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Rangers Vs. Lightning: Downright Embarrassing Might Be Too Nice

notes from the Rangers loss to the Lightning.

- The one positive from last night is going to come at the very top. I didn't realize just how long the Rangers were bad last year. Maybe it was the Stanley Cup Final glow, but the Rangers were 16-18-2 through 36 games last year. I thought it was better by that point but it obviously wasn't. So, yes, there's tons of time left to turn things around.

- Last night was the most embarrassing loss of the year in my book. Many of you pointed out the two losses to Toronto and the loss to Edmonton, but the Rangers simply played like they didn't want to be there last night. And against that team, with those former players? If you can't jump up for that game then when can you?

- It would have been one thing to be simply outplayed by Tampa since they're one of the best teams in the NHL. But to not show up at all and get blown out? That's unacceptable. According to the media, Alain Vigneault was as angry as any of them have ever seen him. That's good. How he responds to whatever last night was is important.

- My guess is that response will be to insert Jesper Fast back in the lineup over Anthony Duclair. I really don't understand what Vigneault is doing here. Duclair played just over 12 minutes last night. In a game where things were out of hand in the third period, why isn't he playing more? Throw him out there against tougher competition, see what you have. It doesn't matter if he makes a ton of mistakes, the game is over.

- That being said, Vigneault guided the Rangers through last year with no resume in New York. I have no doubt he'll figure it out here. He's a great coach who did great things. He has one blind spot (Tanner Glass) that I can't figure out.

- Duclair, Kevin Hayes and Carl Hagelin looked pretty good while they were together.

- I would call out individual players but we would be here all day. The entire defense was ghastly from top to bottom. John Moore, with his speed, can't get caught like that on the first goal. He can't. Dan Girardi can't let Ryan Callahan push him out of the way for the second goal. Those things can't happen. Marc Staal was terrible. Dan Boyle had potentially the worst game of any Rangers defenseman. Matt Hunwick was OK, though.

- The forwards? The Rangers registered 16 shots on the net the entire game. 16. How much worse can that number get?

- Henrik Lundqvist was left out to dry. Yeah, he gave up five goals on 30 shots, but which shots could he have stopped? The opening goal is the only one I can think of. Nothing he do about any of the others.

- The Rangers defense has been so bad at getting the puck that the Rangers true asset (their speed) is held back because the Rangers can't transition the puck from defense to offense. Some of that, I'm sure, comes from Ryan McDonagh being out and other players playing above their head; but he can't make that much of a difference.

- I would still do the Martin St. Louis trade every single day and twice on Sunday. I don't care that Callahan scored two goals last night. Good for him. And to the people pointing out Callahan's point-per-game pace:

- One last positive, the Rangers aren't as bad as they were last night. They're not.

- My final thought?

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