Penguins Pull to Within One Point of the Rangers
With the Penguins moving to within one point of the Rangers after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Flyers yesterday, it's become a matter of when the Penguins are going to pass the Rangers, not if. And if the Rangers aren't careful the Flyers might pass them by as well, which would drop them to the fifth seed taking away home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Is it me or is this looking more and more like the 2005-06 season when they fell apart down the stretch, lost the division lead and where swept out of the playoffs by the Devils?
Still plenty of time to turn it around, but tonight's game against the Devils would be a good place to start.
The Hockey Night Live crew discusses how much it matters if the Rangers slip to the fifth seed...
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Yea Id like to see the Garden get rocking to end this homestand, make it hard for other players and get confidence in the rangers that their fans are going crazy for them.
The Rangers need to hold 1st place through the final stretch. It's a matter of home ice advantage right now. It's a huge difference come playoffs.. You can't give the division to the Penguins especially with there home ice win percent at a little over 70 (and of course now that the cry baby is back too). Rangers have to find a way to win games here in the stretch.
Everyone needs to take a deep breath. The last thing this team needs is for all the fans to thrown in the towel because Philly and the Pens are rolling. Last year we barely made the playoffs. One game at a time boys. Cally, MDZ and the King are back, let's focus on taking out Marty tonight in our house.
Im still confident, but Im not happy about the recent stretch, though in all honesty we should have won against the aves, did everything right and got stoned by the second coming of patrick roy. The thing that pisses me off is the devils who are 6 places below us will probably end up playing a shit opponent in round one ie a south eastern team. I agree that the top team from each division should get in, but in the top 3 sports? DUMB.
It's funny, with this recent losing streak, the Rangers still have the most Regulation or OT wins in the conference!!! 6 more than the Pens so that tells you something about this team's season to this point!! And again, it all matters in the 2nd season!!!!
We're still in first and we're in a slump. We'll get out of it , and the pens will stay behind ;) (be a little optimistic!)
At the start of the season if someone said they would be in 4th, 5th place come playoffs, would you take it? This team may perform better as an underdog then as a first place team. I think thats what got them into first place to begin with
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I don't see it the same as '05-'06. That team totally relied upon #68 and Hank was a rookie. When Jagr went down, they had no chance against the Devils. This team is certainly more balanced and built for playoff hockey. Sure they're going through a slump at the moment, but they've been playing pretty good hockey the last few games. I look at it this way, Pittsburgh's won 11 of their last 12, Philly 9 of 12, and the Rangers have played .500 in that same span yet STILL lead the conference. They control their own destiny and now that Hank, Cally, and MDZ are back I'm confident they will get back to who they are, because they are NOT a .500 team.
@gravey94 You're 100% correct that the two teams are polar opposites but the end of the season struggles are sadly not.
@KevinDeLury If I remember corretly, that '05-'06 team has 2 pretty big losing streaks in March and April, including their last 5 or 6 of the season. I just don't see that happening with this team and I also don't see the Flyers and Penguins running the table the rest of the way. Maybe I'm just an optimist this year ;-)
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So much doom and gloom. Teams go thru rough stretches, especially young teams. This adversity should be seen as a positive, character building thing. If this young team just cruised good shot they'd be in for a rude awakening come playoff time.
Be encouraged that they just played one of their better games of the season. They absolutely outplayed the Avalanche, the wins will start coming again asap.
In 47 years of rooting for this team, They gave me 1 good year and broke my heart 45 times. Number 46 is coming up this year. What a shame, and people call this a storied franchise? what a joke.
@Iron Mike Listen sunny, when you'll root for a team as long as I have , maybe just maybe you can critisize another Rangers fan. Until then you'd be well served to keep your trap shut and just listen. You don't know the meaning of the word FAN.
@TheNYRBlog Do you think, if Rangers fall to 4 or 5, it would be worth it to drop to 6 intentionally to get the Panthers instead of Flyers?
@Trevor_K2 I'd love that but no way a team would ever throw games. Especially a team led by Torts.
@TheNYRBlog Yeah, I figured. I think you're right. I'm not worried about the Fly, but if Pens are 4 and we're 5....
They are absolutely toast if they lose tonight, because you know they'll lose Wednesday to the Red Wings. At that point, it would be 7 losses in 9 games and once they fall out of the 1st spot, they're staying out of the 1st spot. Typical Rangers. Always a tease. :(
Its not going to happen!
As long as Tortorella keeps giving significant ice time to snipers like Boyle, Prust, Fedotenko, Mitchell and Dubinsky-and as long as Stepan and Anisimov keep on pace for their 17 goals apiece then all will be fine.
BTW, the first 5 players that I mentioned above have a combined 31 goals this season and yet with the part time exception of Mitchell all of them average about 14:00 per game.
Prust, Boyle, Dubinsky and Fedotenko alone combined for 68 goals last season.
These guys need to start stepping it up now and contribute goals or this team will be swept in the 1st round.
And if I hear one fan on here today say that Kreider is going to somehow walk onto this roster out of college and automatically contribute and help with their offensive woes should stop watching hockey for the rest of their lives.
@Beckfan5 So which "snipers" are you proposing to replace those 7 players with? Or are you saying that the top 2 lines should be playing 35 minutes a night?
@gravey94 What I am saying is that maybe, probably, some of those players need a night or 2 off.
Why not bring up Newbury or Deveaux for a few games to give a banged up Prust or Boyle a rest. Or to send a message to Dubinsky who has contributed hardly anything this season.
@gravey94 They average less than 2 goals per game!!
And everyone who watches this team knows that Prust, Boyle and Fedotenko are not 100%. But hey, let them play through injuries and right into the war of the playoffs.
@Beckfan5 They only have 2 call-ups left until the Whale is eliminated from the playoffs. You want to make those Newbury and Deveaux so Feds and Prust can get rest? Not the time of the year to be doing that IMO. The first 5 players you mentioned are 3rd and 4th liners. They are not the problem. The D slipping has been the problem. The scoring is what it is at this point, you're not going to change it with 2 more 4th liners. Kreider might though...LOL!
@KevinDeLury What is it? That Kreider is in tonight's lineup over Zuccarello?
Or that the first PP unit in practice this morning is Dubinsky. Boyle, Mitchell, Del Zotto and Prust?
@jeffweber77 @Beckfan5 @KevinDeLury At this point of Krider's career, he would fit right in with Fedotenko, Mitchel, Dubinsky and co. He would be a zero like they are.
@Beckfan5 @KevinDeLury I would welcome Kreider with open arms right now. This team is pathetic on offense and the power play. They are playing offensively right now they way they did a few years ago -- tons of shots, no production. Not gonna win that way. Lots more losses like Saturday night that way.
@TheNYRBlog Let 'em slip to 6th. I would take the FLA/WSH matchup over ANY of the others. NYR were playing WAY over their heads anyway.#2013
@TheNYRBlog ...in two years? MUCH different story. Nash wasn't the answer. Sather knew it. NYR going the right direction. ENJOY IT!!!
@TheNYRBlog Looking at the big picture, the NYR are WAY ahead of themselves. These guys were never as good as their record indicated...yet..
@TheNYRBlog Yeah, I'd rather see them at No. 6, too, if that were the choice, but I'd still like No. 1 ... and hope that Winnipeg is No. 8!
@TheNYRBlog they are still completely in control of their own fate. There's just no cushion anymore. But maybe they'll get some help.
