4-4-1: Another Home Disaster

Eight-plus hours removed from the final buzzer and it is still hard to think about the 4-3 loss by the Rangers tonight to the Hurricanes. After a bit of soul searching I have found some peace in this: as pathetic a piss-poor game as the Blueshirts played, they still came within a few posts of victory. That has to be heartening, right?

As the boys will be back in action in a few more hours, I'll just keep this brief:

*It is my sincerest wish that all of you MDZ apologists and fanboys at the start of the season are finally seeing the gaping holes in his game. Mike Sauer should be re-inserted into the lineup, not for Eminger (who is, indeed, not particularly capable himself) but for Del Zotto. The kid is incompetent in the Ranger end and his offense hasn't been good enough to make up for it. He is taking the extra slack Torts is giving to defensemen who want to pinch and helping tie the noose that is hanging the team. Time to teach the kid accountability.

*Nice goal by Staal though.

*Grachev played, supposedly. I noticed two shifts of his, one of which was passable with a hit but he turned the puck over.

*Anisimov can be knocked off the puck with a stiff breeze and is running around seemingly by himself half the time. That is better that Frolov, who isn't running around much at all. His halfhearted skating, shooting and passing are utterly infuriating.

*The officiating wasn't particularly pleasing either. But when you have to blame the refs ...

*The big swirl that makes up the logo of the Hurricanes must have looked like a target to the Blueshirts because it seemed like they were aiming for it - hitting Cam Ward in the chest time after time after time.

*Jeff Skinner is good.

*Brian Boyle was not. Up there with his worst efforts as a Ranger. And Brandon Prust needs to heal faster because his game is just not the same. His effort can not be questioned, but that extra spark is just not there.

*The only two Blueshirts to show legitimate chemistry is Avery and Fedotenko - and they have been together almost exclusively since preseason. Hmmm, playing together and staying together develops chemistry, which is good? What a concept? Too bad they were saddled with Susan on this evening.

*I said in Peepin Foes that the Rangers needed to limit the amount of space Anton Babchuk would get and they didn't, and it cost them.

*Good crowd but not a whole lot of Whalers jerseys (if any). A shame.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Ryan Callahan - one goal and one assist.
2-Erik Cole - one goal and one assist.
1-Jeff Skinner - two goals and one assist.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Tuomo Ruutu - He hit, he was a pain in the ass and he collected a goal and two assists.
2-Hank - He was ran multiple times, he had no help whatsoever and he still kept the Rangers in it until the bitter end.
1-Skinner - So when your team sucks, you get higher draft picks, and high draft picks often turn into better players? How about that? Al Montoya what?

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