Lost Week in Rangerland

If you were to ask Rangers fans/players/coaches and management before the season began, that after eleven games they would be 7-3-1, unanimously everyone asked would take that record with a smile. So why is this Rangers fan unsatisfied only a day after their latest loss(third consecutive) to the shaky Montreal Canadiens? Keep reading and I will tell you why…

Monday’s loss to the San Jose Sharks was quite the way to end a seven game win streak. These things happen, especially when you start your back-up goaltender against an offense as strong as those teal-clad boys from the ‘Bay. And while the goaltender, Steve Valiquette for all those unfamiliar, was primarily to blame, it also was a sign for things to come from certain players, the rest of this miserable week.

Thursday brought in their bitter rivals, the New Jersey Devils. Those pesky Devils took it to the Rangers early and often as negative trends from Mondays loss and even the prior games they won, reared it’s ugly head once again. Irresponsible and careless with the puck, the Rangers made it all too easy for New Jersey to transition from defense to offense, getting quality scoring chances and early goals directly off of those turnovers. Marc Staal, who looks like he is regressing terribly this season, was the main culprit throughout Monday and Thursday’s losses. His partner Dan Girardi wasn’t much better, but he was just following his partner’s lead. The Rangers fought back in the second period as they tied the score at 2, but in the third, that shaky top pairing was at it again: unable to win physical battles, making poor decisions with the puck and not being able clear traffic in front of Lundqvist.

Onto probably the most crushing loss of the week, last night’s game to the Montreal Canadiens. Crushing in so many ways: blowing two 2-goal leads, taking terrible penalties at inopportune times, forwards lazy on the back check(Higgins and Gaborik especially…more on each in a bit), not getting enough contributions from key players, sloppy and careless defense…I could go on, but I don’t have all day.

On Higgins, he really has to be kidding with how he has played thus far. Not only is he contributing squat on the score-sheet, he is now taking terrible penalties and is now becoming lazy on his own end. I can take the inability to score, as long as he was playing smart and solid in the defensive zone. But, he is striking out in all facets of the game and he is getting steadily worse. Benching him in the third should only be the beginning of the punishment he will face. Sitting in the press box should be the next step, because he simply isn’t helping this team, at all. Marian Gaborik could be excused for his lazy back check, although not entirely. But, he is more than putting up his own end of the bargain offensively, scoring another beautiful goal last night. On that game-winning goal by previously slumping Mike Cammaleri, his third of the game, was partly due to Gaborik simply stick-checking, He needed to be better there, but he is hardly the problem here.

Where are Chris Drury, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky(benched alongside Higgins in the third after his unforgivable turnover which started the Montreal comeback) and Marc Staal? These are supposed to be the leaders of this team and they are being outshone by newcomers like Gaborik, Prospal, Kotalik, Gilroy and Del Zotto. That is simply not good enough, those players need to be better going forward. Chris Drury’s invisible act is growing tiresome to me, Ryan Callahan(who might be playing injured) is off to a miserable start, Brandon Dubinsky is still trying to do too much and Marc Staal is caught in the middle too much. That is a clear indication that he is unable to read the play. For a third year man, with his pedigree, that is unacceptable.

Tomorrow night’s opponent has the surprising and stingy Phoenix Coyotes coming into the Garden. If the Rangers continue their alarming poor play defensively, this streak could be as long as the one that had Rangers fans disillusioned. But hey, they are 7-3-1, after 11 games, I’ll take that.