"Why not us?"
The cry of Rangers fans continues as they hash and rehash reasons why Florida owns the Stanley Cup while the Blueshirts cups can be found at any Dunkin Donuts.
There's Java in them, not champagne.
Meanwhile, the question of what makes a champ a Champ and why isn't Mika Zibanejad as good as Sam Bennett continues to be heard.Or Vin Trocheck or The Breadman?
"It's a question of talent vs. mental toughness and confidence." says Mark Linde, sitting at The Mave's Round Table. "There are players who have all the talent but don't succeed because they can't conquer the mental aspect of the game."
The 2024-25 Rangers were too busy wrestling with the loss of captain Jacob Trouba and Barclay Goodrow instead of wrestling with Sasha Barkov or Aaron Eckblad.
Linde: "Then there are others who don't have superior talent but get every ounce out of their ability because of their strong mental focus and high octane motor."
Florida is loaded with them; names that you still can't spell but never stop producing: Carter Verhaeghe, Evan Rodrigues, and Mackie Samoskevich, to name a few.
Cats GM Bill Zito says he wanted to – and succeeded – in building a team that plays "at the edge" whereas the Rangers are still looking for that "edge."
"The teams that win," adds Linde, "have coaches who find a way to get the most out of every player on their roster."
Why The Rangers Can't Do What The Panthers Can
As the Stanley Cup was paraded around Amerant Bank Arena by the two-time champion Florida Panthers, a Ranger fan could not be faulted for asking: "Why not us?"
You can check it out; with maybe one exception, every player acquired by Zito has had a career year with the Panthers.
"The Rangers don't have enough leaders," Linde concludes, "and not enough middle and lower players who played to their potential." Then, a pause:
"Nor a coach who got the most out of his roster." Now you have the answer to: "Why not us?"