Tonight's is a strangely important game for December, and it really has little to do with the Rangers playing their bitter rivals other than the two teams battling for the same spots on the lower rungs of the playoff ladder.
I don't have to remind you the Rangers have looked awfully shaky lately with a record of 2-5 in their last 7 games. It gets worse. After tonight they play a tough trio of Ottawa, Boston and Toronto before going on a road trip that will see them play 4 games from California and back in just 6 days. If the recent shakiness continues, the Rangers could practically be buried in the playoff race just a few days into the new year.
Team confidence isn't the only item potentially hanging in the balance tonight. As Larry Brooks explains, Mike Dunham's status as #1 goaltender may have a lot to do with tonight's game as well. Of course, being Larry Brooks, he has to reach for those national headlines with talk of Curtis Joseph, Sean Burke and Lindros as the player "almost certain" to be traded for either of those two. Just nod your head and smile and maybe he'll go away.
The NY Times reports Sather and Holik aren't seeing eye to eye in their evaluations of the team's playoff chances. In other shocking news, scientists predict the sun will rise again tomorrow morning.
The Daily News talks about the role reversals between the Rangers and Islanders since the two teams last met and also sticks it to Dunham a bit, and I quote, "Of course, none of the strategic and philosophical matters the Rangers focused on this week amount to much if they don't get strong goaltending. And for the past six weeks, No. 1 goaltender Mike Dunham hasn't given it to them."
Bridget Wentworth at the Star-Ledger pulls no punches when referring to Dunham, either: "The Rangers are 1-3 since that [Dec. 4 @NYI] game, victims of poor goaltending from Mike Dunham, bad penalties, blown leads, and a lack of offense."
In fact, I recall every paper in the area questioning Dunham's recent play at some point this week, and I can't say I disagree. 2-7-2 with a 3.05 goals against average and an .899 save percentage since November 8th. Over the same period, Jussi Markannen has gone 4-0-1 with a just above a 1.00 goals against average. Uh, yeah, Mike? Enough talk of the "bad bounces" already, okay killer? You've won 2 of 11.
Newsday only has an Islander article on tonight's game, worth reading if just for this one interesting statistical tidbit: Rangers at Nassau, 6-2-1-1 in their last 10. Isles at MSG, 6-2-2 in their last 10.
The Journal News article is almost identical to the one in the Daily News, starting off with the two teams' reversals of fortunes since their last meeting and going on to mention Dunham's recent struggles. The teacher should probably call Messrs. Dellapina and Gross into his office and get to the bottom of this.
I forgot to link to an interesting Rodent article yesterday morning where he whips it out (the spreadsheet, that is) and lays down some numbers on how the Rangers fare in their next game after coming off various periods of rest.
The game is an ESPN exclusive tonight, 8pm. Report Card afterward.
- Rocha
Posted by pete at December 18, 2003 05:49 AMeMail this entry!
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