Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ad25fb2c-6765-43b7-8f74-933024d9e912.jpeg] Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The Rangers are hot. Their season is not. Geez! The New Yorkers' sizzling two-game winning streak – remember the theme: "Three Straight Or Bust" – has been stopped by the schedule of all things. The final game at The Garden last night oozed with ironies starting with the fact that Tampa Bay's boys played not to get hurt and to that extent their 4-0 loss meant zero to them. All Bolts escaped unscathed. As for the gallant Beloved Blueshirts, the victory was pyrrhic at best and ironic, at worst. In fact there were about a ton of ironies altogether. Try these on for size. * IGOR SHESTERKIN'S SHUTOUT: When the chips were down in the homestretch, the overpaid goalie failed the team. His shutout meant zilch at this time. * MIKA ZIBANEJAD'S TWO GOALS: He's the guy the team mostly would like to trade and cannot. Magical Mika won't let them. (Headache for Chris Drury, not you.) * CHRIS KREIDER SCORED: That was nice of the fellow who was as much a "We Can't Trade Him" problem as The Z Man. (Bye now.) * THE RANGERS FINISHED OVER THE .500 MARK: Hey, 39-36-7 is nothing to be laughed at on account of they wound up ahead of the Islanders. * PETER LAVIOLETTE HAS NOT BEEN FIRED: The Maven actually hears a sprinkling of cheers for Pistol Pete. (For now, folks, just for now. Next week, well, we'll see about that.) * CHRIS DRURY STILL IS GM: For further details on length, etc. see Jim Dolan. * SAM ROSEN EXITS A WINNER: No playoffs for Everyone's Pal, but gallons of gifts and oodles of love. As for the 2025-26 season, at the moment the Beloved Blueshirts are undefeated. At the moment. Don't start painting any STANLEY CUP OR BUST signs until The Maven gives you the signal.
