While we all hope that Game 7 will refer to a 2008 - 2009 Stanley Cup Finals headline on the 7th Avenue marquee, tonight's game against the suddenly-potent Islanders could have similar importance.
On the weekend, we discussed the significance of both Monday's game ( 2 - 1 loss at St. Louis) and tonight's contest. What impact would losses have on the organization? Well, we may be a mere 12 hours or so from finding out.
As the Rangers return home, many questions face them and their fate. Before St. Louis, it may have still been possible to salvage some respectability with back-to-back wins, writing their play off as a "slump."
However, with one loss already in the books, would a win tonight be enough to keep this group intact? I am not so sure. The confidence in this group is dwindling and the fans' confidence in them is even lower.
It is clearly evident that the Rangers are not Stanley Cup contenders with this current lineup, but now there is not a great deal of security in a playoff berth.
Yet, the Rangers should not be placed in the same category as Boston, San Jose, or Detroit because their roster is just flat-out less talented.
When examining the roster, the flaws that many observed during this off-season have been magnified. No longer in first place, the Rangers can't hide the fact that their power play is disgraceful or that Henrik Lundqvist may be the sole reason the Rangers win most games.
The lack of toughness on defense, a potent scoring winger, and a confident puck moving defenseman has hampered the team and where good cohesive play was able to garner them success early on, their recent disconnect on the ice has shown that, individually, this is not a top team.
Which is OK.
Not to say that their play should be excused, because they have committed enough careless errors of late to drive any coach insane, but this team is competing with the middle of the pack despite their glaring shortcomings.
Consider also the "real" make-up of this team:
- Only 3 players (Wade Redden, Markus Naslund, and Chris Drury) are over 30 years old (Steve Valliquette is 30)
- 10 players are 25 years old or younger
- Lundqvist is only 26 years old (most goaltenders reach their prime between 28 and 30)
Let's not use age as an excuse, but this is a dramatically unproven group. If you look at the current Rangers who have established themselves at the NHL level, the list is very short. Naslund, Drury, Gomez, and Redden are really the only names that are guaranteed to be on an NHL roster the remainder of their career.
Not to say the likes of Marc Staal or Lundqvist won't have long NHL careers, but enough can go wrong this early in their young careers that nothing is set in stone.
In retrospect, the Rangers have continued to do quite a bit since the lockout with a very young and unproven roster.
Not to "sugar coat" the situation, but it does make the pill easier to swallow.
Getting back to tonight, this game provides as much opportunity for success as it does disaster. Should the Rangers win against a bitter rival at home, they could win back their fans and gain some confidence heading into the weekend, possibly buying themselves some more time prior to the trade deadline. Should they lose, GM Glen Sather will be forced to make a move to shakeup the roster, something that most fans have been clamoring for.
Regardless, with the trade deadline a mere two weeks away, the Rangers are painting a very clear picture as to what needs to be done to compete with the likes of Boston and San Jose. But the question remains: are those needs available?
More to come...
Feel free to email me at [email protected] with questions, comments, or debate.