In all honesty, there is no way any Rangers fan will have woken up on this Thursday and be feeling good about themselves or what just went on last night. That was a heartbreaking loss following some very good hockey early on by the Rangers. At one stage, I thought to myself it was going to turn into another of those 6,7 goal romps over the Caps – oh how I was wrong.

Yet there are a ton of reasons, both from the game and otherwise, for Rangers fans to be positive, optimistic. Today won’t be a day that most Rangers fans will feel like reading the internet so let’s just list a few of those reasons why Red White and Blue is here to stay.

  • Brandon Dubinsky. I called his play unacceptable after two games. He said he needed to be better and on the biggest stage in hockey (playoffs, at MSG) he not only said he would be better but has been. He has been bordering on dominant. That bodes very well for the future as Dubinsky has proved he has the mental strength and ability to step up.
  • Depth. Every game this series, bar the clunker in game 2, different areas of the team have stepped up. Tonight it was Ruslan Fedotenko’s turn to shine offensively. Drury looked good, offensively Gaborik looked much better creating chances and being more of a focal point. It’s not perfect but this team is definitely learning and growing.
  • The King. The Rangers have the best goaltender in the world and he’s here for many years to come. With Henrik Lundqvist in net the Rangers will always have a chance at success. Chicago have shown what the absence of top goaltending can mean when you don’t have it. The Rangers have it.
  • This team is only eliminated when it’s officially over. Not many teams show the determination and commitment that the Blueshirts do. That counts for something now – and certainly in the future.
  • DDDDDDDD – Mike Sauer 23, Ryan McDonagh 21, Marc Staal 24, Dan Girardi 26, Mike Del Zotto 20. I’m not even naming the great D on the horizon. This is a great young unit that will be the envy of the league for many, many years. With Lundqvist behind them who knows what they can achieve with some guidance.
  • Prospects galore. The Rangers have a ton of youth that will be Rangers sooner rather than later. This team is growing exactly the right way, learning on the fly and developing steadily. This team has pieces in place in almost every position of importance that will provide the foundations of a contender. Christian Thomas, Chris Kreider, Ryan Bourque, Dylan Mcilrath, Carl Hagelin, Ethan Werek, Evgeny Grachev, the list goes on….
  • The Rangers have Brandon Prust. No one else does, appreciate that fact. Just hope his next deal in 12 months time doesn’t cost too much!!
  • Ryan Callahan. Enough Said.

I really could go on with this list. The MSG renovation (to your liking Bruce?), Brian Boyle’s emergence, ditto for Stepan, other prospects on the horizon… etc, etc, etc. You all know all of this anyway. Sometimes though, we just need to try and focus on the positives in the light of a crushing disappointment. The Rangers will be a very good team for a long time with a little tweak here and there. The foundations are set. The seeds sown. Lets just watch this team grow.

 

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