Right but they still aren't scoring. They are running into the same issues as they had with Tortorella. So far, the only difference with this team is that they look awful in both the offensive and defensive zone.

We came to expect the defense and goaltending to always keep them in games until they scraped out a goal or two to eek out wins. But now, despite the defense looking better the last two games, they are not getting the expected stellar goaltending they have so heavily relied upon since Lundqvist arrived on Broadway.

This is solely on the players and even more so on Sather for completely blowing up a team that was two wins away from the Stanley Cup Finals. I know hindsight is 20/20 but the results are clearly not in the Rangers favor since he tore that team down.
- MidnightMarauder

losing prust and even fedetenko certainly hurt a lot more than we all imagined.

as for the scoring, our lineup blows with the injuries. i really hate using that excuse, because a deep organization is supposed to overcome any injury and our lack of skill depth is really being exposed, but if you look at the players that replaced our injured stars...it's really no surprise we haven't scored.

i mean, powe comes in for callahan. pyatt gets rick nash's spot on the top line. our 2nd line has pouliout and brassard, 2 of the biggest underachievers in the entire NHL. i seriously think if we had this lineup, we'd score more goals:
Hagelin - Stepan - Nash
Kreider - Richards - Callahan
Pouliot - Brassard - Zuccarello
Mashinter - D. Moore - Dorsett

u get our top 6 guys back healthy, and all that dead weight we hate (boyle, pyatt, powe) is gone. maybe scratch zuccarello and let miller play.

If they lose tomorrow night and Lundqvist is out against the Wings, they will return home with a 2-7 record.

I hope people bring frozen eggs to the game and pelt the players, as they get introduced. It's starting to become embarrassing to be a Rangers fan again.
- MidnightMarauder

Can't wait.

losing prust and even fedetenko certainly hurt a lot more than we all imagined.

as for the scoring, our lineup blows with the injuries. i really hate using that excuse, because a deep organization is supposed to overcome any injury and our lack of skill depth is really being exposed, but if you look at the players that replaced our injured stars...it's really no surprise we haven't scored.

i mean, powe comes in for callahan. pyatt gets rick nash's spot on the top line. our 2nd line has pouliout and brassard, 2 of the biggest underachievers in the entire NHL. i seriously think if we had this lineup, we'd score more goals:
Hagelin - Stepan - Nash
Kreider - Richards - Callahan
Pouliot - Brassard - Zuccarello
Mashinter - D. Moore - Dorsett
- rangerdanger94

I like that lineup better than the bag of sh!t, joke of a lineup that is currently wearing the Rangers uniform.

One change I would make though, scrap Zuccarello. The jig is up with this midget, he sucks.

Can't wait.
- B2B76

Would likely be the most entertainment we would see all night.

Would likely be the most entertainment we would see all night.
- MidnightMarauder

Then they go rt back on the road the next night at the Island, only visit this whole season.

again though, if we are out of it by the deadline, and it's no unreasonable to believe that is possible right now, they seriously need to consider stocking the cupboard
- jimbro83

100% Agreed. My point was it is way too early to be discussing who to deal for what as we don't really know what our long term construction of the team actually looks like with so many players, currently, poopting the bed.

I like that lineup better than the bag of sh!t, joke of a lineup that is currently wearing the Rangers uniform.

One change I would make though, scrap Zuccarello. The jig is up with this midget, he sucks.
- MidnightMarauder

I really honestly believed he played well last year when he came back and a more open system would see him grow even more. I am surprised he has been so useless

I will be at the Wells Fargo tomorrow night with my CK20 jersey on... let's hope I witness the breakout...

I really honestly believed he played well last year when he came back and a more open system would see him grow even more. I am surprised he has been so useless
- jimbro83

He, without question, is in the mix with the "dead weight" players on this club. Boyle, Pyatt, Pouliot, Moore, Zuccarello and Fast have all been completely atrocious so far.

You know what's crazy, at the beginning of last year, it was pretty much the universal consensus that the Rangers were more skilled up front than they had ever been with three high-end players in Richards, Gaborik, and Nash. Now, just over a year later, Gaborik is in Columbus, Richards avoid a buyout by the skin of his teeth, and Nash immediate, if not long term, future in in doubt. Only the Rangers.

Then they go rt back on the road the next night at the Island, only visit this whole season.
- B2B76

Hypothetically, let's say the Rangers are 2-8 heading into that Coliseum contest. The crowd is going to be so fired up with cat call chants, a la the days of "1940" or "Make the playoffs", it's going to give me scary flashbacks.

I seriously question their ability to fight out of this early season slump.

Sean Hartnett ‏@HartnettHockey 4s

#NYR Scott Arneil having a very long conversation with Mats Zuccarello. This isn't a good sign for Zucc. Scratch likely in Philly.

If they lose tomorrow night and Lundqvist is out against the Wings, they will return home with a 2-7 record.

I hope people bring frozen eggs to the game and pelt the players, as they get introduced. It's starting to become embarrassing to be a Rangers fan again.
- MidnightMarauder

I certainly do not approve of booing them opening night. If fans want to show disapproval of the fact that the team is woefully injured, had one of the worst 9 game schedules probably in the history of game, and have a cast of spare parts remaining, then do nothing when the players are introduced, if you don't wan to cheer them fine but I would not boo them. It's just not right, not on opening night. Once the puck drops, ok, but not during the player introductions. Classless. But, I bet I'll hear "Potivn sucks" in the first minute of the game.

You know what's crazy, at the beginning of last year, it was pretty much the universal consensus that the Rangers were more skilled up front than they had ever been with three high-end players in Richards, Gaborik, and Nash. Now, just over a year later, Gaborik is in Columbus, Richards avoid a buyout by the skin of his teeth, and Nash immediate, if not long term, future in in doubt. Only the Rangers.
- Pete V

Yep, the lockout caused horrible habits for Richards; for which the blame is solely on him and nothing more. That set him on a downward spiral that caused him to fight for his Ranger career this season.

Gaborik is an on again, off again player. Great one year, average the next. Fell out of favor with the head coach, gets shipped out. This year he is back on track but I honestly don't miss him; way too inconsistent.

Nash comes here and we were all ecstatic about it. Has a decent regular season, despite the early season concussion. Playoff time, he completely disappears, along with 99% of the team against Boston.

Circumstances never fall in their proper place for this organization, never has.

It was an act of god, in 1994, that gave this fan base a brief shining moment in the sun. Bad management, subpar drafting and other various circumstances have put this team in a perpetual vicious cycle.

I certainly do not approve of booing them opening night. If fans want to show disapproval of the fact that the team is woefully injured, had one of the worst 9 game schedules probably in the history of game, and have a cast of spare parts remaining, then do nothing when the players are introduced, if you don't wan to cheer them fine but I would not boo them. It's just not right, not on opening night. Once the puck drops, ok, but not during the player introductions. Classless. But, I bet I'll hear "Potivn sucks" in the first minute of the game.
- OLDSCHOOL#6

I guess I am classless then because if I were going...well, I would sell my ticket to the highest bidder.

I actually feel bad for the fans that continue to go out of pocket to support an organization that continues to do them a tremendous disservice. I am fine with watching them lose and put me to sleep form the comforts of my own home.

I guess I am classless then because if I were going...well, I would sell my ticket to the highest bidder.

I actually feel bad for the fans that continue to go out of pocket to support an organization that continues to do them a tremendous disservice. I am fine with watching them lose and put me to sleep form the comforts of my own home.
- MidnightMarauder

That's fine, so much for the patience you were preaching a couple of weeks back. I know it's frustrating to see the team so bad this early in the year, but you're a fan when things are good, you should be a fan and support the players when things go bad.

I refuse to put a bow on this season and fight with any of you but I don't believe that we are without the necessary pieces to compete for the Cup, we all agree that guys like Pyatt need to go in order to give a prospect a chance, guys like Miller, Kreider, Kristo and Lindberg provide more than we know, the defense is better than we've seen much better, Girardi, Mcdonagh and Staal are as good a top 3 as anyone in the league, Moore, Stralman and even DZ are a very capable bottom 3, if Nash, Callahan and Hagelin were healthy we wouldn't be 2-5

meh in the offseason this team's core had the potential not only to match up with the bruins, pens, etc...but to win the stanely cup.

now 7 rough games and we don't have it.

it's all about perception. a few bad losses to start the season and we're automatically a lottery team? but the 24 hour period after the kings and caps win, we're stanley cup contenders?

cmon guys we're acting like penguins fans. let's act like we actually know hockey and know how tough it is to adjust to a new system for a team and how serious our injuries actually are.
- rangerdanger94

Says who?

I refuse to put a bow on this season and fight with any of you but I don't believe that we are without the necessary pieces to compete for the Cup, we all agree that guys like Pyatt need to go in order to give a prospect a chance, guys like Miller, Kreider, Kristo and Lindberg provide more than we know, the defense is better than we've seen much better, Girardi, Mcdonagh and Staal are as good a top 3 as anyone in the league, Moore, Stralman and even DZ are a very capable bottom 3, if Nash, Callahan and Hagelin were healthy we wouldn't be 2-5
- cranford93

I am so confident that when everybody is healthy na kristo as well is here this team will be a contender. just look at the washington-game we completely dominated them without nash and stepan at 50% and the LA game nash was absolutely dominant. everybody needs to relax. alright we don't have the lottery picks other teams have had but nash was a first overall, kreider if he turns it around and hits his potential should've been a top ten pick. stepan is arguably one off the best off his year, second best forward for sure. so we have talent. seriously name me one team that has a better offense, defense and goaltending than:

kreider-stepan-callahan
nash-richards-kristo
hagelin-brassard-miller
pouliot-moore/boyle-dorsett

Mcd-girardi
staal-MDZ
moore-stralman

hank
talbot

with that lineup you have three lines that can score at any time or dominate a game even and the fourth line is dangerous as well. And our defense is one of the best in the league + the best qoalie in the world so chill out people.

I refuse to put a bow on this season and fight with any of you but I don't believe that we are without the necessary pieces to compete for the Cup, we all agree that guys like Pyatt need to go in order to give a prospect a chance, guys like Miller, Kreider, Kristo and Lindberg provide more than we know, the defense is better than we've seen much better, Girardi, Mcdonagh and Staal are as good a top 3 as anyone in the league, Moore, Stralman and even DZ are a very capable bottom 3, if Nash, Callahan and Hagelin were healthy we wouldn't be 2-5
- cranford93

welp, I think we all hope you are right

That's fine, so much for the patience you were preaching a couple of weeks back. I know it's frustrating to see the team so bad this early in the year, but you're a fan when things are good, you should be a fan and support the players when things go bad.
- OLDSCHOOL#6

Yea my patience went out the window when they got their bell rung by a previously winless New Jersey Devils team.

I seriously hope you are not questioning a Rangers fan's loyalty. They have given their fans much mor ebad than good and we all come back for more suffering. Just because I think this core is not up to par and want changes doesn't mean I will stop following them.

According to @KatieStrangESPN, Lundqvist will not dress @ #Flyers — Talbot will start, Missiaen to back him up.

I am struggling to remain positive

Jim Cerny ‏@JimCerny 5s

Many are asking: it is NOT an off-ice issue for Hank...AV stated emphatically that it is minor injury he has battled for 10 days or so

Says who?
- mighty13duck

Not me, the team's strength is in their defense and goaltending. Thus far, we haven't seen that, but that is where the biggest strengths of this team are. Their forwards, at it's best, are good but nowhere near great.

According to @KatieStrangESPN, Lundqvist will not dress @ #Flyers — Talbot will start, Missiaen to back him up.

I am struggling to remain positive
- jimbro83

Man, its going to be a long night in philly.. thank god i got the tickets for free... look for the two weeping rangers fans behind the rangers bench tomorrow night...