It's always interesting to hear what the fans have to say about their fallen idols. Now that the Rangers have gone "SPLAT" it's time for their rooters to have one last chance to offer their opinions as to the "why" of it – and then some. Mark Nussbaum, who plays hockey – and knows the game – writes from Toronto: "The Panthers had a formula," Nussbaum says, "and the whole team bought into Paul Maurice's system. A championship DNA was instilled throughout the lineup. "Florida has more of the key ingredients than the Rangers. That includes the key element called grit. You can also add the following: skill, desire and a killer instinct. The Blueshirts rely on their power play and it obviously failed them. Who knows – the New Yorkers were under a lot of pressure to win The Cup this year and maybe the pressure finally got to them." This from longtime fan Eli Polatoff in Far Rockaway: "The Rangers big-time players played small when the chips were down. Granted that Igor Shesterkin was excellent from start to finish but it proved that a goalie can do only so much if he doesn't get goal support from his offense. "Another thing is the misguided thinking that fans in Madison Square Garden scare the opposition and give the Rangers a boost. The fact is that teams are not scared to play in The Garden. The Panthers said they love the place. Sean Avery Illustrates Rangers Perfect Shift "Also, the Rangers are very much like the Maple Leafs. In Toronto they've waited more than a half-century for a Cup and still don't have one. The Rangers are the Rangers. Now it's going on 31 years and no Stanley! Call it 'tradition,' if you will." One fan, Leo Scaglione, Jr. from Staten Island, believes that the Rangers deserve more credit than they receive for winning the Presidents' Trophy and for battling through two winning playoff rounds. "Every spring," Leo asserts, "a team has to win and a team has to lose. It's that simple. With that in mind, there doesn't have to be an indictment of the Rangers just because they lost in the Conference Final. Florida was a better and more well-rounded team. "The Panthers didn't have to rely on a hot goalie. With Shesterkin, the Rangers were able to make quick work of Washington and then dispatch the Canes. But then, the inevitable happened – New York's train ran out of fuel. It's as simple as that!"
