I'm getting a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about this team. I really thought this was the year, bringing in Nash. I had very high hopes for this team. A 1 or 4 finish in the conference, and a solid run in the post-season. I was naive in thinking that Torts wold mold his game to his new team though. So many new faces trying to run a system that just does not fit them.
I'm getting that feeling that the Rangers are going to drop the next three. I want nothing more than to be wrong, really. You may not be getting that vibe from my posts these days, but I'm here to watch the Rangers win, I love when they win and I hate when they lose, like the rest of you.
Is it in the cards this season though? Truly, if we evaluate what the Rangers are, and what they're up against? It's a scary thought. Barely holding on to 8th right now. Can't imagine a finish higher than 6th. Sixth would really be the ideal finish, draw the winner of the SE and we win a playoff round before having to face the Pens in the conference semis. Lundqvist gets hot, Fleury goes cold, and who knows what will happen? Is it really wise to put the whole season on that thought process though? To ship young talent for a rental for that dream? I don't think so.
If I'm Sather and Gorton right now, the next three games tell the story of the season. Must win tonight in Philadelphia. If the Rangers lose tonight, they need to show something in the two games that follow in Kanata and in Montreal.
Thing is though, right now I have no confidence. To inspire anything from me for this team and this coach I want to see 5 out of 6 points in this stretch coming up. Realistically though? I'm expecting 1, maybe 2, perhaps even 0!
Four or more points in the next three, and let's go for it (judging by teams play of course, as well). Less than four, and let's not "pack it in" but "rebuild" the team wisely.
Cut the dead weight. See ya later to Pyatt and Boyle to start. Do what we can to get a first rounder coming our way. Get guys like Zuccarello and Fasth into the lineup and begin building for next season where Zuccarello should be a full-time guy, and Fast should be battling for a full-time spot in camp. It's not like the Rangers are far away from making a huge push.
Last year's first place finish was an anomaly of Torts's tenure here, built off heroic performance after heroic performance from a Vezina goalie and a full team that bought into Torts's system. That team is gone. Torts is stuck in his ways and not moving on. He needs to be the first one to go.
I don't want the Rangers to be exploring trades on Lundqvist in three years so he can go somewhere to find a way to finally get the cup he deserves. And we're all stuck looking back on these years as the "Tortorella dark ages" and wasting the back-end of Lundqvist's prime years.
Imagine a roster of...
(young LW acquired in draft day deal for Gaborik) - Stepan - Nash
Kreider - Richards (oy) - Callahan
Fast - Miller - Zuccarello
Haley - Yogan (Or FA Signing) - Powe
...under a new coach who doesn't hamper offensive creativity.
TL;DR - Cut dead weight. Fire Torts. Instill youth into the lineup and let them all get comfortable under a new coach before next season starts. This team isn't far away. The window on Lundqvist is running out.
