New York Rangers Staring down Their Kryptonite

New York Rangers Dominated by Little Brother

Throughout this season, the New York Rangers have been unable to beat their crosstown rivals, the New York Islanders. The Rangers have gone 0-3 against the Islanders and have only come close to beating them once. Back in December, the Blueshirts were able to take the Isles into overtime however, they left that game with just a single point.

The Rangers are down a few men, but they have won two in a row and it is important that they find a way to win tomorrow as they skate onto the ice in MSG to host the Islanders for these teams last regular season meeting.

Excuses Are for the Weak

Ryan McDonagh, the captain of the New York Rangers, will miss the remainder of the regular season with an injured hand. This injury came on a blocked shot that hit McDonagh’s hand during the Sabres vs Rangers game.

The Rangers also may also be without Dan Girardi. Girardi was helped off the ice during the Lightning vs Rangers game last night after a hit from ex-Ranger, Brian Boyle, left Girardi laying limp against the boards.

Alain Vigneault told members of the media after last night’s game,

"“He is being evaluated by our medical staff right now, but as far as I can tell when I left, everything looked good. I didn’t get into the details but I asked if Dan was alright and everyone shook their head. I’ll get into the details once I leave you guys.”"

Dan Girardi’s relationship with the Rangers faithful is somewhat tumultuous, but one thing cannot be disputed, the man is a workhorse. It is extremely rare to see Girardi leave a game, usually, the man will take a brutal hit, or block a shot that would leave a lesser player down for the count. Instead of being evaluated or lying on the ice until play is stopped, Girardi normally limps on over to the bench where he takes a brief rest before skating back out in time for his next shift.

To see Girardi need help off the ice is nerve-wracking. AV has said he may be okay, but AV also preached to the media that Nash would only miss a week or two, which turned into six. Even if the Ranger fans don’t love the guy, the Rangers cannot afford to lose another defenseman.

Even if McDonagh misses more than just these last two games and Girardi ends up missing the first or second game of the playoffs, the Rangers need to win. Injuries cannot be used as a crutch. No matter who the Blueshirts see in the first round, an Atlantic division team or a Metropolitan division rival, empathy will not be in any of their game plans.

Injuries Should Bring Urgency

There are people reading this that may think the Rangers should lose, or split their last two games so they fall into the first Wild Card position. This would place them up against the Panthers in the first round of the playoffs, but the injuries that have taken two of their defensemen out of play for near future should propel a sense of urgency in the New York Rangers locker room.

If the Rangers want to produce in the post-season and move onto the second series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they need to win now. Who cares if they end up playing the Penguins in the first round? It won’t matter who they play, if they cannot find a way to win tomorrow and Saturday without two defensemen that are not guaranteed to play the first game of the playoffs.

If Alain Vigneault cannot put together a winning formula now than there is no hope for the Rangers come the second week of April and the only way AV will be able to find that formula is if the players come out tomorrow and play hard.

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It will only hurt the Blueshirts if they cost through these last two games. They won’t know who plays the best with who, or how each player will interact with one another during special teams play. With two defensemen down, it would be a huge mistake to take these games lightly.

Sure, rest Henrik. Not quite sure why he started yesterday against the Lightning anyway. AV should have rested his starting goalie instead of playing him on back-to-back nights with a playoff spot already clinched. However, there is no substantial argument to as why the Rangers should rest more of their players, or take these next two games easy.

Players are injured and it would be a shame to see Zuccarello go down in one of these last two games, but players are not only hurt while playing at full speed. A case can be made for players who play half-heartedly being the ones at a higher risk of sustaining injuries, due to a lack of mental focus, which in turn, leaves them vulnerable to injury.

Next: New York Rangers Stay Stagnant in Standings

For that reason and the fact that the Rangers may have aspirations to make it to a second round playoff series, where there is a high chance they will face the Islanders, a team they have not beat yet this year, they should come out tomorrow night like a team on a mission. Take it to the Islanders. The Rangers cannot wait for the Isles to come out and overpower them, both physically and mentally, even if winning means playing the Penguins. At least, if they win, down both Girardi and McDonagh, they know they have a chance.

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