The Maven takes a hard look at what can go wrong, and what must go right for the Rangers against the Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.
In recent history some awfully good teams have choked at Playoff Time -- and the New York Rangers were one of them.
Unless you're suffering from a temporary case of Rangers-Fan-Amnesia, the Blueshirts' First Round "El Foldo" to the underdog Devils last April has gone down in Blueshirt "infamy."
Don't laugh -- then again, weeping might be in order -- it could happen once the first round series against Washington begins in a few days.
Who's to say that Shesterkin's game won't fall apart after his team takes a three-games-to-one lead as it did last year? (Hey, if it happened once it could repeat!)
Lloyd's of London wouldn't dare give you a policy guaranteeing that The Breadman's baked goods won't go stale as it did against the Devils one year ago at this playoffs time.
Plus, there's no way of knowing whether Peter Laviolette will be any better than he was coaching in Washington. (Yoo-Hoo, Moo-Hoo, wasn't Pistol Pete the guy whose Caps missed the booty last spring?)
Like that other thing, sugar happens in the playoffs and, so far, Pfizer has yet to produce an effective Playoff Slump vaccine.
Granted, none of the above theoretical disasters are guaranteed to happen but one must be prepared. With that in mind, as a public service, I hereby present The Maven's exclusive Playoff Winning Hockey formula.
What's more it's offered free to both Chris Druty and Peter Laviolette. Both are well aware of the possible consequences if their Rangers go the same route as they did against New Jersey.
Listen up Lavvy and following my rules:
1. Man Mountain Matt Rempe must beat the crap out of Tom Wilson at the earliest possible moment. (That will provide a series-long boost for the Blueshirt Boys.)
2. Apart from the Heavyweight bout, Lavvy must allow his rugged fourth line to check Alex Ovechkin so often until Ovie's sipping his last bottle of Vodka outside the Kremlin.
3. Since The Maven has been gradually losing faith in Jacob Trouba's defensive efforts, the Captain had darn well better get his A-Game in gear or I'll demand that he be de'C'd and replaced by Chris Kreider who should have gotten the "C" in the first place.
4. Put it this way; if any of the top defenders shows any sign of faltering, I'd rush Zac Jones into action faster than you can say Braden Schneider.
5. As for the goaltending, Lavvy has to start the titular Number One, Shesterkin, but if Iggy pulls a 2023 Humpty Dumpty on him; then O-U-T and in with The Quick One name Jonathan.
On paper, a rout of Washington seems too simple to be true -- on paper.
For now, things are looking up; so up in fact, I'm leaning more to a Rangers sweep with every passing day.
Then, again, The Maven can afford to do that since nobody's played a playoff game yet!