Blue Notes

Dallas---The flight here this afternoon started out bumpy, but the pilot changed speed and direction to restore the balance.

The same strategy needs to be applied to the plodding Rangers, who Brendan Shanahan said were "off balance."

So much for all that "team-building" in the pre-season, however well-intentioned.

Turns out the Rangers need more bricks and mortar than getting-to-know-ya gatherings and back-slapping sessions for sponsors.

Last season, the Rangers were sailing along before the Olympic hiatus, then hit the rocks.

This year, they desperately need the All-Star break: For Jagr to rehab, to scout for some fresh legs in Hartford and elsewhere, to re-jigger the power-play units.

Just before I dozed off at the window while reading the Sunday papers, there was an echo from the past.

"Shoot the puck, Barry!"

Bill Chadwick, the Big Whistle, knew what Barry Beck and the Rangers of that era needed to do to score.

Fire the rubber at the cage. Pounce on rebounds.
Poke at loose pucks.

No difference nowadays---especially on the power play.

A frustrated Shanahan said as much after the 3-1 loss to the Thrashers Saturday.

"We don't put the puck to the net often enough," Shanahan said in his venting. "We have a power play that's set up for one shot every 30 seconds. Successful power plays put the puck to the net and get people going there. Penalty killers are too good to allow you to pass the puck through them and have all these clean beautiful looks. You've gotta get some dirty gritty goals. Who cares what they look like just so long as we're getting goals on the power play."

" If we're smart we'll change the look of it. We go out and give the opposing team exactly what they've scouted, exactly what we've been doing all year long. We really don't change anything. It's very simple for a team to do a pre-scout on the New York Ranger power play and then we don't disappoint -- we go out and do exactly what they were expecting us to do. We've got some world-class offensive players, we have to get together as a unit and say what can we do to bring us more success. It's a huge weapon -- people are afraid to take penalties on you, they play you softer. It should just be set up for scoring goals, whoever scores them to win games."

Without naming names, the spiel certainly fingered the Jagr-Nylander-Straka-Rozsival quartet---and in the second part---Tom Renney and the coaching staff for not adjusting the man-advantage units.

Listen, Shanny and North American players jelled with Russians in Detroit.

Of course, there were several more talented players and a more experienced NHL coach.

Early last week, Renney said he thought "we could win with this team." To get 43 points, the Rangers will need to go something like 19-10-5, which may not be doable.

One blueprint: Move Prucha back to the No. 1 PP unit with Jags, Straka and Nylander. Move Shanahan to the second with either Nigel Dawes or Brandon Dubinsky. Get another center or power forward. In the meantime, stick Hall or Hossa or Ortmeyer in front. Use Pock and Rachunek at the points. Fire away.

I don’t think the divergent groups in the Rangers multi-cultural dressing room is a fatal flaw. Make some moves, win some games, and the balance---and the confidence---should be back.