Henrik Lundqvist is capable of putting the team on his shoulders in the playoffs

Henrik Lundqvist is capable of putting the team on his shoulders in the playoffs

– Since my post last week, Eastern Conference playoff teams have lost the following key players: Steven Stamkos, Marc-Andre Fleury, Vincent Trocheck and Travis Hamonic. Once again, having capable fill-ins is absolutely vital this time of year – and why Alain Vigneault needs to keep both Oscar Lindberg and Dylan McIlrath game-ready.

– Despite the massive warts on this Rangers squad and all the negative energy coming out of the weekend, there’s still reason to hope for this playoff run. The aforementioned injuries to rival teams’ star players have leveled the playing field somewhat and are a good reminder of how quickly things can change at this time of year. The Rangers still have the best goalie on their side of the bracket, oodles of postseason experience to lean on and they’ve demonstrated the ability to beat the league’s top teams consistently. And outside of the Capitals, I’m just not all that worried about any of the other teams in the Eastern Conference field. I’m not saying I’m predicting a Cup, but let’s all just remind ourselves that there are reasons for optimism and a chance for a pretty fun ride ahead.

– Many have opined that sputtering to the finish line may actually be a good thing as it could allow the Rangers to finish in the Wild Card spot to face the winner of the smoke and mirrors Atlantic Division in the first round and avoid the Capitals until the Conference Final. One problem with that plan: you can’t count on other teams’ cooperation. So what happens now if the Rangers end up in the second Wild Card position and have to face Washington in the opening round?

– Good work by @HockeyStatMiner seems to indicate that how the Rangers have finished in recent years has had little bearing on their actual playoff performance, but I still believe that heading into the postseason with some momentum is important. This team has proven to be fragile mentally all season and I think it’s crucial that they build a little confidence before the dance.

– Putting aside the Rangers’ financial bind for a moment – I wonder what kind of discount Eric Staal might be willing to take to stay in New York? ‘Canes GM Ron Francis said Staal’s contract parameters were “fair,” but Staal wanted a longer term than Francis could agree to. Staal is basically in the perfect situation right now – playing alongside his other brother on a team that should remain in the playoff mix for the next several years. Staal has made well over $70 million over the course of his career – so does going for the highest-dollar deal really matter to him at this point? I’m not suggesting Staal would accept the veteran minimum to stay in New York, but I wonder how flexible he might be on the dollar amount if the Blueshirts were willing to commit to Staal for a few years.

– Obviously money is going to be extremely tight this summer and the Rangers’ top priority needs to be to re-sign Keith Yandle. The late surges by Kevin Hayes and Chris Kreider are going to make things even trickier with both players and J.T. Miller now poised for significant raises as restricted free agents. It really seems like something has to give here. Even the most stubborn members of the organization have to be at least considering what might be possible if they could shed the contracts of Dan Girardi and Marc Staal.

– The Islanders’ move to Brooklyn is getting comical:

– Evidence of how much the game has changed: excluding the lockout shortened 2012-2013 season, Dylan McIlrath (60) or Chris Kreider (56) is likely to have the fewest penalty minutes to lead the team in a single season since Bill Juzda had 60 in 1946-47.


Question time:
1. What do you think Eric Staal will do this summer?
2. If you think the Rangers can still make a run, what’s your rationale?
3. Which teams in the East other than Washington most concern you?

Share: 

More About: