Several reasons for Rangers’ NHL playoff exit
They are heading to an assortment of places — none of which they would like to visit at this point in time.
Places like Stockholm, Sweden; Hastings, Minnesota; Thunder Bay, Ontario and Oslo Norway, where Henrik Lundqvist, Derek Stepan, Marc Staal, and Mats Zuccarelo, respectively, will find destinations.
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, these are the Rangers I’m talking about.
Right about this minute is the time New York’s only playoff hockey team expected to be playing in the third Stanley Cup round against the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Wrong. El Penguinos are playing the Ottawa Senators.
Remember the Senators? That’s the club which pushed the Blueshirts right out of the playoff door last Tuesday night.
Ask any Rangers fan — or me for that matter — and he-or-she will tell you this simply should not have happened. No way, Jose.
Nothing against Ottawa (Canada’s Capital), but we expected — hoped! — that coach Alain Vigneault’s Seventh Avenue Skaters would beat those Canadian guys. Personally, I figured New York in six games.
Captain Ryan McDonagh and company all were healthy. The Senators weren’t, and just barely beat Boston in the opening round.
Yet, out went the New Yorkers in six games!
Now, how in this hockey world could that have happened?
“The Senators made a couple more plays,” Vigneault explained, “be it a defensive play or an offensive play at a timely time. We might believe we deserved a better outcome but Ottawa made the timely plays and that’s why they won the series.”
Others — me included — note that the Blueshirts crack goalie Henrik Lundqvist had his secret puckstopping code cracked by the Senators scorers. No question, The King was not at his best; and is the first to admit it.
“I had to come up with the extra save when we needed it,” Hank allowed. “We came up short and it’s important to analyze why.”
Well, I can explain why and it all comes down to the sixth and final game at The Garden.
Ottawa led the series 3 games to 2 and the Rangers were on the ropes. Everyone and his Uncle Dudley expected the Blueshirts come out like Gangbusters as they did in their first two wins on Seventh Avenue. So, what happened? Gangbusters? Nay. They were a bust for two and a half periods before awakening with a goal. But the visitors promptly responded with one of their own that proved to be the winner.
Because hockey is the most emotional of all sports, Ranger fans were suitably upset by the booting Ottawa gave their favorite team. So was I. But after a few more days of sober reflection, you have to give the Boys in Blue significant credit as well.
Big-league hockey has two seasons: 1. The 82game marathon which requires stamina, skill and strength. The Rangers did well in that. 2. The playoffs where you can be eliminated faster than you can say Ilya Kovalchuk.
I clearly remember when — last October — many experts wondered whether the Rangers would even make the playoffs. This is a point now being made by coach Vigneault .
“There were a lot of good things for a team that re-tooled on the fly and wasn’t given much of a chance in terms of making the playoffs,” the coach said. “For the most part, we were one of the top-five teams in the NHL and in the top-five in scoring.” He’s right. The Game’s bible, The
Hockey News, predicted last fall that the Rangers would finish fifth in the Metro division. They did one better and finished fourth.
While they were at it, the organization produced new stars. One of them was rookie Jimmy Vesey who finished with 16 goals. Another was rookie defenseman Brady Skjei who looks like a future All-Star. A.V. had this to say about Skjei.
“Brady had a big role on our team. We consider him one of our offensive defenseman. He’s gone through a good first year of playing and understanding. Next year he should be better and more effective; ready for a bigger role and bigger minutes.”
Up front, the diamond in the rough still to be polished is left wing Chris Kreider who managed to lead the team in goal scoring with 28.
On Tuesday night, I was standing at ice level by the glass when Kreider completed a dynamic locomotive-like dash down left wing. Then, he beat goalie Craig Anderson with a la-
ser shot.
This was at the start of the third period and the crowd went nuts with joy. But neither Chris nor his mates could manufacture another goal and tie the game.
“I made strides,” Kreider said in self reflection. “I was more consistent over the course of the regular season for sure. I got better as the season went on.”
Vigneault knows that there’s better years ahead for Kreider and I agree.
A.V.: “The Kreider we saw in the third period of Game 6 I’d like to see on a regular basis. That’s a part of the evolution of a player.
“He’s also working on his mental aspect; being engaged and preparing the right way. He’s taking steps every year and it will make him better.”
Without question, the most pleasant surprise on the team has to be the man who finished right behind Kreider in scoring with 27 goals.
That’s none other than Maple Leafs and Islanders discard Michael Grabner.
Also in the Happyhappenstance Department was late-season defense acquisition Brendan Smith, one of the better playoff backliners and, hopefully, who’ll be with the team next fall.
“This is arguably the best team I’ve been on,” Smith enthused. “It was short-lived but, we had the makeup. It was a lot of fun being a Ranger, but from here I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Yes, there’s reason for sadness in Rangerville but, when you think about it, overall it was a gratifying 82-game regular season.
The Rangers did well in the marathon and not so well in the playoff sprint.
Than again, hockey is a crazy game and very hard to figure. Consider this: out of eight genius editors on The Hockey News, five of them picked Washington to win the Stanley Cup and three picked Chicago.
And in case you didn’t notice, the Blackhawks disappeared in a fourgame-first round sweep
while the Capitals were eliminated in the second round last Wednesday.
So when all is said and done, the Blueshirts were disposed of by a super-motivated Ottawa team led by, arguably, the best twoway player in the league right now, two-way-expertfaster-than-a-speedingbullet, Erik Karlsson.
Had Lady Luck been smiling on the New Yorkers and the cockamamie Ottawa goals in games one, two, and five, not been scored, the Rangers would be playing Pittsburgh instead of the Senators.
But Luck was not a Lady for the Blueshirts and, in the end, Ottawa was the better team. Now you know why the Rangers are heading to Minnesota, Norway, Sweden, and Thunder Bay, Ontario.
And not playing the Penguins the way we all hoped that they would!
Author-columnistcommentator Stan ‘The Maven’ Fischler resides in Boiceville and New York City. His column appears each week in the Sunday Freeman. (must bring ad to redeem)