Rangers vs. Blue Jackets: Consistency Is Key
The New York Rangers actually won one of those must-win games. And they are in the playoffs. For now.
- I would just love for this team to show me what they actually are, and then just sort of be that team for the final stretch of the season. And let me be clear:
the inconsistent effort, the overall not-being-good-enough, and the up-and-down hockey is exactly who these guys are. But they have been teetering on the edge of bottoming out or actually being in the playoffs and I guess I'd rather it just be clearly one or another. - With that win, the Rangers officially hold the final wild card spot in the East. The Montreal Canadiens are a single point behind them and have a game in hand. So, don't get comfortable, but right now that's where things stand.
- If you needed any more evidence of my story on Friday, that Peter Laviolette and Chris Drury seem to have extremely different viewpoints on this hockey team, look no further than the lineup Saturday night not including a single player the Rangers acquired at the trade deadline.
- And to show you all I am not just being unfair about the kids: While I have not loved (or even liked) what I have seen from Carson Soucy since the Rangers acquired him, I have no doubt the organization expects him to be a part of this defensive core next year, and I have no idea why it's permitted for him to not play and get more comfortable in this new team and system. I would also say him playing as little as he has doesn't help.
- Adam Fox returned to the lineup and had an assist. His return also forced Laviolette to actually change the defensive pairs. And without Lindgren there to staple to him, Laviolette sort of short circuited and put together some more creative pairings.
- And, what a surprise, it actually worked! There's no way some of these solutions could be easy enough to fix with ... thought? Right??
