The Rangers were unprepared to deal with all of the injuries they suffered during the second half of the season and into the playoffs, which led to their downfall.
Hockey is a war game on ice and that explains why Florida and Edmonton still are competing for the Stanley Cup and the Rangers are not. They survived the attacks.
Hockey wars inevitably produce injuries and wounds deplete a lineup.
They often torpedo teams who believe that The Cup is in the bag; except that the bag is perforated. The Rangers can tell you all about it.
Exhibit A is Adam Fox:
Any frequent Fox-watcher knew well before the regular season had ended that the slick, smooth, unerring power play quarterback had lost it.
Precisely what Foxy had lost was up for debate since the Rangers high command had concealed Adam's wound better than Jimmy Hoffa's pals have told about the lovely labor leader's final resting place.
Fox's injury was one of many on the blue line. Jacob Trouba wound up playing hurt. Ditto Ryan Lindgren. You would have had a better idea of what was wrong with them had you climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and screamed, "What Gives?"
While it's part of hockey's tradition for Fox, Trouba, plus to play hurt, they damage their team by not being able to play to their normal strengths.
That's where my gripe with Peter Laviolette – or perhaps Chris Drury, or both – comes into play.
A wise general manager prepares for pre-playoff injuries because they happen to virtually every team every year. That's what killed Florida when the Panthers reached the Final round last spring.
And, yes, Drury did prepare for the inevitable. He made a deal with Pittsburgh and received experienced blue liner Chad Ruhwedel. On top of that – yearning to earn his pay and show his mettle – Zac Jones was aching to fill a gap.
Enough savvy folks who I know reported that Jones not only has the goods but he'd be an ideal replacement for any regular blue liner.
But neither got the call nor did Connor Mackey who would have infused the team with some much needed Pizzazz.
And you know the rest of the tale: Fox might as well have been Joe Schlump from the ECHL. Captain Trouba couldn't lead by example because he wasn't himself and played like Captain Terrible.
The sad result was that the Rangers dearly suffered from the fortunes of hockey wars. But sadder than that was the unabashed fact that reinforcements were there to be called upon.
Instead – for reasons unknown – these healthy warriors were left to rot.
And, considering how the Cats kicked the Blueshirts out of the playoffs' that was rotten!