You had to admire the Rangers secret – hoped for winning – strategy that almost worked last night in Calgary. Almost. The plan appeared to work like this: 1. Let the Flames knock themselves out with 20 shots at Igor Shesterkin in the first period. 2. Figure the Calgarians will be exhausted in the third period from shooting so much. 3. Then, the New Yorkers will skate all over the flagging Flames and win the darn game. Peter Laviolette's skaters followed that scheme to a T; except for one thing. The Flames never got tired. As for other reason for the loss – apart from the usual ref-baiting – try these on for size: "We got outworked," said Peter Laviolette who needed just three little words to describe the result. Mollie Walker of The Post added that the coach said it with "pursed lips." Which tells me that at his next media scrum Pistol Pete should try lip balm as an opener. In the meantime I'm going to purse my lips and tell you what you already know; that these beloved Blueshirts cannot beat good hockey teams. Humpties; for sure. Goodies? Whether they are outshot by Florida, outskated by Winnipeg or out-pursed lips by Calgary, the Blueshirts have a quality team problem. Igor Shesterkin Has Reportedly Rejected Contract Extension Paying Him $11 Million Per Season Mind you it's not Will Cuylle's problem; nor that of Alexis Lafrenière. The Young Turks got the New York goals but Vincent Trocheck didn't. "Trocheck is in a slump," says my eagle-eye-on-the-Rangers-hockey-playing grandson Ariel Fischler. "He's hurting the team. Plus the second line looked out of place and the fourth line ought to wake up." It may seem funny – make that strange – but Cuylle is carrying the forwards with goals and hits galore. "The Rangers also have to stop giving up the first goal," says The Old Scout. "It's becoming a bad habit."
