The storyline for the Rangers going into tonight’s game
against Atlanta was simple. Find a way
to win and get the two critical points to push closer to locking up a playoff
spot or lose control of your own fate and have Carolina in control of what
happens. Things are never that easy for
the Rangers or their fans as by the time the final buzzer went the Garden was
mainly emptied out and the result was a disgraceful 3-0 loss to the Atlanta
Thrashers. Now the Rangers are left to
scoreboard watch and hope that in game 82 they have a shot to get back some
semblance of control with a win against the Devils.
The night started with tremendous emotion with the Steven
McDonald Extra Effort Award being awarded to Brandon Prust for his tremendous
battle this year. During the award
ceremony Steven McDonald fired up the crowd telling the Thrashers, “We win, you
lose.” Regarding the playoffs McDonald
added, “We may be one of the last ones in, but we will not be the first one
out.” Too bad the Rangers did not play
that way on the ice tonight.
After a very good first five minutes of the game the Rangers
were badly outplayed by an Atlanta team that had absolutely nothing to play for
which is absolutely unacceptable consider what was on the line for New York.
Both teams had chances in the first but the goaltending stood the tests.
At 7:42 of the second period Atlanta would get on the board
with a goal from Rob Schremp after Henrik Lundqvist made multiple stops during
the sequence. Schremp collected the loose puck in the slot and unlike the
Rangers he finished his chance. Just 15
seconds later the Thrashers would twist the knife a little deeper when Andrew
Ladd broke down the left side and beat Lundqvist with a backhand shot.
The talk heading into the third was about the comeback
against Boston on Monday, but that was more wishful thinking that anything
based on this game. Eric Boulton would
finish off the hopes of that miracle comeback 4:19 into the third when he beat
Marian Gaborik to the front of the net and tipped the puck up and over
Lundqvist to make it 3-0.
The team made that miraculous comeback basically moot by
handing over control of their destiny to Carolina who now with two wins and
Buffalo with just one point can lock the Rangers out of the playoffs.
The only
player that seemed to give a damn tonight was Henrik Lundqvist and for a tea
that has prided themselves on effort all season that is embarrassing given the
circumstances surrounding this game.
