There are currently seven teams in the NHL with worse records than the Rangers, and the Thrashers, who come to the Garden tonight carrying a 14-game winless streak, are one of them.
Suffice to say that no explanations will be accepted if the Blueshirts cannot muster up the necessary energy and requisite competence to put away this band of Terrible Twos.
Resignations, maybe, but explanations, uh, no.
Ten weeks and 31 games to go for the Rangers, who will meet the Canadiens here on Wednesday in their final match before the All-Star break. Montreal is behind the Blueshirts, too.
Oh, did we mention that the Rangers have failed to win their last two against teams they lead in the overall standings, being held to a draw in Montreal last Saturday before losing to the Islanders on Friday?
Honestly, what is left to be said at the moment in the immediate aftermath of consecutive weekend disappointments that have our mighty heroes on a three-game losing streak?
Well, there’s this: In trailing the eighth-place Bruins by nine points, the Rangers are farther out of a playoff spot at this stage of the season than they’ve been in 25 years, since 1975-76.
Oh, there’s this, too: In order to get to the 85 points that will almost certainly be necessary for playoff qualification, the Rangers will need to go 10 games over NHL .500 the rest of the way. They’ll have to be something like 20-10-1. That should be pretty easy, considering they’re seven games under at 20-27-3-1 through 51 matches. So what’s the problem?
Glad you asked.
The problem is that when most needed to step up and take command as a first-line center, Petr Nedved had a miserable hat trick of matches. The problem is that being a Czechmate means never having to say you’re sorry for passing rather than shooting.
The problem is that Mark Messier hasn’t scored a goal in 16 games, has no wings with whom to play and no one to give him the support he requires. The problem is that Adam Graves not only has scored three goals in 38 matches, but that his game has been pretty much a whisper all season.
The problem is that Alexei Gusarov has demonstrated over the last three games why Colorado, now scouring the league for a defender, was willing to give him away. The problem is that Kim Johnsson’s game comes and goes, and so does Sylvain Lefebvre’s. The problem is that Brian Leetch once again has to assume far too much of the burden.
The problem is that Ron Low has little faith in Manny Malhotra’s ability to center a fourth line, so willing but deficient Jeff Toms and Brad Smyth get far too much ice time. The problem is that Mike York, gritty and committed and admirable as ever, has scored one goal in 17 games. The problem is that Sandy McCarthy has done a whole lot of talking on the ice lately, but not much else of consequence. The problem is that Michal Grosek never seems to have the puck in the offensive zone.
The problem is that the Rangers are soft as an opponent. The problem is that the “power play” is an oxymoronic shambles and the penalty-kill breaks down way too often. The problem is because the Rangers do not go to the dirty areas of ice, they have been awarded two power plays or fewer in three of their last seven games. The problem is that referees around the league appear to be conducting a vendetta against Theo Fleury, refusing to call obvious fouls against him in response to his over-the-top histrionics.
But, hey; what’s the problem? Tonight at the Garden it’s the Thrashers, whom the Rangers actually lead in the standings. .
By three whole points.
Problem? Why should there be a problem? The Thrashers are 0-10-3-1 in their last 14 and haven’t won a game since Dec. 28.
When they beat the Rangers 4-1 on Broadway.