There's Hope For The Rangers After All

Somewhere over the rainbow, 'way up high, the Rangers are somehow going to squeeze into a playoff berth.

I can dream, can't I?

The first step – 6-1 over San Jose last night – is over and done with and now the "New, Improved Blueshirts" return home to show they're not kidding around.

Look! The Maven isn't fooling either; the Sharks are no more than a good American Hockey League team, if that. But at least the Rangers gave them a good spanking with Breadman leading the whack job.

Give Artemi Panarin credit; he's been the eternal Lamplighter through this whole, ugly mess of a Rangers season.

But here's the trick; the season's not over and the Rangers are back in the catbird seat on Wild Card Boulevard. What's to complain?

"They can build on this," says The Old Scout, "and since the Rangers don't play Minnesota at The Garden until Wednesday, "there's plenty of time for Peter Laviolette's lads to count their blessings."

Four Causes For Optimism:

1. A NEW HERO: Once regarded as a loaner from Hartford, Jonny (Don't Call Me John) Brodzinski is now a full-fledged starting center, pumping goals, hustling and doing all the other right things.

2. A SUPERIORITY COMPLEX: In plain English – or early Aleutian – the Rangers are – man for man – talent-wise, better than the rest of the Wild Card competition. 

3. THE TWO GOALIE ASSET: Now that Jonathan Quick has re-found his game – along with Igor Shesterkin – the two Comrades provide another asset over the competition.

4. AT LONG LAST ADAM: We've waited almost a whole season for Adam to emerge from his Fox-hole and play Norris Trophy-type hockey. The two goals at the Shark Tank last night showed the club's best defenseman at his best – against the league's worst.

Fair enough. If you want to tell The Maven that I'm making much ado about beating the NHL's ultimate Humpty-Dumpty sextet, I'll pause for a moment and now deliver my perfect squelch: YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE!

And so they did. So pardon me, if you please, while I go outside, sniff some fresh air and sing a chorus of "The Bluebird Of Happiness" rather than "The Birth Of The Blues."