Just my two cents: I'm sure I'm not adding anything original here. As I said after game 4, in my 60 years as a fan (and many, many, disappointing years and playoff runs), this one leaves a particularly bad taste. Disappointment does not began to address my disgust with this team. It's not that they lost, hey, there are a lot of good teams out there, but how they lost. It's not that I realistically expected them to win the Cup: that takes a unique set of circumstances, luck, and happenstance. Again, lots of good teams our there. But to lose as if this were nothing more than game one of training camp...well, it's going to take me a bit to digest and come to terms with it.
I think (and I felt so at the time of the trades) that the Rangers were taking the wrong tact in preparing for the playoffs...they went all in on playoff experience rather than addressing the types of players you need in today's NHL and, particularly in the playoffs: speed (especially speed), intensity, grit, etc.
Watching Ranger/Devils games all year, I thought this was the absolutely worst matchup for us: it would highlight all our weaknesses. Still, those could be potentially overcome with intensity, determination, and grit. That was not forthcoming.
So, Drury gets the blame here for a lack of judgement.
I am not, in any way, a fan or supporter of Gallant. But, I felt he was as helpless and more than anything, puzzled by what transpired. Is firing him the answer? Is there anything better out there? Is Quenville the answer? I'm not sure about any of these questions.
Where do we go from here? More than my disappointment in the vets, I was particularly disappointed with the kids. They did nothing and that is alarming. In a league where youth rules, their performance sets off alarm bells. If these guys don't grow...well, the rebuild should be considered a failure. They all have faults that can derail their careers.
Next year must be about finding out (after 3, 4, 5 years of growth) whether these guys have it. They must get more ice time, they must get power play time. We must know.
One bad playoff from Panarin I could take...two makes me wonder. When the playoffs call for speed and intensity, he brings neither. But, I don't see him moving.
Kane: obviously hurt or over the hill. He gets a pass from me.
Nothing much on the horizon here: Othman obviously is talented but again there is that skating issue. All our talented prospects lack speed. All or marginally talented prospects have speed. No one seems to have talent and speed to be an impact, top 6 player.
There are young teams on the rise: Buffalo, the Devils, etc. Next year could be a year where we just barely make the playoffs. The future, once so bright, doesn't look so bright to me now.
Disgusted is the watchword of the day: again, not that they lost, but how they lost.
