nyr/pitt game 2

NYR vs PITT, Game 2, in one picture

MOTHERFUCKER. THIS IS MY THIRD ATTEMPT AT THIS BLOG. Thank you Firefox for crashing twice on me and losing all my work, twice. What a waste of time! I really had a good long blog typed out and it's hard to recreate my original draft. Sorry if this comes off rushed. I don't write in the newspaper cut-and-dry format anyway, but now I feel I'm recreating stories that I already wrote & trying to remember what I originally had down to begin with! Fucking Firefox!

What's up everyone and welcome to another blog on DOINOW.com. I'll spare you the usual intro. Check the archives for the usual intro, if you truly miss it.

This will be the first of two blogs today, as I'll do the recap here, then post a photo-happy report on "Rangers Hockey House".  This will be the angry/disappointed blog and the next blog will be written with much better spirits.

Usually I try to get these game recaps up an hour or two after a game, where everything is fresh and I'm riled up with emotion, win or lose. After last night's shit show, which I attended live, once I got home, I tortured myself. I re-watched the game on DVR. While nothing beats a hockey game live, sometimes you miss the replays and angles that you get from TV. In a game where the Rangers were so bad, I must have a S&M thing going, because I watched this pile of crap again, looking to see where it went wrong.

BOUGIAS!

We all know this is a blue-collar blueshirt blog. However, I was able to get really good seats through a friend's job. Who could say no to that? I will say this, for a Saturday playoff game, the suits were mostly left at home and the lower bowl was full of blue. I would have to really go back and count, but I think I've been to 33 (Always goes back to Talbot) games this year, give or take one or two. We are familiar with my rants on the sushi eating suit people. However, there wasn't much, if any of that really. It was a sea of blueshirt blue. Perhaps all the offices gave their tickets away to diehard fans.

Of course, attending over a thousand hockey games in my life, I've seen the Rangers win big games and I've seen the Rangers lose big games. I think the biggest loss, or at least the one that stands out the most, is taking that LIRR train home after the Rangers went down 3-1 to Pittsburgh last year. This loss tonight wasn't as bad as last year, but it was extremely frustrating.

As you know & as I am reiterating now, I usually get these blogs up right after a game. After re-watching the game on TV, and boy, do I hate the NBC crew, (They couldn't carry Sam Rosen's microphone) I perused around on Twitter. It's funny the wide-range of emotion this game created.

On twitter, alone, I saw Ranger fans blaming Nash for this loss. Blaming the referees. Blaming Syd for getting calls. The horrible powerplay. Dan Girardi not playing up to par. I mean I saw everything and anything except the most obvious - Henrik Lundqvist, the highest paid goalie in the league, once again didn't come up big in a playoff game.

You can go on and on about Hank's Game 7 record. It means he lost 3 games and was .500 before that game 7 in a series. You can't be the highest paid goalie in the league, look for all the credit in the world after a win, and then blame your teammates when you lose. Remember when Lundqvist said, "Give me 2 goals and I got this?" Well he got three goals tonight. When the team needed him, he was out-matched and out-played by a better goalie. Simple as that.

Lundqvist, by himself, during warm-ups

The Rangers, who dropped Game 2, with a final score of 4-3, making the series tied at 1-1, played an extremely frustrating game. I know people will talk about how 6/8 playoff series are all at 1-1, but look who's up 2-0. The #1 seed in the West, in the Ducks and the Atlantic Division Champs, the Canadiens. I don't think the sky is falling for the Rangers, like many other people, but is disappointing they couldn't get the job done in Game 2.

You can sum up why the Rangers lost in one sentence. "Fleury & the Rangers powerplay woes." Going into this series, when doing my playoff prediction blogs, I said that I felt like I was inventing ways that the Penguins actually had a shot of winning. In reality, the only way the Rangers lose this series is if they beat themselves.

I felt and wrote, the only way the Penguins win is if Fleury outplays Lundqvist (he has), if the Rangers powerplay fails (it has) and if McDonagh/Girardi can't contain Crosby. After scoring only one goal in his last 19, Crosby scored two tonight. It was a rare offensive explosion against the Rangers, a team that has done a great job of usually shutting Crosby down.

During this Presidents' Trophy winning run, I never felt the Rangers dominated anyone. They just find ways to win. The only thing consistent for the Rangers this year has been the goaltending since the middle of December. It's been the best in the league. Talbot carried a large part of it and Hank, after having a dreadful opening six weeks, came on strong. Even rookie, 20 year old Mackenzie Skapski wound up undefeated!

While the Rangers have had a historic regular season, with all the wins and points, they were never a team you truly feared. They weren't stacked like those Avalanche or Redwing teams of the 1990's.  You could argue that rookie Kevin Hayes is their second best skater. You could make the same argument for Zuccarello, Hagelin, MSL, Kreider, Brassard or Stepan. The Rangers have gotten production from all four lines and goals in a variety of ways and situations all season. They have just found ways to win when it matters most.

Are we sure the stench of the Knicks has been removed from the building?

Everything that has plagued the Rangers this season came to a head in this game. They couldn't win a faceoff. The powerplay, ugh the powerplay, finished 1/7. It reminded me of that Boston series from two years ago, where the PP finished 2-8458348453848383834838348348. How many times have you seen this season, where the Rangers are on a PP, pass up an open shot and then make an extra pass that goes nowhere? Seriously. I get finding the perfect shot, but this is the NHL. It's not going to be there all the time. How many times does the extra pass work? One out of a hundred times?

The Rangers need to get back to firing away on the PP. You have a better chance of scoring, when you know, you shoot the puck. Whether it's a deflection, a rebound or you just catch the goalie off-guard, you will always have a better shot of scoring when you SHOOT THE PUCK!

The powerplay and goaltending were the two differences in this game. The Penguins finished 2-4, while the Rangers finished 1-7. Fleury, who was better than what his stat line suggests, finished with 23 saves on 26 shots, compared to Hank's 18 saves on 22 shots.

What drives you nuts about the powerplay is that you feel the Rangers should defer and punt the puck. The Penguins have been a man down for 1/6th of this series, and it hasn't made a difference. Every Rangers PP seems to start off with another lost faceoff, a clear, Rangers change, bumble around a bit, waste 30 seconds trying to get the puck into the zone,  get the puck, pass up a shot and then make a pass that goes nowhere for another clear. Rinse, wash, repeat.

Brassard added another playoff goal to his resume

In a game where everything that could go wrong did, the Rangers actually held the lead and got the first tally of the game. Derek Stepan beat Fleury, late in the first period, for an All-American goal, after assists from Miller & McDonagh. I wouldn't blame Fleury for the goal, as it was a perfect shot that got the top corner of the net. 1-0 Rangers, at the end of the first.

It was a truly sloppy period for both teams and the Rangers were lucky to have the lead. 8 minutes into the first, there were no shots. 12 minutes in, it was 3-3. When the period ended, the Penguins had out-shot the Rangers, 5-3. In a game where shots were scarce, goaltending needed to be at a premium. For the Rangers, it wouldn't be.

Many people expected Marc-Andre Fleury to melt like the snow of a long winter, come playoff time in the spring. The man known as Flower has wilted many times in these playoffs, despite a Cup victory in 2009. Instead, for these two games, he's out-played Henrik Lundqvist, you know, the King.

On an aside, I hate that "King" nickname. I get it, he won the Olympic goal for Sweden. However, I can give a fuck less about the Olympics and I can care even less about the Swedish national team. It's all about the Rangers winning a Cup. Get me a Cup and I'll call Hank a "King". Until then, it's just a marketing tool that has successfully overinflated his worth to Ranger fans.

Hank's hypocrisy and the way it is sacrilege to call him out sickens me. This is the guy who went on and on about how he wants to win a Cup in NY at all costs, yadda, yadda, yadda but in his next move, threatens free agency and demands to be the highest paid goalie in the NHL. It's not like Sather could let him leave either, they make a lot of money with all that King brand shit. For many people in NY, Lundqvist is the only player they know.

It is just amazing that when the Rangers win a game, he gets all the credit and rarely talks about his teammates contributions. However, when they lose, the reporters are scared to call him out on a terrible performance, and are satisfied with Lundqvist saying the team didn't get it done. Nothing is ever his fault, but he gets all the credit.

Remember, this is the same guy that also said "Give me two goals and I got this." Well he got three tonight. Don't make these Mark Messier statements if you can't back it up. I will always be harsh on Hank because he demanded to be the highest paid goalie in the league, so I expect him to play like that every night.

Even with the Rangers PP woes, and trust me, it's as bad as it has ever been, when you have one guy making 10% of team payroll, calls himself a King, highest paid and everything else, when the team is coming up short, he needs to be a rock. How many leads will he blow in the playoffs this season? It was a lot last year and it's already starting in Game 2.

I just don't think Lundqvist is that same goalie of his first 8 years in the NHL. How could he be? You regress as you get older. You're not as quick or as sharp. He's weathered a lot. The Rangers can't rely on Hank just to bail them out and carry them anymore. That was evident tonight. Hank got three goals and still lost. Sure everything went wrong, but Hank was horrible tonight.

The most hated player in the NHL

Sidney Crosby. We all know the deal. The NHL rigged a draft to keep the Penguins bankrupt franchise alive. He's the NHL's golden boy. He's also a whiner. A diver. A bitch. He gets away with everything on the ice. He can slam sticks, throw bitch-fits, spear players, berate officials and nothing happens to him. However, if he dives or whines, it's an automatic penalty. Where his counterpart Alex Ovechkin is considered a true hockey player and generally well-liked, no one outside of Pittsburgh likes Crosby.

Crosby is basically a malignant cunt. However, the Rangers have done a great job containing him. As I said, everything needed to go wrong for the Rangers to lose a game to the Penguins. While Pittsburgh got better goaltending, the Rangers PP was dreadful and Crosby finally broke out and had a two goal game, the Penguins still only won by one goal.

It is funny, I saw Ranger fans on twitter going on and on about the Hagelin phantom trip on Chorney and how the refs missed calls. In reality, would it make a difference? The Rangers weren't scoring. The only thing that did alarm me, was that the Rangers strong penalty kill came up flat. Hagelin took a penalty, and I think he's their best guy on the PK. Rangers gave up a goal while he was in the box.

After Sutter scored a PPG, on a scrambled play, where the puck fell right in front of him, Crosby banged two goals past "KING" Hank. Should Hank save those shots? Crosby is really good, sometimes a great player will beat a great goalie. While Crosby is a little bitch, no one can deny his talent. It's been amazing the Rangers have held him down this long. The Rangers, for the last 12 or so games against the Pens have done a really good job of pulling a Jon Taffer, and shutting Crosby down. When the Rangers needed their goalie to do the same, he just didn't do it. There's nothing much to say after that.

As a result of the Rangers falling apart, the Penguins took a 3-1 lead after the second period. While everything was going right for the Pens, and yes, I know I've talked about this miserable powerplay, but it really is so important. The Rangers had 14 minutes of powerplay time. They need to really capitalize on it. Even-strength didn't fare much better either. They weren't working the puck like they have been.

I've seen some people say this game could be a wake-up call, but really, do the President Trophy winners need a wake-up call in game 2? At the same time, you will need everything that happened tonight happen again three more times, for the Penguins to win this series.

THE INFAMOUS JEFFREY

Let's talk my good buddy JEFFREY. JEFFREY, if you've been reading my blogs, is a good friend of mine that I usually attend games with. JEFFREY has season tickets and usually gives me the second ticket & the aisle seat for my fat ass, when his other friend, who he has season tickets with, can't make a game. It just turns out, these last two years, his other friend has a busy life and isn't able to attend games as much as he would like. So due to that, JEFFREY and I attend many games together.

JEFFREY, and yes, you need to write it in Capslock for the full effect, is another diehard psycho fan like me. Where my derangedness and dedication for the team are these blogs, that I write for free as a hobby,  (Look at it this way, I lost an hour of my life when Firefox crashed, yet I'm wasting my time re-writing it and doing this section on JEFFREY) JEFFREY's passion comes out with his extreme rants.

 If the Rangers are playing bad, JEFFREY will curse the team out, tell me how much the team sucks, how they will never win again, how it's a waste of money, how the Rangers ruined his night, how the Rangers assassinated JFK, how the Rangers created cancer and everything else you can think of. It's just what JEFFREY does!

I've probably been to 65 or so games with JEFFREY and have watched 100's more with him. However, last night JEFFREY pulled a first. Brassard scored early into the third period, a rare powerplay goal, as in the one in 1-7, to bring the score to 3-2. However, with 10 minutes left in the third period, Kunitz scored a powerplay goal of his own. 4-2 Pens.

When Kunitz scored, JEFFREY stood up, mind you in the bougias seats, screamed "FUCK THIS, I'M FUCKING OUT OF HERE." JEFFREY promptly left MSG and basically left me by myself too!

This is what kind of emotion these playoff games create. While I will go overboard with the "WE WANT TALBOT" chants or write these long game recap manifestos for anyone who wants to read them, JEFFREY will scream expletives and leave MSG during a playoff game.

For me, even down 4-2, I thought the Rangers would come back. After all, they've done it before. Even better, Fleury has fell apart before too. However, it just wasn't meant to be in Game 2, as the Pens held on. Nash would add a meaningless goal with 6 seconds left in the game.

When the game ended, I had no clue where JEFFREY was. I would later find out, as I was buying my train beer, he was already home. He got that early-early-early beat-the-traffic-get-out-of-NYC-ASAP train. When I asked JEFFREY why did he leave, he really had no other answer outside of blind rage for the product on the ice.

Before you call out JEFFREY's insane behavior, remember, he spends literally tens of thousands of dollars on this team a year, with season tickets, merchandise, train tickets, the high cost of food/beverage at MSG and gives up thousands upon thousands of hours of his life on this. He's not a "fake fan" who goes insane when they lose. He's just so diehard and a maniac, that when the Rangers put up one of their worst performances of the season, he had to let it out with four letter words and leave MSG.

If you've been following the blogs or know him in real life, there's only one way to describe this situation - "JEFFREY!"

At least this happened for me yestertday!

So here we are, at the end of another blog. The series is now tied 1-1. Disappointing, yes. End of the world, no. It would be nice to finish the Pens off fast and be fresh for round 2. You have to step back a bit, unlike JEFFREY! The Rangers have played 120 minutes of crappy hockey. This is not the same team we've seen all season. Despite the Rangers being outplayed goalie wise, having a miserable PP and not being aggressive enough, the Rangers won one game and lost the other by one goal. The Penguins have been doing everything right. They are feeling happy just to steal a game.

I truly believe the Rangers get it done in five. Sure, my original sweep prediction won't happen, but I still think this will be a short series. Hank will rebound. The PP will rebound. Hayes, who hasn't scored yet, will get one. We will have that big playoff game from Kreider. It's way too early to overreact. The Rangers weren't as strong as they are this year and Pittsburgh is weaker than last year. We all know what happened when the Rangers fell 3-1 to them last season.

While I left this game frustrated, angry and with a lot of beer gas from the questionable taps at MSG, I believe in this team. As much as I would love to go on a "START TALBOT" rant, I would hope you would know by now that it would be written for a laugh. Hank has to turn it around. While the Rangers have limited Pittsburgh's shots, the Rangers need to create more offense and opportunities. Lose the extra pass and look for loose pucks around the net.

Kevin Klein will be back too. Hunwick hasn't added or hurt the Rangers in Klein's absence, but Klein is a guy who can score when he gets hot. He will also help the Rangers shutdown Pittsburgh scorers. Rumor is that he will be back for game 3.

The Rangers have been a great road team all season. There is no reason to think any of that changes.

A real fuckin' goalie!

I originally planned on doing a double-header of blogs today before my computer issues. I will be back later today, to do a blog on RANGERSTOWN. I didn't want to cram it in here, as this blog is already long enough! The RANGERSTOWN blog will have all pictures and all that good stuff. If you're thinking about going, do it. You won't regret it.

After the RANGERSTOWN blog, I'll be back Monday night with a recap of Game 3. Hopefully my social media profile picture will turn into Theo Fleury's number!

Don't fret and sweat!

LET'S GO RANGERS

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on twitter

Lundqvist outdueled Fleury for the win in Game 1

Welcome everyone to another blog here on DOINOW.com. As always, the right hand of the site is where you will find the archives, live tweets, search button and all that other good stuff. For your life tips of this blog, don't drink & drive, tip your bartenders, don't cough and fart at the same time, try the soup at the Bold O'Donoghues, and always and I mean ALWAYS, remember, "Sidney Crosby is a fucking bitch!"

After much anticipation, the playoffs started in Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. The Rangers defeated their most recent rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-1, to take a 1-0 advantage in the best of 7 series.

For me, processing the game as a whole, this was a game where the better goaltender won. Henrik Lundqvist was absolutely amazing. Before you go nuts about me praising Lundqvist here, let's make a few things clear. Who knows if Talbot does better for $8 million less? Bottom line, Hank is getting paid and he did what he was supposed to do at this time of year. He was, and pardon my Swedish, "FUCKING SPECTACULAR." 

The playoffs are the best time of the year in the NHL season. I'm not telling anything you didn't know already. In this social media age, I thrive and live off this. Seeing pictures, videos, tweets, FB postings and feeling the excitement is grand. For my friends in real life, such as the infamous JEFFREY or even people I don't know through the social media world, I love feeling the passion for this team with you guys. You don't have this same feeling with the other sports.

Photo Credit: JEFFREY!

 I'm on record already. Not only do I have the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup this year, I have them sweeping Pittsburgh. Bravado? Confidence? Arrogance? I don't know, say what you want, but for me this season is CUP or BUST, and I truly believe in this team.

What really stood out about this victory tonight, is that the Rangers found another way to win a game, just like they did in the regular season. Sure everything is beefed and amped up in the playoffs, but for the Rangers, they did what they've been doing all season to win this game. They got scoring when it mattered, then relied on superb goaltending to seal the deal.

We all know the story on Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury, who finished with 36 saves on 38 shots, played amazing after giving up the quick goal to Brassard on the rebound. Fleury is known for his playoff collapses, despite having a Cup to his name. We all remember that Islander series from two years ago.

Give credit where credit is due, Fleury is the only reason this score was close, on the Penguins side. Fleury made huge saves throughout the game, stopping Hagelin twice, stopping Nash on a breakaway, keeping a sure goal from McDonagh out of the net and so forth.

The reason we are not talking about Fleury adding another "W" to his resume is because of Henrik Lundqvist improving to 5-0 as a starting goalie, at home, during game 1's. Lundqvist looked like that 2012 Vezina winner.  I'll put the Talbot comparisons to bed for tonight, because I know you're sick of hearing it and you know how I feel already. That said, Lundqvist did his job. When the defense broke down for the Rangers, Lundqvist was there to bail them out. Hank finished with 24 saves on 25 shots, but the difficulty of saves were at an extreme level. Simply put, without Hank's performance tonight, the Rangers don't win this game.

Fellow Long Islander, Joey T & the President's Trophy

Before getting into the game recap, big props to the New York Rangers for rolling out Rangerstown/Rangers Hockey House again. I talked about it & posted pictures in several other blogs (check the archives) and it's cool the Rangers do this. I know some of my friends can care less about that shit, but I love it. I enjoy the fan experience. I'm not above it. In my prior life, in wrestling, we call it "marking out." Call me a "Ranger mark" all you want, because I love seeing the exhibits, meeting the ex-Rangers and taking in the spectacle of being a Rangers fan. I will always bitch and moan about ticket prices, and I think rightfully so, but it is nice the Rangers have this mini-museum, free of charge. Now, if anyone who has pull is reading this, please bring Richter there! Or for fuck sakes, bring Skapski!

The Brassman Collects!

Before you could get two gulps of beer down your gullet, Derick Brassard scored 28 seconds into the game, finding a Rick Nash rebound and slamming it past Fleury. 1-0 Rangers! The Garden was alive, with their light show and white towels. On an aside, the MSG network really needs to show the national anthem for these playoff games, especially if John Amirante is doing it.

Talk about a sigh of relief, and being able to sit back in your chair. Most of these playoff games, my stomach is rumbling and my ass is half off my couch/seat. With a quick 1-0 lead, you could relax a bit.

The Rangers were all over the Penguins in the first period. The Penguins were missing Letang and it showed. The Pittsburgh defense was having a hard time getting the puck out of their zone. Leave it to our Captain, the American, Ryan McDonagh, to score on a powerplay, off a one timer from Keith Yandle. For the Rangers, it would be the game winning goal and a huge insurance goal at the time. After two powerplays that didn't convert, it was good to see the Rangers get a powerplay goal. The powerplay is the weak point in the Rangers team game, so it was good to see them get one here.

The bubble did burst on the Penguins tonight

After the Rangers put up a 2-0 lead, with 45 minutes of game time left, you thought the Rangers would roll. However, Fleury settled down after the quick Brassard goal. I wouldn't blame him for a PP goal. Fleury came up big, time and time again, and after Comeau scored, six minutes into the second period, Fleury kept this a one goal game, at 2-1.

On the Comeau goal, it was more of the same for the Rangers. Either they start slow and come on strong, or start strong and make you shart the rest of the game. It was the latter tonight. However, it's not to say the Rangers didn't have their chances, Fleury came up big time and time again. What prevented Fleury from winning this game was Henrik Lundqvist.

The Comeau goal came after a Penguins rush and the Rangers failing to clear the puck or preventing shooting angles. Lundqvist made a few saves, but Comeau was able to find the net, after a four shot sequence, finding a goal on a rebound. No fault on Hank at all. Trust me, you know me here, I would say it was Hank's fault if it was!

Lundqvist, up to this point, was flawless. He saved many shots and when the pressure was tight, Hank was a brick wall. In fact, the Penguins who took 20 shots, compared to the Rangers 25 shots, in the second and third periods combined, had better looks than the Rangers. What can you say, Hank was in Vezina form.

WARRIOR

As I talked about in my preview blogs, McDonagh & Girardi came up huge. They shut down Crosby & Malkin once again, as the Rangers improved to 8-0-1 in their last 9 with Pittsburgh. The biggest scare of the game was Girardi taking a puck to the face. Early reports is that he will need some dental work, but be ok for game 2. Listen, Girardi is not a goal scorer or does anything sexy on the ice, but he's a complete beast and a true warrior. DG is a man's man.

While the Rangers did win this game 2-1, I wasn't as confident leaving this game as I was going in. I still expect the Rangers to sweep, but I was expecting a different margin in goals, in game 1. The Rangers were 1-5 on the PP and while Fleury did his part, the Rangers must convert more often on the PP. Lundqvist helps them dearly, but at the same time, the Rangers shouldn't be sweating out the clock in these games.

While Hayes & Hagelin may not appear on the stat sheet, both players had great games. Hagelin was amazing on the PK, and able to keep the puck out of the zone. Hayes played strong offensively. While Nash & Zucc didn't score goals, they both assisted on goals. The Rangers will need Nash hot, especially in the later rounds, for the Rangers to achieve success.

No playoff win is easy. At the same time, and you can throw the one seed vs eight seed aside, and just look at the Rangers year vs the Penguins year, you need the Rangers to put these games to bed much earlier.

1 down, 15 to go

You know I hate copying & pasting, but for the playoffs, and because of this historic year, let's look at the official NYR postgame notes, courtesy of BLUESHIRTSUNITED.com:

Team Notes

-        HOME SWEET HOME – The Rangers have won 17 of their last 26 playoff games at Madison Square Garden, dating back to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. Ottawa on Apr. 26, 2012. The Rangers have earned at least one win at home in 16 consecutive playoff series, dating back to the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in 2007.

-        ONE AND WON – The Blueshirts have posted a 29-11-1 record in Game 1s which they have played at home in franchise history. Entering the series, the Rangers have posted a 22-6 playoff series record when they have won Game 1 of a series at home.

-        FAST START – According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Derick Brassard’s goal at 0:28 of the first period was the second-fastest goal the Rangers have scored at the start of a playoff game in franchise history (Ed Hospodar tallied a goal at 0:27 of Game 2 of the Preliminary Round on Apr. 9, 1981 at Los Angeles).

-        FIRST IN SCORE – The Rangers outscored Pittsburgh, 2-0, in the first period. The Blueshirts led the NHL in first period goals (84) and first period goal differential (plus-30) in the first period during the regular season. New York posted a 41-6-3 record when tallying the first goal of the game during the regular season, and also posted a 29-2-3 record when leading after the first period.

-        FINISHING THE JOB – The Blueshirts have won 37 of 38 regular season and playoff games in which they have led after two periods this season.

-        POWER SURGE – New York was 1-for-5 (8:43) on the power play in the contest. The Rangers have registered a power play goal in each of their last two regular season and playoff games, in three of their last four contests, and in five of their last eight games. The Blueshirts outscored the Penguins, 1-0, on special teams in the contest. During the regular season, the Rangers posted a 17-1-1 record in games which they outscored their opponent on special teams.

 

Three Stars on Broadway

-        Derick Brassard tallied a goal, recorded five shots on goal, and led all Rangers with 12 faceoff wins in 15:45 of ice time. Brassard ranks sixth among NHL centers – and leads all Rangers – in playoff points (25) since the start of the 2013 playoffs. He has tallied a point in all five regular season and playoff games he has played against Pittsburgh this season (three goals, three assists in those contests). Brassard has recorded 10 points (six goals, four assists) in his last 13 playoff games, dating back to Game 5 of the Rangers’ second round series against Pittsburgh last season.

-        Ryan McDonagh tallied his first career playoff game-winning goal, recorded four shots on goal, was credited with three blocked shots, registered two hits, and posted a plus-one rating while skating in a team-high 25:36 of ice time. The Rangers captain has recorded 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in his last 16 playoff games, dating back to Game 4 of the Rangers’ second round series against Pittsburgh last season. McDonagh has registered nine points (two goals, seven assists) in his last nine regular season and playoff contests in 2014-15.

-        Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves to earn his 44th career playoff win. Lundqvist appeared in his 93rd career playoff game with the Rangers, tying Walt Tkaczuk for the most playoff appearances (among skaters and goalies) in franchise history. Lundqvist made his 92nd consecutive playoff start with the Rangers in the contest, dating back to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Apr. 26, 2006 vs. New Jersey. The Rangers’ all-time wins and shutouts leader is one of three goalies in NHL history who have made at least 90 consecutive playoff starts with one team (Martin Brodeur – New Jersey; Patrick Roy – Colorado). Lundqvist has won six of his last seven regular season and playoff appearances in 2014-15, posting a 1.85 GAA and a .937 SV% over the span. In the last five Game 1s he has played at Madison Square Garden, Lundqvist has posted a 5-0 record, along with a 1.00 GAA and a .955 SV% (106 saves on 111 shots).

 

Blueshirt Breakdown

-        Alain Vigneault earned his 51st career playoff win in the contest, tying former Rangers head coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Roger Neilson for 21st on the NHL’s all-time playoff wins list for coaches.

-        Rick Nash recorded an assist, registered four shots on goal, tied for the game-high with two takeaways, and was credited with two hits in 15:56 of ice time. Nash has registered a point in all five regular season and playoff games he has played against the Penguins in 2014-15, tallying eight points (four goals, four assists) in those contests.

-        Dan Girardi notched an assist, was credited with a game-high six blocked shots, recorded two hits, and posted a plus-one rating in 18:37 of ice time. With his assist, Girardi tied Reijo Ruotsalainen for seventh on the Rangers’ all-time playoff points list for defensemen (27). He is one assist away from tying Barry Beck and Sergei Zubov for fifth on the franchise’s all-time playoff assists list for defensemen The Rangers’ alternate captain became the second Rangers skater (forward or defenseman) who has played at least 90 career playoff games with the Blueshirts in franchise history.

-        Keith Yandle tallied a power play assist, recorded two shots on goal, registered two hits, and was credited with two blocked shots in 20:38 of ice time. Yandle has tallied 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in his last 13 regular season and playoff games. He has also recorded four power play assists/points over the span.

-        Mats Zuccarello recorded an assist and registered one shot on goal in 16:50 of ice time. He has tallied a point in four of five regular season and playoff games he has played against the Penguins in 2014-15 (one goal, three assists). Zuccarello has notched 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his last 12 regular season and playoff games in 2014-15.

Like a Gremlin, Crosby turns more cunty if you spill water on him

A win is a win. One down, 15 to go. Coach AV preaches one game at a time, and supposedly "barking" too, according to the official Rangers T-Shirt. As fans, we all just want to play for the Cup already. However, the Rangers still need three more wins against the Pens to continue this journey.

Overall, I thought the Penguins played much better, mostly due to Fleury, than I expected. You know how tough I've been on Hank this year. I thought he looked like he was never hurt and on the top of his game. That's what the Rangers pay him to be and he was that and more tonight.

For the Rangers, positive wise, you have to love the goaltending and defense. On the negative side, the Rangers got to capitalize on all these powerplays and not let teams hang with them. For as great as the Rangers played, they were one errant deflection away from going into overtime. The Rangers need to put the foot on the neck, so to speak, on these games.

Because It's The Cup

A new feature for these Stanley Cup playoff blogs, let's take a look at "AROUND THE LEAGUE".

Isles vs Caps - Islanders looked great, I can't believe how shoddy and flat Washington looked. NYR vs NYI would lead to a $834975480957489748907840975 ticket prices, but fuck it, it will be fun.

Habs vs Sens - Subban is not only a diver, but a dirty bitch. If he slashed Crosby like that, he would be suspended for the rest of the playoffs. I'm surprised how many goals were scored with Price & Hamburglar in net. I hope the Sens can pull it out.

Wings vs Bolts - TBL is a team I want no part of, as mentioned and talked about in my blog with Joe this week. The Wings goalie of the week came up huge. Eliminating the Bolts from the playoffs will be like Boston being eliminated last year, for the Rangers.

Hawks vs Preds - This is what the playoffs are all about. A double OT game, where the Hawks came back from 3-0 to win 4-3. Many people have NYR vs CHI in the Cup this year, not hard to fathom why.

Flames vs 'Nucks - I expect Vancouver to win this series, but pardon the pun, the Flames are heating up at the right time. None of these teams scare me, Rangers-wise.

Jets/Ducks & Wild/Blues - both underdog teams were winning their respective games as I write these words. The path of least resistance, for the Rangers, is for the Jets & Wild to win these series. I don't see it happening, but one can hope. Anything can happen in the Cup playoffs.

rangers playoff

The hero of last year's NYR vs PITT series

What's up everyone and welcome to another blog here on DOINOW.com! We're only two days away from Ranger playoff hockey. I hope you enjoyed the Point-Counterpoint blog about the NHL Playoffs that I did with Joe. Make sure to check out his Mets blogs on the site. In addition, you can find every game recap, editorials, my Rangers Report Card blog & everything else in the archives, located on the right hand side of the site.

"We've spilled a bunch of ink", so to speak, already, discussing the Rangers and the playoffs already on this site. However, with two days to go, let's really examine this upcoming Penguins/Rangers series.

I don't know how the majority of you feel, but I feel the Rangers should sweep this series. It's a bad feeling to have. I'm not used to this team being a favorite, and a strong favorite at that. It's bad karma to be so confident about your team, but really, I don't see how the Penguins have a chance in this series. I know many of us believe in superstitions and "mush's" but really, if the Rangers don't win this series, it's totally on the team. There is no excuse not to win this series. I will not blame this blog if the Rangers don't handle the business that they should handle with ease!

For the Rangers, what they need to do with the Penguins is to come out of this series healthy and try to end this quick. I can see the Rangers potential second round opponents, the Islanders or Capitals, grueling through a rough 7 game series in the first round. The Rangers should not fuck around with the Penguins and put this to bed in four. The Rangers really did catch a break when Boston missed the playoffs and that they didn't draw a hot team like the Senators. The Rangers drew, a limping into the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that they are 7-0-1 in their last 8 games with.

It's time to kill the Penguins chances at winning a Cup this year!

For the Rangers to be successful in this years playoffs, the two key players to me, are the two highest paid players on the team, in Rick Nash & Henrik Lundqvist. Rick Nash needs to continue his hot season. He can't have another playoff performance like last year. I talked about this all season. Nash is finally 100% and has recovered from his concussion symptoms. There is no excuse for him not to be "NASHTY!" in the playoffs.

A healthy on-top-of-his-game Rick Nash makes the Rangers better in every facet. The powerplay gets hot. The PK is unbeatable. His linemates get more confidence. Nash just needs to keep firing the puck and good things will happen for the Rangers. That's really what it comes down to. Nash can't pull another "A-Rod" in the playoffs and needs to come out firing strong.

We all know my thoughts on Henrik Lundqvist here. However, it remains to be said again. Hank needs to be that Hank of 2012, where he stood on his head and stopped everything. If Hank is that same Hank that Ranger fans fell in love with, I can see this first round series having scores of 6-1, 4-0, 3-1 and 5-1. Hoping that a goalie has shook off all his rust for the playoffs is nerve wracking, but when you see that Marc-Andre Fluery is on the other side of the equation, you breathe a little better. I will take a broken down rusty-ass Hank over Flower in his prime, any day of the week.

Fort Knox

When you look at the last 8 games the Rangers played with the Penguins, you will notice that the little bitch, known as Cindy Crosby, hasn't done much. It's not that he's cold or was hurt. The fact is that Dan Girardi & Ryan McDonagh pull a Jon Taffer every time and "SHUT IT DOWN!" I know many Ranger fans love goals and the sexy plays on the ice, but what Mac & DG do means just as much.

While we have seen Girardi & McDonagh make some bad turnovers this year, that is not the norm. These two are solid defenders and the ace D pair on the team. With Staal & Klein backing them up on the second line (I would expect Boyle & Yandle get the most bench time out of the Rangers defensemen), you have four great shut down defenders. Pittsburgh will struggle to score in this series, as long as the Rangers keep the turnovers to a minimum.

The Rangers have had some slow starts to games, but luckily they have had strong goaltending, combined with defensemen willing to block shots. If the Rangers start off slow, the Rangers are comfortable staying back and capitalizing on a mistake. We've seen it all year. The Rangers strong defense is as much of a key to winning this series as the offensive production.

I better not have to post this picture again!

The Rangers powerplay has been an issue for many years, especially in the playoffs. For the Rangers, they can win games without the powerplay clicking. They've done it all year. I think the Rangers can easily beat Pittsburgh with a shoddy PP, but come the later rounds, the Rangers will need the PP to be hot to win games.

Towards the end of the season, the powerplay picked up. Some of that had to do with Martin St. Louis' return, as he is the team's best passer and always seems comfortable firing the puck from the face off dot on the left side. Yandle also seems more comfortable as well, but like several other Rangers, such as Brassard, Stepan and Zuccarello, needs to shoot, rather than making that extra pass. I understand trying to find the perfect shot, but it rarely happens. Firing the puck and hoping for a deflection or a rebound has led to success for the Rangers this year.

Time to send the Penguins to a late April tee-time!

I know I seem very confident and cocky in this blog, but I believe Ranger fans should feel good about this team. For the Penguins, they need a lot to go right to win this series. Perhaps not having the pressure to win on their backs, as they have had in previous years, will work out for them. The Penguins will be missing Letang, which helps the Rangers offense. The Penguins will need strong performances out of their defense.

The Penguins will need to hope that if Crosby is shut down by Mac & DG, that the other lines can perform. The Penguins are not a team with as much depth, as compared to previous years. The Penguins will need Flower to step-up and hope that Hank is at his rustiest. The Penguins truly got into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth and will need everything to go wrong for the Rangers and everything right for them. It seems impossible to see that coming to fruition.

The Rangers gave AV a lot to smile about this season

Critics of the Rangers will bring up how AV has lost 2 Stanley Cups and not that many President Trophy winners have won Cups. That's all malarkey to me. This is a team unlike any other Ranger team. It is the most successful team in the near 90 year history of the Rangers. For AV, I think the third time will be a charm, providing the Rangers can get to the Cup Finals.

AV, who should win the Jack Adams award, has been masterful at mix and matching lines. The production he got out of JT Miller, Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast was brilliant. Having Benoit Allaire on his side has given the Rangers the best goaltending in hockey. While the job as a head coach of a hockey team might not be as strategic as say the NFL or MLB, where you have to micromanage every play, AV has done a great job at getting this team ready and winning games.

It is tough to draw up plays and hope they run to perfection, in such a fast speed game such as hockey, but AV's influence and philosophy of constant offense, rather than Torts defensive schemes has transformed this team.

John Giannone!

My favorite Ranger ever, Jeff Beukeboom

If you've been following me on twitter or reading these blogs, you know that I think ticket prices for the Rangers are ridiculous. In fact, check out this article: http://blog.tiqiq.com/2015/04/new-york-teams-lead-nhl-in-playoff-ticket-prices-on-secondary-market/

The average playoff ticket to a first round game at MSG is $653!!!!!!!!
SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE FUCKING DOLLARS!!!!!

When you see the other average prices, it really saddens me. I get it. Supply and demand. NYC. I just don't know how you create a new generation of fans if parents can't afford to take their children to games. It will only get worse as time goes on. There's a reason why the Coliseum is full of families and have a louder building than MSG, while 50% of MSG, during a regular season game, are in suits and texting.

If you can't afford a mortgage payment or want to sell a kidney, another option is attending the Rangers Hockey House, located next door to MSG. The Rangers really do a nice set-up for their fans. You can meet ex-players, MSG personalities, and other Ranger alum. All autographs and pictures are free. The Rangers even supply pictures to the fans to get signed. They also run raffles for tickets, game used equipment, and other Rangers merchandise. They have some cool Ranger artifacts there too, such as Wayne Gretzky's first pair of skates, Lundqvist's Team Sweden gold medal jersey, etc.

I was fortunate last year to attend a bunch of playoff games. The Rangers Hockey House was always my first stop. The Rangers really did a great job of taking care and appreciating their fans there last year and I would expect no less this year. Now, if they can only get Messier or Richter to attend one of these free signings...

WE WANT THE CUP!

Ranger fans, it's ok to be nervous, yet proud. The Rangers need to win 16 more games. It can be done. This is a Cup or Bust year and a magical season thus far. Like many people, I do expect an Original 6 Stanley Cup Finals between the Blackhawks & Rangers. How fitting would it be for the Rangers to win their fifth cup against another Original 6 team? Of course I'm getting ahead of myself here, but it's hard not to get excited.

Big props to the NHL for putting the Caps/Isles series on alternating days as the Rangers/Pens series. It's going to be a great 40 days of hockey. I hope you keep coming back here as we move closer and closer to the goal!

LET'S GO RANGERS
WE WANT THE CUP

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on twitter

nyr/wsh recap

A Season To Always Remember

What's up everyone and welcome to another blog here on DOINOW.com! Can you believe it, the NHL regular season ends today! We are days away from the playoffs!

The Rangers finished their final and 82nd game of the season, defeating the Washington Capitals, on the road, with a score of 4-2. As a result of the win, the Rangers set franchise records in points (113) and wins (53). For Lundqvist, he becomes the first goalie to win 30 games, in his first 9 out of 10 seasons. (That's if you don't count Brodeur's strike years.)

I'm skipping the normal intro here. You've been here long enough to know the spiel. (If you don't, just check any of other blogs I've written here.) I think everyone should just sit back, take a moment to reflect and really appreciate what we've seen this season.

Really, just think about this season. Think about how you felt going into it. I can remember watching the Rangers losing the Stanley Cup on my birthday, and wondering how this team would rebound heading into this season. We all know how rare it is to get to the Cup, especially with this franchise. Was last year it? Would we have to wait another 20 years?

It's easy  to blow off what happened this season, RIGHT NOW, and say it's all about the playoffs. It is. If the Rangers lose in the first round, this season will be considered a failure, rather than the start of something magical. However, for this moment in time, I am remembering standing there, heartbroken, after the Rangers lost the Cup. I remember thinking what the fuck is Sather doing, by allowing Stralman to walk, then sign Dan Boyle for the money Stralman wanted. Actually, I'm still thinking that!

I can remember watching baseball games in the summer and just replaying the Cup finals in my head. What if Hank didn't blow every lead he had? What if they came back to NY up 2-0? What if Hank wasn't outplayed by Quick? What if Hank didn't lose 3 OT games? That Girardi turnover was burnt into my mind as well.

As preseason tickets went on sale, I tried to suppress last season's memories from my mind. I took in three preseason games, just to get back into it and forget last June. While it was a Cinderella year last season, there is no question the Rangers could've and perhaps should've, won the whole damn thing.

I watched the preseason games, and had high hopes for Kevin Hayes & Anthony Duclair. Hayes has been everything as advertised, if not more, while it's a shame we will never see what Duclair could've done as a Blueshirt.  The preseason seemed to take forever, I was just ready to get back into the thick of things. It was when I got the idea to start this blog, after a three year sabbatical from writing & a short stint on HipHopShortStop.com. I figure I would share my passion and crazy opinions (Although some of you came around on the Hank vs Talbot talk) with other crazy diehard Ranger fans.

Opening Night

While I usually roll with JEFFREY to Ranger games & sit in his season seats when his friend Mr. L can't go, I knew both JEFFREY & Mr. L would be using their seats for opening night. I was excited to get my opening night tickets in the mail. I splurged for bridge seats, because I love that section 327 view. I remember being pumped for the game, in my Jeff Beukeboom jersey, as I walked down 33rd street, which was turned into RANGERSTOWN for the day.

RANGERMANIA was in the air on opening night. I pregamed at STOUT, where I took in the NFL games. The Giants were actually alive at the time & had a chance. All I had was fantasy football, but even that couldn't settle me down. I couldn't wait to walk into MSG.

Walking into MSG and feeling that ice in the air was mind-numbing. HOCKEY WAS BACK! The Rangers did a huge introduction for the team, before the game, giving them entrances like they were Hulk Hogan walking down the aisle at Wrestlemania. I had goosebumps.

Then it happened. The Rangers got killed 6-3, by the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs. All that energy I had, the high hopes, that maybe they could get back to the playoffs & Cup, drained out of my system, faster than the urine draining out of me from all the cheap beer. Really? 6-3 to Toronto? What the fuck Hank?

I kept telling myself, "it's only one game." And really, that's what it was. Imagine my horror when the Rangers got creamed, two nights later, to the Islanders, with another 6-3 score. I liked Talbot a lot last season, but never did I think he should've started at any point during last year's campaign. 

You may have heard of Cam Talbot on this blog!

I always liked Cam Talbot. I thought he had potential. However, this was always going to be Hank's team. The Rangers, after those two 6-3 drubbings, went on a three game win streak. I was off to Montreal with Tommy Dasani & Borgata Ray. What a vacation/trip that was. $200 to sit 2 rows off the ice was worth it, and I got stories & experiences that will last a lifetime. Unfortunately, Hank got beat again, this time 3-1. Things didn't get much better, when I attended the next home game, a 5-4 Rangers win over Minnesota, a game the Rangers were down 4-0 and got 5 goals in the third period. Another Rangers first, a trend that lasted throughout the season.

As the season wore on, I thought it was time for Talbot to really get some serious looks. Hank was not cutting it, especially after signing that ridiculous contract. Long term contracts rarely work out in any sport. Talbot started grabbing some victories. Hank continued to get blown out. There was one stretch where Hank got abused, three games straight, by the TB Lightning, with scores of 5-1, 4-3 and 6-3. I had enough. It was time for someone to become the conductor of the Talbot Train!

On December 8th, the Rangers started a massive winning streak, it was the turnaround of their season. They could do no wrong. They were the hottest team in the league up til January 13th. Rick Nash was just on fire and looked like he would win the Hart Trophy. Sweeping California. Sweeping Western Canada. All this on the road. The Rangers were en fuego.

Then it happened. The Rangers ran into the Islanders. Twice. The Islanders destroyed Hank once again, at scores of 3-0 and 4-1. Hank was 0-3 vs our biggest rivals. Hank then lost to Boston, again, and he would finish 1-8 in his last 9 against the Bruins this season.

I was chirping for Talbot. You know it. I don't have to tell you. I would get my wish, but it didn't happen because AV yanked Hank for being terrible in big games this season, it happened because of an unfortunate injury, on 1/31 against Carolina.

We all know what happened next, Talbot and the Rangers went on an incredible winning streak. Talbot set all types of goaltending records during his 17-3-3 stretch. We had a goalie controversy. Of course, Hank is the man being paid, so when Hank came back on 3/28, he promptly dropped another game to Boston, rather than riding the hot hand.

Hank can rewrite his legacy with a Cup victory in June

Lundqvist is back in net. I don't think he's 100% nor looks anything close to that 2012 year, when I thought he was in his prime. Lundqvist finished off the season strong, but is he better than Talbot, RIGHT NOW? I really don't think so. However, he's the man between the pipes, barring an injury or anything else. Many Hank detractors and non-Ranger fans will be quick to point out you can't be called "King" without a crown. Hank can change all that, just like Lebron James did when he was calling himself King with no championships.

Until Lundqvist wins a Cup, he will never be better than Richter. If Richter didn't get hurt at the end, the records Hank is compiling now, due to tenure & being a great goalie, would be Richter's. If Lundqvist can win the Cup this year, he will have it all - the records, the best season in Rangers history and that elusive Stanley Cup that he's never touched.

Last year's squad was a Cinderella team. This year's team is in Win or Bust mode. This is the best chance the Rangers have ever had to win a Cup since 1994. It is amazing how nervous I was at the beginning of the season to where we are now. Now I'm just as nervous.

16 wins to go.

He could be the face of the franchise one day

So yea, there was Game 82 today. Going into this game, I wasn't expecting much. Nash & Staal were rested again, while Zucc rejoined the line-up. I was expecting a game similar to Thursday - "Don't get hurt & give Hank work." I didn't care if the Rangers won or lost this game, as long as they came out healthy. When it was all over, the Rangers did set all types of winning records, but coming out healthy, whew, I sweat that out like Melissa McCarthy, with a ton of gas, in a crowded elevator.

The Capitals needed to win this game to lock in home ice for their first round match up with the Islanders. As I write these words, the Islanders haven't played yet. The Caps can still get home ice, but only if the Islanders lose tonight. However, it was the Rangers that came to play.

In what looked like a half empty building on TV, with the majority of the people there being Ranger fans, the Rangers gave the Caps a ton of fits today. Hayes got the scoring going, 12 minutes into the period, by backhanding one by Holtby. 1-0 Rangers. Really, just like Ottawa, Washington didn't look like they wanted to play, until the third period.

Derick Brassard would score three minutes later, on a PP goal. I was shocked. Not only did Brassard actually shoot, but the Rangers got a PP goal out of it! Both seem like rare occurrences at times! 2-0 Rangers.

Marty St. Louis would feed Dominic Moore early into the second period & Moore made this nice backhand move, that Holtby should've probably seen & stopped. He didn't and the Rangers were up 3-0. The rout was on! I really couldn't believe what I was watching. I really thought the Caps would be fired up and ready to go.

Richard Winner & Ovi should be MVP too

Ovi would take the 0 off the board, on a powerplay goal. No fault of Hank's at all. Ovi is just that great. What amazes me about Ovi is that Washington does the same shit every PP and every time, Ovi is left wide open to fire away. This happens every time, in every game Ovi is. No one has figured it out yet! This is why Ovi should be MVP. Even when you know it's coming, he still beats you.

I've said it once, I'll say it again, give me Ovi over Crosby any day! Not only was he scoring, but at one point, he had more hits than the Rangers whole team. He was just leveling guys like usual.

After Ovi's goal, the game got chippy, especially in the third period. There were penalties all over the place. At one point, Sheppard, Miller & Fast were banged up. Tim Gleason decided to play dirty and instigate fights with his cheap & late cross checks. Washington just got dirty.

The dirtiest the Caps got was when Gleason cross checked Glass after a whistle and started throwing punches at him. Glass wasn't even set. However, when it was all said and done, Glass kicked the shit out of Gleason & left him bloody. For Ranger fans, you would rather see that than Glass scoring. You need a guy to be tough for this team in the playoffs. If Glass is taking guys out and stepping up to the plate, teams will be quick to think about being dirty with the blueshirts.

Sam & Joe

Don't take this wrong. Sam Rosen is one of my favorite commentators ever. Joe Micheletti isn't JD, but he's not bad either. I think both of these guys do a great job, year round, hands down. However, I thought they were overselling Lundqvist a bit. Joe & Sam went on and on how Washington came up flat, they didn't look motivated, the Rangers were dominating, etc. They talked about Washington only having two shots in the third period, with 9 minutes to go. You get the point- Washington looked horrible today.

However, after saying all that, they then immediately say how great Hank was and how Hank is 100%. BASED ON WHAT? Do they have to say that to make Hank's family and fans feel good? I mean, if Hank is putting up 40 saves as opposed to going 22 out of 24 like he did today, I get it. But how can you tell me Hank looks amazing, when he wasn't tested that much? Can we chill on the hype? He's overpaid enough based on past hype.

While talking about the MSG guys, I think everyone in the studio has been great year-round as well. I enjoy Vally's take, Duguay's analysis, Carter's thoughts, Leetch's defensive point of view and I think Al Trautwig does a good job in leading the conversation. I'm really going to miss the MSG guys once we are forced to hear Pierre MaGuire non-stop on NBC.

You can send these shirts back to Africa if the Rangers don't win the Cup

That's it folks. Game 82 is in the books! This season couldn't go better, even in our wildest dreams. It's a wrap and there are only 16 more wins to get. It's going to be a stressful two months, but it will all be worth it to see the Rangers with Lord's Stanley Cup in June.  There are really so many different stories, if the Rangers can do it. Lundqvist redeems himself. AV finally wins the whole post season, to go along with his 3 Presidents' Trophies. You have a whole squad of young guns, who could win a Cup together. Could it be like the late 1990's Yankees? We don't know. All we know is that it will be exciting and that....

"WE WANT THE CUP!"

I'm sure I'll have something up between now and Thursday. Make sure to check out my RANGERS REPORT CARD BLOG, also posted on DOINOW.com

LET'S GO RANGERS

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on twitter

Report Card

NY Rangers Final Report Card

Welcome everyone to another blog here on DOINOW.com. It's been a great season for us Ranger fans, as the NHL regular season wraps up today. We are less than a week away from when the games that really matter begin. The second season for the Rangers will start on Thursday night, as the Rangers embark on what will hopefully be a 16 win journey.

While us diehard fans, and if you've been reading this blog all season, you're a diehard fanatic too, have enjoyed this season for the blueshirts, this is the time of year where everyone comes out of the woodwork. There are many fans who are just starting to watch the Rangers again, as they consider the NHL regular season futile. While it is true, that more than half the teams in the league make the playoffs, you have to be in it to win it.  I mean, just look at LA. Last years champs, a team that has won 2 Cups in 3 years, won't be around for this year's tournament. The regular season allows a team to find itself and become battle tested & ready come playoff time.

Playoff game ticket prices at MSG are astronomical right now.  It is a shame that the people who have been there all season rooting on the team, can't afford to attend games when it matters. Supply and demand I suppose.

For you new fans just jumping on the bandwagon now, perhaps this blog will give you an idea on what has been going on all season. For the regular readers of this blog, I look forward to your feedback and how you would grade the individuals on this team.

Before continuing to my final grades of the season, I urge you check out my Mid-Season Report Card blog, which you can do at: http://doinow.com/new-york-rangers-mid-season-report-card-grading-every-ranger/

One of the best seasons in Rangers history led to the Presidents' Trophy

Here's what you need to know before reading ahead. As far as grading, this is what I’m looking at, when making my grades: Productivity, Stats, Intangible factors, Player’s worth vs his contract/cap hit, clutchness and what the player means to the team. For example, Kevin Klein will get a better grade than Dan Boyle, because he's performed better in every facet. Helping Klein's cause for a better grade is he's not as big of a cap hit as Boyle either. When someone is being paid a ton of money, you need them to perform at that level. That is just one of the factors I'm looking at when determining these grades.

You might notice that no one got an F and there are a lot of high marks. You might think that's because I'm a "homer" fan. The fact of the matter is this team is the best team in the NHL and are the President Trophy winners. That's because everyone is playing well. Some people might like to give bad grades to be controversial, but this team is on fire. Perhaps this list will give you a sense of who is just playing a tad better than whom.

With that out of the way, here is the RANGERS SEASON REPORT CARD.

Rick Nash was voted Team MVP.

To make things interesting, I will post what I wrote about each player in my mid-season/All Star Break Report Card in italics. My final grade and thoughts will be written in bold. This way you can compare what I thought about a player in January and what I think about them now. This list is also being done in alphabetical order.

FORWARDS:

Derick Brassard- B+
Brassard, one of the centermen of the NY Rangers is having another good season. Brassard has been scoring, both via the goal and via the assist. He’s arguably the Rangers best centerman, due to Stepan’s injuries over the season. “PASS THE BRASS” has been a comment saying by Ranger fans, due to Brassard’s production this season.

FINAL GRADE: B+
 Brassard had a good year for the Rangers. He stayed consistent the whole year. The biggest knock on Brassard's game is that he doesn't shoot as often as he should. There have even been times where there are only a few seconds left in a period and Brassard is looking to dish to someone rather than blasting a shot away. Brassard must also improve on raising his faceoff win percentage for the playoffs. Brassard had another solid season, his second full season as a Ranger. While Gaborik did win his Cup in LA, the Rangers seem to have gotten the best of the Brassard & company swap with Columbus. The Rangers have a great center for years to come.



Jesper Fast- B-
Fast didn’t break into the line-up until the beginning of the Rangers 12/13 game winning streak. Fast, who played some games last year as a call-up, has become a solid fourth line forward. Fast has scored and has shown he belongs in the NHL and not with the Wolfpack. While a defensive liability at times, Fast is a young kid that shows a ton of promise. For a guy getting his feet wet, he is not hurting, but adding to the team. That’s all you can ask for.


FINAL GRADE: B
Fast earned more ice time as the season went on, especially during the Martin St. Louis injury, coupled in with the Lee Stempniak trade. Fast's game improved as the season went along and looks like he will be starting on the fourth line come the playoffs. Fast has been producing positively on the stat sheet, collecting several goals and assists. 



Tanner Glass- D
Not only is Glass is overpaid, he’s been a liability for this team on offense and defense. In my opinion, he’s the worst player on this team. Once an AV favorite, Glass has been a healthy scratch as of late, due to the play of Fast and Miller. Glass was signed to this team to fulfill the Dorsett/Carcillo role, but isn’t producing offensively nor has he protected the Rangers when it has come to fisticuffs. It took a while for Glass to make AV’s shitlist, but one thing is for sure – this Glass is broken.

FINAL GRADE: -D+
From what is put out there on social media, the common consensus is that Tanner Glass is the least liked Ranger on the team. When you look at the roster, it's hard to like anyone less than him. Glass has had an awful first season as a Ranger. He scored one goal in 82 games. Glass came nowhere close to even putting up half the production of Carcillo/Dorsett, the role he was set to fill. Glass did improve his play as the season went on, but was beat consistently to the puck and watched many guys skate & score right by him. For the money he is being paid, the lack of production and not even protecting his teammates when he should, Glass has been a bust, despite being a favorite of Coach AV. Why is he there then? "He's a good locker-room guy."

Carl Hagelin- B-
Hagelin, arguably one of the fastest players in the NHL, has scored a bunch of goals, although many of them have been empty netters. I don’t think we’ve seen Hags play the best hockey he’s capable of. He relies on the slapshot way too much, a slapshot that hasn’t really produced any goals during breakaways and one on one’s. Criticism aside, Hags gives it his all and has done a great job of clearing the puck when the Rangers need him to. You would just like to see more offensive production out of the guy, especially during a contract year for him.

FINAL GRADE: A
In a contract year, Hagelin made his case. With Hag's countrymen hogging up all the payroll, I really hope the Rangers don't lose him. Hags had his best season as a Ranger yet. He is scoring all over the place. While he has a ton of empty netters, it also means that he's so fast, he gets the puck and is able to end games, rather than the giving the other team a chance to hang around. Hagelin has been huge on the penalty kill. Hags game really improved once he was paired with Miller & Hayes.

Kevin Hayes – B-
Hayes has been a pleasant surprise for the Rangers. During his rookie campaign, Hayes is scoring and producing. He needs to up his faceoff game, as he’s lost many crucial faceoffs during games. For a rookie, Hayes is holding his own, and it doesn’t matter if he’s with the third or fourth line. We may be looking at the future of the Rangers with Hayes. Put it this way, he’s not lights out, but he’s adding, not subtracting to the team. It’s a culture change, coming from college and Hayes is holding his weight.

FINAL GRADE: A
I really debated giving Hayes an A+ here, but it would've been a bit of an exaggeration. Hayes has just been amazing and as the season went along, he kept improving. Working with Hags & Miller helped him out. Hayes has been huge for the Rangers, contract/roster wise, because the Rangers traded a bunch of number 1 picks. With Hayes, the Rangers have a bonafide NHLer, despite Hayes being only a rookie. Hayes had a huge second half and is arguably the future of this team for many more years to come. Outside of maybe a 20/20 season, you couldn't ask for anything more. Hayes has been one of the many feel-good stories for the Rangers.

Chris Kreider – B-
Kreider is looking to match the production that he had during his first year under Coach Vigneault. It’s slowly happening mid-way into the season. Kreider had to deal with his grandfather’s death early in the season. Kreider is also getting the reputation of being a dirty player. He needs to learn how to fight if he’s going to make questionable plays. Kreider has been nasty, of late, with his breakaway backhand shot. A  young player, just like Hagelin, I think the best is yet to come for Mr. InKREIDable.

FINAL GRADE: B+
Kreider got hot as the second half of the season picked up. Kreider had several multi-point games and slid into a few goalies to boot! Kreider has been huge for the Rangers. As I said in the mid-season report card, Kreider may become his own worst enemy as time goes on. He has that "dirty" reputation. He's a guy you love if he's on your team, but a guy you hate otherwise. Kreider, despite the amount of games logged in his career, is very young and should be another stud for this team for years to come.

JT Miller – B
I rank Miller above several of the other Ranger forwards, due to the fact that he has a rookie contract and is playing way above his salary. MILLER TIME has scored many big goals during this run. While he has committed several bad turnovers, Miller is learning. As a fourth liner, Miller has bumped the overpaid Tanner Glass for a spot on the team. You have to like the Rangers future with a guy like Miller in the line-up. He’s making a lot out of his minutes on the ice.

FINAL GRADE: B
Miller, like most of the Rangers during their epic run in the second half of the season, played extremely well. At times, his line with Hags & Hayes was the most productive line the Rangers had on the ice. Miller, who could've been a guy buried by Torts, is a Top 9 forward on this team. As one of the Rangers young guns, I expect Miller to just keep getting better & better.

Dominic Moore – C+
Moore, who will forever be remembered as scoring the Game Winning Goal in Game 6 of the ECF, is off to a rough start. The fourth line center has been the least productive of his various linemates during the season. He’s been strong defensively at times, but you want to see Moore produce more on the score sheet. Perhaps the second half of the season is when he nails it down.

FINAL GRADE: B
At times, Moore has been the best faceoff man on the team. Moore has been given many different linemates over the course of the season. He hasn't been producing as much as last year, perhaps because he's stuck with Tanner Glass and whoever AV decides to start on the other wing that day. Heading into the playoffs, it looks like Glass/Moore/Fast and that line has improved a little bit. This Rangers fourth line this year, is nothing like last years. You would like to see a bit more in the points department from Moore, but 10 goals is nothing to sneeze at.
 
Rick Nash- A+
What other grade can you give Nash? He leads the league in goals, and could be a Hart Trophy winner when this season is over. This is his first full season as a healthy NY Ranger. He’s been the Ranger everyone expected him to be when the Rangers got him from Columbus. Concussions are a motherfucker and a healthy Nash is the most productive NY Ranger today. Nash wasn’t a force during last year’s playoff run, but if he doesn’t get a case of the “A-Rod’s”, Nash could carry this team to another Stanley Cup Final.

FINAL GRADE: A
Why the drop off in his final grade? Nash was a beast all season, don't get that mixed up. He just didn't produce in the second half like he did in the first half. At one point, Nash looked like the Art Ross, Richard & Hart Trophy winner. His chances looked better once Tyler Seguin of Dallas was injured. However, Nash hit a funk, just like last year's playoffs. Shots that were going in before, weren't even close. The breakaways that were automatic, were getting stoned. Don't take this the wrong way - Nash is the best skater on this team. Nash needs to play like he did in the first half of the season. If he does, the Rangers will dominate in the playoffs.



James Sheppard - NO MID-SEASON GRADE
FINAL GRADE: C
Sheppard was a trade-deadline acquisition from the San Jose Sharks. The Rangers basically dumped Stempniak to the Jets, for some minor cap relief and picked up Sheppard. Sheppard isn't an every day player and might not even play in the playoffs. Sheppard, despite limited ice team, already has more goals than Tanner Glass and has more PPG than his counterpart & sometimes linemate. The Rangers Stanley Cup future won't live or die based on what Sheppard does.    

Martin St. Louis – A-
The Rangers alternate captain, MSL is a major part of this team. MSL provides the sweetest passes in the NHL. MSL’s goals stat is not indicative of the player he is, as he’s made many shots that were tipped in by his teammates this season. MSL leads this team in assists and at times, is the heart and soul of this team. Perhaps I’m biased, because I’ll never forget what MSL did for this club during the playoff run last year. As I type this, I’m wearing a MSL jersey right now! Even in his 40’s, MSL is a major factor on this team and makes everyone he plays with a better hockey player.

FINAL GRADE: B+
MSL missed two plus weeks of time, with a leg injury. MSL isn't as crisp as he used to be, but when he's on, he can be the best player on the ice, just like days of old. MSL is still the best passer on this team and creates many opportunities for his teammates. MSL has been strong on the PP, rifling shots from his signature spot on the red faceoff dot. Like last year, if MSL has a strong postseason, expect big things from the Rangers.

Lee Stempniak – B-
Some might say this is an overgrade, but Stempy has been huge this year for the Rangers, scoring many clutch goals. Another forward who can go from the third to the fourth line, Stempy has produced, has been solid on defense and holds his own on the ice. Even when Sam Rosen isn’t calling out his name for goals, Stemp is playing good hockey and doing his job to a tee.

FINAL GRADE: INCOMPLETE
Stempniak was traded at the trade deadline. He was expendable & his production was falling off at the time of the trade. Losing Stempniak doesn't affect this team at all.

Derek Stepan – A
This was one I went back and forth on. Sometimes I wonder if he’s injury prone, but when I think about it, he comes back usually sooner than he should. Does anyone remember the playoffs last year? Step has a hat trick this season and has produced a point a game. What more do you want from a first line center? Step will also be due for a big contract come the offseason. He deserves it. At times, Stepan carries this team and takes the load off his linemates.

FINAL GRADE: A
Stepan has been streaky at times. Either he's not on the score sheet, or he's good for 3 points a game. Stepan is very similar to Brassard, where he needs to step up his work on the faceoffs and needs to shoot more. When Stepan is consistently shooting, the Rangers are consistently winning. Stepan remains the premier center on this team and has been a warrior all year.

Mats Zuccarello- C
I really hate giving Zuc one of the lower grades here, but while Zuc is scrappy and has a no-fear attitude, Zuc isn’t producing like last year. Zuc’s biggest enemy is the post this season. I feel bad for Zuc. I feel the Rangers will lose him during the off-season due to free-agency. He deserves more money for the production he gives. Things aren’t going his way this year, even if he’s the highest scoring player from Norway in NHL history. From what we’ve seen with Zucs, you just expect more production on the stat sheet. Out of every Ranger graded here, I expect his grade to jump the most come the final report card.
 FINAL GRADE: B
Zucc jumps up a full letter grade, as I thought he would. Zucc's game improved a bit after he re-signed with the team, the day before the trade deadline. Zucc remains the grittiest player on the team. He's a hard-nosed player and the epitome of the word "scrappy". He had a much better second half than he did in the first half. Ranger fans respect his hard work, as he's one of the favorites of the fanbase.

Keith Yandle joined the Rangers at the trade deadline

DEFENSEMEN

Dan Boyle- C+
I would’ve graded him higher, if it wasn’t for the fact his contract was so high and he was one of the reasons the Rangers didn’t keep Stralman, who has been having a fantastic year in Tampa. Boyle, who has been called the Quarterback of the Rangers Powerplay, has turned it on as of late. Boyle battled many injuries earlier in the season, which is why his numbers aren’t where they should be. Like Zuc’s, I expect his grade to jump up once the final report card is written.  Boyle is expected to produce daily and it hasn’t happened just yet, both from an offensive and defensive side of the puck.

FINAL GRADE: C
What I said at the trade deadline is basically what went on for the rest of the season. He's been disappointing on the powerplay, seems to shoot the puck wide during every look and has been a huge defensive liability. How many turnovers led to goals because of Boyle this year? I still miss Stralman.

Dan Girardi- A-
Another Rangers alternate captain, DG has been a pure defenseman’s defenseman during this Rangers campaign. Girardi is logging more minutes than anyone else and had to carry the Rangers defense when players like MacTruck, Boyle and Klein were down with injuries. Girardi has been all over the ice, doing his job and holding down the D. You would like to see more goals from DG, but on this Rangers team, he is needed to stop the other teams best players and he’s been doing just that.

FINAL GRADE: A-
You know what you're getting from Dan Girardi, you've seen it for years. Girardi has been a stay at home defenseman, with four goals on the year. He constantly shuts down the best players on the opposition. His grade would be higher if he didn't have so many turnovers that led to goals this season. Girardi remains the cornerstone of this defense and is setting shot blocking records too.

Matt Hunwick – B-
Hunwick has been a pleasant surprise for the Rangers. He’s bumped John Moore out of playing time. Hunwick has been huge on D and has been the Rangers best call-up. Hunwick earned his playing time due to other Rangers being hurt, and he hasn’t looked back. The sixth defenseman of this team is constantly moving the puck up the ice and laying the body. He’s definitely one of the the best 6th defensemen in all of the NHL.

FINAL GRADE: B-
It looked like Hunwick would be riding the bench when the Rangers acquired Keith Yandle. He wouldn't be splitting time with Yandle like he was with John Moore. Hunwick produced a lot more than I think anyone thought, scoring a bunch of goals. His turnovers have been deadly, as in back-to-back games, he gave up the puck in front of the net. If everyone is healthy, Hunwick will not be seeing playoff time.

Kevin Klein- A+
Along with Rick Nash, Klein gets the highest grade. I mean where to start? How about he has the most even strength goals out of any defensemen in the league, despite being a third line defenseman? How about three game winning goals? How about beating guys up? How about preventing many goals with his stick? How about his offensive and defensive awareness? The guy was a fucking steal from the Predators. You can argue he’s one of the best trades Sather ever made, if you look at pure value. Klein has been the best Rangers defenseman all year and it’s disgusting he was snubbed out of the All-Star Game. Optimus Klein is quickly becoming a Rangers fan favorite.
 
FINAL GRADE: A
Klein was having the best year of his career, until he was hurt a few games after the trade deadline, eating a monster shot from Ovechkin. Klein missed the rest of the regular season and won't return until the playoffs. Before his injury, Klein was arguably the Rangers best defenseman. His scoring did cool down a bit, but he's not here for his scoring. That was just a bonus. It's a shame he got hurt, as Klein was having a career year. Let's hope it ends with a Cup victory.

Ryan McDonagh- B+
The captain of the Rangers had some early difficulties due to injuries, especially with the shoulder that plagued him last year. However, during the recent win streak, Mac Truck has turned it on. Mac is making big hits, holding down elite goal scorers like Sidney “The Crybaby Cunt” Crosby, and getting on the score sheet. Mac is one of the youngest Rangers captains ever in history, but his maturity is of a seasoned veteran. Personally, it’s great to see an American player on the Rangers, and at Captain nonetheless. You have to love what you’re seeing from MacTruck as we head to the second half of the season.

FINAL GRADE: B+
You will never get the scoring you got out of the last American born captain to play D for the Rangers. Mac has been consistent all year, locking down the best players on the other team, along with his partner DG. Some of his turnovers scare you at times, but as the season wrapped up, Mac tightened up his game. Mac represented the Rangers very well in his first year as Captain.

John Moore – C-
Moore has been a healthy scratch, more times too often, due to the play of Matt Hunwick. Moore, who was a fan favorite last year, is slowly being forgotten about. He’s not scoring. He’s made bad turnovers. He’s also being left in the dust, or ice, if you will, by Hunwick. I would be surprised to see him back next year and surprised to see him get time in the playoffs, unless Hunwick has an aneurysm or goes down.

FINAL GRADE: INCOMPLETE
John Moore was traded in a package deal for Keith Yandle. One must wonder if he would've been traded if Dan Boyle lived up to the hype.

Marc Staal – A
Another Rangers alternate captain, Staal has played so well that he got a 6 year deal at $5.7 million per. I think his contract is kinda high, in the salary cap era, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve it. Staal is one of those defensemen where if you’re not talking about him, it’s a good thing – it means he’s doing his job. He’s produced the least amount of turnovers this season by Rangers defensemen. You’re not getting goals out of him, you’re getting a guy who moves the puck to his forwards, clamps down under pressure, gets the puck in dirty areas and is not afraid to step up to anyone. Staalsy would be the best Rangers defensemen at the break, if it wasn’t for the superb play of Kevin Klein.

FINAL GRADE: A
With Klein's injury, Marc Staal was the best Rangers defenseman all season, in my opinion. He isn't scoring, which isn't his deal, but like Mac/DG, he has shut down everyone. He's constantly making big clears, nice outlet passes and never gives up on a play. He's made the least amount of turnovers this season as well. Staal is underappreciated by fans at times, because he isn't as flashy as some of the other players on this team. Staal is a huge reason for their success.



Keith Yandle - NO MID-SEASON GRADE
FINAL GRADE: B-
Yandle was acquired for a kings ransom, a bounty that included Anthony Duclair, draft picks and John Moore. Yandle, like MSL last year, needed time to learn a new system and teammates. Yandle has stepped up his game lately, after a slow & turnover-ridden start. Yandle has been racking up the assists and creating opportunities on the PP. You would like to see him shoot more on the PP, because the Rangers have enough guys who over-pass.
 

Where would the Rangers be without Talbot this season?

GOALIES:

Henrik Lundqvist – B+
I would’ve ranked Hank higher if it wasn’t for two things – his contract that hurts this team from making much roster movement and the first 25 games of the season. Hank bolstered up his stats during the recent winning streak. A notorious slow starter, Hank has improved as the season has worn on. However, he scares you at times, as he’s prone to getting blown out, especially against playoff teams. He’s given up 15 goals to Tampa in 3 games, 9 goals to the Islanders in four periods. However, he will then give you 30+ saves against top teams. Hank has stolen 2-3 games this year. You need Hank to be Hank come the playoffs. Hopefully, whatever mental block or crap he has going on, he can shake out come the playoffs. The Rangers need him at his best to win a Stanley Cup.

FINAL GRADE: B-
This is a tough one. Talbot's strong play basically supported what I have said all along. He's overpaid and not worth his contract. Talbot did the same job for $8M less during Hank's injury, and did it better. Hank doesn't look like he's in his prime nor does he even look 100% for the playoffs. Before Hank's injury, he wasn't even considered for the All-Star Game, despite two goalies being injured for the game. Hank is an above average goalie in the NHL today, but he's not playing the way he's being paid. Too often, the highest paid player on the team is blaming his teammates for goals, rather than showing everyone why he wants to be called the King. The Rangers need Hank to be the Hank of 2012 to win the Cup.

Cam Talbot – B+
You can make an argument that he’s the best back-up goalie in the league. The Rangers thought so, giving him a million dollar raise per season for next year. Talbot has more shutouts than starting goalies, in limited playing time, with 3. Hank has blown several big games this year, only for Talbot to come back with a shutout win. Talbot also beat the Kings, who have instantly become a hated team by Ranger fans, due to last year. You have to wonder how many wins he would have if he played more or got the goal production Hank has gotten this year. Sure, it’s an ongoing joke/somewhat serious commentary when I say WE WANT TALBOT, but this is Hank’s team. Talbot has done a great job in relief and never do you worry when he’s in net.

FINAL GRADE: A+
Expecting anything else besides an A+ here? Talbot played absolutely lights out during Hank's injury. On another team, Talbot would've earned the starting job. Talbot began his starter run needing offensive help. However, work from Benoit Allaire stepped up his game ten-fold and Talbot was winning games by standing on his head. Talbot won the Steve McDonald Extra Effort Award for his dominance & stepping up for Hank. He is arguably the better goalie, RIGHT NOW. 

Mackenzie Skapski - NO MIDSEASON GRADE
FINAL GRADE - A
Skapski, "The Buffalo Killer", only played two games this season, backing up Talbot during Hank's injury. Skapski played the Sabres twice, a team that was looking to lose games this year. Skapski gave up one goal, within 10 seconds of the first game and then shut the Sabres down for 119 straight minutes. I don't know if he will ever play in MSG as a Ranger again, but for the two games he played, he helped the team get 4 points.

INCOMPLETES:
Anthony Duclair – INC
The Duke played well during his limited stint with the Rangers. I wish he would’ve stayed with the team, as I think he’s proven all he can on the minor league level and could benefit from practicing with top NHL talent. Coach AV only wanted him if he could be a top 9 forward. He wasn’t that during his stretch, but it was a small sample of games. The Duke should have a spot with this team next year.

Michael Kostka – INC
Kostka showed he doesn’t belong in the NHL during his limited run, playing only due to starting defenseman injuries. He was a bigger turnover machine than Mark Sanchez. Unless the whole Rangers defense gets AIDS and Cancer, I don’t see Kotska playing for this team at all this year or next year.

Dylan McIlrath- INC
The Undertaker got some opportunities last year and this year. He seems to be the last of the NHL goons, as he hasn’t showed he could do anything else but fight and take penalties during his limited NHL minutes. Every team needs a tough guy, but not at the expense of the team. He’s a young buck and maybe he figures it out, but McIlrath has been a pure goon, although that’s not a bad thing, during his time in his #42 Rangers sweater.



For the INCOMPLETE guys, they never played for the Rangers again. Duclair was traded, a trade that I hope doesn't bite the Rangers in the ass. If they win the Cup this year, then it was worth it. Kostka has a long way to go. Chris Summers was called up late, after the Rangers clinched the President's Trophy, in favor of McIlrath. McIlrath may be another Rangers draft pick bust. He can fight, but can he do much else? Ryan Bourque also got a game late in the season & showed potential.

COACH:
ALAIN VIGNEAULT: A
Coach AV, and I’ll admit, I wanted Messier last season, has steered this ship positively, just like last year. Don’t let the above picture fool you, AV never shows emotion on the bench, as he shows more fury snapping his gum than at his players. A pure poker face of a coach, AV has juggled this line-up time and time again and has produced results. Listen – as fans, bloggers, outsiders, we don’t know the team on an everyday basis. Only AV does. AV has done well with his mixes and matches. I would give him an A+ except for one reason – I think he’s playing Hank too much. We need Hank healthy for the playoffs. Talbot needs to be eating up the Sabres, Devils and Hurricanes of the world. When Hank gets blown out time and time again by the Lightning and Islanders, perhaps it’s time to give Talbot a chance. Perhaps Talbot isn’t as scouted as well as Hank is. All the stuff  I write about goalies on this blog, I KNOW AND YOU KNOW, a healthy Hank is how we win the Stanley Cup. Hank needs more rest as the Rangers should have a long spring this year. Outside of that, I don’t question AV on any of the moves he’s made.

 FINAL GRADE- A MOTHERFUCKIN' PLUS!
Give him the Jack Adams award right now. 53 wins, 113 points and another President's Trophy. All while missing his highest paid player, the franchise player of the last 10 years in Henrik Lundqvist. If he doesn't win Coach of the Year, the NHL rigs their awards. IN AV WE TRUST!

The greatest coach in hockey today, in my opinion

 That wraps up my 2014-2015 NY Rangers Final Report Card! Thank you for reading this blog here on DOINOW.com. Keep it here for more blogs and full playoff game recaps.

16 wins to go.

See ya Thursday! 

Sean McCaffrey 
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on twitter