There
are no words to accurately describe the disgrace that was the New York Rangers
performance tonight in a 6-2 loss to the “rival” Islanders. Coming off a mediocre performance in their
biggest game of the year last night in Buffalo the team decided it didn’t really
have to show up at all with the belief the Isles were going to roll over and
hand them two points. The power play was
atrocious in going 0-7, defensive zone coverage was even worse, but the utter
lifelessness and lack of effort for the team as a whole was the worst part of
it all. There is no way in the last five
games of the year that you should lack effort and energy while battling for a
playoff spot. The performance was an embarrassment to the sweater that they wear and should have all the men in that room ashamed at their "effort".
Hard
to believe but the Rangers actually did lead in this game when Vinny Prospal made
it 1-0 Rangers 14:25 into the first period.
The goal was created by excellent work from Marian Gaborik down low
would get him the puck, he stepped out and fired a shot that was blocked by
Jack Hillen, then Gaborik played the puck over to Prospal who fired a quick
slap shot from the right faceoff circle that beat Montoya high.
Following
the goal the Rangers would have a series of four power plays over the next
eight minutes of action including two different 5-on-3 advantages in which the
team converted nothing and ended up creating momentum for the Islanders and
they would actually feel like converting something tonight.
Blake
Comeau and Radek Martinek would score 33 seconds apart to take what was a 1-0
deficit and turn it into a 2-1 Islanders lead.
After killing off the Rangers sixth power play of the game the Islanders
would could get two more quick goals during the latter stages of the period
with the first from Jesse Joensu on a deflection and then Parenteau would score
76 seconds later to make it 4-1.
Matt
Moulson added to the insult mid-way through the third and then the ultimate
indignity occurred when Trevor Gillies scored at 14:00 of the third period to
make it 6-1. Prust gets an absolutely
meaningless goal with 13.6 seconds left to make it 6-2.
Now
they have to pick themselves up and show some of the heart they showed before
the last two nights on Sunday or all the work of the first 76 games could
unravel rapidly.
