hank

 Ranger fans have seen this look at the end of a season too often

Welcome everyone to another blog here on DOINOW.com, as we continue to wrap up the Rangers season. If you know me in real life, are a religious reader of these blogs or follow me on social media, you know my opinion on Henrik Lundqvist. I've been bitching about him all season. Once and for all, I will set the record straight on my thoughts about him and then leave it at that. I hope you read this blog all the way through, and maybe then you can understand my opinion, before automatically agreeing or disagreeing with me.

I truly hope you give this blog a full read through, to fully understand where I'm coming from. This is not a Talbot vs Lundqvist thing, this is purely a Henrik Lundqvist thing.

Before starting, I just want to share a few links, in case you haven't seen them already:
Is Henrik Lunqvist Overpaid? - My blog from 11/16/14 on this subject

NYR End of The Year Blogs:
NYR/TBL Game 7 Recap: The Worst Loss of My Adult Life
NYR Post Season Report Card: Grading Every Player
NYR Off Season Blog: Who Stays & Who Goes and Assessing Every Contract
NYR Media Day: Opinions On All The News & Player Interviews
NYR 2014-2015 Pictorial Year In Review

As you can tell, I'm a diehard Ranger fan. At the same time, I can look at my team objectively and I don't just root blindly for the team. If you're happy with another playoff exit and go the optimist route, than good for you. However, as I've said, this season was a bust. You can blame the injuries or whatever else, but bottom line, this season ended in disappointment.

 People will talk to you about Nash's contract, MSL under-performing in the playoffs, defensive lapses or whatever, but at the end of the day, when you look at the team's make-up, compared to every other team in the league, simply put, you can't pay a goaltender 12% of team payroll in today's salary cap NHL.

Lundqvist lost 3 OT games in last year's Stanley Cup Finals and blew several two goal leads

There is no denying what Henrik Lundqvist has meant to the Rangers in his 10 years as a Blueshirt. Here's just a small synopsis of his accomplishments:

    - Only goaltender in NHL history to record 30 wins in each of first seven seasons.

    - Most shutouts by a goaltender in Madison Square Garden.

   - New York Rangers club record, games played, single season: 73 (2009–10).

    - The Rangers all-time leader in shutouts---regular-season and playoffs combined.

    - Most wins (339) by a New York Rangers goaltender.

    - Most shutouts (55) by a New York Rangers goaltender.

   -  Most Playoffs wins (54 ) by a New York Rangers goaltender.

   -  Consecutive Game 7 wins (6).

Aside from those accomplishments, Lundqvist has been decorated with several awards during his NYR career. Here's a few:

- 2012 Vezina Trophy Winner (Also nominated in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013)
- 3 Time All-Star (Keep in mind Hank missed All-Star games because of lockouts/Olympics)
- NY Rangers MVP from 2007-2013. He won't get it this year, unless the team continues to blow smoke up his ass.
- All Rookie Team 2006
- Steven McDonald Award winner in 2006
- Hart Memorial Trophy in 2012
- Ted Lindsay Award 2012

Away from the Rangers, Lundqvist won an Olympic Gold Medal in Ice Hockey, when his motherland of Sweden won the tournament in 2006.

He will eventually be a first ballot NHL Hall of Famer, in addition to having his number 30 retired and hanging in the MSG rafters one day. He is one of the Top 10 greatest Rangers of all time, in a team with a near 90 year history. He has been one of the best goaltenders in the league for a long time. I am not denying how great he was or is or what an important player he's been for the franchise.

So, you may ask yourself, what's my problem? Simply put the money doesn't justify the means. At the end of the day, the one accomplishment you don't see anywhere on Hank's resume is Stanley Cup Winner. And it's no one else's fault but his.

Lundqvist forced to shake hands with a Stanley Cup Champion, Tuukka Rask

Like many Ranger fans, I was always a huge Henrik Lundqvist fan. I mean, how couldn't you be, as a Rangers fan? He was consistently their best player and by far. While this blog didn't exist then, I always commented to my friends that the Rangers let Lundqvist down by giving him no support.

I mean, just imagine Lundqvist on any of the recent Bruins, Blackhawks or Penguins teams. Lundqvist on any of those squads, in recent years, would translate into a Stanley Cup for him. It's not even debatable. Very rarely, until recently, has Lundqvist's play been the reason for a Rangers loss. Even during this playoff run, you could only blame him for one game, and that was Game 3 of the ECF, despite the other touchdown he gave up in Game 2 of that series.

Great GM's know when to cut bait on a player. I'm not saying Lundqvist is bad or anything, but to me, he definitely peaked in that 2012 season. No one was better, as an individual, in that 2012 season and postseason. You can make a case for Jonathan Quick, but Lundqvist was better from the second preseason started, until the ECF elimination loss to the Devils.

I respect and appreciate what Lundqvist has done for this franchise. I don't forget. However, we live in the now. We can be nostalgic when Lundqvist retires. In the city of NY, where you are judged on championships, I am harsher on Lundqvist than most, and I'll explain why below. However, when you talk legendary NY athletes, of the last 10, 15, 20 years, Lundqvist belongs on the bottom of the list, way behind the likes of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Eli Manning and Michael Strahan.

Unless a miracle happens, Lundqvist will always be on the top of the list that includes people like Patrick Ewing, Mike Piazza, The NY Jets, Carmelo Anthony and Michael Kay! (Mike Francesa will always be KING and has two Marconi's to show for it! Yes, this was my shout-out to MONGO nation!)

For me, Lundqvist "made his heel turn", on the Rangers franchise, during his last contract negotiations. Let's dig deeper into why.

Hank, after losing another playoff series, this time the 2012 ECF, shaking hands with someone who won 3 Cups & was the best goaltender in the Metro area for most of Hank's career, the legendary Marty Brodeur.

Henrik Lundqvist is a very paid man. He is a very successful man. He is one of the few rare hockey players that makes a ton of income, away from the ice. He is one of the most recognizable faces in the NHL. Like a Michael Strahan, he has a face for a TV and has adorned the cover of many magazines. He is stylish. He is a fashion plate. He's one of the richest hockey players in all of the world. However, the way Henrik Lundqvist handled his contract negotiations, in December of 2013, soured me on him. We all know this about sports, but it was that time, that I realized, Lundqvist is just another greedy selfish athlete.

I understand the shelf life of players isn't long. You got to make your money now. However, Lundqvist has already had his big contract. When he signed his 7 year extension in December of 2013, a contract that puts him in NY (He has a No-Trade/Move clause) until he's 40 years old, it was the second big money contract of his career. At $8.5 million a year, for 7 years, Lundqvist is far and beyond, the highest paid goaltender in the NHL and takes up 12% of team payroll.

I understand if  you're a young guy and want to make your money. For Lundqvist, he has money coming in from so many places. The restaurant. His own clothing line at MSG. His own TV show on the MSG network. Endorsements. Modeling gigs. So when I have said that Lundqvist could've taken a little less, trust me, the man & his family are never going to bed hungry.

What really drives me nuts is what a hypocrite Hank was. Why do I call Hank a hypocrite? Very simple, and feel free to stop me if you heard me give this spiel before.

Before Hank's contract negotiations, Hank said he wanted to win a Cup, in NY, at all costs. That quote has always stuck with me, just like the quote where Hank said "Give me two goals, and I got this." That sure has burnt him in the ass in recent years, especially in that LA series last year.

When Hank says, "I want to win a Cup in NY, at all costs", it's up to you to decide how literally you want to take that. For me, as a diehard nutjob of a fan, I take that very fucking literally.

After Hank says these nice little things, what does he do? The summer of 2013, after the Bruins playoff loss, he gets Torts fired. No doubt about it, Hank was the reason Torts was fired. Google the stories at that time if you need confirmation. In fact, it was so well known that Hank got Torts fired that he had to issue a press release stating the opposite, just to fan the flames. It was a total BS and transparent release to appease Lundqvist.

Should've Torts been fired? Sure, he ran his course. However, Hank made it clear that if Torts was back, he wouldn't be. What was Dolan (WHO LOVED TORTS more than any other Rangers coach under his employ) and Glen Sather supposed to do? Let their cash cow walk?

In case you didn't hear, after the 2012-2013 lockout/truncated season, the NHL enforced a strict salary cap, where today, it's currently $69 Million. This is not like baseball where you pay a luxury tax/fine if you go over. This is not like football where you can restructure contracts like Tom Brady often does. These are guaranteed contracts, with guaranteed cap hits. No ways around it.

So again, "I want to win a Cup, in NY, at all costs". That burns my brain. After saying that, Hank gets Torts out of town (deservingly so), then teases Free Agency in the media! Are you nuts? How does Sather respond? After going back and forth on trying to get Hank to take a minimal raise, because you know, Hank is much older, has a ton of miles on him, and has never won anything to guarantee/earn a huge payraise, like say Eli Manning or Derek Jeter,  Sather panics and opens up the books for Lundqvist. It was that day where I said for the first time, "The Rangers will never win a Cup with Henrik Lundqvist."

2011, losing a goaltending battle to the big bad Michal Neuvirth (Who is currently the back-up goalie of the NYI)

What hurts as a Rangers fan is how hypocritical Hank was come contract time. What hurts even more is when you take this into account:

NHL TOP GOALTENDING SALARIES for the 2011-2012 Season per year
(To me, Hank was at his absolute prime in this season)
1. Henrik Lundqvist - $6.9M
2. Cam Ward (Carolina) $6.3M
3. Ryan Miller (Buffalo) $6.275M
4. Niklas Backstrom (Minnesota) $6M
5. Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary) $5.83M

2012 Stanley Cup Winner, LA Kings with goalie Jonathan Quick, who was paid $1.8M, the 30th highest paid goalie in the league.

NHL TOP GOALTENDING SALARIES for the 2012-2013 Season per year
1. Pekka Rinne (Nashville) $7M
2. Henrik Lundqvist $6.9M
3. Carey Price (Montreal) $6.5M
4. Cam Ward (Carolina) $6.3M
5. Ryan Miller (Buffalo) $6.275M

2013 Stanley Cup Winner, Chicago Blackhawks with goalie Corey Crawford, who was paid $2.6M,  the 28th highest paid goalie in the league.

NHL TOP GOALTENDING SALARIES for the 2013-2014 Season per year
1. Tuukka Rask (Boston) $7M
2. Pekka Rinne (Nashville) $7M
3. Henrik Lundqvist $6.9M
4. Carey Price (Montreal) $6.5M
5. Cam Ward (Carolina) $6.3M

2014 Stanley Cup Winner, LA Kings with goalie Jonathan Quick, who was paid $5.8M, the 8th highest paid goalie in the league.

NHL TOP GOALTENDING SALARIES for 2014-2015 Season per year
1. Henrik Lundqvist $8.5M
2. Tuukka Rask (Boston) $7M
3. Pekka Rinne (Nashville) $7M
4. Carey Price (Montreal) $6.5M
5. Cam Ward (Carolina) $6.3M

Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay Lightning goalie, Ben Bishop comes in at $2.3M, the 29th highest paid goalie in the league.

Western Conference Champion Chicago Blackhawk goalie, Corey Crawford comes in at $6M, tied for 6th place highest paid goalie in the league.

IN OTHER WORDS - HENRIK LUNDQVIST IS OVERPAID. YOU DO NOT NEED TO GIVE 12% OF PAYROLL TO A GOALIE IN TODAY'S NHL!

Another Game 7 loss for Lundqvist, this time blowing the lead in the game in 2009

When you break it all down, knowing the winners and losers of games and what everyone is paid, there is no denying that Lundqvist is overpaid. He's one of the most overpaid players in the NHL. Simply put, with a strict salary cap, you can't give your starting goalie 12% of payroll.

Now this is where everyone calls me out for being a Talbot fanboy. Put this in perspective. How great were Fleury & Holtby in their games with the Rangers in these playoffs?

Fleury gets $5M a year, and is the 15th highest paid goalie in the league. He's also won a Stanley Cup. Holtby gets $1.85M a year, and is the 34 highest paid goalie in the league.

Are you telling me right now, that the Rangers couldn't have gone as far or further with either Fleury or Holtby this year and for considerably less?

If you rode Talbot like I said I would've done from day one, Talbot only cost $575,000 this season and will be $1.45 season next year. Not one team in the league would take Hank's contract, unless the Rangers took some of the tab, but say in a perfect world, you're able to dump Hank's contract. You would save $7M against the cap! That is huge fucking money! That's 10% of payroll! You know much offense the Rangers could find with 10% of the cap open/$7M to play with?

Who knew in 2008 that Hank would still be Cupless in 2015?

Everyone is talking about windows closing. I get it. The Rangers have had some strong finishes as of late. They've appeared in three out of the last four Eastern Conference Finals. They lost a Cup Final. However, especially in NY, this is all for naught without a Stanley Cup. I don't think the Rangers can win a Stanley Cup with Henrik Lundqvist. Not because of how he plays, but because of his contract.

His contract is the biggest detriment in getting help. Look at the teams who have won the Cup during Lundqvist's tenure in the league. Aside from Quick being absolutely lights out the whole 2012 playoff run, has any goalie stolen the Stanley Cup all by themselves? Realistically, with this strict, and small salary cap, you need to spread the money out more evenly.

The Rangers core is there. The defense is one of the best in the league. The biggest difference between last year's Cup team and this year's Bust team were the four lines. This year's fourth line couldn't hold a candle to last year's fourth line. However, you can't keep everyone because of the Cap, and when a goalie is getting 12% of payroll, you are limiting yourself on what kind of help you can get.

The Rangers may be one or two pieces away from running the table next season. However, it's going to be tough to get those pieces. This isn't like the other sports. Very rarely do you have a Hasek or Bourque, who sign on for one year to win a Cup. Players want to be paid. Why else would someone like a Benoit Pouliout go to Edmonton?

What hurts the most is that Hank is already paid. He has all the money coming in. If he truly, truly, truly cared about winning the Cup, he would've taken less, in an effort for the team to get him more help offensively. At the end of the day, he's not a King on the ice, but a King in contract negotiations. Even Lebron James, another person who calls himself King, took a paycut to win championships. In Lundqvist's case, he's just another greedy fat cat athlete.

In 2007, the Sabres had no issues with Lundqvist

I can hear the feedback now. What about Rick Nash? Boyle's contract sucks! Rangers would've won with Zuccarello. How come you're not complaining about Tanner Glass?

Let's get it straight. Lundqvist was the best player for the Rangers in the playoffs. My point, and the whole point of this blog, is that it's not enough. Would you rather see Lundqvist win the Stanley Cup or the NEW YORK RANGERS win a Stanley Cup?

In a league where rules are always being adjusted to favor higher scoring and where goalies are always at a disadvantage, unless the salary cap is significantly raised or done away with, it doesn't look probable that the Rangers will win a Stanley Cup.

And please - spare me on the "He's the only reason we went this far" talk. Did you even watch the regular season? Hank was blown out 9 times, wasn't even an All-Star, went 0-3 against Tampa, and wasn't even in the top half of the league in GAA or SV% when he went down. Talbot put the Rangers on a hot streak, beat every team Hank lost to (Islanders & Boston stick out) and along with the team, was part of the reason why they won the President's Trophy.

Talbot is a different goalie than Lundqvist. He's better with the puck. The team plays better in front of him. You can't say that Hank is the reason we went this far. Talbot could've taken them further for all you know. What we do know for fact is that Lundqvist has been in the NHL now for 10+  years and while having a great individual career, has not been able to bring his team the Cup. To even be considered with the likes of Brodeur, Hasek, Roy, Dryden, Richter, Vezina or whoever else you have in  your Top 10 goalies of all time, he needs to win that Cup. If he can't, just like Metallica said, he will always be KING NOTHING.

Easily the best 7th round draft pick goalie of all time, here's Hank in 2000

Lundqvist still has 6 years left on his contract. The cap will go up, if the league continues to trend upwards, economically. The problem is Lundqvist is getting older and older and has tons of miles on him. He will regress as his cap hit lessens. I would be stunned if the NHL doesn't have another lockout in 2022, when the current CBA expires. Who knows if Lundqvist is still around then, even if he's just trying to latch on to win a cup elsewhere. Maybe he'll get it done in Las Vegas!?!?!

For a man who is always quick to blame his team mates in press conferences but rarely takes the blame for his losing performances, Lundqvist is a tough guy to read. You will always hear how starting pitchers, field goal kickers and goalies are weird people, because of all the pressure they deal with daily. However, I can get why Lundqvist is never seen with his teammates socially, he doesn't have time for them with everything else he does and because of the goalie personality. Then again, Cam Talbot and Ryan McDonagh are posting pictures in the Bahamas together, going to Yankee games together and are always hanging out. You see Zucc/Brass/Hags always together. You see the team hanging out together away from the games, fairly often, on social media.

We are far from the day, but I won't be surprised, Cup or no Cup, when Hank retires and his career is 5 years past him, where you have ex-teammates talking about a weird guy he was. While Messier is Messier, he will never have that type of personality. There's only so much you can do as a goaltender, you can't score the goals, and that's why you don't give a goalie 12% of your salary cap. Everyone says it's a team game anyway. He can't dominate a game like Toews, Kane, Ovechkin, Tavares, Johnson or Perry. You gotta do something with that contract and beef up the offense, if you want to see a Stanley Cup back at MSG.

The man who I want as starter! In Cam We Trust

As we wait out a long summer, just to go through the whole process and chore of a regular season, it really does suck that we have to wait a year to get back to this point. Hopefully the tone of these blogs will be more positive then.

As far as offseason plans, you can check out the blogs I linked above. I plan on tackling different subjects once a week, such as the "Death of MSG" and other Ranger related topics. If the Rangers make a trade/signing, I'll post the news story with my opinions with it.

Again, thank you to everyone for giving DOINOW.com a chance. We will be changing the name of this site for the new season.

As always and forever,

LET'S GO RANGERS

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on twitter

off season

The man who will have a job for life because Dolan does not care about the Rangers

Welcome everyone to another blog here on DOINOW.com. As the 2014-2015 season still lingers in our minds, there is nothing we can do about it, but just think, "What if?"

If you haven't already, check out my 2014-2015 postseason blogs here:
New York Rangers 2015 Post-Season Report Card
NYR/TBL Game 7 Recap

I will have other blogs coming, as we wrap up this season and look forward to the future.

With the season over for the Rangers, the beginning of the 2015-2016 season begins for the club. Who will still be here? Who's a goner? Who's questionable?

Before getting into the meat and potatoes of this blog, here is the 2014-2015 NY Rangers squad and their contracts. Keep in mind, the salary cap was $69 million for this season. The cap is expected to raise a bit for the 2015-2016 season, but early reports are saying it won't increase much, due to the strength of the Canadian dollar.

This contract/player breakdown is courtesy of http://www.spotrac.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/
Check their site out, it's really useful for breaking down the worth of a player. It sucks that we have to do this, as I feel we talk alot about contracts, sometimes even more so than productivity on the ice, but that's what happens when you have a strict financial salary cap.


        PLAYER/POSITION/AGE/SERVICE TIME/CONTRACT/AVG. SALARY/EXPIRATION

Rick Nash	LW	30	11	8 yr $62,400,000	$7,800,000	2018
Henrik Lundqvist	G	33	9	7 yr $59,500,000	$8,500,000	2021
Marc Staal	D	28	7	6 yr $34,200,000	$5,700,000	2021
Dan Girardi	D	31	8	6 yr $33,000,000	$5,500,000	2020
Ryan McDonagh	D	25	4	6 yr $28,200,000	$4,700,000	2019
Keith Yandle	D	28	8	5 yr $26,500,000	$5,300,000	2016
Derick Brassard	C	27	7	5 yr $25,000,000	$5,000,000	2019
Martin St. Louis	RW	39	15	4 yr $22,500,000	$5,625,000	2015
Marc Staal	D	28	7	5 yr $19,875,000	$3,975,000	2015
Mats Zuccarello-Aasen	RW	27	4	4 yr $18,000,000	$4,500,000	2019
Kevin Klein	D	30	9	5 yr $14,500,000	$2,900,000	2018
Dan Boyle	D	38	15	2 yr $9,000,000	$4,500,000	2016
Kevin Hayes	C	23		2 yr $7,680,000	$3,840,000	2016
Derek Stepan	C	24	4	2 yr $6,150,000	$3,075,000	2015
Chris Kreider	LW	24	2	2 yr $4,950,000	$2,475,000	2016
Carl Hagelin	LW	26	3	2 yr $4,500,000	$2,250,000	2015
Tanner Glass	LW	31	7	3 yr $4,350,000	$1,450,000	2017
Mats Zuccarello-Aasen	RW	27	4	1 yr $3,500,000	$3,500,000	-
Dominic Moore	C	34	9	2 yr $3,000,000	$1,500,000	2016
J.T. Miller	RW	22	2	3 yr $2,775,000	$925,000	2015
Jesper Fast	RW	23	1	3 yr $2,415,000	$805,000	2015
Cameron Talbot	G	27	1	1 yr $1,450,000	$1,450,000	2016
James Sheppard	C	27	5	1 yr $1,300,000	$1,300,000	2015
Chris Summers	D	27		2 yr $1,200,000	$600,000	2016
Cameron Talbot	G	27	1	2 yr $1,125,000	$562,500	-
Matt Hunwick	D	30	7	1 yr $600,000	$600,000	2015

NOTES: Keep in mind Zuccarrello re-signed with the Rangers for four more years at the trade deadline. Cam Talbot also re-signed with the team before the Lundqvist injury. Staal also re-upped with the team.  Both this year's and next year's contracts are listed above.  Arizona also covers half of Keith Yandle's contract, due to terms of the trade.

We will break down the potential 2015-2016 roster one-by-one in three categories. AUTOMATICS, MAYBE'S AND GONERS. After those categories, we will look at potential call-ups & free agency.

The Captain isn't going anywhere

AUTOMATIC 2015-2016 ROSTER MEMBERS:

Dan Boyle- with $4.5 million for another season on the books, Boyle is going to be hard to trade. Who will take his contract after the regular season he had? In his defense, he was one of the more productive Rangers offensively, during the playoffs. Still, he is grossly overpaid and every time you see Stralman in these next two weeks, you will want to go nuts. Boyle won't be here because he's the best fit for the team, but because no one else would deal for that contract.

Derick Brassard- Brass is locked up til 2019 and was arguably the best Ranger skater of the playoffs. He isn't going anywhere. It's great to have a guy like this locked up in his prime.

Jesper Fast- Fast's deal has now expired. With the way he finished the regular season and the way he handled himself in the playoffs, Sather would be an idiot to let him go. He's due for a raise though and money is an issue for these cap-hell Rangers.

Dan Girardi- DG is locked up til 2020. Some will argue that he's a tad overpaid. Again, when you compare his numbers and what he does on the ice with other defensemen, maybe he is getting too much. Fuck the salary cap, ugh! Still, DG has been a warrior for this team and one of the better defensemen in the league.

Kevin Hayes - he's here for one more year under his rookie deal. There should be some consideration to re-sign him before he can become a free agent next summer.

Chris Kreider- Can you believe that he's still only 24 years old? Like Hayes, his deal expires next summer. Lock him up now.

Henrik Lundqvist - only in my wildest dreams will he be out of here. The worst contract in the NHL, by far. Put it this way, how many top 5 salaried goalies have ever won a cup? 0! Would any other team trade for an aging goalie's contract? NO. Look at people making the same money as him. Would Chicago give up Kane or Toews for Hank? NO. Would Washington give up Ovi for Hank? NO. THE WORST CONTRACT IN THE SALARY CAP NHL, BY FAR!

This always comes to mind when I see the Lundqvist deal, trading draft picks, Boyle/Stralman, etc

Ryan McDonagh- the captain will at least remain captain until 2019, barring any injury or significant drop-off in play.

JT Miller- his contract is now expired. No way the Rangers let him test the waters. The Rangers rookies (Miller/Hayes/Fast) should all be productive players for this team for some time.

Dominic Moore - a very team-friendly deal for what you get out of Moore. 2016 could be his last season here, if the Rangers don't win the cup. He's not getting any younger.

Rick Nash- he's here until 2018. I'm reading all these wild rumors now. Nash for Oshie. Nash for Malkin. Bottom line, no one is trading for Rick Nash's contract. If Lundqvist's deal is the worst in hockey, Nash's is a close second. The Rangers can't even trade Nash and eat some of his salary in a trade because there is no money to do that.

Marc Staal - the lockdown defender is locked down here for 6 more years. He will bleed blue forever.

Derek Stepan - his deal just expired. He is the #1 priority of the off-season. I don't think he wants to go anywhere else. He's been a Ranger his whole life and has produced his entire career. He is due for a big raise, but the money is there to give it to him. If Sather lets him walk, then Isiah Thomas needs to be the new GM.

Chris Summers- he won't be on the Rangers to start, but at $600,000 the Rangers will keep him in Hartford, just in case.

Keith Yandle - his deal expires next season. He is definitely staying here, because he's a bargain with Arizona taking on half his salary. He is going to be a major question mark, this time next season. All depends on how he produces with a full year under AV. I thought he got much better offensively as he got comfortable but his defense was atrocious at times.

Mats Zuccarello- just re-signed at the deadline. Let's hope he is healthy come puck drop in October.

The biggest Rangers trade-bait of the season

  MAYBE 2015-2016 ROSTER MEMBERS:

Tanner Glass- Glass is here for two more years, but could be packaged and traded elsewhere. He didn't do much of anything in the regular season and was basically horrible all year. He was better in the playoffs, defensively. I don't know what you can get for him, but if you can get his contract off the books, it would be a huge plus.

Carl Hagelin- to me, Hagelin is an automatic no-brainer to re-sign. However Hagelin is due for a huge pay raise. He should be getting Zuccarello money. Can Sather find that money in the budget? I don't see why Hagelin should cut the Rangers a hometown deal, when his hypocrite country-man, Henrik Lundqvist, wouldn't. Hagelin might be too expensive just because of how much cap Lundqvist is eating. I'll tell you this, Hagelin does not want to leave. His best friends are here, he loves NY and loves this team. I see Hagelin back, but it won't be as slam dunk as the Stepan negotiations.

Kevin Klein- the broken arm injury Klein suffered changed his season. He was having a career year, point wise, before it. The Del Zaster for Klein swap was one of the best trades Sather ever made, not the best, (McDonagh/MTL deal was first), but it's up there.

Klein gets $3 million a year for 3 more years. I just don't know if he will be a cap victim, with cheaper defensemen on the Wolfpack. For this season, Yandle is cheaper than Klein, due to Arizona covering the money.  I hope Klein is a Ranger next season, but it isn't guaranteed.

Martin St. Louis- this is a tough one. I don't think Marty wants to retire, nor leave the league after that horrible playoff performance. However, everyone knows he's not getting $5.6M a season again, including himself.

Here's the deal - he lives in Connecticut and raises his family here. He loves the organization and living here. He's a free agent. He's not going to a west coast team. Could the Devils or Islanders be an option? I suppose, but the Devils just cut bait on a similar and better player in Jagr and the Islanders have cap issues of their own. If Marty would take the veteran minimum, I can see him staying.

Marty is a great influence on this team. You hear guys like Zucc, Hayes and Miller talk about how MSL has helped their game. His future is definitely in coaching, I mean he groomed Stamkos as well. He knows how to be a positive influence on young players.

I think Marty could retire and take a job with the Wolfpack tomorrow. However, I think as a premiere athlete, he's not going to want to leave like this. I think he will work with the Rangers on a deal. I think a veteran minimum or anywhere up to $1M a season, with a NTC (Since he wants to live here) is fair.

Cam Talbot- Oh man, where to begin? We all know I'm the biggest Talbot fan in the world. Here's my realistic take. You don't deal him. After all, Hank has shown you he can't win a cup. No team would deal for Hank anyway, so we're stuck with him, because everyone refuses to ignore the fact that he is overpaid and overrated.

Aside from the Tampa series, where Hank was giving up touchdowns left and right and was outdueled in a Game 7 by the almighty Ben Bishop, Hank played strong in the playoffs. He was their best player on the ice. Could part of that reason be because Hank missed 25+ games with the neck injury?

The window on Hank is closing. He's getting older. His skills are regressing. Shots that he usually saved are softly going by him. It's time to rest him a bit more often, during the season, for the playoff run. You will need a back-up goalie that doesn't scare you to do that. Cam Talbot is that guy.

There is no question - the Rangers MUST and SHOULD be a playoff team next year. Why put in a weaker back-up goalie if Hank is your guy?

Talbot is most likely gone in 2016 because everyone thinks the Cupless King Nothing is so great, despite never winning a cup and no long-term contract over the age of 30 ever working out for a team. However, I'd hold on to him for this year. He must've thought he needed another year under Allaire too, or else he would've waited to become a free agent. Unfortunately for him, his timing was wrong, as he would've commanded big bucks this year, if he didn't sign his contract before the unpredictable Lundqvist injury.

Stephen Valliquette, Hank's ex-teammate/back-up goalie/current MSG analyst told me this, when I asked him about Talbot. Basically Vally said that it's an unwritten gentleman's agreement, between player & GM, that if a goalie can start somewhere else, you deal him. If Vally is right, then Talbot is gone. I don't know what you can get for Talbot though. You're not getting a great draft pick. Plus, even if you got a draft pick, Sather would trade it for the second coming of Bobby Holik, as a Ranger, anyway. There is no money to really make a big trade either.

Talbot is a steal for next season. Will he become pissed off that he's not starting? Who knows?

I generally think Talbot is better for this team as a whole than Hank. Just imagine getting Hank's horrible contract off the books. That's $8.5M to spend on the offense. Talbot can do the job. Plus, even the weaker goalies in the playoffs, or the ones grossly underpaid, compared to Lundqvist, are winning. Was Fleury or Holtby that bad? No. Bishop outplayed Hank. I mean is Crawford that great? He's in the Stanley Cup for the third freaking time.

I also think the team plays better in front of Talbot for whatever reason. Hank supporters will say because the team needs to protect the net more and they rely on Hank too much. Well if the goalie is the highest paid in the world, then shouldn't we rely on the goalie, if he's burying the team in press conferences for not scoring?

I think there is a better synergy with Talbot. It's no secret he hangs out with Captain Ryan McDonagh all the time. You see Talbot hanging with the guys. You don't see Lundqvist hanging out with his teammates socially. I just think Talbot really is the better solution for this team, for the cap, thus giving us the best chance at the cup. Hank has been great, he's a Hall of Famer, but he's also a Patrick Ewing. We gave it 10 years. Time to move on.

That being said, I'm not the GM and I can see Talbot winding up in Arizona, Buffalo, Dallas or Edmonton. Please, anywhere but the Islanders. My head would explode like pouring water on a cartoon robot if Talbot was wearing a fish stick jersey. If Talbot has to be dealt, and really, it's up to him, as he's going to talk to Sather and let him know if he's happy being on the bench for another year, I hope it's to Arizona. I would laugh so hard in Hank's overpaid face and into the cigar face of Glen Sather, if Talbot & Duclair win a Cup before Hank.

Add caption

GONERS, with no chance of being a 2015-2016 ROSTER MEMBER:

Matt Hunwick- His deal is up. At $600,000 a year, he was a bargain this season. He will get more elsewhere. The Rangers have a logjam and guys who will be here for years at defense. He would be 7th at best, on the depth chart next season. With Skjei in the wings and Summers under contract, Hunwick has no future with this team.

James Sheppard- only dealt for salary cap reasons, Sheppard will be elsewhere and perhaps making a bit more money. The Rangers have some decisions to make at the center position and Sheppard won't be one of them.

The Wolfpack has produced some great players for the Rangers

CALL-UPS/FREE AGENCY

There are two players that look like they should get ice-time with the Rangers next year. Those players are Brady Skjei (D) and Oscar Lindberg (C). Both are cheap and could be NHL ready, come the playoff push next year.

I don't think McIlrath will ever be a significant NHL player, despite his few games with the Rangers the last two years. He can fight and be the enforcer the Rangers need, but he is also a huge liability on the ice.

If Talbot is dealt, Skapski or Halverson are the likely heirs to the back-up goalie position. Skapski may never play for the Rangers again, as the smart money is on Halverson.

Bourque, Allen and Haggerty are all options for the Rangers next year, but really would have no role on this veteran team and with an established core.

As far as free agents, the most interesting player could be Brad Richards. He never wanted to leave, but was a salary cap/amnesty victim. The Rangers really did miss him in the playoffs. He has always been a big playoff player, has size and the Rangers really missed him at the center position this year. I always thought he would come back, after signing a one year deal with Chicago, but if the Blackhawks win the Cup, why wouldn't he take the veterans minimum to stay there and win again? He does love the Rangers, the fans love him and he left on great terms, but at his age, it's about winning Cups. If the Hawks do it, that's probably his best option.

Carl Soderberg, a center from the Bruins will also be available. He got $1M this season, but due for a raise. I don't know if he fits into the Rangers cap, but the Rangers need a true center, more than anything this season.

Mike Ribeiro at 35 years old, could be an interesting fit, but it doesn't seem like he wants to leave Nashville. He would be a veteran center the Rangers could use, especially if Lindberg doesn't work out.

Anders Lee, a RFA, would be an interesting player to add to the fold, but I can't see the Islanders letting him go.

What it's all about

As the Rangers approach their 90th year in existence, one thing is for sure, a Cup needs to be won sooner than later. The Rangers have been one of the most successful teams, as far as making the playoffs, but one of the least in winning the Stanley Cup. These last four years have been tough. From watching them lose an ECF to the rival NJ Devils, to the crushing and whooping they took in Boston, to the Cup loss last year and to me, the most brutal loss of them all, losing to Tampa in 7 of the ECF, the Rangers have been knocking, but haven't been able storm right in and hoist the Cup.

Glen Sather will have a job until he dies, since Dolan doesn't care about the Rangers like he does with his Knicks and ripping off people with Cablevision. I think Sather has been better in recent years, because for every bad move we can rattle off (Giving up picks in MSL deal, Yandle, D. Boyle, Not keeping Stralman), we can also name some great ones (McD, Klein, Brassard, Zucc, Coach AV). You could argue he's been a better GM since the cap era, than he was before it.

These next four months of no Ranger hockey will be brutal for all of us. I'm still trying to accept the Game 7 loss and it won't really hit me and make me upset even more, until I see either Brad Richards or Ryan Callahan hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Once again, thanks for keeping it here on DOINOW.com during the season and the off-season.

A few more big off-season blogs are coming up:
- The Henrik Lundqvist Saga
- Death of MSG
- The Frank Boucher Rafter Petition
 and much more.

Thanks for reading, and always...
LET'S GO RANGERS

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on twitter

rangers rport card

The Final Report Card of the Year

Typing the usual, "Welcome everyone to another blog here on DOINOW.com" still hurts, because it looks so cheery. As I type this blog up, I am still sickened and disgusted by how this season ended. It's one thing to lose to a better team or a fluke shot goes in, but to lose your season because you don't show up at home in back-to-back games? I'll never forget it. I will never understand how you score 17 goals on the road in 3 games and four goals at home, in four games.

I am still healing here, so writing is the best way to vent!

With the season unfortunately over, it's time to do the POSTSEASON Report Card. If you haven't read my report card blogs before, you can check them out here:
New York Rangers Mid-Season Report Card
New York Rangers Regular Season Final Report Card

In this Postseason Report Card, just like the playoff games themselves, we are wiping the slate clean. What you did in the regular season doesn't mean anything here. This is all about how you performed from mid-April til that brutal game 7 loss at home.

When grading, here is what I'm taking into account: productivity, stats, intangible factors, clutchness, players contract/cap hit, and playing your position.

Keep in mind when reading this Report Card, that obviously, this is just my opinion and no one else's. Also remember that the Rangers played mostly one goal games for most of the playoffs. There were many missed opportunities at the net.

 If you read my two other report cards, you will notice a lot of high grades and think I was a homer. However, the Rangers won the President's Trophy and were the best team in hockey. There wasn't much to make a fuss about. Now, when you're favored to win the Stanley Cup and screw your home fans in Games 5 and 7 of an ECF, the grades aren't going to be as high. The expectations were there for this Rangers team.

Don't be fooled - this was a Cup or Bust season. I am not one of those giddy fans that say "WE WILL GET THEM NEXT YEAR, GOOD JOB, GOOD EFFORT BOYS!" No. This was a failed season. Even a Cup loss would've been rough. When you trade away your future (Picks in MSL deal, picks/Duclair in Yandle deal), throw all your money at Lundqvist and pick up pieces to WIN NOW, especially after losing in the Stanley Cup Finals last year, anything short of hoisting the Cup was a failed year.

Yes, Ranger fans have much to be happy about, but without the Cup, the clock just keeps on ticking and the core of this team just gets older. Let's break down everyone's individual performances:

Rick Nash was the hardest player for me to grade

FORWARDS:

Derick Brassard - A
The Rangers top center was the most productive Ranger of the playoffs, even netting a hat-trick in an elimination game 6 against TBL. Brassard also contributed in the games where his linemates scored goals as well. You couldn't have asked more from Brassard in the playoffs. From a guy that seemed hesitant to shoot the puck in the regular season, Brassard kicked it into another gear in the playoffs.

Jesper Fast - B-
These playoffs were a coming out party for Fast. Where MSL may have played himself out of another contract, Fast played himself into getting a new one. Fast had a two goal game in the playoffs and rarely let his man beat him to the net. The Rangers have a lot of  young guns. While Hayes & Miller get a lot of attention, who knows, Fast might become the best of the three.

Tanner Glass - C+
One of the most hated Rangers by fans in the regular season (1 goal), I thought Glass played decent in the playoffs. Of course he didn't score like usual, but he played strong defense. I thought he really stepped his game up come playoff time. He played hard and was the Rangers tough man on the ice. However, that was sort of the problem for the Rangers. If Tanner Glass is your tough man/enforcer, you're not intimidating anyone.

Carl Hagelin - C+
I'm a huge Hags fan, but where was he after that Pittsburgh series? Hags is the fastest skater on the ice and is now a free agent. I thought he would really shine in the Tampa series, against a team that allows a lot of open ice. Hagelin was nowhere to be found. Many may blame his line, as MSL wasn't great either, but I expected more out of Hagelin in these playoffs. On an aside, that being said, I hope he remains a Ranger next year.

Kevin Hayes - B-
Hayes, who scored a game winning goal in the playoffs, and the game tying goal in Game 7 against the Caps, had a great first season as a Ranger. The reason I don't score him higher is because there were way too many times that along with his line buddy Carl Hagelin, that instead of taking an open shot on net, he would pass the puck backwards, which 99% either resulted in a turnover or offside. He got away a bit from what got him here in the first place. The Rangers future does look bright with Hayes in the line-up.

Chris Kreider - A-
The reason I gave Kreider an A-, rather than a B+, is because when Zucc went down, Kreider took over the role of bringing the aggression and became the lifeblood of the team. Kreider had a fantastic playoff run, and was right at the top of the list, with Brassard, as the most productive Ranger on the stat sheet. The only thing you could really criticize Kreider for was taking dumb penalties, but some of those penalties were either retaliation or in an effort to jump-start the team. If I'm Sather, I do not wait until Kreider is a free agent next year, and try to lock him up now.

JT Miller- C+
Another Rangers rookie, he was the least productive out of the Rangers rookies on the roster. JT Miller wasn't bad or anything and even saw work with Nash & Brassard, but he didn't make his presence felt much on the ice either. Sometimes I wonder if these rookies were scared to shoot the puck. I thought they got away from what made them so productive in the regular season. Miller, Fast & Hayes provides the Rangers with a solid future. There is no reason the Rangers shouldn't be in the playoffs next year either with their young studs and core.

Dominic Moore- B+
The anchor of the Rangers fourth line, Moore was the best player at winning faceoffs in the playoffs. Moore scored a game winning goal in these playoffs as well. I thought Moore played solid defense and gave it his all. While many fans/media members will talk about Lundqvist never getting a Cup and how they want to see him win one, I was really pulling for Dom Moore to get it. When you know the story of Dom Moore, see the way he plays on the ice and hear how his teammates talk about him, you can't help yourself but to root for the guy.

Rick Nash - C
This grade would be higher, if he wasn't being paid $7.8 Million a year. What hurts Nash really is that he's being paid to score goals. He doesn't do that in the playoffs. He got a few during the playoffs, but only one was at a time that the Rangers needed a goal. The late "A-Rod" goals, when the game is already determined are hogwash to me. What pains me, is you see the other superstars, like Ovechkin, Johnson, Stamkos, Toews, Kane, Perry, etc, and they are all producing goals.  Nash did not play bad mind you, but he sure didn't play up to his contract. Never once did I think Nash was a liability on the ice or didn't give it his all, but bottom line, for that money, you need to score.

James Sheppard - C+
Sheppard played when Zucc went down. Sheppard wasn't bad or anything, but he didn't do much either, outside of some late/game already determined scoring. It's tough to just walk onto a team, mid-season, then play after sitting out a series. Sheppard won't be a Ranger next year, and it's probably the best thing for him (More playing time elsewhere) and the team. (Chance for maybe Lindberg or someone else from the Wolfpack to get ice time.)

Martin St. Louis - F
This grade is hard for me to give out, because I'm such a Marty fan. What a difference a year makes. MSL was the playoff hero for this team, many times last year. He was their inspiration after his mother passed. However, in these playoffs, I've never seen a player age so fast. He's a free agent, as we all know by now, but I don't know he comes back next year. Maybe if he takes a veteran player minimum deal? It's really hard to explain what happened to MSL, besides age. He just turned ghost the second the playoffs happened. He even had bad turnovers turned into goals for the other team. It's hard watching the great ones fall apart. I just don't see MSL wanting his career to end like this though.

Derek Stepan- A-
The now free agent, will command big bucks from the Rangers this off-season. He will get it. He is too valuable for this team and played well in the playoffs, including the game winner in the Washington series Game 7. Stepan, along with Brass & Kreider, was the most consistent Ranger of the playoffs. However, I can't give any of these guys A+'s when you only produce four goals at home in four games, in the biggest series of the year.

Mats Zuccarello - INCOMPLETE
One question, when assessing the 2015 playoff run, is "how much did the Rangers miss Mats Zuccarello?" When you lose a 7 game series in the ECF, one player, one puck bounce, one anything, could've swung the series the other way. The Rangers were able to win without Zucc, as they squeaked by Washington, but they really missed his fire and tenacity out there. There was a reason fans (including myself) campaigned for Sather to re-sign him and not trade him at the deadline this year. No excuses for the Rangers to get shut out at home twice in the ECF, but losing Zucc definitely hurt the Rangers.

The pillars of the Rangers defense

DEFENSE:
Dan Boyle - B-
Boyle was the most productive defensemen, scoring wise. He also had a game winner in these playoffs .What kills Boyle is at 40 years old, he's slow as shit with these twenty year old kids whipping around, all over the ice. Turns of turnovers and being caught flat-flooted seemed to be staples of Boyle's game. However, he is one of the few Rangers to always shoot the puck, in these playoffs. He wasn't intimidated. He had no problems firing the puck and hoping for deflections or rebounds. Still, I would rather Stralman here, instead of Boyle. Sather really fucked that up, as we all said the Boyle for Stralman idea was a bad one, before the season even started.

Dan Girardi- B+
You're not going to get much scoring out of Girardi, but you do get a lockdown defender. Girardi logged a ton of minutes and did a great job of shutting down Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin and Backstrom down. The triplets line & Stamkos were able to get a few by, but sometimes you have to credit good players for playing well. Still, Girardi was a true warrior for the Rangers during this run, like usual. I still think he's a tad overpaid for a pure lockdown guy that doesn't do much offensively.

Matt Hunwick- INCOMPLETE
He only suited for Game 7 of the TBL series. He's a goner after this year, with Skjei waiting in the wings, and the top 6 defense all locked up. Give him credit, for a guy who sat on his ass for nearly two months, he stepped up, and didn't hurt the team in the one game he played.

Kevin Klein - C+
Remember that part of the regular season where Klein was the highest scoring defensemen in the NHL? Remember when he was at the top of the list for goals scored for the Rangers? Well Klein didn't do anything offensively in the playoffs. He also returned from a broken arm, after missing most of the second half of the season. Who knows if he was 100% healthy or not. Klein is a strong defender, but he wasn't at his best in these playoffs.

Ryan McDonagh - A-
The Captain showed us why he was the captain of this team, especially when we found out after this series that he was playing with a broken foot. He was furious after losses, and the Rangers rebounded for wins. With Girardi, he held down the best offensive players on every team he faced. He also put a few goals in too. You gotta be proud of the Captain. I truly thought he would have his Messier moment this year.

Marc Staal - B+
Staal did his job. Staal didn't produce many turnovers and he shut down the offense of opposing teams. A pure defensemen, Staal is a grinder and wore down the competition. You will never see much of anything in the scoring department from Staal, but you won't see too many minuses on his +/- sheet either. Another solid postseason for Staal.

Keith Yandle- C+
I only give Yandle a grade higher than I would've liked to because of his scoring. He was able to score goals and tally a bunch of assists. He got better as the playoffs went on, perhaps because he was familiar with the system. Still, all the turnovers are on him. How many times is he going to skate with the puck in front of his own net? How many times will he throw a lazy pass in front of his own net? How many times will he not bump a guy away from the net? He can put up the points, that's for sure, so I don't fault him for that, but he needs to be better defensively.

I would've started Talbot in these playoffs

GOALIES:

Henrik Lundqvist- A-
The "in-his-prime" Lundqvist was a monster against the Penguins and Capitals. He kept the Rangers in every game. Then, Tampa, who owns him, came around.

Tampa in the 7 games, scored 1, 6, 6, 1, 2, 3, 2 goals, in each game respectively. Lundqvist played well for the most part, but basically gave Tampa Game 3, and when you lose a series 4-3, that was the difference. What hurts is that when Bishop had his bad games, (Game 4, Bishop gave up 5, Game 6,  Bishop gave 7) Bishop responded with back-to-back road shutouts in Game 5 and 7. Even Holtby posted a shutout against the Rangers. Lundqvist had 0 in the playoffs.

Lundqvist made many highlight reel saves, but for every 10-12 amazing saves, he would also let a soft one in. Hardly regal on Lundqvist's part. Still, and we all know the contract deal, you've heard it here repeatedly in these blogs, but he was the best player in the playoffs for the Rangers. He's still not a "King" in my book, and I do think he's overrated and overpaid, but he played great, for the most part, in the playoffs.

I feel bad for Hank. The first 8 years of his career, he had no offense. These last two years, he's had offense, but he's regressed a bit. He will be 34 come the playoffs next year. That window is getting smaller.

Cam Talbot- INCOMPLETE
Talbot didn't see a second of ice time during these playoffs. I'll talk more about Talbot when I do my blog looking at the off-season. The one thing that drives me nuts is people saying "Without Hank, we wouldn't be this far." Most of those people didn't watch the regular season. Who knows how Talbot would've handled the playoffs? Maybe he's Ken Dryden and the Rangers win the whole thing. Maybe he gets blown out by Pittsburgh. We will never know, and that's what sucks the most to me. What I do know, is that in 10 years, Lundqvist hasn't won any cups, despite a marketable King nickname suggesting that he has.

Despite the loss, he's still King Midas to me

COACH 
Alain Vigneault - A
The hockey media is already salivating about AV, talking about all the President Trophy's he's won and the deep playoff runs, but no Cups. Get Lawst! I don't care about what AV did in Vancouver, I care about what he did with the Rangers.

Last year, he took an overachieving team right to the Cup Finals. This year, he had a ton of injuries and a goalie who gave away a pivotal playoff game. His team didn't score. He can't shoot the puck himself.

I thought AV did a tremendous job, and has been doing a tremendous job since arriving to New York. He's been smart with the media, will crack jokes to lighten the mood, was firm when people were asking about Talbot after Hank's two touchdown games and is generally likable.

Just remember, since 1994 the Rangers were never in the Cup Finals. AV changed that in his first year, and was 20 minutes away from returning in his second year. Can the third year be a charm?

Mr. Cigar

GENERAL MANAGER

Glen Sather -B-
Sather made many good moves to build this team. He got AV here to man the ship. He's done a lot of good with the core and building the future. It's funny how great he's been with the cap in place, after all those years of free-spending.

The negatives: the MSL, Boyle and Yandle deals. Listen, I know the situation with Callahan. I also know the situation with MSL, he wanted out. I don't understand, and I didn't understand then, why do you deal two draft picks along with Cally for MSL? That trade should've been a straight swap.

The Rangers traded for Yandle for this year, thinking he was a piece that could help them win the Cup. It didn't. Fortunately, Arizona covers half of Yandle's $. Still, giving up Duclair and again, another #1 draft pick doesn't make sense to me. That's what drives me nuts about these idiots saying "TRADE TALBOT FOR PICKS!" Why? First, you're gonna need someone to spell an aging Hank again anyway. Then, even if you do get the picks, Sather will trade him for a veteran that will wind up being Bobby Holik here!

The Boyle/Stralman shit is infuriating. How do you not even talk to Stralman and put it out there he wants too much money, then sign a 40 year old Boyle for that same money? I hope Sather enjoys watching Cally & Stralman in the Cup this year.

Another glaring hole with the Rangers is the lack of an enforcer. I don't know the love affair with Tanner Glass. Maybe he's a great locker room guy like everyone says, but locker room guys aren't winning games on the ice. I would've rather seen Dorsett or Carcillo back, or find someone else who can do the role. Most of the time, Glass is fighting when the game result has already been determined.

Still, Sather has been here for 15+ years. While no Cups to speak of, he has this team competitive and has a solid core here. I do believe that he did everything that he thought was best to make this team a winner. I just don't get dealing all the draft picks. He gambled and lost. If Duclair winds up being a stud, or these picks turn into something, then oh boy. I guess having Hayes and these young guys, makes it easier to give up picks at this stage of the game.

The shield we are loyal to

Well that wraps up my Final Report Card of the Season. Despite the season being over, we will be rock and rolling with some end-of-the-season blogs.

You can read my final game of the season report here:
NYR/TBL Game 7 Recap

Upcoming blogs include:
"The Lundqvist Saga"
"Rangers Off-Season"
"Frank Boucher Petition"
"The Death of MSG" and many more.

Keep it here at DOINOW.com for more. You can always comment on the blogs by emailing me or tweeting at me, since I can't figure out this comment section. That's my off-season task!

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on twitter







































http://doinow.com/nyrtbl-game-7-recap-rangers-changed-the-ending-two-weeks-earlier-piss-poor-performance-assessing-this-loss-as-a-whole-the-future-failed-season-in-cam-we-trust-in-hank-we-bust-much-more/

ecf 7

Bow down to someone who could've brought the crown to NY

"The End"

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes...again
Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need...of some...stranger's hand
In a...desperate land
Lost in a Roman...wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane
All the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah
There's danger on the edge of town
Ride the King's highway, baby
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway west, baby

The west is the best
The west is the best
Get here, and we'll do the rest
The blue bus is callin' us
The blue bus is callin' us
Driver, where you taken' us

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
It hurts to set you free
But you'll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die
This is the end 

- The Doors

 

 Welcome everyone to the obituary blog, here on DOINOW.com.

Some site news, then we will discuss the heartbreak:

- DOINOW.com will be changing our name for the 2015-2016 season.

- This will be a shorter blog, as I will have separate post-mortem blogs on this season. Several upcoming blogs include "Rangers Post Season Report Card", "The Henrik Lundqvist Saga", "A Look at Glen Sather", "The Death of MSG", "Looking Ahead To 2015-16", "The Frank Boucher Petition"  and other Ranger related blogs. So keep it here on DOINOW.com for more.

- This was DOINOW.com's first season blogging about the Rangers. I had fun with this. If you came here every day and enjoyed what you read, thank you. If you came here and disagreed & thought I was an idiot, well thank you too for reading. Writing let me vent a lot during this crazy season.

So the 2014-2015 season is over. When the real fans enter MSG for the preseason, they will see another banner hanging in the MSG rafters - "2014-2015 President Trophy Winners". However, it will get as much fanfare as when I walked into MSG for the first preseason game of the year, against the Blackhawks, when I saw the 2013-2014 Eastern Conference Champions banner. In case you're one of the bougias ass motherfuckers who decide to only watch/attend games in the playoffs, I'm being facetious, there will be no fanfare at all. It will hang there silently, just as silent as the Rangers performance at home in the ECF.

Obviously, no normal intro today. You know the deal. You also know by now that the Rangers dropped Game 7, of their ECF series with the Lightning, at a final score of 2-0. The Rangers season is over.

The Rangers losing hurts the most. No question. What compounds the hurt is watching Callahan & Stralman move on. Even worse, the Rangers traded more of their future for Keith Yandle. Was Yandle bad in the playoffs? He wasn't terrible, but he wasn't worth Duclair and a draft pick either. I still believe the Rangers don't make the Cup without MSL last year, but how nice of Sather to also give TBL two draft picks to go along with Callahan!

Another failed season for Henrik Lundqvist

If you've been reading me all season, you know I'll never BS you. Where "real" reporters need to be cordial and very rarely say anything against the grain, allow me to speak the truth. This season was a failure. No ifs, ands or buts about it. F-A-I-L-U-R-E!

Everyone will compare this team to the team of last year, but really, this more of the team of the 2011-2012. For a team that finished third in scoring, they relied on their goalie too much. However, Henrik doesn't get a pass either. He wasn't the same goalie in that 2012 postseason. For every 10 great saves he made, he also gave up a soft goal. His whining was incessant after losses this year, perhaps due to built up frustration of being a crownless King. He also blew game 3 and was solely responsible for that loss. Very rarely can you blame a game 100% on Lundqvist, but that game 3 was it. It was one game, and that was all the difference in this series. More on Lundqvist & his play on an upcoming blog here, as I'll expand on this there.

This team, carried over a lot of 2013-2014 roster. Really, that's where the similarities end. Last year's team was a pure Cinderella team that over-achieved. You had wily veterans and warriors like Brad Richards. You had tough guys and grinders like Boyle, Dorsett and Carcillo. Who is tough on this team? Tanner Glass? The guy who starts fights when you're already losing by 2 goals late in a game?

Last years team got a lot of things to go their way. Hank lost 3 games to the lowly Flyers, yet still won in 7. Hank went 1-3 vs Pittsburgh, but the death of MSL's mother propelled this team and they came back against Pittsburgh to win in 7. Boston, who have been Ranger killers in the last few years, gets knocked off by Montreal. Kreider takes out Price and boom the Rangers are in the Cup. If Hank doesn't blow two goal leads and lose 3 OT games to someone 5 years younger than him (And with 2 more Cups), maybe the Rangers win it all last year.

However, you're not as upset and furious with last year's loss as you are with this years. The Rangers were the third highest scoring team. They won the President's Trophy. Even more astonishing, they showed you they could win without Lundqvist, as Talbot had record-breaking numbers. That's what really eats at me. You know I wanted Talbot from day one. Was Lundqvist horrible in this years playoffs? Of course not. Was he lights out though? No. Rangers had the experience, made the trades for veterans and really were primed to be playing for the Cup. Instead they blew it.

Listen, all I'm saying is if you get rid of the contract of a 34 year old cupless goalie, you have $8.5M to play around with. Maybe you can get more offense. Talbot can do the job. Even if you perceive him to be weaker than Hank, look at the West. Crawford and Anderson aren't elite goalies. The team needs to be balanced and when 10% is going to a goalie who can't win games, then what's the point?

Look at Fleury & Holtby. They stood with Hank this year. Bishop outplayed Hank. Hank is only getting older and looks to be cementing himself with Marino, Ewing, Barkley, etc. I can understand his frustration. When it mattered the most, his team got shutout for 140 minutes at home. Bottom line, you can't win if you don't score.

After two great games on the road, Nash was nowhere at home

When you close the book on this season, the bottom line is that the President's Trophy that Talbot helped win for the Rangers, meant nothing in the ECF. The Rangers finished 1-3 at home in the series. I mean, what do you expect when you can't win at home?

It is beyond frustrating and infuriating at the performances inside of MSG. The Rangers put up 17 goals in Tampa (5,5,7)  while putting up 4 (2,2,0,0)  goals at home. WHAT THE FUCK!

I'll have the Rangers Postseason Report card up later this week, but really, YOU CAN'T FUCKING SCORE AT HOME? I don't get how they just played differently on the road. You can tell me all these schematics, the line-ups, whatever, I will never comprehend 13 MORE GOALS IN ONE LESS GAME PLAYED, on the road.

Home ice advantage? N-Word please! Blame MSG for pricing real fans out. Blame the white collar bougias motherfuckers who still think Messier plays. Blame the team for coming out flat, creating a nervous energy for fans, who bite their nails instead of clapping their hands. Bottom line, the Rangers sucked a big fat dick at home. I don't think you'll see that sentence in NEWSDAY!

I'm surprised these 3 didn't give Sather a DX Crotch-Chop

Just a few more words on the ex-Rangers turned Bolts:

- Dan Boyle was a fucking waste. You know how I feel about him. How do you pay a 40 year old Boyle the same money you refused to give to Stralman. According to Stralman, Sather never even considered signing him for this season. I don't get it. Now Stralman gets a chance to "Change The Ending."

- I talked about Callahan above. I would've loved the trade if it was a straight swap. The picks make no sense, considering the ages of the players and the fact that MSL was done with TBL. The only reason Cally left was because of money. Perhaps the goalie who said "I want to win a cup at all costs in NY" should've acted on that. The Rangers had no money for Cally when Hank held up the team for more money.

- Brian Boyle got a great contract for himself in TBL. I don't blame Sather for not matching it. You can't give a 3rd line center on his best day (Normally a fourth line center), that kind of money. While faceoffs were an issue for the Rangers all playoffs, it wasn't in this series.

It was reported after the series that McDonagh had a broken foot. What a warrior.

Enough rambling and crying. Let's get into the game itself.

5 minutes into the game and you knew what you had. It was going to be another Ranger shitshow, where they were trying to get a goal late and ride Hank to the end. For some reason, they just get away from what worked on the road. Did they pepper Bishop with shots and look for rebounds & deflections? Of course not. Did they crash the net? Of course not. Did they make wild passes and have trouble establishing anything 5 on 5? Of course!

Here are the goals:

GOAL ONE: Alex Killorn gets the eventual game winner, after TBL beat the Rangers defense. However, the shot was a weak one, that trickled through Hank's five hole. Bad defense, even worse looking goal. It hurts even more, because before this, Hank was lights out and looked locked in. The goal came after two scoreless periods of hockey, two minutes into the third period. 1-0 TBL

GOAL TWO: The Triplets line beat Lundqvist again. On a rush, Johnson fed Palat who beat Hank with a wrist shot. Tough shot, but that's what drives me nuts about Hank. He makes these remarkable highlight reel saves, but then this goes in. The goal came with 8 minutes left in the game. The way this Rangers team was playing, you knew it was over. 2-0 TBL.

For the last few games, I was recapping 8, 9, 10 goals. Here we get two. In fact, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN NHL HISTORY A HOME TEAM WAS SHUT OUT IN GAMES 5 AND 7. The New York Rangers, always making history.

Another familiar image, Hank shaking the hand of a victor

As far as the goalies in Game 7, Hank finished with 23 saves on 25 shots. Bishop finished with his second shutout of the series with 22 saves. Bishop takes the King. (I fucking hate that pun, but I'm so miserable, I might as well pile up on myself.)

Again, Hank was remarkable and did whatever he could. It just puts you in pure agony when you see the goals that do go in. I thought Bishop had one of the easiest shutouts in game 5, as he wasn't tested much. The Rangers tested Bishop a bit and I thought Bishop made 5 or 6 game stopping saves. However, Bishop did not face the pressure he faced when the Rangers were in Tampa.

You're sick of hearing it, but it's worth mentioning. This is why you don't pay a 34 year old goalie 10% of team payroll. There are goalies out there for much less and much younger, who can do the same thing. One of them is on your own team.

I wrote a blog earlier in the season and got a ton of twitter feedback (insults, go fuck yourself, that kind of stuff, etc) that said the Rangers will never win with Lundqvist. I was hoping to be proved wrong and have everyone throw it in my face. Fact is, I still believe the Rangers will never win with Lundqvist. I just can't stop thinking about that game 3.

These two men have a lot to talk about in the upcoming days

There's not much more to say about this game. The Rangers looked anemic on two powerplays. They wouldn't shoot the puck. Bishop outlasted Hank. The Rangers were flat. The Rangers missed Zuccarello. McDonagh had a broken foot. Staal is dinged up. Bottom line, it's over.

I'll expand more in a future blog, but just some quick shots on the future/next season:

- Priorities to me is keeping Hagelin & Stepan. Stepan will get big money, but the salary cap is increasing. Gotta keep him here no matter what. Hagelin will be tricky. He should be getting Zucc money and probably can get it elsewhere. I do think he wants to stay here, but if your own "leader", Lundqvist won't take a hometown discount, why should Hags?

- That was MSL's final game as a Ranger. He wants to be in the organization. He lives here and raises his kids here. Give MSL a job as a coach, even if it's in Hartford to start. I never saw a player age so fast.

- Thanks for the stay Sheppard. See ya.

- It will never happen because everyone is infatuated with him and he's their face of the team, but really, some thought should go into Hank's contract. They are just not winning with him.

- If Talbot is the one who has to go, I'll be sad. I hope he stays, but like Valiquette told me, it's the gentleman agreement to trade a goalie who can start elsewhere. It should be here. If Talbot is dealt, I hope it's to Arizona so I can watch Talbot & Duclair get a cup before Hank.

- I think you will see a lot of new faces here. Not free agents, but a lot of call-ups.

- I fully expect Duclair to have a monster year while Yandle continues to put the puck in front of his own net non-stop.

- I would also see if you could re-sign Kreider before his current deal expires at the end of next season.

- You can try  to trade Dan Boyle & Tanner Glass, but really, who will take them?

- Rick Nash will get a lot of media attention for not showing up when it matters. To say he's overpaid too is an understatement. However, he is not the one who said he wants to win a cup at all costs, then gets the coach fired, teases free agency and signs the biggest contract in hockey at his position.

Will I ever see this in NY in my adult life time?

There are so many topics and stuff to get into. We'll address all that stuff in individual blogs. I just can't believe it's over. This should've been the year. Don't lie to yourself, this was a Cup or Bust year. Change The Ending? What two weeks earlier than last year? It is so hard to win in the NHL that when you squander these opportunities, you are just wondering what if?

The Rangers are quickly turning into the Philadelphia Eagles with all these Conference Championship losses & Cup loss. The common factor in all these losses - Henrik Lundqvist.

I said it all season, so I'll say it one last time now -
"IN CAM WE TRUST, IN HANK WE BUST!"

Tons of material coming here on DOINOW.com in the next few days. If you want to send in a guest blog, with your thoughts on the season, you can email me at BULLSMC@aol.com

Ugh, Let's Go Rangers.

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on twitter