After watching some key losses to Conference rivals last night, I realized that despite the struggle the Rangers are currently in, they are not totally out of this. In fact, the Blueshirts are only two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot and just four points out of sixth place which is currently occupied by the Ottawa Senators. I know there is a lot of hockey left to be played before the actual playoff race begins, but here is a look at the Eastern Conference Standings up to date.
Eastern Conference
1. Washington Capitals- 44 pts
2. New Jersey Devils- 43 pts
3. Boston Bruins- 37 pts
4. Pittsburgh Penguins- 43 pts
5. Buffalo Sabres- 36 pts
6. Ottawa Senators- 34 pts
7. Atlanta Thrashers- 33 pts
8. Montreal Canadians- 32 pts
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9. New York Rangers- 3o pts
10. Tampa Bay Lightning- 30 pts
11. Philadelphia Flyers- 29 pts
12. New York Islanders- 29 pts
13. Florida Panthers- 28 pts
14. Toronto Maple Leafs- 27 pts
15. Carolina Hurricanes- 19 pts
So if the Rangers can start collecting wins on a consistent basis, they have a great opportunity to jump right back into the mix of things. Again, they are just two points out of the top eight, yet are a .500 team.
Back with News from Practice Later.....
Friday, December 11, 2009
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2 comments:
I seriously doubt that this team has what it takes to make the playoffs. If you watched Chicago move the puck and control the play, you were watching what the NYR were supposed to be under the Tortorella "system". Using Chicago as a benchmark, ask yourself how far the NYR must go to make the cut? What divisional team are they almost certain to beat on any given night? Their offense is slow. Except for DelSoto and Gaborik, their passing is generally not crisp and accurate. Their power play is static; neither the puck nor the personnel move around enough to create openings. Their rush is not a unit of three hitting the blue line and busting in. And then there is the defense which consists of a group of would be forwards and aging vets. Lunquist is a good, but not a great, goalie. With team defense working, he is fine; otherwise, he is inconsistent. For all of these reasons, I don't think the present standings are any basis for hope. Us fans have lost yet another season this time due more to poor management than to bad players. These players do not together make a team. The parts don't fit well and there are a couple who don't belong on any NHL team.
Well that is the thing. We are fortunate that we are not at the bottom of the standings with how we have played these past two months. However, they will not capitalize and will continue to decline, most likely.
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