NEW YORK, NY – The New York Rangers started their yearly West Coast swing last Sunday in Las Vegas with a 5-0 win. 
They followed that up with a bad loss to a hapless Los Angeles Kings team. Such is life for this Rangers vintage. They crush the solid Golden Knights, who are is currently in a Wild Card spot. The next night they lose 3-1 to the worst team in the Western Conference. BUT… last night they beat the Sharks!
It doesn’t seem to matter who is in net for the Blueshirts. Both Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev have played well in net this season. But the team in front of them has been inconsistent and frustrating. Tuesday’s loss was typical of a loss. They bossed the play early in the first period and looked like they could run away with the game. But the goal never came for the Rangers. When the lamp was finally lit, it was the Kings who were celebrating. The goal came in the last minute of the first period. After that the game was pretty much over. The Broadway Blues have been dreadful this season playing from behind. They finally scored with 30 seconds left in the third period to pull within a goal of the Kings but then gave up an empty netter fifteen seconds later.
While they may only be five points off of a Wild Card slot, nobody thinks this team is going on a run that will get them into the playoffs. The brass have some big decisions to make over the next couple of months. Chris Kreider is having an off-year after putting up 52 points last season. So far this campaign, he only has six goals and 13 points. Not the kind of season CK would want going into Unrestricted Free Agency. He should still fetch a decent sum on the trade market as we approach the deadline.
Kreider will most certainly be on the move at the deadline. Georgiev is another story. While most people thing the Bulgarian should be on the move, the Rangers have said that he’s not on the table. Georgiev will be a Restricted Free Agent next summer so the Rangers could hold onto the netminder who has been stellar of late. But something will have to give. Lundqvist still has another year left and Shestyorkin is waiting in the wings and playing well in Hartford. Hank makes too much money to move, unless the Rangers eat most of the $8.5 million cap hit this season and next. Hank could retire after this season, but i don’t see a reason why he would. The Rangers could also buy out the last year of Lundqvist’s contract, but that would kind of be a d!ck move for a career Blueshirt and the face of the franchise. I think the Rangers will trade Gerogiev like they did with Cam Talbot a few years ago.
That’s it for me. Comment below and come back tomorrow for Junoir Blaber.
