The Rangers need to wake up for Game 5, specifically Chris Krieder, Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin.
If it's possible to goad; to embarrass and to humiliate multi-millionaire hockey players, the attempt is on – full throttle and aimed at three reverse-gear Rangers.
A hockey-book author even suggests that Peter Laviolette put the names Chris Krieder, Mika Zibanejad and Breadman Panarin on a milk carton, "with the message, 'MIA, if found, call the Rangers.'"
A full back page in the New York Post today is devoted to outrage over the combined failures of the Rangers "Big Three."
The Post has gone so far as to depict an astronomer peering through a telescope at distant faces of the three slumping Blueshirts partially hidden in the sky.
No doubt about it, the public and media demand is that the trio wake up and score tonight when they host the Panthers in this pivotal Game 5 playoff game at Madison Square Garden.
As Post columnist Mark Cannizzaro – with a touch of amazement – points out; Laviolette's skaters are not even losing the series.
It's tied at two games apiece and – with a win tonight – New York could find itself with a mere one victory needed to clinch this third-round series. (Note: The Maven still predicts that New York will win The Stanley Cup.)
Granted, everyone in sports suffers a slump once in a while. The difference here is that each of the three indicted Rangers has significantly failed at critical moments now and in the memorable past.
Panarin – in particular – was reviled last spring when the underdog Devils knocked the New Yorkers out of the opening series. This season Mika The Magnificent has been a lot less than delightful – especially against the ultra physical Panthers.
Hot and cold Kreider got a reprieve with his hat trick-series-clinching effort against Carolina, but now even that feat seems long ago.
"We're not getting a lot of opportunities to make plays, obviously," says Kreider. So make them, already, make them!
Everyone and his/her Uncle Dudley knows that it's a miracle that goalie Igor Shesterkin has not yet suffered a hernia for carrying his team for so long and so far.
Multi-book author Matthew Blittner is particularly concerned about the Blueshirts. He wrote "Unforgettable Rangers Games And Moments From The Press Box" and has been following the club for decades.
"The Rangers were not tested in the first round by Washington," notes Blittner "They did not 'win' round two, the Canes lost it. New York won only thanks to Igor Shesterkin, plus the working power play and good penalty killing.
"If Carolina had half-decent goaltending, the Canes would be playing Florida, not the Rangers. Obviously, the time is now for the Big Three scorers to deliver."
Now that Lavvy & Company have been sufficiently embarrassed, why not a win? Or have the lads forgotten the mantra: "Stanley Cup or Bust!"