Dominic Moore - November 10, 2005
Marcel Hossa - November 10, 2005
Michael Nylander - November 24, 2005
Jason Ward - November 26th, 2005
Ville Nieminen - November 20, 2005
Blair Betts - November 24, 2005
Tom Poti - March 24, 2004
We are just a few days away from Christmas. It is December 21, 2005. The dates next to each player's name above indicates the last time that player scored a goal.
As we approach 2006, I am starting to get the feeling that the Rangers are being exposed for what they truly are. The NHL has figured out the power play (2 for their last 36 opportunities), and Jaromir Jagr has been held under control (2 goals in his last 10 games, and ONE power-play goal in his last 16 games).
Last night was a tough one to watch. The single best aspect of their game is the penalty-kill, and it was put to the test last night. They were penalized 12 times for a total of 24 minutes, and they spent over 18 minutes of the game shorthanded. That is simply just unacceptable. Michael Nylander committed three fouls for a total of 8 minutes. Simply unacceptable.
The Rangers are starting to play that lazy type of hockey that does not get you goals, and earns you penalties. With the exception of Hollweg and Kasparaitis, few others finish their checks, instead opting to grab or hook the opponent. None of them are driving to the net, like Jason Blake or Matt Cooke or Brian Gionta do. Lately, Prucha and Hollweg are the only guys that one could truly say give 100% each shift. (Poor Ryan was only able to play just over 4 minutes because of all of the penalties.)
Tom Poti, who has no goals, is the Rangers' leading scorer among defensemen with 10 points. To put that in perspective . . . EVERY SINGLE other team in the league has at least one defenseman with more points than Poti. Most teams have three or four D-Men with more than 10 points, and the Flyers have FIVE blueliners over that mark. The Rangers' defensive corps have spread out 47 points among seven players . . . the Leafs' Brian McCabe has 40 points by himself.
I am also starting to worry about Tom Renney. He has been questioned, in public, about his power-play philosophy by his star player, who has not exactly been lighting it up with the man advantage. He has been unable to cure the aforementioned power play woes, and he has been unable to get the Rangers to discipline themselves and not take penalties (they have committed the sixth-most minor infractions in the league with 241).
And can someone explain to me why Petr Prucha, the team's best goal scorer of late, and the player whose hard work earned the only goal for them last night, was on the bench after they pulled goalie Kevin Weekes for the extra attacker?? Why are Dom Moore, Martin Straka (4 goals this year) and Fedor Tyutin on the ice instead of Petr?
On the bright side, goaltenders Kevin Weekes and Henrik Lundqvist have given their team at least a chance to win most of the time. In fact, those guys have saved this team's bacon on numerous occasions. Weekes did his part last night again.
Listen, this team is still overachieving, and still have a very good chance at making the playoffs, but they now have only the fourth most points in the Eastern Conference, and the Flyers are breathing down their neck. Only nine points separate them from the 9th place Devils, and with games coming up in the next few weeks against teams like Tampa Bay, Ottawa, the Islanders, Philly, Calgary, and Detroit, those points can dissipate quickly.
Much of the news today focuses on the Devils' perspective and the first win for Lou Lamoriello. I am going to try to give you the stuff from the Rangers' perspective.
NY Post: "I'm not going to pretend everything's hunky-dory," Rangers coach Tom Renney said.
NY Daily News: Jagr's center, Michael Nylander, was the worst offender last night. He committed three penalties - one a double-minor midway through the third period - and all were of the stick-work variety. Hardly a rare occurrence, the finesse center is tied for the team lead with 42 penalty minutes. Rangers coach Tom Renney did not rule out sitting Nylander in tomorrow night's home stand closer against Tampa Bay.
The Journal News: "You can't win scoring one goal," Jagr said. "I'm worried that we don't score goals. I'm not worried about anything else. When you take so many bad penalties, especially in the third period when you have a 1-0 lead, it's just a matter of time when they're going to score."
Newsday: Months from now, we'll know whether the home losing streak the Rangers extended to three games last night with a 3-1 defeat to the Devils was an understandable lull or the beginning of a team playing down to its true level.
I think you get the picture.
The Rodent has a rant on some folks' idea to move Petr Prucha to center. He used the "F" word today.
I am not going to discuss possible trades at this time, because there is a roster freeze until December 27th. However, something has to happen quick around here, because it could get ugly in a hurry.
HDH
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