Rangers fans could not have been pleased with Monday night’s 3-2 collapse and overtime loss against Philadelphia at Madison Square Garden. It would be hard to find a bright side after such a demoralizing loss, so I won’t try to. I’ll just fire some warning shots about a Rangers team that is starting showing chinks in its armor.
1) Their secret is out. No one is surprised any longer that these Rangers are not the indifferent, too-cool-for-school team of the last eight years. As Detroit head coach Mike Babcock put it recently, “In the old days, you could outwork the Rangers. Not anymore.” Likewise for Jaromir Jagr, who is seeing far more defensive pressure now than he was earlier in the season.
Being the great, ubiquitous threat that he has, he can never truly be contained, but teams are starting to notice that as soon as the Rangers get inside the enemy blueline, they dish the puck to him almost indiscriminately. That has to stop, or at least be reduced. The Rangers must learn to rely on their other offensive threats, like Martin Rucinsky, Martin Straka, and Petr Prucha, a little bit more.
2) Fatigue is setting in. It would be hard to imagine any team playing 82 games as hard as the Rangers did early in the season; it just isn't possible to sustain that level of energy every single night. Last night's loss was a testament to a team that looks to be worn down in some areas. Henrik Lundqvist still appears strong, but remember, he wasn't starting every game until only a few weeks ago. The defense of Malik, Roszival, Tyutin, Poti, Kasparaitis, and Strudwick has played nearly every game this season, which must be taking a toll on them to some effect. And even some of the forwards have looked in need of an energy boost lately.
3) Do they really believe they are this good? Based on the way they have played against some good teams this season, the answer is no. They seem to crumple in awe of teams like Philadelphia, Detroit, and Ottawa -- all mainstays among the NHL's elite for several years now. It's becoming increasingly clear that these young Rangers don't truly believe they can compete with those clubs, although their goaltender and their coach surely do, and in actuality, they might be able to. Earlier in the season, Renney told his team they need to show "a little less respect" to the NHL's top teams. Another trend that surfaced in Monday night's loss.
4) Are the young guys ready for a long playoff run? Again, the answer is no. Jed Ortmeyer, Dominic Moore, Fedor Tyutin and Henrik Lundqvist have all played key roles on this young Rangers team. But aside from Lundqvist, who has been totally unflappable thus far, it's hard to see many of these players excelling in the heightened intensity and pressure of the NHL playoffs in their first go-round. As of now, the Rangers -- and their fans -- may have to just be content that this year is the start of something great to come in a few years, not a few months.