How The Blueshirts Shape Up Vs. Islahders In The Upcoming NHL Race

It just can't happen again. No way!

The odds of all three Metropolitan New York-New Jersey National Hockey League teams missing the playoffs AGAIN are what, WHAT? 

Not Impossible since it already happened, right? And it could happen again. But for rivalries sake, let's first deal with Rangers vs. Islanders where the pure, unadulterated hatred still simmers from the Matt Martin-Matt Rempe fight.

Looking backward to last season it's still hard to believe that the Isles finished with 14 more points than the Blueshirts – 91-77 – but it happened.

The question before The Maven – not to mention the rest of the Metro Division – is this: Can it happen again?

This much is certain all three of the Locals have undergone meaningful changes. But the results will remain unknown until training camp auditions are completed and opening night lineups are set.

Still, differences between the Isles and Rangers remain stark; To wit:

COACHING: The Isles high command became fed up with Patrick Roy's orchestration and dramatically fired him in the homestretch. By contrast, the MSG suits condoned Mike Sullivan's inept bench work simply by retaining him. As a saviour? Hardly.

MANAGING: Mathieu Darche has had a year to reorganize the Islanders. His most meaningful move so far has been hiring multi-successful Peter DeBoer as head coach. In addition the

Darche plan puts meaningful emphasis on developing prospects. Chris Drury's "re-tooling" has resulted in several new imports; the value of which won't be known for months.

GENERATIONAL PLAYER: The Nassaumen have a defenseman Matthew Schaefer who has proven in his rookie season that he could be as valuable to the franchise as Hall of Famer Denis Potvin once was during the Nassau Dynasty Years.

Whoa! WHOA! This does not mean that the Rangers are to be counted out. Not yet and, maybe not at all. 

To that end, bossman Chris Drury made a couple of what could be useful moves. Like the Islanders' Darche, Drury likely will add as much youth as possible while hoping that the addition of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Pavel Dorofeyev prove to be more than off-season window dressing. 

An area shared by both Rangers and Isles is concern about their #2 goaltenders. 

In Elmont the hope is that rehabbed Semyon Varlamov can return in mint condition but that's a game to game prayer. Vitek Vanecek is backup to the backup.

Right now Joonas Korpisalo is in the Blueshirts' bullpen alongside Dylan Garand who passed his audition late last season.

One thing is certain. Both the Isles' Ilya Sorokin and Rangers Igor Shesterkin were egregiously overworked last season. Sorokin's homestretch fade cost the Isles a playoff berth.

Shesterkin's woes happened even earlier but this term he should benefit from a stronger defense assuming, of course, that bedrock Adam Fox remains in A-1 shape.

Any MSG regular – as retired TV analyst Joe Micheletti once emphasized – will tell you that the Rangers as a  club "lacked spirit." 

Until now it's still the case and you can blame the coach or even captain J.T. Miller but there's been no apparent change among the leadership.

At least the Islanders imported Peter DeBoer who should make a difference in the  rah-rah department and a new captain is likely to be named soon.

When all's said and done there's little here to suggest that the Rangers have enough assets to pass the Islanders in the competitive Metro Division.

But what's on paper or the computer screen which – as we all know – is not the same as what will be on the ice.

Best we wait and see.