Rangers vs. Flyers: It's Finally Over
Don't be sad that it happened. Be glad that it's over.
- It was really cool to hear Sam and JD behind the mic one more time. Much like my childhood, the two of them were running the broadcast and the Rangers were losing a hockey game in a dead season. Ahh, the good times(?). That was about the only thing about this night that was redeemable in any way.
- The other good thing is, it's over. Like, actually over. The New York Rangers are so damn close to being officially eliminated from playoff contention you can taste it. It's freeing in a way to not need to care about the season in any way anymore, although there is high irony that now when it makes sense for the Rangers to lose games to ensure the best draft lottery odds possible, Laviolette will likely ice the lineup he should have in December.
- We know now—as we knew when he was doing it—that benching Gabe Perreault was stupid. Monumentally stupid. What, exactly, is the benefit of Perreault not being given 18 minutes a night, playing every game he possibly can this year, and getting a few weeks of pressure-free NHL seasoning? I know that Chris Drury has been loathe to inserting himself into the lineup decisions, and my assumption is he's not doing that because he doesn't want an already toxic situation to get worse. But, at this point, too bad. Laviolette should not be permitted to make lineup decisions that hurt the only prospect left in the system that has true top-six upside. Perreault is literally the only pulse left in the system, and Drury is watching a man he is going to fire next week jerk him around? Sorry, as much as Laviolette is dumb for doing it, Drury is being even dumber by not stopping it.
- Below the jump is one of the craziest statistics I think possible about the New York Rangers.
