BLOOMINGBURG, NY – This is normally the Sunday reserved for the NFL’s version of Freak Week, where all types with media credentials descend on the Final Game’s site. Silly questions and equally asinine outfits abound for the players to endure which leads our readers to wonder how Short Matt hasn’t garnered a press pass to past Big Game’s. Speaking of His Royal Absentmindedness, Friday he had as difficult a time getting into his car (see below video), as a Lady Byng recipient has getting into a fight, which makes for a perfect segue into talking pucks which I can do 24/7/365.
Lady Byng, New York Rangers & Short Matt
New York Rangers
I watch hockey every night and consider myself extremely understanding of the game. It’s not always about wins and losses but how a team goes about their business, game in and game out. What the Rangers are doing this early in the season should be alarming to the fan base and can snowball if not corrected in quick fashion in this abbreviated season. It could cause them to miss the playoffs in a year where it was believed the team was ready to take a step forward.
Yes, the Blueshirts have the youngest team in the league – at an average age of 25 – but today’s NHL is a young man’s game with speed and skill preferred over the dump, bump and grind of days gone by. The rules have opened things up to facilitate the modern play but there’s still basic fundamentals the Rangers are lacking. Puck possession, as you can imagine, is more important than possession in any other sport and save for the cross-river Devils, the Rangers have the worst face-off percentage in the NHL. Face-offs are less important at even strength but in this era of specialization the penalty kill and power play units rely heavily on face-off wins. You don’t gain control of the puck, you can’t clear the zone on the kill, or put the muffin in the net on the man advantage. To no one’s surprise the Rangers are failing on special teams as a result of puck drop failures. This deserves watching if you’re a Rangers fan.
The goaltending, no matter how outstanding the play of the young Shesterkin and Georgiev is, will ultimately hinge upon the blueliners – who are green as well – and takes time to mesh in any system.
Speaking of defense, that Jake Trouba $8M/year for seven is a colossal waste of money to which he hasn’t or won’t live up to, so management may want to accept offers for his services sooner rather than later. The team needs more help and that eight mill can buy two cost-effective defencemen (Canadian spelling) at that price to be honest.
SIDE NOTE: I also can’t hear the name of Alexis Lafreniere without thinking of Xavier LaFlamme in the movie Goon. (click this)
Conclusion
If Rangers fans want to see some solid hockey, the Boston Bruins will be all over your television sets for the entire month of February. If ya don’t watch, I’ll hit ya with your own shoe passed to me by Mike Milbury.
Peace, love and hockey my people!
He only picked the coldest day of the year to lock himself out… Anyway, come back tomorrow for Junoir Blaber, a guy that fiddles for keys in Buffalo’s frigid temperatures every waking moment.
Oh… and Management insists you see the precursor to Xavier’s entrance.
