Is getting shutout 8 times in a season before New Year’s Day good? I don’t even really know what to say anymore at this point. It’s the same thing over, and over, and over again with this group. They put up 5 in the third against Washington, but can’t even muster a real chance against the Islanders. They are the most mystifying team in the entire NHL. What more is there to say other than this team absolutely stinks, and it really might be time to explore the avenues of rebuilding/retooling, whatever semantic you want to call it. The Rangers need a youth movement.
Last night’s snoozer wasn’t on one specific player or thing either. The entire team was still hungover from Christmas. The Rangers mustered one shot attempt–not even on goal–in the first 10 minutes last night. There’s nothing any team can do when the top players don’t score. The Rangers’ top six collectively makes $45,117,857 and has scored a total of 62 goals through 40 games. It’s not remotely close to what it should be, and is the main reason for the Rangers mediocrity.
It’s hard not to feel for Igor Shesterkin, at least on the ice. The man signed an 8 year deal a year ago expecting a competing team, and they have been anything but. The stars not pulling their weight isn’t on him, but his contract is going to become a focus as the Rangers clearly need a rebuild/retool and his contract (see: him playing 60 games) may prevent them from bottoming out. How many years in his contract are going to be contending year?
Just like Henrik Lundqvist before him, Igor is looking like he’ll be joining some company of goalies who played for the Rangers and never won a Stanley Cup. Unless fortunes someone come into the Rangers favor via the lottery, or some miracle draft selection in this year’s draft, this might be looking like just another wasted generational performance in New York.
This season more and more has felt like it did in 2017-2018 when the letter eventually went out. That team accepted their fates, though. It sounds like Chris Drury (and James Dolan) want to buy at the deadline, which will probably lead to riots. We are in for some pain, and a lot has to either go right, or this team will be middling for a while.