to go to the playoffs. NYR missing the playoffs may be the only chance we have of getting rid of Sather, Torts, Rozi and Redden (At least 3 of the 4) .
On a side note Mike Keenan may very well be the worst analyst I have ever seen. He has the personality of a pencil eraser.
by The Last Shall Become First on Mar 11, 2010 12:07 AM EST reply actions
Im done w/ Torts. This asshole personality shit is stale and doesnt work when youre bottom 10 in the league. Get him out next month. You guys probably know more about coaches than I do, so who do you see as a good potential replacement?
Favre 4 Ever
I Believe In Chris Drury
bring back Mike Keenan… he might have been an asshole, but he led us straight to the cup!.. bottum line though, we need a new head coach
by Nick G. Perri on Mar 11, 2010 6:29 AM EST up reply actions
its over
kiss this season good bye i love this web site and its fans but enough already have a good summer ranger fans hope something happens good in july thanks cally and the king
by James kurtinbach on Mar 11, 2010 12:52 AM EST reply actions
Who First?
Who would you want gone first: 1.) Redden 2.) Rosival 3.) Sather 4.) Torts?
by BlueshirtSadFace on Mar 11, 2010 12:52 AM EST reply actions
Redden
Only because Sather has done well in the draft department. Shortly thereafter he needs to be replaced too.
no he hasnt… jamie lundmark,dan blackburn,exc. go to Rangers wikipedia, than to the draft section and look at all the shit he picked….. im going with sather, than totrs will go, than both rosi and redden wil b gone
by Nick G. Perri on Mar 11, 2010 6:32 AM EST up reply actions
Who do I feel sorry for on this team that plays with heart.
Lundqvist, Prospal, Callahan, Dubinsky, Del Zotto, Staal, Christensen has shown it, Avery shows it but you can tell he skates with a muzzel at times. I feel bad for Lisin as he is the odd man out for no reason. Gaborik still has the injury on his mind & Anisimov looks o.k.
Other than that, no one else. Sather has to go, half the team has to be purged. I miss Sjostrom, Korpikoski, Dawes, Jagr as well. And he said he might come back to the NHL next year. At 38 and he can still play like this…..I wouldn’t mind a return.
Kreider, Stepan, & Ryan Bourque. If your old enough, your good enough. Time to bring them in.
by NYR #35 Richter on Mar 11, 2010 2:40 AM EST reply actions
jagr is going to play for renney in edmonton
by Nick G. Perri on Mar 11, 2010 6:33 AM EST up reply actions
Lisin
Don’t feel bad for Lisin……the guy has all the ability in the world and is one of the fastest skaters in the league. He didn’t seem to make much effort until he was put on waivers! He isn’t a rookie that we can say “he’ll develop”….. He’s been around and Phoenix was willing to let him go for a reason!!
by I hate people on Mar 11, 2010 8:08 AM EST up reply actions
Speed doesn't help when you beat the D to puck....
and you never get any help streaking through the Crease. We have no one touch odd-man offense. Its sad to watch.
He's 23
Been off and on in the league since he was 20. So no, he’s not technically a “rookie,” but it’s not like he’s a 29 yr old seasoned vet. He does have time to develop, but he hasn’t been given the opportunity.
If they were going to use them the way they have, they would’ve been better off sending him back to the AHL to work on whatever part of his game they felt lacked.
He is very gifted offensively, and it seems so strange that a team that lacks offense couldn’t find consistent minutes for him.
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on Mar 11, 2010 9:44 AM EST up reply actions
Surprised? No.
Confused, yes.
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on Mar 11, 2010 4:19 PM EST up reply actions
Venting...
This whole organization sucks! From the top on down….
I agree with the general consensus in that I hope they tank the season. Last night was painful to watch. Time to clean house. Well not entirely. I actually still think they have a decent core of guys. Hank, Gabby, Cally, Dubi, Avery, AA, Staal… even Gilroy, Prust, Shelly, & DZ can stay IMO. The rest gotta go.
Sather – Gone
Torts – Gone
Let Mess or Schoenfeld run this team.
Coaches… I’m open to suggestions. But the bottom line is Torts has lost (or never had) this team. Nobody takes the body. They all think they can poke check the puck away every time. Nobody clears the crease. They screen their own goaltender(s). The powerplay is in disarray. The coach doesn’t coach and he shuffles lines more than a blackjack dealer shuffles cards. Worse than that, he has the temperament of a 5 year old little brat.
It was funny and refreshing at first but it only goes so far when your not producing favorable results.
Hindsight being 20/20, DZ should have never been kept up. His play last night was the most glaring to me. He’s a 19yr old rookie so I can’t crucify him too much. He just looked lost out there. Redden – same, but no excuses.
I can keep going but my blood-pressure is rising along with my words per minute. lol
So here’s to tanking the season, a decent draft pick, an new coach, a new GM & the end of the R&R twins in Rangers uniforms. Cheers!!!
Mired in Mediocrity
The Rangers do not have the talent to seriously contend for the Cup. Chances are slim to none of them even making the playoffs. The team is largely composed of raw youngsters and castoffs that no other team really wants. It is easy to blame Torts for the lack of success, but that is unfair since he has so little to work with. If you compare the rosters of NHL teams, the Rangers are probably in the bottom 20%. The players are not underperforming. They play poorly because they are not as talented as their opponents. Torts did not assemble this team of losers. Glen Sather did. Was Torts even consulted on Sather’s roster moves? The worst of the roster moves occurred before Torts joined the Rangers. Sather is responsible for the Rangers’ bloated payroll. While it is possible to discard a number of players after the season, it will be almost impossible to get rid of Redden, Rozsival or Drury and their outrageous contracts. The Rangers will be mired in mediocrity until those contracts expire. The only way to trade any of the undeserving trio would be to package them with Gaborik or Hank. It might be worth some consideration.
ah ya had me till the last sentence!!,your right it probably would be the only way,but I wouldn’t even consider it,Gabby and Hank are 2 MUST HAVE keys if you wanna contend for the cup,even say we did,and the outcome raised the rest of the teams talent level 10% (or whatever) I still dont think it would be worth it,being that Gabby and Hank are irreplaceable.I think time and patience is going to be the only real solution in the end (for all situations,r+r,slats etc).
Si Vis Pacum Parabellum
A team full of role players!!
Outside of Hank and Gaborik, not counting the “D”…..all these guys are nothiing more than role players on a real team. Drury…..blocks a lot of shots and does ‘the little things" HOW ABOUT THE BIG THING!!! SCORE SOME DAMN GOALS! I’m not really down on Drury for scoring because he has never been a real goal scorer. What pisses me off about him is “how it was always his dream to play for the Rangers……blah blah blah” Funny, it took more money for the Rangers to sign him than anyone else!! He should have been willing to fulfill his dream for free if that was the case!! For what they’re paying him, he should be doing the little things, the big things……and driving the zamboni between periods!!!
we should have a fire sather rally
at cablevision’s headquarters and we should all wear verizon fios tshirts
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Atlantic Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Jersey
|
82 | 48 | 27 | 7 | 103 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
82 | 47 | 28 | 7 | 101 |
|
Philadelphia
|
82 | 41 | 35 | 6 | 88 |
|
New York Rangers
|
82 | 38 | 33 | 11 | 87 |
|
New York Islanders
|
82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 |
(updated 4.12.2010 at 9:21 AM EDT)
Rangers Schedule
Next 5 Games
|
New Jersey
|
Thu 09/23 | 7:00 PM EDT |
|
@
New Jersey
|
Sat 09/25 | 7:00 PM EDT |
|
@
Detroit
|
Sun 09/26 | 5:00 PM EDT |
|
Detroit
|
Wed 09/29 | 7:00 PM EDT |
|
Ottawa
|
Fri 10/01 | 7:00 PM EDT |
Last 5 Games
|
@
Philadelphia
|
Sun 04/11 | SO - L 1 - 2 |
|
Philadelphia
|
Fri 04/09 | W 4 - 3 |
|
Toronto
|
Wed 04/07 | W 5 - 1 |
|
@
Buffalo
|
Tue 04/06 | L 2 - 5 |
|
@
Florida
|
Sat 04/03 | W 4 - 1 |
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