Another year without a Stanley Cup for the Rangers is in the books. This season the Garden faithful had their sky high expectations dashed by a team that never seemed to find its groove. Should that underachievement result in a change in leadership?
Mack Rosenberg and Eric Mollo chatted with Kenny Albert earlier on One on One, discussing the Rangers' Overtime thriller Thursday and their upcoming Game 6, as well as the Penguins' strong offensive showing throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the action out West.
The Rangers are playing Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in Boston on Sunday. The Broadway Blueshirts dropped game 1 of the series 3-2 after an overtime goal from Brad Marchand sunk New York.
It's not often you see a team skate off to a standing ovation, but that's what went down Saturday night in the final Islanders game to be played at the Nassau Coliseum. They gave the fans one heck of a show, leading the Penguins 3-2 14:44 into the 3rd before a Paul Martin shot found the back of the net and sent the game to Overtime. The Isles continued the offensive, as they had all game, but it was a chance off the stick of a Penguin, Brooks Orpik, that ended the game 4-3 and the series 4-2.
At times it wasn't a guarantee that the Blueshirts would make it into the playoffs. After essentially playing two weeks of playoff games at the end of the lockout-shortened season, the Rangers worked their way in as a six seed in the Eastern Conference. Their first round opponent is a familiar one: the Washington Capitals.
The New York Islanders are facing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Isles come in as the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference, and the team finished the lockout shortened season with 55 points. The Penguins are the top seed in the East, and they enter the postseason after capturing 72 points.
It’s been six seasons since Islanders fans have seen their team in the postseason, but the wait is now over. A young team, led by Hart Trophy candidate John Tavares, will not have an easy first round as they face the Pittsburgh Penguins.
I’m sitting on a leather couch in an upscale bar on Fulton Street and New York Giant cornerback Prince Amukamura is a few feet to my right. My colleague/friend/socializer Kris Venezia is next to me and we engage in conversation to avoid any awkward stares in our direction, which we knowingly received from many people, including Hannah Storm’s younger daughters to our left. You see we inadvertently had situated ourselves in the VIP section of the bar, an open room with neon lighting that offered us a chance to breathe.
The hockey scheduling gods have done the New York Rangers a favor, giving them an easy schedule at a crucial time in the hunt for a postseason spot. The Broadway Blue Shirts, with three games left, will take on Florida, Carolina and New Jersey, three teams that have already been eliminated from the playoffs.
The Rangers are in the 8th spot of the Eastern Conference with the Winnipeg Jets three points behind them the final week of the season, but Captain Ryan Callahan refuses to look in the rear view mirror.
New Jersey is home to some of the biggest and fastest roller coasters in the world. Jersey’s hockey team, the Devils, must have taken some inspiration from this and had a season that was nothing short of a roller coaster ride. On the day after the New York Rangers eliminated the Devils from the playoffs it’s now time to reflect on the season that could have been, but never was.
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