I realize this season is going to go down with a huge asterisk beside it due to the lockout and all that good stuff, but I still can’t put my finger on what is wrong with the New York Rangers.  Despite picking up high-scoring winger Rick Nash, this team seems to be in complete disarray.

One would think that with a potential top line of Nash, Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik, scoring would be something easy to come by.  So why isn’t it happening?

With an average of 2.26 goals per game, the Rangers are second to last in the NHL in offense produced, and that is highly suspicious.  While they have the firepower to be one of the league’s offensive powerhouses, they just don’t seem to get it done.  If not for Henrik Lundqvist and a stellar shot-blocking crew, they wouldn’t even be in the discussion about who makes the playoffs.  Hank and the defence, plus Ryan Callahan, have kept the Rangers relevant, as they have the 4th best goals allowed average in the league at 2.36 per game.

The main problem seems to be coach John Tortorella, who doesn’t adapt well.  He changes line combinations more than I change my underwear or socks, but nothing seems to change due to a lack of cohesion.  Is it time to get rid of the feisty coach?  Or is this simply a bi-product of not having a training camp and star players are suffering?

I look at other teams laden with talent, and while some are doing well, like Pittsburgh, some were also very slow coming out of the gate, like Washington.

I don’t know how much this season really means overall, but I can tell you with the utmost honesty that there is a worm in the Big Apple, and it has to be sought out quickly!  Otherwise, heads are going to roll.

Until next time,

Na Zdravi!

DR

Now, I can’t profess that the Atlanta Falcons don’t know what they’re doing, but today’s news really took me by surprise!  After 14 years in the NFL, center Todd McClure is calling it a career.  Would I put him at the top of the overall list of players at his position?  Probably not.  But in the top-10 in terms of reliability and durability?  Absolutely yes!

It is scary to imagine, if you’re a Falcons’ fan, that the team may enter the new season without a top center and defensive pass-rusher, but such are the cards we may have been dealt.  Arthur Blank is a shrewd businessman, and a guy who loves his team, so there is hope yet.

Blank, the owner of the team, announced today that McClure will get the team’s “Ring Of Honor”.  I completely agree with that decision, no matter how little that means.

McClure was around to protect Michael Vick with an unorthodox offensive scheme, and has sheltered Matt Ryan throughout his young career.  Add to it the periodic presence of Chris Redman, and clearly you have a center who can rise to the occasion no matter who is behind him.

In attendance at the retirement announcement were Sam Baker, Justin Blalock, Tyson Clabo and of course, Matty Ice.

With this loss, do the Falcons stand any chance to challenge for a Superbowl?  No pass-rush, no Center, and really a lack of identity, other than the ability to come from behind and win some regular season games.  I leave this question to you, the reader, as I simply don’t have the answer.

Until next time,

Na Zdravi!

DR

After a long hiatus, I am glad to be back on PSB!  That having been said, let’s get down to business.  The Atlanta Falcons made some interesting moves prior to the free agency period beginning by releasing former feature back Michael Turner, as well as sack-machine John Abraham.  Both were aging, and Turner in particular seemed to be becoming less and less a part of the game scheme.  Abraham was still the leading sacker, but Mike Nolan (defensive co-ordinator) appears to be going in a different direction.  Barring someone else signing Abe, it is still possible the Falcons could bring him back at a reduced salary.

As far as Turner goes, his production declined immensely last year, but it isn’t for a lack of trying.  A beast coming out of the backfield, if good old Michael got through the defensive line, he was nearly unstoppable.  However, with scat-back Jaquizz Rodgers emerging as the go-to guy, and Jason Snelling working in either the fullback or power running back, Turner’s days were numbered.

Now, let’s look at what has happened since.

Atlanta first re-signed Sam Baker, which is a relatively minor move, but gives the Falcons a workable Tackle to shore up their overall depth.

The bigger moves would follow…

First, the team convinced guaranteed Hall Of Fame tight-end Tony Gonzalez to re-consider retirement, which was all but guaranteed.  Citing fan support, good money and wanting to take another run at the Super Bowl, Gonzalez is coming back to again be Matt Ryan’s safety blanket.  He’s a clutch player in all facets of his game.  Blocking, receiving and simply making spectacular plays, Gonz is the best player ever at that position, and challenges every other player currently in Canton.

Next, the Falcons went out and filled the hole left by Turner’s departure by signing Steven Jackson away from the St. Louis Rams.  Jackson brings a different skill set to the team, as he also has good hands for plays like swing passes.  Last year, he caught the ball 38 times for 321 yards.  A former first-round pick, Jackson has had 8 consecutive 1000 yard seasons, and brings an interesting element to the backfield.

Now, let’s talk about what needs to happen next…

First and foremost, the team needs to get Brent Grimes under contract, as he is a top-level corner in the league.  While somewhat understated, Grimey gets the job done effectively, and prior to his season ending injury, appeared to only get better.

Secondly, they need to find a pass-rushing end to replace John Abraham.  The Falcons aren’t a team known for playing overly aggressive defensive schemes, but they do have some good pass-rushing players like Sean Weatherspoon, who has blazing speed from the linebacker position.  But adding a bona fide pass rusher like Osi Umenyora would be absolutely what the doctor ordered.

That’s it for part 1 of my free agency evaluation.  Stay tuned for more!  And as an aside, I am glad to be back!

Na Zdravi!

DR

Rangers lost tonight in a big way.  The Sabres were full value, taking the game by a 5-2 margin, even after the game was tied 2-2 after one period of play.  I have to take my comeuppance, in the sense that every time I say something positive about the Rangers, they prove me wrong.

Now, I will comment about one thing.

I fail to see how anyone can watch a Buffalo feed of ANY game at all.  Rick Jeannerett (should be degenerate, but I digress) is the absolute worst commentator in any sport I have ever watched.  Couple his cat scratching a blackboard voice, complete homerism and total lack of perspective with the idiotic droolings of Harry Neale, and you have the makings of the worst hockey broadcasting team EVER!  It was so painful that while the game was close, I muted the feed and turned on the Capitals/Pens game on the television, while watching my team play like a bunch of pansies all night long.  Please, if someone could find a way to put a wood-chipper outside the broadcast booth that Degenerate and Neale sit in for next game, I’d pay for the rental!!!

Anyway, it was exactly what I said couldn’t happen.  The Rangers came out and put up a duck.  Sure, they scored twice (which is about the average for this season) in the first period, with Brandon Prust notching yet another workman’s goal, but overall, they were as limp as John Bobbit before his surgical re-application.

Hank looked pretty tired, however.  Tired of the pitiful defensive effort, I should clarify.  For all of RJ Umberger’s ridiculous comments about the Capitals, we’ve at least found a team where on some nights they apply and fit perfectly.  Rangers players were running around the defensive zone like they were 5-year olds playing a treasure hunt game while heavily under the influence of whatever the opposite of Ritalin is.  Nobody took responsibility for their check, and nobody filled in when a man got open.

It is really sad to look at the scoreboard and see that Philly beat the Leafs 2-0, pushing the Rangers a further 2 points back from the final playoff berth.  On the upside, Ovechkin just scored a bullet, and is making the Maurice Richard race interesting.  Gotta wonder how many goals he’d have if he played a full season…

Anyway, this was just a quick rant to express my frustration, so I’ll cut it short.  A final note is that Ryan Callahan played tonight, but seemed to still be hampered by injury, although he was still one of the few players on the ice who seemed to care about the game.

Until next time,

Na Zdravi!

DR

Well, Tiger Woods finally addressed a packed media room from the Augusta National Golf Course, home of the Masters, in a 35 minute press conference this afternoon.  While questions were kept fairly general (in the sense that nobody asked about the specific women he had affairs with, nor any questions about Elin Woods or her plans moving forward), some of them touched on issues that fans are curious about.

Much of the discussion centered around his stint in rehab, although Tiger would not comment specifically as to what kind of rehab he was seeking – he answered “that’s personal” when asked.  He did seem like a man who had been in therapy, however, answering questions in a level tone and continuously placing blame on himself.  He talked about having illusions of entitlement “stripped away” and being able to see himself for what he was and how it affected the people around him in his life.

He talked about how golf wasn’t “fun” for him while he was living his lie, stating that “when you live a lie, you aren’t having fun” because you’re always covering your tracks and deceiving people.

His best answer on the day was likely about what was the worst part of the ordeal:

“It’s not about the championships, it’s about how you live your life.  And I hadn’t done that the right way for a while. I need to change that. Going forward, I need to be a better man than I was before.  Just because I’ve gone through treatment doesn’t mean it stops.  Winning golf tournaments through all of this is irrelevant compared to the damage I’ve caused.”

Overall, however, it seemed like another robotic press conference, which is typical of Tiger.  Hopefully he lives up to his promise to be more respectful to the game by acknowledging his fans, and by toning down his anger when he makes a bad shot.  He did say, however, that this will come with a toning down of his elation when things are going well.  He sounds like a man of extremes.

With the Masters only 3 days away, can he get his game back?  Will he contend?  Will the fans be receptive to his return?  Will he be a distraction to his fellow competitors?

Those are questions that only time can answer.  I’ll have more on the tournament, including my picks for your Yahoo pool, on Wednesday.

The full replay of Tiger’s presser can be found here.

Until next time,

Na Zdravi!

DR

The New York Rangers aren’t willing to go down without a fight, as shown by their trip through Florida.  First, they beat the defensively inept Tampa Bay Lightning by a 5-0 margin, and then they took their show to Miami, where they downed the perpetually rebuilding Panthers by a 4-1 mark.

Without getting into game specifics, both games were a sign that the Rangers actually can play like a good team when they set their minds to it.  However, is this a case of too little too late?

The Rags now sit 2 points behind the Flyers and Bruins, with a game in hand on Philly.  At this stage, the home-and-home series against the Black And Orange looms large on the horizon, and could well determine whether it’s time to buy playoff tickets or for the team to book early tee times.  But before they get to take on their divisional rivals, they must first face the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.  The Flyers take on the Leafs on Tuesday, while the Bruins have Washington tonight, Buffalo on Thursday, Carolina on Saturday and finally Washington again on Sunday.

Looking at the schedules, it is clear that the best chance the Rangers have is against Philly, as they somewhat control their own destiny against their arch rivals.  With the Flyers down to Brian Boucher in goal (who I must say has surprised me somewhat by his decent play in games I’ve watched him play), the Rangers will need to muster their best offensive efforts, as the Flyers remain an otherwise dangerous team, even without Jeff Carter.  However, focussing strictly on one side of the game could be devastating against a deep attack like the Flyers have.

I am curious if Matt Gilroy will remain a healthy scratch in favour of veteran deadline acquisition Anders Eriksson.  Eriksson has looked pretty steady on the point, despite making some glaring mistakes as he gets used to his new teammates’ habits.  I’m in favour of keeping him in, as Gilroy has proven unreliable defensively.  As I have stated many times, Gilroy might be better suited playing up front, as he does possess great skating and some decent offensive skills.  He also played forward until college, meaning the transition might not be that difficult for him to make.  Besides, he looked much more comfortable when pinching in the offensive zone than he did when called upon for defensive zone coverage…

Another questionmark is whether or not Ryan Callahan will be available.  Cally is one of the few players on this team who gives his all on every shift, and having him in the lineup would help tremendously in terms of keeping the effort level of the team up where it belongs.  His offence, usually generated through relentless forechecking, would also be useful.

The one thing I am certain of is that Enver Lisin will continue to sit out as a healthy scratch.  The reason for this is the chemistry found by the new “fourth” line of Jody Shelley, Brandon Prust and Artem Anisimov.  The SAP line has seen their ice-time increased recently, largely due to their commitment to forechecking.  In the game against Tampa, it was a solid hit by Shelley that turned the puck over from Vladimir Mihalik that ended up behind the net on Prust’s stick.  With Mihalik more interested in trying to start a fight with Shelley (a bad idea on every level), Prust evaded a check and brought the puck out front, jamming it past Mike Smith to start the scoring.  It was a real working man’s goal, which is something the Rangers lacked through most of the season.

Another thing that is nice to see lately is that the offence isn’t squarely on Gaborik’s shoulders.  Gabby is still the focal point of the attack, but other players have been stepping up and scoring key goals when Gaborik simply is being covered too well to be effective.  Proof of this is that in the Tampa game, 5 different players found the back of the net (Prust, Staal, Prospal, Dubinsky and Voros) with only one assist going to Gaborik.  In the Florida game, it was Staal (scoring for the third game in a row), Prust, Drury and finally Gaborik into the empty net.  Balanced scoring like this makes it much more difficult for a team to send out their top checkers to shut the Rangers down.

Finally, where would we be if I didn’t mention the stellar play of Henrik Lundqvist?  Hank, as we all knew, is the key to any chance the Rangers have of making the playoffs.  He has elevated his game of late, and will need to continue to be letter-perfect through the final four games.  He seems to have more confidence now that the team is actually giving him a scoring cushion to work with, but that doesn’t mean he can rest on his laurels, as the offence is known to randomly dry up with this team.  Simply put, he has to know that it all boils down to him.  He’s an all-world goaltender, and needs to play as such.

One thing that appears to be behind this recent surge is that John Tortorella has somewhat relinquished the reins, allowing his players to play a looser style that lends itself better to the motley assortment of players on the team.  It was evident that his system was too demanding at times earlier in the season, or that perhaps he simply didn’t have the personnel to properly play his system.  By allowing players the chance to make their decisions based on their skillsets, it has created more flow to the games, and given players the opportunity to do what they do best as individuals.  This can be seen in Marc Staal’s recent scoring streak, where he’s been allowed to go in on the attack if he sees the right opening.

It’s going to be a nerve-racking, exciting, and possibly disappointing end to the season, but we can safely say that in terms of pure entertainment value, we’re getting our money’s worth.

Until next time,

Na Zdravi!

DR

After winning two games, the Rangers showed the world why they are an extremely frustrating team to cheer for last night, losing 3-2 in overtime to the hapless Toronto Maple Leafs.  Everything started out well, as the Rags built a 2-0 lead and looked to have things in the bag.  However, a flukey goal by Tomas Kaberle from behind the goal-line which Henrik Lundqvist absolutely should have stopped, built on an earlier effort by John Mitchell, and took the game to overtime.  From there, it was clear which team was hungrier, and it was the Leafs.

Nikolai Kulemin wasted little time in the extra frame, scoring only 39 seconds in, to give the home team the win and put a severe damper on the Rangers’ playoff hopes.

One could argue that the lack of regulars Ryan Callahan and Matt Gilroy didn’t help the Rangers’ cause, but excuses are for losers.  Adding to the building injury problems was the loss of Sean Avery after he took a violent hit to his left knee.  Avery has been playing very well lately, and is always a sparkplug player for his team.  If he misses any significant time, this team will revert to playing a lifeless game.

One funny moment, courtesy of CBC announcer Kevin Weekes, came when Avery put a hit on Dion Phaneuf, prompting the commentator to state “and Phaneuf gets his first taste of Sean Avery”…  From what I am given to understand, that’s not the case, and even became a big media story a while back…

Anyway, with only 7 games remaining, things are looking bleak.  Working in the Rangers’ favour is the quality of opposition they face, and the fact that they close out the season with two games against the injury-ravaged Flyers, who are down to their third-string goalie.  However, New York can’t afford to look beyond the next game, and must simply lay it all on the line each night.

My prediction is still somewhat optimistic.  I think the Rangers can catch Philly.  The one thing working against them is the fact that Atlanta is also in the mix, and currently has two points on the Rangers.  Torts, if there a time to be a motivator, it is NOW!

Until next time,

Na Zdravi!

DR

Just a quick note on a minor signing made by the Rangers.  Glen Sather announced that the team has come to terms with undrafted college defenceman Lee Baldwin today.  The move is a bit of a strange one, given that the team is flush with defensive prospects, but in a way it makes sense.

Firstly, it doesn’t cost the team a draft pick, leaving more of those available to draft forwards that are a shortfall for the club.  Secondly, given his size (6’3″, 215lbs), Baldwin may become the physical presence the Rangers need on the back end.  His stats aren’t all that impressive in terms of offence (one goal and nine assists in 32 games with the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves), but his PIM total of 51 suggests that he could be exactly what the doctor ordered for a team that struggles to keep opposing forwards away from the slot and crease.

One other possibility is that the team is preparing to move a defenceman, whether by trade or demotion, and adding another 21 year-old player to the stable of prospects gives options in terms of promoting someone from within rather than chasing after high-priced free agents, which is the usual modus operandi for Sather and company.

We’ll see how this guy turns out, but realistically, there is nothing but potential success in this move.  Didn’t give anyone up, and added a guy who might be a solid top-six defenceman some day.  Too bad we couldn’t have traded Redden or Rozsival to the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves in the process, but given their decision-making on the ice, I doubt they’d have high enough SAT scores to be admitted anyway…

Until next time,

Na Zdravi!

DR

The New York Rangers had a big opportunity to keep their playoff lives intact today, and sadly came out as they do all too often – FLAT.  The Boston Bruins, who currently occupy 8th place in the Eastern Conference, were the opponent du jour, and gave the Rangers plenty of chances to steal the game away, despite outplaying the blueshirts in nearly every facet of the game.

Zdeno Chara took a total of 8 minutes in penalties while the teams were still tied at goose-eggs, but the Rangers powerplay yielded more chances than it generated, underlining one of the many problems with this team.  Simply put, it’s just a random assortment of players, some talented, with no sense of cohesion.  It’s a mish-mash team that can’t really play together.  It’s a bunch of guys playing shinny on your local rink.  It’s disjointed beyond repair.

Where was the effort?  Considering this was a stereotypical 4-point game, one would have expected some jump from the Rangers, who are now in 10th in the East and 5 points back of Boston.  Yet, John Tortorella’s boys came out with the kind of effort you might expect from a team resting players prior to the playoffs with their position already solidified.  It was appalling, to say the least.

In the end, the Bruins took the game 2-1, with the Rangers’ only goal coming off of a shot by Mike Del Zotto that banked in off of a B’s defender to break Tuukka Rask’s shutout bid.

I’m tired of talking about who played well and who played poorly.  It’s always the same people on both sides of the discussion.  Hank was again let down by a total team implosion in a game that could end up meaning the season, and quite frankly I feel bad for him.  Henrik deserves to play on a better team, or at least a team who doesn’t mail it in on so many gamedays.  His frustration is so very visible when he sits on the bench at the end of games when the Rangers utilize the extra attacker.  His body language is more than what words can tell.  He is a man with a broken spirit.  And yet, he’s the only player who consistently plays his heart out for this rag-tag organization.

So, what is the plan moving forward?

This team won’t make the post-season, and if they somehow manage to get into the playoffs, they’ll be one and done.  They have no fight, and even Hank can’t possibly get them past one of either Washington or Pittsburgh or anyone else for that matter (unless it’s New Jersey, who for some reason can’t beat the Rangers in the playoffs these last few years).

Is it better to sit the veterans and call up some players from the AHL?  I know I’d like to see Evgeni Grachev play.  Same with Bobby Sanguinetti or even Ryan McDonagh.  It’s time to send a message to players like Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Olli Jokinen and Chris Drury (a combined salary total of $24M or so) that if you aren’t going to play hard, you aren’t going to play at all.

To make matters even worse, Ryan Callahan left the game after taking a hard hit from Zdeno Chara in the Bruins’ end while he was gunning to negate an icing call.  He beat Chara to the puck, but was then crushed by the man-giant, and did not return to the game.  That’s one of the few heart-and-soul players the Rangers have, and he looked to be in severe discomfort.  Hopefully it’s nothing serious, but knowing Callahan, he wouldn’t have left the game for anything that wasn’t serious…

Anyway, it’s time to start looking forward to the draft and who the Rangers could get with what may be a top-10 pick.

My hope is that Kirill Kabanov will still be available, as he possesses top-end skills – something the Rags desperately need.  He is a bit under-sized, but has great hands and a good sense for the game.  It’ll be interesting to see who we end up taking in the first round, but my bet is that it will certainly be a forward, as we’re already deep in defensive prospects.

Next game is on Tuesday against the Isles at MSG, which is basically a game 7 of the playoffs type of situation for the Rangers.  If they don’t win, their fate is all but sealed.  From thereon in, they play 6 straight on the road, which is a tough test for any team.  Again, without a win against the Islanders, this season’s end is just a formality.

That’s it for now, until next time,

Na Zdravi!

DR

Two points out of a playoff spot with 16 games to play, the Rangers are a team mired in mediocrity.  Not only has our offence been pitiful this season, but our defence hasn’t been the tightly knit group they were under Tom Renney.  Don’t think for a moment that I’m suggesting this team would be any better under Renney’s coaching, but if the offence isn’t putting pucks in the net, you need to pay more attention to defence in order to give yourself a fighting chance at winning night in and night out.  That’s simply not happening.

The current roster has some bright spots, but many more question marks.  Obviously players like Gaborik, Callahan, Dubinsky, Del Zotto, Lundqvist, Anisimov and Staal are all a part of what is good, but what about the rest of the team?

It’s been written about ad nauseum that the Rangers need to get out from under the crushing weight of the “big 3″ contracts of Redden, Rozsival and Drury, but that doesn’t seem likely unless they package in some youth or significant picks to get a deal done – in other words, ain’t happening.  There are options, however, in terms of Rozsival potentially being loaned to a European team, Redden being demoted to Hartford, and Chris Drury possibly getting hit by a bus…  However, it doesn’t seem likely that GM Glen Sather would be willing to admit his failure and make any of those moves (although the bus thing would be random, so don’t discount that possibility)…

Supposing we’re stuck with those three, what can we expect down the stretch?

Firstly, we need Gaborik to be injured again, as the team’s offence actually produced better when he was out after the Olympics.  Since his return, the team has been losing.  Now, I’m not suggesting Gaborik himself is a cancer in the lockerroom or anything to that effect, but it seems like when he plays he becomes so much a central figure in the attack that the team can’t get into the flow of games, thus making the opposition’s gameplan a very simple one:  Shut down Gabby.

The season can’t be written off just yet, although it’s a foregone conclusion that should the Rangers make the playoffs, they’ll be done in one round.  Of course, that changes if we meet the Devils or Penguins, against whom we always seem to elevate our play.  Tomorrow’s matchup against New Jersey will show just how serious the Rangers are about making a playoff push, but one has to wonder if making the post-season is really the best thing for the team.

In an ideal world, the Rangers would finish dead last in the NHL, thus being enabled to draft one of the three potential wunderkinds available in Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin or Cam Fowler, but unfortunately the team has earned far too many points to drop back that far in the standings.  So, we’ll be looking at a middling pick in a draft considered to be rather weak after the top 5 or so.  Forget about trading up, since it’s unlikely we have the parts that would be required to move up very far in the draft order, unless Bob Gainey gets another GM gig somewhere and takes Redden off of our hands…

The bottom line here is that this team is stuck in the mud, and there isn’t much that can be done about it.  The free agency market is not particularly stocked with high-end talent who would make an instant difference on Broadway, but there are a couple of interesting names that may be considered, provided they don’t re-sign with their current teams and would be willing to take a spot in the Rangers’ lineup.

1 – Anton Volchenkov (D) – The “A-Train” is the ideal shut-down defenceman the Rangers should target.  He’s physical, defensively responsible, a good skater, and a low-maintenance player.  I picture him getting anywhere between $4M-5.5M per season on a new deal, which would be feasible in the Rangers’ cap situation provided we let Dan Girardi walk.  Adding Volchenkov would make opposing forwards think twice about attacking the crease, something that has been a glaring problem this year.

2 – Tomas Plekanec (C) – Plekanec would be a great fit alongside Gaborik, who lacks a true number one center.  While I don’t consider Plekanec anything more than an exceptional second-line center, on the Rangers he’d instantly be the best player down the middle.  His combination of scoring acumen and setup ability would give the Rangers a very solid top line and make the whole team harder to defend against.  I’m also assuming we’d be re-signing Prospal at a reasonable salary for this to happen…  Plekanec, in my opinion, will net about $4.5M-$5M per season on his new deal, making him a potentially affordable signing if we suppose Olli Jokinen will not stick around.

3 – Olli Jokinen (C) – Failing a signing of Plekanec, I’m actually on-board with re-signing Jokinen, assuming the price is right.  He hasn’t been great, but hasn’t been terrible either, and it could just be a matter of learning Tortorella’s system and his linemates’ habits.  Joker is a former 30-goal guy, and gives us depth up front.  I’d like to see what he could do on a line with Gaborik full-time.

Finally, we can expect an injection of youth into the lineup next season, with guys like Grachev, Sanguinetti and others nearing NHL readiness.  I wouldn’t think Kreider, Stepan or Ryan Bourque will make the team out of camp next season, although some may be called up for spot duty if injuries occur.

In all, I think this team will look a lot different next season, and likely a lot better.  It is all contingent on moving at least one of the big salaries, but I believe that’s possible if not probable.  Until then, we as Rangers’ fans should treat the remaining balance of this season as a development camp.  There will be a few winning streaks, but we shouldn’t get too excited.  There will be some losing streaks, and we shouldn’t get too discouraged.  Overall, this is a team in transition, and for once, we actually have the prospect depth needed to build from within.  Patience is a virtue…

Until next time,

Na Zdravi!

DR