What went wrong with the Rangers?
To get a direct answer, The Maven has assembled a "Post Mortem Round Table" including a diehard fan and three journalists who have spent a lifetime following the franchise.
First up is Mark Linde from Manhattan's Upper West Side. Take it away, Mark!
"The downward spiral began last season when Chris Drury went bargain basement shopping. Instead of getting the 'Alpha' dog – and proven big game scorer to put the team over the top – they did not."
As we all know, Drury failed and the Rangers wound up with a Dixie Cup, not the Stanley Cup.
Linde: "The 'Alpha Dog' deficiency was not addressed in the off-season. In fact it was made worse by the boggled Barclay Goodrow extraction and the neutering and eventual exit of Jacob Trouba.
"The rudderless ship with no captain nor leadership hierarchy was doomed to failure. Meanwhile 'Laugh ' iolette and staff had no answers for a player group with no passion, urgency, desire or structure for almost three-quarters of the season.
"Watching the games, I saw a coach embody the same lacklustre, incompetent qualities that his team displayed."
As of this moment – and the game tonight in Florida – Laviolette still is the Rangers coach. What remains to be seen is whether owner Jim Dolan allows Chris Drury to fire Lavvy.
"Ownership involvement," addss Linde, "or at the very least interest, seems non-existent. At some point a sinking ship needs intervention before it hits bottom.
"So far not a peep has been heard from Dolan about any kind of change, but that could change as early as Friday of this week."
That would be one day after the operative Rangers words were: 1. QUIT; 2. DISGUST; 3. EVICT!
While the unanswered question remains: Does Dolah know what's going on or is he that much moved from the malestom of misery?
Time will tell!