I had to watch last night’s game from inside the Garden.  Tough to complain about live hockey, but this was one of those game’s that you feel justified doing so about.  What a brutal second period.  The Sabres are good, but not that good.  It was like we forgot how to pass (which prevented us from forechecking).  Why do the Rangers insist on being 15 feet from one another before they attempt a pass?  How about spreading the ice a bit.  Use some imagination.  Have confidence in your abilities.  It’s beyond pathetic at this point.  Saw some stat about how we’ve won only 11 of 38 games this year in which we’ve held the opponent to 2 goals or fewer.  I am willing to bet our record was better, much better, last year.
 
Not to toot my own horn…but Gaborik started the game on the third line.  I called that in my blog.  (I also called a 4-2 win, but we’ll move pass that.)  The way the team’s been not scoring since Gabby returned and the spark he gave playing with Anisimov and Avery, what about making this a permanent line for a while.  If it will make hockey purists, or Gaborik, happy call this line the “first line.”  At least then our second and third lines will be rolling again, like against Ottawa and Pittsburgh.
 
Why was Christensen benched in the third/OT!?!?!?  I know he messed up on the goal, but he’s been playing real well the last few games.  Certainly better than most Rangers.  Some players just need to know they will still play even if they err.  From all of his well thought out and introspective interview answers Christensen clearly is one of those players.  He lacks confidence (he admits that!).  So why stick him in the corner with the dunce cap on for one mistake?  Torts has a singular way of coaching.  Not every player responds to the hard love approach.  So change it up.  Actually coach.  Stop shoe-horning players into one mold.  It’s like at the Oscars when they present the recipients for best actor.  Some actors give the Colin Farrell introduction (remember the trip to Mexico…) and some the Forest Whitaker (over the top melodramatic).  Whatever works for the particular person.   Try it Torts.

There are games that remind me just how great the divide is between the Rangers and the top teams in the league.  This was one of them.  The Capitals were far from their best.  Ovechkin looked average.  And even when the Caps sat back with the lead in the third period they still surrendered scoring chances.  The Rangers were pretty good the first 30 minutes generating offense off the forecheck and played with spirit.  Still, I never had the feeling that we were going to make it close, let alone win.  We just don’t have the skill.  Too many passes are not received cleanly.  Too much time taken before shooting.  Too much dilly-dallying at the offensive blueline.  And too much trouble getting out of our defensive zone.  Not a horrible game.  It is the Caps after all.  Just frustrating to watch because it reminds me how far we have to go to be Stanley Cup level competitive.  Or even shoe-ins for the playoffs.

Where was Christensen in the last 10 minutes of the game????  He was our best forward the first 2 periods, and then he was plastered to the bench.  Even the 4th line got multiple shifts at the ends of the game.  Strange. 

Sit Gaborik until he heals.  If he plays at 70% speed the rest of the year he will be virtually useless.  No way this happens, but if Gaborik does play, until he’s much healthier, how about playing him on the third line and keeping the top 2 the way they were against Ottawa and Pittsburgh.  Those lines were clicking. 

Other Random Game Thoughts: It’s painful watching Gilroy play defense.  But I still would keep him with the team, and not demote him.  This season is lost, even if we make the playoffs.  We must continue to develop our young players.  This means Gilroy must play, regardless of the lack of toughness in the corners and lack of comfort moving the puck when pressured…Auld was pretty good.  A few too many dropped pucks and adventures clearing the puck, but neither goal was his fault.  A solid pickup as a backup. 

I’ll be at the Sabres game tomorrow.  Big game on the back-to-back end with the points race so close.  We match up pretty well, so I predict a 4-2 win.  No empty-netters.

If I’m Glen Sather I’m calling Bettman up and telling him that there should be an Olympic break every year, Gaborik injury be damned.  After a sluggish first period, the team exploded.  Love seeing the energy displayed by Callahan, Dubinsky, Avery, Gilroy, and Lisin especially. 

Callahan, who always plays like he’s trying to make the team, must have learned a ton from his more talented Olympic teammates.  That first goal would have made Patrick Kane proud.  Interestingly, he said after the game that what he learned at the Olympics was to consistently keep his speed and energy high.  Wow.  If there is one player in the league that I would have said this does not apply to (Ovechkin aside) it would have been Cally.  If he consistently plays at even a higher level, look out.  (Hopefully, he learned how to finish and drive to the net too — from last night’s action, he has.) 

Dubinsky played like a guy who felt slighted by the US selection committee.  He was not, he did not deserve to go, but I hope he felt he did and plays with a grudge on his shoulder.  He’s at this best when he does. 

Avery showed up and was around the puck all night.  Dumb to go after Cullen in the final seconds, but dumber by Cullen to take a needless run at Avery.  Those are the type of pointless plays that anger people and result in neanderthal plays the next time the teams meet.  Very strange coming from Cullen too.  He generally is better than that.

Gilroy is starting to get it — when to pressure, when not.  His defense seems adequate too.  Though hard to tell on the TV broadcast usually. 

Lisin, who was waived earlier in anticipation of the deadline today, played like a guy who either wants to get picked up or is pissed that he was waived, or both.  If he plays that well all the time — fast, creative, shooting — he will be on our third line, or maybe second, for the rest of the year. 

Heard Miller got a louder ovation that Crosby IN Pittsburgh last night.  Country before team.  Love it.

Drury: The Rangers heart, soul, and key to the future (sort of).

Chris Drury had a terrific Olympics.  Two goals, assists, and lots of key minutes on the PK and at the end of close games.  He proved wrong all his naysayers, all those people who criticized his Olympic selection.  This is why the Rangers should trade him by tomorrow’s deadline.  Drury’s value will never be higher.  Now, his value will never approximate the absurd contract the Rangers bestowed upon him (absurd even at the time he signed it).  But at least there is a chance they can get some sort of value in exchange.  Whatever the Rangers get back in terms of players or picks will pale in comparison to the value Drury brings to the Rangers.  But his contract is helping to saddle the team for years to come.  His return trade value is in providing cap space.  Someone must be sacrificed for the betterment of the team’s next 3-5 years.  We need to sign free agents and keep our young players.  Rozsival and Redden are virtually untradeable, as I blogged about previously, and which is about as obvious as saying that the Yankees are better than the Mets.  So the torch, sadly, falls to Drury.  He is a solid person by all accounts and a good captain.  But the best thing he can do for the team is get traded.

Chelsea King, a friend of a fellow blogger, went missing in Poway, CA on Thursday, February 25th.  Here are links to a youtube video about the situation and the website devoted to finding her.  If you have any information, please contact the San Diego Police Department at (619) 531-2000.  And please forward this post to anyone that may be able to help.