The Idea of Firing Tortorella if Rangers Miss Playoffs

The murmurs among the New York Rangers fans about the job security of coach John Tortorella if the team does indeed fail to make the playoffs for the second straight year.  There is no denying that missing again, especially when it will come down to the final game would be heartbreaking for the fans, the team and the organization.  Making matters worse would be the fact that the Rangers had a seven point lead with just six games to go and that leads to use of the phrase collapse in describing how the team has closed the season.  The idea that Tortorella’s job should be in jeopardy is lunacy for me.

The reality is that the team is 10-4-1 in their 15 games which is hardly a collapse. The reality is that all realistic Rangers fans pegged this team as either battling for the eight spot at the end of the year or missing the playoffs altogether.  This team has massively overachieved even if they had been healthy the entire year based on the talent they run out there each night.  Add to that the number of key injuries they have suffered during the course of the year and the amount of young players that were incorporated into the fold this season and Tortorella should be being praised for even having the Rangers with a shot to get in the playoffs tomorrow.  Talk of firing him after the job he has done this year in changing the culture and growing the youth is ridiculous and you should just stop following this team.  Torts has made his mistakes, as all coaches will, but in the totality of the year he has done a tremendous job and deserves the support of this fan base not an irrational reaction to possibly missing the playoffs.

Zuccarello Recalled from Whale, Who Will Sit?

Based on the AHL transactions page, the stay in Connecticut was a short one for Mats Zuccarello as the New York Rangers have recalled the 23-year-old winger.  In the three games he played since his demotion to the Whale Zuccarello had four assists.  The Rangers are obviously looking for an offensive spark with the loss of Ryan Callahan and being blanked by the Thrashers.  There is no telling currently whether Zuccarello will go back to his recent fourth line role which saw him be ineffective or if the coach will give him a chance to move up in the lineup against the Devils tomorrow.

The speculation now is over who will sit tomorrow and while the early favorite would be Matt Gilroy to ride the pine don’t rule out other options if Tortorella is truly trying to push the offensive envelope.

Rangers Have Lost Control of Own Destiny From Inability To Beat Weaker Competition

The cliché that has surrounded the New York Rangers all season, based on missing the playoffs last year by a single point, has been that every point counts.  Those points in any or all of the first 81 games of the season count as much as those in the finale, but once again it will come down to the final game of the season to decide the Rangers playoff fate.  As the playoffs approach, if you are a team that is battling to get in, the one thing you can take comfort in is having some sense of control of your destiny.  Despite the charge the Carolina Hurricanes have been on, 7-1-1 in their last 9 games, going into last night against the Atlanta Thrashers the Rangers still had that card in their back pocket.  It is gone now.  Instead they must find a way to bounce back against the rival Devils and hope for other teams to aid them in their quest to make the playoffs this season.

If the Rangers fail to make the postseason it will be easy to point to last night’s game as the reason why and it would certainly be part of it, but it goes deeper than that.  Over the past three months the Rangers inability to defeat the teams they are supposed to has cost them an inordinate amount of points.  According to Andrew Gross, since January 20 the Rangers are now 5-7-1 against the non-playoff teams in the Eastern Conference.  That is 15 lost points in 13 games against teams that are not in a position to currently make the postseason.  You have to collect as many points as possible against those teams that are not going to make it and then play respectably against the better teams. 

In contrast, over that same stretch of the season the team is 9-5-1 against teams currently in the Eastern Conference playoffs.  Those numbers show that the Rangers can beat any and all teams they might play in the playoffs, but that their inability to maintain that level against the inferior competition may well cost them that chance. 

Here is a breakdown Buffalo, New York and Carolina over since January 20…

	Overall Record	VS Non-Playoff Teams in East	VS Playoff Teams in East
Buffalo	21-9-5	9-5-2	8-3-1
New York	16-15-2	5-7-1	9-5-1
Carolina	17-12-5	8-4-2	8-6-3

As you can see all three teams have been above .500 against the playoff teams in the Eastern Conference, but the place where the Rangers fall short against the competition is gaining the points they should against those teams that are not going to be playing next week.  When you gain only 42% of the possible points against non-playoff teams in your conference over the course of nearly three months, frankly you do not deserve to be in the playoffs yourself.  You can look at any one game and say that was the game in which the Rangers lost control of their destiny, but the reality is the Rangers lost it over the course of months not any one night because they could not consistently get the points playoff teams do against inferior competition. 

Video: Prust Wins 2010-11 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award

Rangers Relinquish Control of Own Destiny With Embarassing Effort in 3-0 Loss to Thrashers

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.

Rangers Prospect Carl Hagelin In Action Tonigh In NCAA Frozen Four

Tonight is a huge game for the New York Rangers in terms of their NHL playoff chances this season, but they will also have a prospect playing a massive game this evening when Carl Hagelin, 2007 6th-round pick, will lead his Michigan Wolverines in the Frozen Four against North Dakota.  The game will be shown on ESPN 2 at 8:30 so be sure to check in on it during breaks and following the Rangers-Thrashers game tonight.

In anticipation of that trip to the Frozen Four DJ Powers at Hockey's Future interviewed Hagelin about his present and the unfinished business from his last appearance along with his future plans for this summer.

Along with that Sean Leahy over at Puck Daddy interviewed Hagelin as well.

Gaborik Must Finish Or The Rangers Are Likely Finished

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To say that the impact of Marian Gaborik for the New York Rangers during the 2010-11 season has been mixed would be an understatement.  Gaborik has fought through multiple injuries during the course of the year and whether they were the cause or not he has suffered from inconsistency both in impact and pure numbers.  On the year Gaborik has accounted for 22 goals and 25 assists in 60 games, which are respectable totals but not close to what was expected coming off last season.  Gaborik can erase all thoughts of his struggles this season by playing to his status as the offensive superstar of this team for these next two games and helping to will them with his skill into the playoffs.

His game has picked up lately and his threat level is more noticeable, but at the same time he is not paid 7.5 million dollars a season to just be a threat.  He is paid to score goals and while his game has picked up he is not finishing as he has gone seven straight games without a goal to show for his efforts.  That will not cut it in these final two games.  The stakes are too high.  The race is too tight.  The team cannot afford to come up just short two seasons in a row and the onus offensively comes back to the guy who is supposed to be the star.

With Callahan out of the lineup the offensive burden falls even more to the shoulders of Marian Gaborik than it had before.  Gaborik was brought in here to be the primary scoring the Rangers were looking for and hopefully they could surround him with secondary guys to balance the lineup.  What has resulted instead is a lot of secondary scorers are having career years and the primary scorer forgot how to consistently finish and lead his team in the only way he really can.  He is now playing with Dubinsky and Anisimov in Callahan’s spot on what has arguably been the best line for the Rangers this season.  If this team is going to hold off the charging Hurricanes the Rangers will need for Marian Gaborik to be able to shoulder the load of standing tall like superstars are supposed to when the season is on the line.  It might be unfair to put that burden on one player, especially with how the team has had the collective identity all season long, but playoff time is when stars have to step to the forefront and this team will either be lifted by the goal scoring of their best offensive player or they will likely be home watching the other stars play in the extra season.

Prust, Rangers Will Not Back Down From Challenge On McDonald Night

Nothing comes easy for the New York Rangers and while it would be fun to have it all locked up nice and tight with two games to go it just is not the way this franchise works.  It seems each year there is the late season dash for the playoffs and they either just get in or just miss and this season is no different.  With Carolina getting a huge two points off the Detroit Red Wings last night the Rangers backs are against the wall again as while they control their own destiny at this moment anything short of points tonight will change that fact.  The combination of the Steven McDonald award before the game and the first game following the loss of their leader and the desire to rally for Ryan Callahan will being a level of emotion to the building that will be palpable.  Throw in the playoff situation and Madison Square Garden will be alive tonight I expect the Rangers to come out fighting. 

With that as the backdrop for tonight’s game who better to look to for the spark the Rangers need than the likely winner of the Steven McDonald award, Brandon Prust.  For me Prust is the most qualified player to step into the roles Ryan Callahan plays on this team in terms of the energy and tenacity of play.  It is why he will be the one that unseats Callahan as the McDonald winner.  Expect Prust to come out and make sure the team is ready early on, as he did against Montreal when he fought Travis Moen one second into the game.  The response from the crowd and the team that night makes it likely that he puts in that extra effort again tonight, as he has all year, to add to the juice that should already be flowing through the building.  It is what warriors do. 

I highlight Prust and his ability to fight to spark the team, but his contributions go far beyond just that aspect of the game.  His ability to forecheck and cycle plays right into the system that the Rangers seek to play and he combines that with defensively responsible hockey, a willingness to hit, block shots and tremendous penalty killing.  Those are things the team will be looking to maintain in their identity and Prust will not let them forget it.

Early in the year the role for Prust was mainly as the protector for all of his teammates when the opposition stepped out of line, but that role has evolved into so much more on the ice.  Tonight it will take all the roles Prust can play in order to help the Rangers protect the playoff spot they have worked the last 80 games to give themselves the chance to control.  There has not been a challenge Prust has backed down from all year, so expect tonight to be no different.

Rangers 2010 First Round Pick Dylan McIlrath Signs ATO, Will Join Whale This Week

According to the AHL transactions page , the Rangers have signed 2010 first round pick Dylan McIlrath to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement with the Connecticut Whale.  Per Brian Ring  McIlrath is expected to report to the team this week.  McIlrath, 18, had 5 goals, 18 assists and 153 penalty minutes in 62 games during the regular season for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL.  In the playoffs McIlrath was scoreless in their six game first round defeat to the Kooteany Ice.

The ATO allows McIlrath to play with the team this season and during the playoffs without having any impact on his entry-level contract which officially starts next season.  Dylan is allowed to play in the AHL despite being under 20 because his Junior team has finished their season, but next season he will have to either be in the NHL or back in the WHL.  Being around the professional game should be a very good experience for McIlrath and give him another sense of what it will take for him to be a professional player.  Look for Wade Redden to take McIlrath under his wing as he has done with all the young defenders for the Whale this season.

Locking Up Michael Sauer Should Be A Rangers Priority This Summer

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There have been a number of pleasant surprises for the New York Rangers during this season, but few if any have been as good as the play of rookie defenseman Michael Sauer. Coming into the season Sauer was seen by many as an afterthought even to make the roster.  His play throughout the year has not only changed that thinking, but made him a critical part of the Rangers defensive core now and into the future.  The 23-year-old defender has played himself into the top four on defense and has been arguably the best defender on the club the second half of the season.

There has been a lot of discussion this year about the necessary contracts for Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky along with some for Brian Boyle and Artem Anisimov but very little attention has been paid to the fact that Michael Sauer is also on that RFA list.  He will never be the flashy player on that list, the big name or the big producer but his steadiness this season has made him as important as any of those guys to the position the Rangers are in.  Normally I look at players have their best season in a contract year with skepticism and only want to give them a one year contract to prove it again, but with Sauer I don’t have those doubts because of that level of consistency he has played with every game this year.

Every night he steps on the ice you know you are getting a player with tremendous defensive awareness, positioning and attention to the basics.  Add to that a man who loves to hit, clears the crease and fights to defend himself and his teammates and you get someone you have to keep around this summer. 

What has come along more than most would have expected is his offensive contributions.  As with everything Sauer does his offensive improvement and impact is beyond the boxscore and stems from his intelligence.  He does a tremendous job of reading the play and knowing when to pinch to keep possession alive, when to slide down for a potential scoring chance and when to back out and play defense.  Those traits were on display Monday night against Boston as Sauer read the play beautifully and slid down to a position where he was able to take advantage of the hustle by the forwards behind the net and beat Tim Thomas for his second game winning goal of the season.  The goal was his third to go with 11 assists in 74 games this season while playing to a tremendous +18 rating.

Where would the Rangers be without Michael Sauer this season?  I for one do not want to find out as this summer the team should lock up the 23-year-old defender for at least two seasons at a price of 1-1.2 million per year.