Once Over The Blueshirts Lightly But Not Politely

1. One reason the Rangers should beat Columbus tonight is that Jonathan Quick is better than any goalkeeper BJ coach Dean Evason sends to the crease.

2. And that includes the ever-popular Elvis Merzlikins, or Danil Tarason. Nor dare The Maven forget Jet Greaves, who sounds like a commuter airline.

3. Everytime I believe that D'Andre Miller has turned the corner on to Stardom Street, he turns the puck over instead and does something ridiculous on the ice. Then I have to wonder whether it's he – or me?

4. As a Ranger, defenseman Carson Soucy has a better goal-scoring average than Big Al Lafrenière as a filthy rich forward.

5. You tell me how and why this is possible. The Rangers had the game won, up 3-1 in the third. "Then," says my superscout Jess Rubenstein, "They stopped working."

6. Considering the importance of the game, WHY did the team "stop working?"  Did the union boss phone and say, "Hey, you're working too hard? Cut  that out?" Or, did Beloved Coach Peter Laviolette tell the Boys that – only in Ottawa –  periods are only ten minutes long?

7.  Now I know why my Blue Collar Blueshirts editor-pal Sean McCaffrey calls them FAT CATS. 

8. You may not like the way Mika Zibanejad plays but the media must love him. Magic Z always seems available and pleasant after any game. (Not true for the high-priced goalie who was needed to steal that game from Ottawa.)

9. By the way, Marvelous Mika got a goal and his most accurate postgame comment was: "We needed two points and didn't get them."

10. Just wondering; is the Esteemed Coach waiting until the last week of the season to name a captain. Or will he do it through a lottery?

11. Quick Quiz: Tell me in less than four seconds which two words are a reason for the Rangers to make the playoffs. (No peeking!) Sam Rosen.

12. Try to guess the four excellent reasons for the Rangers to beat the Blue Jackets. (Hint: Sam Rosen is not in any of quartet. (Okay, say you give up!)

13. Reason 1: The Blueshirts are in Winnipeg on Tuesday; 2. In Minnesota, Thursday and 3, Columbus on Saturday! 4. is a real treat: Next Sunday, Connor McDavid rides his white horse into The World's Most Famous Arena along with Leo The Lion and the rest of those "Erlers."

14. The most arresting thing about this zany Metro Wild Card Race is that the Devils now have – unwillingly, of course – become a part of it.

15. Chris Drury could take some general managing lessons from Boss Don Waddell. The second that Pal Donny left Raleigh was the beginning of the Canes' collapse.