The worst kept secret in hockey is that the New York Rangers power play is awful.

Awful isn't even a harsh enough word. I looked up "negative words" on Google, and the following came up:

Horrendous, horrible, pathetic, and my personal favorite, horrawful. Not even sure that's a word.

Anyway, all of these words help describe the travesty that is the New York Rangers Power Play. Anton Stralman tried to help, but to no avail. Brad Richards was signed partially to help, but that did little to nothing.

The Rangers have won despite the anemic power play, but I worry that will change in the not so distant future.

Whether it's trying new players out, firing Mike Sullivan, or simply declining any power play opportunities from now on, something has to be done.

What ideas do you have to fix the Rangers power play? If you have any good ones, I suggest contacting John Tortorella and Mike Sullivan. Immediately. Please. I beg.

- The New York Rangers had one last game before heading into the All-Star break, and that was against the Winnipeg Jets. The Rangers were able to put three goals past Ondrej Pavalec and went on to win their second straight game. Henrik Lundqvist also had a shutout, which would tie him for second all time with 40.

- We haven't heard too much regarding New York Rangers prospects, but we have an update for you today. Michael St. Croix has been named the Western Hockey League player of the week. This is the second time this season St. Croix has appeared as the player of the week. Scouts have been really optimistic as of late about this young prospect.

- There have been numerous amounts of trade rumors circulating the internet as of lately. With that said, there was no doubt the Rangers were brought up in some of these rumors. Would you make a deal at the deadline to shed some extra players, or try to add some depth and/or skill for a deep playoff run?

As many of you know, I am against NHL teams' tendencies to bring injured players up to the NHL after injuries without playing in rehab games first.

Marc Staal is a prime example of this, as he returned to the NHL in the Winter Classic without playing any games for the Connecticut Whale beforehand.

Last night, Marc Staal played the most minutes for the New York Rangers, with a total of 24:58 played. That eclipsed even Dan Girardi, who played 24:51.

I worry more than the average fan, but I would have preferred it if the Rangers eased Staal back, first with rehab games, then with minor minutes, then gradually more.

Anyway, here are your questions of the day:

-You can start your own NHL team: Where do you start it, and what five players do you choose to start it?

-Best coach in hockey?

-Is Henrik Lundqvist the goalie you would want going into the playoffs, or would you choose Tim Thomas?

-Does Brandon C. ask too many questions?

As usual, Let's Go Rangers!

The New York Rangers beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 last night, in a battle with a Western Conference foe with little to no bad blood between the two. These are the types of games that help define if a team is truly capable of bringing their A game whenever they need it, and the Rangers proved ready for the task.

This season the Rangers have won all types of games, including buzzer beaters, shutouts, blowouts, in conference, out of conference, and more. Come playoff time these games will help the Rangers be ready for whichever opponents they must face.

Bantering Questions!

-Would the Rangers be a top 5 team in the Eastern Conference right now if Henrik Lundqvist was not playing all season?

-Is Henrik Lundqvist your current Vezina Award winner?

-Are you worried about the mini slumps of Marian Gaborik and the top line, or do you think it's just a minor break from the fantastic norm?

As usual, Let's Go Rangers!

Teams want Sean Avery! Well, sort of. Courtesy of Puck Daddy, who found the money quote from the NY Post:

Sources have told The Post general manager Glen Sather rejected that request, instead offering to trade Avery in a minor-league deal under which the Rangers would take back additional dollars but the responsibility for placing Avery on re-entry would then pass to the acquiring club that would then bear the burden of carrying dead salary-cap space upon a claim.

… Sather's willingness to acquire AHL players on one-way contracts who would then be assigned to the Whale creates the possibility of a cash-poor club with ample salary-cap space making such an exchange with the Rangers, knowing that Avery would be claimed on re-entry.

Any guesses on who the two teams are?

NHL.com lists 12 stories to watch in the second half of the NHL season. The Rangers are one of them.

Rantsports takes a look at a potential Shane Doan to Rangers trade.

Since we are around the halfway point of the season, many hockey writers are offering their thoughts on who would win the NHL awards if the season ended today.

First of all, let me say it is awesome that the Rangers are in first when these articles are being written.

Anyway, here are the articles:

SB Nation Midseason Awards

Puck Daddy Midseason Awards and Superlatives

Puck Daddy Midseason Fantasy Hockey Awards

Another observation I made last night was that Brandon Prust will be a free agent at the end of the season. I wonder if the Rangers will hurry to bring Prust back, or look elsewhere for possible scorers and all around players. I hope Prust is back.

Here is a list of the 2012 free agents, who would interest you among this group?

Other questions of the day:

Assuming the Boston Bruins are the best team in hockey, who is second? If not, who is first and why?

How would you rest Henrik Lundqvist for the playoffs down the stretch? Bench him more or less?

The New York Rangers defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 in a six round shootout last night, thanks to goals from Marian Gaborik and Derek Stepan.

The win came right after the news that the Rangers are considering sending both Wotjek Wolski and Eric Christensen to Connecticut to play for the Whale.

Christensen and Wolski have to agree to do so, but if they do the move is one I wholeheartedly agree with. I am a vocal basher of the NHL's tendencies when it comes to rehabbing players. I strongly believe(d) that Marc Staal should have played in Connecticut before playing in the NHL, and I still believe it could come back to haunt the Rangers and Staal.

For Wolski, the move could serve as both rehab and as a way to get back in the swing of things. For Christensen the move would solely serve as a way for the winger to get more time on the ice.

Anyway, about the shootout. Wolski and Christensen are two of the best shootout scorers on the Rangers, so the win last night could help make the Rangers' end of the decision easier.

Thoughts on the possible moves, the Rangers roster, and any moves that should/could be made?

If you haven't been keeping up with the current NHL-NHLPA fight, check out this story on NHL.com about the NHL's displeasure that the NHLPA refused to approve the realignment plan. This is a problem, especially with the CBA expiration date looming, and it's something we're going to follow in more detail as time goes on.

The NHL hub on SB Nation also has views on the realignment issues. As you can imagine, they're also unhappy with the developments.

In case you didn't know, Sweden won the World Junior Championships. They beat Canada. The United States had a poor showing in the WJC, but J.T. Miller had a pretty good tournament. [Puck Worlds]

Do you think Brandon Dubinsky's game is back? We debate it on Blueshirt Banter Discussion.

John Tortorella will coach in the NHL All-Star game. He acquired the opportunity because of the New York Rangers' success on the early part of the season. Here's more information on that development.