Taylor? Tyler? Rangers May Have a Chance

And the struggle continues... As the Rangers keep spinning their wheels, it makes the possibility of a lottery pick in this year's Entry Draft that much more enticing.  But In order to have a shot at #1, which at this point should be Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin, the Rangers would have to finish the year as one of the 5 worst teams in the league points-wise. Chances are Edmonton will wind up with the top pick, although #2 isn’t a bad consolation prize.  As of this writing, the Rangers possess the 8th worst record or 23rd "best" record if you want to look at it from that perspective (For the few "glass half-full" Ranger fans out there).

Of course there are varying opinions on the draft.  Some think it’s a complete crapshoot.  However, if you’re lucky enough (or bad enough I suppose) to get a top 5 pick, odds are you’re going to end up with a solid NHLer and in many cases an impact player, depending on the talent pool available that particular year.

Interestingly, of their remaining 10 games, they draw the Islanders twice, the Maple Leafs twice, the Flyers twice, and the Lightning, Panthers, Devils and Sabres once each.  Right now, the Isles, Leafs, Panthers and Lightning are all "chasing" the Rangers.  Hmmm…

Considering how mightily they struggle vs. their hated rivals from Long Island, a pair of games against them could actually be a good thing if you’re hoping for a higher draft pick.  Think the upstart Isles might jump all over an opportunity to finish ahead of the Rangers in the standings?  They’ll want to make a statement, as they always do against the Rangers, in these two late-season tilts.  Okposo, Moulson, Tavares and Co. would like nothing more than to subject the Blueshirts to further embarrassment.

I’m not sure the Leafs will put up as much of a fight, but they have been playing pretty good hockey of late, despite the fire sale at the trade deadline.

The Flyers should have a hell of a lot more to play for than the Rangers come April 9th, but even that remains to be seen given Philly’s annual goaltending quandary.  They haven't secured anything yet, in terms of playoff positioning. 

Whatever ultimately transpires, it’ll be interesting to see who "packs it in" come the final few weeks of the season.

I know it’s a longshot, but here are just a few reasons why I believe the Rangers may end up as one of the 5 bottom dwellers and at least get a crack at Seguin or Hall:

The Team is Visibly Defeated and Deflated. The most recent loss to Boston could be is the final nail in the coffin. They’re playing with very little, if any, confidence.  It’s been a long, frustrating season.  I think deep down inside this team knows they’re not playoff material and it shows on the ice.  Tortorella hasn’t been able to settle on any consistently effective line combinations all year (aside from Prospal, Gaborik and Christiansen, with Dubi periodically being inserted into the top spot now and then).  The defense looks lost much of the time.  They give up more odd-man rushes than any team I’ve seen in recent memory.  Their offense is impotent.  In a word, they stink.  Soon they won’t have much else to play for except pride.  Time's a tickin' away.

Gaborik is Running on Fumes (and may be playing through injury). As most Ranger fans know by now, Tortorella plays his top guys until they drop.  Well, Gaborik is their top guy (no kidding), and I think he’s about to drop.  He looks tired; he’s lost a step, and is likely playing through some type of "lower-body injury," whether it’s his groin or something else, we don’t know for sure.  Perhaps he's just plain tired from having to carry this offense on his back all year.  Whatever's going on, the fact is Gaborik’s not the same player he was earlier in the year.  And if he’s not scoring, this group goes nowhere.

The Possible Loss of Ryan Callahan.  I hate to speculate, but anytime you get plowed into the boards by someone 6’9", 255 lbs it can’t be a good thing… especially if you’re 5’11" 185 lbs and on the receiving end.  Man, this is huge if Cally misses an extended period of time.  They’ll miss his grit, heart, hustle, determination and everything else that comes with being Ryan Callahan.  This team would be even more lifeless and indifferent with #24 out of the lineup.  Oh, and by the way, he’s also their second leading goal scorer.

More Starts for Alex Auld Down the Stretch?   This is not a knock on Alex Auld.  He’s a decent backup, but Lundqvist clearly gives the Rangers a better opportunity to win.  Having Auld in net just equals a better chance for the Rangers to lose (Not that they need any more of a handicap).  Lundqvist has to be exhausted physically and mentally at this point after playing behind this shaky defense all year.  He’s let in some soft goals of late (nothing new for him, but it seems to be happening more frequently), he’s visibly discouraged with the group "playing" in front of him, and the Olympics put on additional wear and tear.  Why continue to subject him to this mess?  The only incentive to play Hank is to get him another 30-win season.  You have to think Tortorella’s going to give Auld a few games down the stretch, especially if they fall further out of playoff contention.  But, then again, who the hell ever knows what Tortorella’s going to do?

Do the Rangers have a legitimate shot at Seguin or Hall?  Not likely, but at the rate they're going it's certainly possible.

As of March 21, here are the bottom 8 teams in the league, followed by games played and points: