The Rangers are in Florida tomorrow night for a game against the defending champion Panthers.
Now, my Class of Ranger Fans students, please give me the first words that comes to mind? Okay, try these WHY bother even showing up?
These skating Seventh Avenue FAT CATS stopped playing for a Wild Card berth weeks ago. Every move they've made since then has been a pantomime of puck chasing.
Mercifully, it all ended yesterday in Carolina when a real hockey team called the Hurricanes blew the melancholy Blueshirts into the Blue Ridge Mountains to the tune of 7-3. Two of the Raleigh goals were empty-netters.
"After Ottawa beat Montreal the other night, the Rangers had a chance to make things interesting with a win over the Canes," says The Old Scout, "but the Rangers didn't seem that interested."
You would have expected to embattled Rangers to fight back with vim, vigor and vitality; right? Wrong.
Canadian sideline tv reporter described Peter Laviolette's bench as "church like." As for the coach, "He didn't say more than two words to his group"
With two minutes left in the second period, it was 4-0 for the home team; which should tell you how interested the Rangers were in The Wild Card.
The Canes took their foot off the pedal but when it got to 5-3 in the third, they planted a couple of open netters, sending the New Yorkers down to Florida for their next to last game of a multi-miserable season.
As usual, Peter Laviolette, who may not be coaching the Rangers by this time next week, offered one of many reasons why his beloved Blueshirts were defeated.
"We gave up three goals point-blank in front of our net," he declared.
That, of course, was a slap at his defense which generally can be called one of the worst in the league.
Then again, you've heard that song before; the lyrics say forever more, YOU'RE OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS, BUDS!
If there's been a more disgraceful Rangers season in the last century of play, please advise. Pronto!