Did you know that the holiday season leads any other time span for suicides? I always thought that it was the music responsible for the increase of people perched up high on ledges and bridges. But, as NY Rangers' fans we have an entirely different cause for our catatonic despair.
Looking back at last season, the Rangers rolled through November on the back of great goaltending by one Henrik Lundqvist. Well, that certainly sounds familiar… but once December hit the team plummeted back to earth much like a hunk of waste being ejected at 50,000 feet from the bathroom of a Boeing 747. It took the team practically all the way till the trade deadline in March to finally rebound and scrape into the playoff brackets.
This season is looking like it will follow suit, at least the plummeting back to earth part in a hulk of frozen stool. The Rangers managed to just keep their heads a sliver over .500 in November, this after such a great October. The Rangers are still skating on the fumes of the success that seems be getting more distant in the rearview mirror with every game since.
I think what makes it more agonizing for all of us is that we can still see glimpses of a that winning team every so often. Was the game against Pittsburgh just a tease? The very day after the big comeback against an elite team, the Rangers headed to Montreal and had their heads handed to them. After being pummeled by the Habs on every single front, the Rangers had something to prove this past Sunday at home against Calgary. They failed.
The Rangers did come out of the gate swinging and stockpiled shots on goal, while not giving up much in return on their end of the ice. But, yet another trend from last season, the Rangers just couldn't score. Then a costly mistake in the second period when the Flames catch the Rangers on a line change and Calgary scores on just their second shot of the period.
Just like that the Rangers find themselves trailing by a goal heading into the third period, not really a shocking development for this squad, more like par for the course. Cue the implosion! Scott Gomez makes a lazy pass breaking out of the defensive zone that just seems to float to the middle of the ice. The puck is ripe for the plucking as Calgary grabs it and turns it into their 2nd goal of the game, as Gomez watches dumbfounded.
Watching that particular play you could completely understand why Lundqvist gave Gomez a verbal lashing during the Montreal game. Scott Gomez is currently -9, 7 of those 9 negative points were from the last two games, I think someone is preoccupied with what type of fishing rod Santa will be bringing him this year.
Calgary put up the icing on the Eggnog latte when Rene Bourque scored shorthanded to put the Rangers down and out for the count. The Rangers have now let up 8 shorthanded goals for the season, not a pleasant stat to be leading the rest of the league in. At this rate the Rangers have almost let up as many on their own power play as they have when they are shorthanded, the penalty kill has only let in 11 goals for the season.
When the Rangers only had 4 players on the ice for a span of 30 seconds due to the confusion from all the line tinkering, perhaps it was actually done on purpose being the only consistent portion of the Rangers' game this season is when they are a man down.
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So here the Rangers are, so far 1-2 for the month of December, will the breakdown continue or will the Rangers find something in the next two away games against Atlanta tomorrow and the Devils on Friday? The Rangers really need to win both of those games, or at least two out of three including the home game against Carolina on Saturday as they will be embarking on a west coast tour next week.
From last year's record those west coast road trips don't always go so well for the Blueshirts. The Rangers will have Anaheim, LA and then the top team in the league San Jose on the menu next week. As your team blogger I highly recommend large quantities of Eggnog for those games… I know I will.
Random Thoughts:
Corey Potter played his first NHL game on Sunday, and after being paired with Dmitiri "negative quince" Kalinin, him being only -1 for the game I would call a large success. Potter will get a second chance most likely in tomorrow's game against Atlanta.
If Potter continues to show he can be solid on the blueline, Kalinin might find himself the odd man out once Redden returns to the lineup.
I wonder if the league is forcing Sean Avery into Anger Management classes, if they should also force the Rangers into Self Esteem classes. "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and gosh darn it, the fans don't really boo me..."
Send me an e-mail and some Zoloft
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