A few weeks ago, I described the Rangers performance in the team's 2-1 loss to the Islanders as pathetic. Little did I know that just two weeks later, I would be using the term again, but in this instance, I am unsure if that word adequately sums up what can't even be called as a "performance" against the Flyers.
Like I did the last time I used the term pathetic, I thought it would be interesting to include some of the post-game quotes, taken from various sources including Andrew Gross, in supporting my use of the word.
“I don’t know, I have no idea,” Marc Staal said. “I’d like to tell you. We’ve got a game tomorrow night and we’ve been playing a lot better on the road than at home.” (maybe Staal's mind was on not making the Canadian Olympic Team but his effort, like the rest of the team, left a lot to be desired. Games like this won't help his chances for 2014. Why don't you play better at home? You are getting tons of support from the home crowd. When things go well or effort is there, 18000+ screaming fans, bleeding Rangers' blue are on their feet. When your effort stinks, those same fans let you know. It's called wearing your hearts on your sleeve. Something this team sorely lacks).
Perhaps the most stunned Ranger was center Brandon Dubinsky, who called his minus-4 in 19:19 “probably my worst game for the Rangers.” He also said if he “got the opportunity tomorrow, I’ve got to make sure I’m ready. I’m not going to hide from it. For me to be successful, I’ve got to try to forget about this one. Be professional and get the consistency I need and be ready to go when the opportunity comes again.”(they say the first step in fixing a problem is recognizing you have one. Glad to see Dubi taking responsibility but wonder what he means about if he got the opportunity. Does he expect to be benched? Will he be made the scapegoat for the loss? Doubtful but let's see what happens).
John Tortorella on going forward…
“We start over. That is the best thing for us right now is to get on a plane and play. Some things, obviously, there has to be some discussion on certain situations but we have to start over. We have to start over. The best thing for us is to play right away.” He had a pretty complete litany of things the Rangers did not do well tonight: soft passing, turnaways, turnovers, coverages, goaltending. Everything was bad. (I am betwixt and between as to whether or not Torts is to blame for this mess. Granted he didn't bring in Drury, Rozsival and Redden but he was intimately involved, at least if you believe what was written when each transaction happened, in obtaining Higgins, Kotalik and Boyle. The job of a coach is to have your team prepared nightly to play. You can't control the result but you can control team preparation and effort, and last night, the Rangers stunk in all aspects. That has to go on the coach's side of the ledger. We beat four weak sisters and have now lost to two division rivals and allowed a goalie to get his first shutout in six years).
Marian Gaborik said “We weren’t ready. They got three quick goals and then nothing was working out for us. It is obviously unacceptable. The positive thing is that we play tomorrow. We need to redeem ourselves.” (why weren't you ready? Why did you guys just quit and turtle? The worst thing you can say to an athlete is that he quit. Look at how the Giants reacted to what Harry Carson said when he is essence called them quitters. Once on the field of play, you can't control the result, but you can control how hard you work and how much effort you expend. Maybe it's the fact that guys like Redden, Drury etc were not home grown and the name on the back means more than the front, but that is an easy cop out and gives excuses to Cally, Dubi etc. Maybe it's an organizational issue, which would not be surprising for a team run by Sather and Dolan. I love the talk of redemption. Why would I believe tonight will be any different than last night? Is it because you got your asses kicked and feel mortified and remorseful? Why does that need to happen to wake you up? Have you no pride, no integrity, no guts? Are you soft and only react after the game is over rather than during it to stand up for yourselves? This team is looking more and more like a joke run by a litany of fools).
Where do we go from here? Do we attempt to blow this team up like the one that have Keane, Kamensky and the like? Do we call up Sanguinetti, Heikkinen, Locke, Grachev etc and dump the vets and deal with the growing pains? Given the powers that be at the Garden and focus on the bottom line, e.g. cash in pocket, that's doubtful until we fall out of the race. With how close the teams in the East are bunched get ready for three more months of ups-and-downs, handwringing and teeth gnashing while this team puts us through the roller coaster of emotions. As I have joked before, I would like to revoke my Rangers fandom at times but I can't, it's in my blood, it's who I am, I just wish the players on the ice felt the same passion as we fans do but the nature of the pro athlete is to just shrug off a defeat while we fans rehash and relive it every day.
TO ALL MY READERS AND FRIENDS I HAVE MADE THROUGH THE BLOG, HERE'S TO A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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