Rangers vs. Maple Leafs: Give Up the Ghost
We've seen lots of bad from the Rangers this season. Now, we're seeing bad and boring.
- There's good news and there's bad news. The good news is, there's only twelve more games left this season. The bad news is, there are still twelve more games left this season.
- As of this morning, MoneyPuck gives the New York Rangers a 21.8% chance of making the playoffs. I feel compelled to point out that it's not a zero percent chance. I think a lot of people see odds this low and immediately round down to zero, but it's not zero. It's one-in-five. If you were told that the elevator you were about to step on to had a one-in-five chance of plummeting 50 stories to the ground floor, you probably wouldn't like those odds and you probably wouldn't get on. Although, maybe you just watched the last two Rangers games against the Calgary Flames and the Toronto Maple Leafs and plummeting 50 stories seems like sweet relief when faced with the prospect living with what you've just seen and of twelve more games like this. But, anyway, you get my point.
- Joe and I have talked on the podcast (latest episode out now, listen and subscribe!) about how, at least a week or two ago, this team squeaking into the playoffs wouldn't be so bad because it would get some playoff reps for the younger, less experienced Rangers. But, honestly, what's the point? If they somehow stumbled into the playoffs, this would be the first team to lose a best of seven series in three games. Don't ask me how, but you know I'm right.
- The thing I can't get over is just how boringly bad these last two games have been. I've seen bad hockey that's interesting and I've seen bad hockey that could induce a coma. And these last two games are firmly in the latter category.
- I also don't think it's entirely unrelated that, as soon as the Rempe-Brodzinski-Othamnn line was broken up, this team looked worse. Much has been said about J.T. Miller dragging the Rangers into the fight since he was brought over from Vancouver. But that fourth line really did provide some energy that the rest of this team just does not possess.
- Which is also, I suppose, the bigger point: This team doesn't look like it wants to make the playoffs. They don't even look like they want to be here at all. For a moment there, with the win over the Minnesota Wild and the 4-0 shutout of the Columbus Blue Jackets, you might have thought they were actually going to make a push. But they really are just clocking time right now. They look like they can't wait for this season to be over. To be absolutely fair, I completely understand that sentiment, because I share it.
