Suit Him Up

Adam Graves was honored tonight because he had great qualities that not only (though most importantly) made him a great person, but a damn good hockey player. Determination. Grit. Finishing ability. Heart.

Boy, could the Rangers have used some of that tonight.

Talk about the same old story.

When you play to win a game 1-0 or 2-1, this is what is going to happen... often.

Don't give me lip about how the Rangers out-shot and out-chanced Atlanta tonight. It doesn't matter. You have to score goals in this league. If you don't, your chances mean dinky doo.

If you don't lay the smack down on lowly teams such as the Atlanta Thrashers, they hang around. And when teams hang around long enough, they start to believe that they are a decent hockey team with a shot at winning a match.

And when your team is struggling to score goals to begin with... well thats just not the best strategy in my semi-professional opinion.

Because when, such as tonight, the other team scores the first goal late in the contest... you're in deep... poop.

Score first, protect the lead AFTER you have it.

I'm not going to do a whole shabangabang with game notes tonight because frankly, there really isn't much to relay after this game that I haven't said a jillion times before.

1) The Rangers have trouble scoring.

2) The Rangers Power Play sucks.

3) Nik Zherdev is the lone Ranger who is a consistent threat.

4) Gomez and Drury continue to disappoint.

5) Why is Petr Prucha still a scratch/Aaron Voros in the lineup?

Yeah. Same old thing. 

The biggest problem with this whole equation- in spite of the Rangers current place in the standings, is that it all equates to a very early exit come the Second Season in April. 

And that conclusion to this season would not be a step forward for this organization.

The Rangers need a spark. They need something to get this team's engine running.

They need somebody who can give this team the character it is so sorely lacking.

They need something LIKE Sean Avery. (I'm all for it but it's just not going to happen).

They need somebody who can score goals. Timely goals.

They need somebody who can do the dirty work.

They need somebody who they can  believe in.

They need somebody like Adam Graves.

-Rif