I'm not sure where to start.
Avery out, Shanny hurting......Straka um, concussed and the Rangers haven't won in 2008. There seems to be breakdowns in a variety of area's in the Rangers game. What do we do?
Bring on the Flyers.
This is just the type of game the Rangers win. Don't ask me why or how....it just is.
Booby Clarke.....yes, I spelled it that way on purpose......he's commenting on the sucker punch to Blakes eye. What Bobby forgets is that you can get a guy who deserves it without a sucker punch or as in his day, hiding behind Dave Shultz.
I have spent much of this season avoiding (on purpose) the local beat writers. No offense to them at all......I'm just tired of the daily details after ten years of posting the links. However, it's kinda hard to go through a season without reading the occasional Larry Brooks article. Uncle Larry and I go way back and while we haven't communicated in a bit, I do respect the guy despite any criticisms I may have posted over the years. Today, Larry included this in his Post offering....."There will be no band-aid deals in which the Blueshirts surrender value for emergency replacements. In other words, Petr Prucha is not being sent to Columbus for David Vyborny."
What is interesting about this is that if you agree that the Rangers are in trouble and they are, and you know that Slats would love to find a way to right the ship, Larry's statement suggests that there won't be a quick fix attempted by the GM. Thank the hockey gods.
The Rodent has stated that the Rangers are a team in transition, slowly adding home grown youth to a roster that at some point will not have names like Jagr or Shanahan. If they stick to that plan then this season may slip away. The question is......how will the fans react?
Some fans have already traded some of our youth for older "do it now" players. Others complain about the mistakes that some of our youth make. Sadly, some of these same fans screamed for the Rangers to "play the kids" after a decade of playoffless hockey. Folks, you can't have it both ways. Either we go back to the fantasy hockey rosters of the past and maybe make a playoff appearence (it didn't work before) or we stick to the plan and wait out the recent troubles.
Assume that we stick to the plan.
Short term.....the Rangers will be a tough watch. In the long run it will pay off as these kids come into their own. All it takes is some of that famous NY patience. No, I'm not talking about that split second between the light changing and the guy behind you beeping his horn, I'm talking the real thing. Hell, I waited 54 years for a cup. I can wait a while as these kids become men. The real question is.....can you?
Perhaps the best keeper in the league, Roberto Luongo will miss the all-star game to hang out at my house here in Florida. OK, that's not really true. He'll spend some time with his pregnet wife.....and then we'll have beers.
See ya tonight after the game.
----}- Bird
eMail this entry!
|
|
|
|