Rangers Analysis: Missing The Playoffs Would Hurt
by Joe Fortunato on Mar 30, 2010 11:41 AM EDT
in New York Rangers Analysis
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PrintYeah, yeah, yeah I know. I have been one of the people here who as deemed that making the playoffs would be "useless" and that the Rangers would be better off golfing than getting crushed in the playoffs. But on NHL.com today they ran an ad, that really touched me (as a Ranger fan) right down to my very soul. Take a look:
Join me after the jump.
Pay special attention to Mark Messier "giving the cup back," he looks so sad. The picture looks so empty. I wouldn't have been woken up at 3 in the morning by my father to tell me what had happened. I wouldn't have gotten the Rangers video montage of the 1994 playoffs for my birthday, and I sure as hell wouldn't have watched that tape the ten-thousand times that I did.
So the Rangers are in the middle of fighting for their playoff lives, as we the fans sit and wait for something to happen. Every one here understands that if the Rangers do make the playoffs they would go up against Washington or Pittsburgh (or even in a best case scenario Buffalo) and be a serious underdog. But you know what? So what? Who cares?
While I don't support the idea that the Rang are actual cup contenders I do support that idea that upsets are capable. "That's why you play the game," or "any given Sunday," are some of the more famous sports clichés. Anything can happen, if you just believe.
Unfortunately the Rangers haven't exactly given us much to believe in. But for right now (since if they lose to the Islanders one would have to assume that it's over) I have faith in this "mis-matched and patch-worked" team. I have hope that my boys can go out there, make the playoffs, and maybe shock someone.
Thats right I'm drinking the Cool Aid! And while I might regret it later, for now it's the right thing to do. And yes, I understand that I have flipped on this idea multiple times, but you know what? Everyone does. At least I'm man enough to admit it. So bust through that wall Cool Aid man and fill my glass! (Unless we lose tonight.)
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Just goes to show
that NYR fans emulate their team.
They lack consistency, too.
;-) :-D
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
To be a “capable” underdog – that is, have the potential to upset a more highly skilled opponent – you need to have passion and desire, which this team lacks. An upset doesn’t just “happen”, it has to be manufactured and the Rangers are far from being able to do so.
bah!
for now fill my glass with eh Cool Aid. It sure does beat wishing that we will win the lotter (which we wont)
Blueshirt Banter: Covering the New York Rangers the only NHL team with three home arenas.
by Joe Fortunato on Mar 30, 2010 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
and in response
if you get hot at the right time there is no telling what one can do. This team has beaten the best (even in their worst state) and lost to the worst. They can beat anyone, even if the numbers don’t stack in their favor.
Blueshirt Banter: Covering the New York Rangers the only NHL team with three home arenas.
by Joe Fortunato on Mar 30, 2010 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
You probably wanna check that last sentence…I’m just happy you didn’t leave OFF the first 2 letters of ‘class’ or this site would be NSFW :-)
In all seriousness though…this team isn’t last year’s team, and I don’t see them doing what they did to Washington again. Ovechkin said it best about last year’s run “Lundqvist can’t play like God every game.”
Still a great ad though
they did one for Bourque too
Blueshirt Banter: Covering the New York Rangers the only NHL team with three home arenas.
Love this:
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
lose for better pick
all i have to say is ny rangers no no heart no passion no emotion bunch of f in zombies but i still love them
does missing the playoffs this year, ending up w a higher draft pick really hurt more than making the playoffs, losing in round 1 getting a mid first round pick, adding to the Dolan wallet and giving Dolan and Sather the ability to say we made the playoffs 5 straight years so nothing wrong here and doing the same thing again next year?
by Michael Gleich on Mar 30, 2010 12:16 PM EDT reply actions
Over?
Nothing is over til its official…was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!?!?!
Favre 4 Ever
I Believe In Chris Drury
Pour me a glass, Joe!!!
What’s better than playoff hockey, especially when the Rangers are in it, even if they’re going to get blasted in 4 or 5 games? Sitting at home on your ass watching the draft for 3 hours waiting for the 15th pick instead of the 10th pick? Please, gimme a f-ing break.
You armchair GM’s can have your BS draft picks and hope the Rangers lose and move up the draft a few slots.
I’ll never root for the Rangers to tank, ever. Winning is contagious, losing is a disease for losers and an easy way out.
So I say, fk it, bring on the Caps!!!
Somebody’s got their #1 foam-finger in the holster ready to draw.
Because obviously this current team with their awesome management skills have created such a winner, and 1 Stanley Cup in 70 years is something we should ALL aspire to. Which pretty much means this team has a 5-alarm case of that ‘losing disease’.
Sorry, ol' friend...but I'm briging a foam finger of my own.
I have not wavered from this point the past few weeks on this site…even if a bit unpopular or delusional. :)
There’s a reason there’s always a celebration following the play-in game for March Madness. Yes, they know they’re about to get shellacked. Ditto on an obscure country sending their Olympians to get slaughtered in competition.
Anything CAN happen, and the ability to play the game/s – for themselves, their fans, their state/country – is worth the price of admission. At least we’ll know – inconsistent or not – they gave what they had.
Lundqvist deserves a shot at an upset. Prospal a postseason ‘thank you’ for his dedication this year. Gaborik a chance to taste the next round following a terrific season. Drury and Callahan – despite their struggles – a reward for never stopping their hustle, endless shot blocking.
I know full well that the NYR – based on resources, profile – are not the Jamaiican bobsled team nor Florida A&M. Still, I’ve followed this team – PPV hockey package and all…many a trying game – to this point. I’ll continue to follow to the Playoffs or lottery.
I’ll be cheering my brains out this Friday down in Tampa.
"...also I'll brush my teeth and remember to turn off the stars at night and put the hyena out." ERNEST HEMINGWAY
All good points....
when speaking in terms of players, Olympians or teams arriving at the precipice of glory or failure with “HEART” or a “PLAN”, a “STRATEGY”, a “STRENGTH”. Yes ANYTHING can happen. And at the risk of stirring up DBMaven and the other guys about this conversation about heart again, I’ll just say to all the Jim Jones’ out there drinking the Kool-Aid, HOPE is a beautiful thing. However I’ll take the common sense. This team has neither played for one another, or the fans. They have played for themselves though, at least there is some consistency there. So a 1st or 2nd round exit AGAIN in lieu of a decent shot at a high draft pick is somehow BETTER cause Prospal needs to be thanked? Drury needs to be thanked for all his goals and his 6 million dollar intangibles? LQ deserves an upset? Why? Cause it will make things THAT much more shittier when they lose in the 2nd or 3rd round? lol Come on guys, I admire the the hope, but we are talking about the greater good here…lol
oh give me a break...
drury scored the other night with, what, 16 seconds left. we’ve taken the best teams to the edge, even when we’ve lost. the problem is chemistry and youth….not heart. this team has come from behind and kept us in it plenty of times this season. probably isn’t going to win us the cup, for sure, but i totally, 100% will take my hat off to this club after the season is over. Gabby managed to score 40 goals with almost no support and nagging injuries. hank has had a tremendous season. the kids, ansimov, mdz, gilroy, have learned a whole, whole lot this year…and withstood scathing heat from one of the hardest sports fans in the world. even the mid line-up has bounced back after a really, really frustrating skid. oh yea, and Rozy has improved tremendously. whatever criticisms i have of the coach, and i definitely have them, he’s been in a really bad situation all year, having to experiment over and over with combinations and on ice strategy. trying to foster the youth and keep the experience in shape would be enough to drive any coach in the league insane. i don’t blame him for his outbursts one bit. all that is secondary to trying to juggle what you have…rubber bands and bubble gum at times. look, we’re doing what needs to be done, competing and building. sather was right not to budge at the deadline.
i want this team in the playoffs and whether or not they make it i’ll give them a standing o when they raise their sticks at center ice for the last time.
While I understand your point and I’m not saying I disagree with most of it, I’m just saying, I’ll never root for this team to fail.
Obviously, this team has its faults, but we’ve had playoff hockey in NY for 4 years running, possibly 5 years if we make it in this year. Playoff hockey is the greatest of all sports. I’ll be disappointed if the Rags ain’t part of it.
A lot of people make it seem like it’s just a matter of changing GM’s and BOOM! Problem solved. Fine, just don’t bitch and complain if the new GM turns them into the Islanders. Be careful what you wish for.
It’s not easy to build a Detroit or NJ organization. You think Sather doesn’t want that? He’s made some terrible moves, no question, but he’s the reason we have the best goalie in the NHL.
There’s virtually nothing we can do about it, so we might as well just go along with the ride. It’s the team we’ve chosen to love, if you dislike them so much, there’s 27 other teams that could use an extra fan or two.
by stonecoldcory on Mar 30, 2010 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
While I would tend to agree with you...
when you say it isn’t easy building a Detroit or NJ organization, it doesn’t change the fact that NJ has been doing it right since they came in the league and Detroit has been around a helluva lot longer than NJ. So I ask you what is the NY Rangers excuse for 2 cups in 70 years? I’d say they had plenty of time to figure it out. Let’s not place 70 years of futility on Sather’s past 10 years of tenure. I was just starting to really GET the game of hockey right around when Craig Patrick was the GM and the Patrick Division was now the Atlantic Division. I’m all for the playoffs, but being AWARE that this team doesn’t improve for the next 3 years in any way OTHER than the draft due to overpaid contracts, I would accept a show of youth at this juncture of the season and sit some of these bums. All of this self-martyring go down with the ship cause I’m a fan talk is the reason why this organization won’t rebuild the right way. Cause some of you fans are gluttons for punishment. An ORIGINAL SIX TEAM should not be a laughing stock.
exhibit B
An ORIGINAL SIX TEAM should not be a laughing stock
See: TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Mar 30, 2010 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions
And neither should they...
But they’ve had more successful consecutive seasons than the Rangers. Back in the early 90’s Toronto with Gilmour and Clark were solid. A few years later they get Mats Sundin. What happened to OUR glorious first round picks? Lee Farledeau, Filip Novak, Pavel Brendl?
Joe Fortunato shows one clip of Messier lifting the cup and all of a sudden it’s stroll down memory lane lets get into the playoffs time. TANK….TANK…LMAO
three cheers for this post.
sather really threw the dice with jagr…it didn’t work…we didn’t win the cup. ok, lets give at least some credit where its due. when he’s made some moves that haven’t worked, he’s managed to flip around some very skillful gm moves to find the balance between competition and re-stocking.
Nothing else needs to be said...
“What’s better than playoff hockey, especially when the Rangers are in it… Sitting at home on your ass watching the draft for 3 hours waiting for the 15th pick instead of the 10th pick?”
++++1!!!
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Mar 30, 2010 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions
to the original posting
I agree, I’d rather see 4 more games this season and prolong the move to a long summer of sleepy baseball.
+1 to Joe for the post
+1 to stone cold for the second
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Mar 30, 2010 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Right on!
Count me in, too. It may by the longest of long shot, but it can still be a lot of fun.
by lefty vs lefty on Mar 30, 2010 12:50 PM EDT reply actions
Tonight is really the night
You have Atlanta, Boston, and the Rangers playing. If Atlanta and Boston both lose, I think the Rangers will get in. But, it starts and ends with the Rangers. If you can’t win tonight, it really does not matter what the other teams do. So, just win Rangers. The playoffs just wont be the playoffs without them in it, no matter how big of an underdog they may be.
Goosebumps
Going to the game tonight, hope to come home with a win!
Writer for Pinstripe Alley.
"Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth."
"So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."
I'm drunk on the stuff just about every year
I have been reading and enjoying the comments here (especially on game threads) for a long time but never joined until I read this article, watched the video and cried for the millionth time watching Mark with the cup. So it inspired me. I too am drinking the Cool Aid which is not a stretch 4 me. I am ALWAYS guilty of drinking way too much of it and we all know that drinking too much never ends well! I did give up at one point – which is hard for me to do – after the dismal Boston game, but then started my drinking habit again after the 2 wins. Never thought they would tie up the Devils game because they seldom score with an empty net, but then what happened? just as i was sobering up, i fell of the wagon again and poured myself another! If they lose tonight i might sober up but i can assure u all it will be temporary because if there was such thing as Ranger Rehab I would require several visits and even then i doubt it would work. So DRINK UP!
im torn
As a fan I can’t root against them. Id like to see them in the playoffs even if they get swept by Was. The injuries really hurt this team w/ Avery & Cally. I would like to see what the youth is capable of at this point. So, I will root for them but I don’t have much faith they make the playoffs. & in the event they do, I will root for them… even if they get swept in the 1st round.
by Mike_from_NNJ on Mar 30, 2010 2:49 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
That video makes me want to cry…………………..it almost did.
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by Nick Montemagno on Mar 30, 2010 3:08 PM EDT reply actions
Ahh discussion
I love this site
Blueshirt Banter: Covering the New York Rangers the only NHL team with three home arenas.
To all you Tankers out there....
One of my preferred hockey analysts, Ray Ferraro’s take on the talk that teams would or should play for the draft pick:
The abridged question: …I always hate that talk because I think every team should play to win, or at least give their best effort, every time they hit the ice…I find it distasteful when the media suggests otherwise…about the draft lottery, etc. What do you think of the idea that the teams that come closest to making the playoffs should have a chance at the top pick? I think this might provide great incentive to compete right up to the end, while removing the incentive to tank in hopes of picking higher.
Razor’s Answer: When the media suggests that players are not trying so they can get a higher draft pick, they are about as far in left field as they can be. Now management can choose to play a bunch of young guys under the guise of getting them experience – and they are getting experience – but any player in the lineup doesn’t care about the draft pick mainly because he might not be around to see the pick play. You know the line, “We are making a change….and you are it!”
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Mar 30, 2010 3:29 PM EDT reply actions
Hmmmm....
Parenteau/Locke/Voros for Callahan/Avery/Lisin.
One could suggest that the injuries have given them the “guise” needed.
I’m not judgin’, I’m just sayin’…..
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
Touche`
It is a pretty transparent charade at that…
My point is simply…the players in the lineup will always be focused on winning…regardless of how difficult management makes that to do
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Mar 30, 2010 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions
really can you honestly say that in watching this team this year they have always been focused on winning with some of the performances they have put on?
by Michael Gleich on Mar 30, 2010 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
But If i’m going to continue to be a fan of pro-hockey, I need to at least pretend like its true. They are certainly putting my faith to the test…
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Mar 30, 2010 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
there is a difference b/w what we hope is the case and what our eyes actually tell us. i have never advocated quitting on the season or intentionally throwing games or anything of the sort. simply put for the long term future of this franchise the embarassment of missing the playoffs is the only thing that will cause any hint of changes.
by Michael Gleich on Mar 30, 2010 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
yes...
hockey is a very hard sport…one of the hardest, in fact. its a team sport and not just about each guy jumping on the ice and skating hard. it takes coordination and collective sync. the problem with this team is that it has been out of sync…not that it hasn’t been focused on winning! nobody wants to win more than a professional athlete….
I do not disagree Jersey. They want to make the playoffs. They NEED to make the playoffs.
As an organization, we NEED for them NOT to make the playoffs.
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
agreed on all counts…only thing to add is if they wanted to make it and need to make maybe they should have played like it all year
by Michael Gleich on Mar 30, 2010 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions
You’re both right…Making the playoffs would be like putting a band-aid on a shotgun wound to the femoral artery of this organization.
Any surge they come up with now will certainly be too little too late, at least for us fans who have endured all the lackluster games in between.
I’m not debating the facts, I’m just not able to give up hope. I dont know how to say die.
So my final say will be this: Rangers vs Coyotes for the Cup…RANGERS in 6!!!
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Mar 30, 2010 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions
way behind last seasons 95 points
that isn’t very good considering the big move to get Gaborik in the off season. Next season could see the Isles pass you by.
08-09 NYR-95. NYI 61
09-10 NYR 76, NYI 72 with 7 to go
yes I am an Isles fan and like the way the blue shirts have fallen
isles win tonight, it could be this season.
by Michael Gleich on Mar 30, 2010 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions
as a devout pessimist...
i have to ask how you self proclaimed “cool-aid drinkers” expect this team to get any better in the near future? most ranger fans are opposed to trying to build through free agency again, which i would agree with. my problem is when these same people are looking a golden opportunity in the face and instead hoping that the rangers pass it up for some admittedly delusional hope that they can last even 6 games against the caps?
seriously, if the rangers were in 7th or 8th right now, the thought of tanking never would have even crossed my mind. but they are in 10th place in a terribly weak conference, they need major help to get better. if they didn’t win another game the rest of the year, they would be at least the 4th worst team and probably the 3rd. giving them an impact player, something they desperately need.
so my hope is that those of you that are “drinking the cool aid” remember your own words next year when you have the same criticisms of the roster. and ask yourself this question; in ten years, when Hall and Seguin and Fowler are most likely having standout careers, will the excitement of getting bounced in the first round in the 2010 playoffs still be worth it to you? or will you be hypocritically cursing the rangers for never drafting and developing players like Hall, Seguin, and Fowler?
by Rags to riches? on Mar 30, 2010 3:53 PM EDT reply actions
Players will not tank, even if the media, fans, or mgmt would like them to
See my post above. The players ultimately decide the game, and they dont care how many 18y/o hot shots are coming up next year. Whats to say the 10th overall pick doesnt hold the answer? I think we are putting too much emphasis on the top three picks; theres no way to know if they will be the next Crosby, Ovechkin, etc. How far down did Lundqvist get picked…?
…but any player in the lineup doesn’t care about the draft pick mainly because he might not be around to see the pick play…
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Mar 30, 2010 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
well i suppose...
you could replace those players who have suddenly found some professional pride and replace them with some beer league players. i doubt anyone would notice the difference. if the players think finishing ninth will save their jobs, then i guess they should continue on the same path. but in my opinion if they really had pride, or cared about winning they could have been giving consistent effort for the last 60 games. they will not get any brownie points from me for trying to save face in the last 10 games when they had no problem taking several games off in a row earlier in the season.
they deserve to miss the playoffs, and for putting up with their uninspired play all season (if not longer) we deserve a top 3 pick.
by Rags to riches? on Mar 30, 2010 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
To that I say...
You’ve got no idea what the future holds. Those draft picks could turn out to be shitty. Then what?
Of course we’d rather see the Rangers fighting for the 1st or 2nd seed, but as I said above, we have virtually NOTHING to do with it. Unless you’re willing and able to get a job in the Rangers front office and make the changes yourself, there isn’t any point in complaining.
We’re dealt with the cards that we chose. Again, as I said, if you don’t like it, the Phoenix Coyotes are looking for some fans.
by stonecoldcory on Mar 30, 2010 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions
But you are putting yourself in the best opportunity to win
The higher the pick the more talent to choose from. Just hope the scouts do their job.
----Warner----
-------13-------
by Scent of a Woman on Mar 30, 2010 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
stonecold...
how is it that you can disagree with what i said but be fine with scent of a woman’s defense of my post? i’m glad that it was pointed out, but in my defense i thought that was an obvious point.
by Rags to riches? on Mar 30, 2010 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions
What's a guarantee...
is that the NY Rangers are getting SHIT from FA signings the next 2-3 years because of contracts. So I guess the point is, and what Rags to Riches was saying is, when you are all here next year and the year after that bitching and moaning about Dolan and Sather and how the team can’t improve cause there is no money, remember there was a way to improve the team but the thought of another early playoff round exit was more important. Like one of the earlier posters said, I’d rather see them in the first round and get swept than not be in at all. Oh REALLY??? That’s a fan for you.
So i guess since these are the CARDS Ranger fans are dealt, we should just EAT it huh. If people just accepted their plight in life we wouldn’t have the friggen Lifetime channel. lol
I played hockey to win, and I watch hockey to see my team win.
The Playoff Death Watch gives NYR an 18% chance of making it in the playoffs. The coffin’s not nailed shut just yet.
To your other point, what are your odds that any one of the top three picks next year will immediately make this team a contendor? It would realistically take at least 2-3 seasons for a pick to mature, and by then, the giant contracts are expiring and we can hit the free agent market anyway, which makes your whole argument to tank a moot point.
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Mar 30, 2010 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions
sportsclubstats has it at 18.9% but if they lose tonight it falls to 9.1%
by Michael Gleich on Mar 30, 2010 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I guess you have learned NOTHING....
from the NY Rangers and their DABBLING in the free agent market prior to the lockout. lol And I use the term “DABBLING” loosely in case you didn’t get the sarcasm.
Two to three years is perfect. The best way to get core players is to draft them, into your own system and develop them. You say they could still make the playoffs and nothing is guaranteed, anything can happen, yet you won’t extend that same courtesy to my draft argument. There are only two guarantees in life, death and taxes. You tell me where this organization is getting the money to improve this team outside the draft in the next two years.
+897450756096473
look at stamkos. its his 2nd year correct?
instead of getting an ipact player for the next decade you rather get kicked out in the 1st round. than sign a panother player for 7 mil who will put up 50 pts. some of you guys i really dont get…
you complain that this team sucks with all these overpaid veterans. and when we finally have a chance to get a great young player who will help us in the future you rather pass on him to get swept in the 1st round by the caps.. its brilliant how a fans mind works… ill pass on the kool-aid
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
I'm set with them making the playoffs
for now … :)
Blueshirt Banter: Covering the New York Rangers the only NHL team with three home arenas.
by Joe Fortunato on Mar 30, 2010 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Rangers vs Coyotes for the Cup…RANGERS in 6!!!
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Mar 30, 2010 4:58 PM EDT reply actions
2012
…the Mayan Calendar ends, Redden gets the Conn Smythe, and the world explodes moments later
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Mar 30, 2010 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions
ok, as long as it wasnt a claim of this year, lol.
by Michael Gleich on Mar 30, 2010 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Here is why I want the Rangers to make the Playoffs. First it is really hard for me to watch and want them to lose, even when I say I want them too lose for a higher pick I still go nuts when they score a goal(aka the Devils Game) Also This conference is so bad its going to be really hard for this team now to get a top 5 pick and I would rather them get into the playoffs and sacrifice a few spots in the draft because it wouldn’t make a HUGE difference in the quality player we get. So Lets Go Rangers and make those playoffs for the 5th straight time playing as one of the bottom three seeds each time. lol
Completely agree...
I don’t see how any true Ranger’s fan would NOT want this team to make the playoffs and play as long as possible. And last time I checked, you have to play the entire playoffs before you crown a winner, and although I do not give the Rangers a great shot at the cup, they stand a chance if they finish in the top 8. Also, consider this… the top teams in the conference have all locked up playoff spots, and are only jostling for top four positions. Their games right now, for the most part, are meaningless. The Rangers, however, have to treat every game like game 7 right now as points are all too valuable. Going into the playoffs, the Rangers will have played about two weeks of intense, put-it-all-on-the-line hockey, while teams like Washington would have pressed cruise control two weeks ago. CRAZIER THINGS HAVE HAPPEND. NYR FOR 2010 STANLEY CUP LETS GOOOOO
by callahanisgod on Mar 30, 2010 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions
not that we don't...
want new picks, but, we’ve got talent and THEY NEED PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE NOW. if we get a decent pick, it won’t help us next year or the year after that. we’ve got new youth in our system who are about to join the club. we’ve already been nurturing talent and the best thing we can do is give the kids who have been struggling with us this year more depth so that we can step it up a notch next year and then, in 2012, hopefully, begin to mount a 2-3 year push. that’s just reality. i don’t see competing in a pool of low tier teams for an iffy draft pick, in a lottery system, as a realistic strategy for this club.
losing 5 games of playoff experience wont kill them...
the main core of this team has had playoff experience the past 2-3 years, the 5 games they’d get this year are not going to make a big difference in the long run. the only players on the roster who don’t really have playoff experience would be the 3 rookies. if you look at the farm system the only thing that looks close to a “sure thing” (not saying an all star, but a solid long term player) is Stepan. Grachev has been a disappointment in the ahl, kreider is only 18 and a long way off, i don’t see bourque as more than a 3rd line energy player (just my opinion). they have a good depth of prospects, but do not really have star quality forwards coming up. unless of course grachev finds his game again.
the top 2 forwards in this draft would instantly be our highest rated prospects. the only ones coming close would be Stepan and Grachev. and why not load up on talent, instead of getting bounced in the first round? Hall and Seguin could be impact players as soon as next season. it is completely short sighted to hope that the rangers make a meaningless playoff appearance and as a result miss out on this opportunity. to me it is like the mentality of a crackhead, you know taking the hit will F you up for the long term but hey who cares, the next five minutes will feel like heaven right? that last sentence really isn’t meant as an insult to any of you “cool aid drinkers” it is just the best comparison i could think of at the moment.
i keep hearing the word hope from those of you who want the playoffs, the best thing i can say to that is i’d rather have a plan than a hope. you can rely on maybe’s and what if’s all you’d like but that won’t change the fact that the rangers would be much better off over the next ten years with this top 3 pick. the draft pick is the smart choice so as i said before, those of you who are hoping for the playoffs will have little credibility when you are complaining about the mediocrity later.
and one final thought, what if they fail to make the playoffs and finish ninth? what does anyone have then? sure the argument can be made that no player is a sure thing, but that can be said for our current prospects as well. the top three players are closer to being sure things than the rangers making the playoffs.
by Rags to riches? on Mar 31, 2010 8:54 AM EDT up reply actions
exactly. when we get the 15th pick and nino is taken with the 10th, where we could have been, i wonder if those “few spots” will matter.
when were mediocre for the next 10 years, and hall seguin fowler nino kabanov etc are having great careers.. people who say that making the playoffs this year is worth it better not be complaining..
were just as bad as sather. giving away a promise of the future for a 1% chance of winning now. its a shame
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
You guys just don't get it...I love the tenacity...lol
Look, we’ve had playoff hockey for the last four years. And in those 4 years this team hasn’t made it past the 2nd round and one of those years didn’t make it out of the first. Now I ask you what has changed with this organization, other then the revolving door of players, in regards to what direction, philosophy, organizational structure, or development of players? Nothing! Glen Sather has hand-cuffed this organization and management has allowed it. I am not saying I don’t want them to make the playoffs, or even pack it in, as much as I’ve used the word “tank”..lol What I do see is the playoffs being that proverbial band-aid that resets the clock and gives this organization a pass for another year of yet again, not addressing player development, coaching ideology, drafting, scouting, overspending on FA’s and the list goes on.
check that math they didnt make it out of the first twice.
by Michael Gleich on Mar 30, 2010 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions
who would you want sather to grab? you think he should have juggled for kovi? i mean, you can only work with the clay that’s out there. is he really getting out maneuvered in the FA market?
which is why it would greatly benefit the team in the long run to get a great young player.
if were not drafting stars, how are we supposed to get them? more inflated contracts due to free agency? how to you suggest we improve for next season? finsihing with the 6th pick would do a lot more for this organization in the long run than getting kicked out in the frst and getting the 17th pick
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
It's not so much that he is getting out-maneuvered....
in the FA market, but do you recall what the deal was for Kovi that Wadell wanted from Sather as opposed to the package the Devils were able to get him for? It was like night and day. Now this is pure speculation on my part but I’ll go out on a limb and say negotiations are VERY different when GM’s are dealing with Sather as opposed to other GM’s. Throw in the fact that it’s the NY Rangers with their reputation and you understand why some fans like myself feel that relying less on the FA market to build your team and more around the draft is better.
Sidenote: Major props due to the agency that came up with those NHL PLAYOFF commercials. Such a simple idea to run those reels backwards, simple music and “what if…” IT’s the hockey fan’s "Its a Wonderful Life. Very. The Bobby Orr one got me on the verge of squirtin a few.. And Mario bearing down…and there’s so much footage of material they can use… I would of used one of Richter making save after save backward myself, but…it’s unlikely they are taking suggestions. So you officianados out there….what great hockey moment would you choose to see in slow mo backwards……?
On the Ranger “logic vs fandom dilemma”…hey how cool would it be to see them beat the Flyers to get in the playoffs. Everyone realizes the pick is the future and a little delayed gratification might be in order to fulfull higher goals a better pick means a bigger choice I know…but I feel geneticly bred to want to kick the Islanders ass tonight. We wait all year for the meaningful “do or die” games. As far as I’m concerned, here they are…starting tonight. Go Devils! Puke… And for those of you who turn it around and root for the pick, thanks for being sensible.
not a problem, that devs series was so bad with lundy coming back from the injury, following the collapse late year
by Michael Gleich on Mar 30, 2010 9:57 PM EDT up reply actions
After the Basketball tournament
Anything can happen. Jesus my bracket was OBLITERATED as was many other peoples. Now I have said ‘hey let’s not make the playoffs’ a couple of times. I have not said ‘hey let’s tank’ but more ‘I hope we don’t win’. Yes there is a difference. I want to see us not make it for a better draft pick.
But I honestly want us to make it because the beginning of the baseball season blows (except for the Boston games) and I like playoff hockey. Hell I have 2 Foozies (yea that’s right one for each hand!) and I would LOVE to see us beat OV or Golden Boy just once to see those clowns frown. And we have such a young team, playoff experience cannot hurt.
If we do make it, sweet!, more Rangers hockey. If not, well god dammit I’m gonna root for Buffalo.
Why?
You want your NHL “Brackets” to be as obliterated after the first round as your NCAA brackets were??
roflmao….. i kill me…..
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