GRR!. . .

And it looks, sports fans, like I was at least half right in Friday's assessment of Petr Nedved's being cut from the Rangers.

It wasn't due to his play. It was because someone liked Blair Betts better. However, it was not Sather, perhaps, so much as coach Tom Renney himself.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09282008/sports/rangers/rangers_head_to_europe_on_sour_note_131011.htm

I've almost always at least been a Renney acceptor. Maybe not supporter, but certainly not hater. That is, mostly, because I've known that I would never be able to guess what kind of coach a certain team would need to be successful. Come on, with the Rangers that would be like spinning a wheel of luck at a carnival. You never know. But I really hate to think that was the reason. I really do.

Again, if the Rangers are 3-10 going into November (and after 6 straight games of scoring only 2 goals in each, in 2 straight games of "The King" looking less and less like royalty, and after an entire pre-season of not one single incidence of chemistry becoming evident - this is all looking all the more likely) they might all wish they had Nedved who at least scored a few goals and had a good camp. Although they will never, ever admit it. And that is, to quote Larry Brooks, "a shame."

His other points hit home as well. The over-abundance of pre-season games (and yes, blame the Rangers organization on this one; for they make these plans) was a cruel joke. The players have to be tired as they flew off yesterday evening. And they don't have it easy in Europe for the next week. And unless there is a complete and drastic change in the next few days, this team will be no better off and look no better on ice, than it has in the last week. They just haven't gelled. Whether they were never going to, or whether they have not had time, remains to be seen. But they are not a team I have confidence in at this point, and I think they shot themselves in the foot on a few things.

Okay, fine, maybe still a little bitterness, but you may or may not have had to sit through the game at the Garden yesterday. I'm not a fan of watching the Devils obliterate the Rangers, pre-season or not. For all those (perhaps myself) that said the Devils would not be one of the better teams in the East this year, I might have to change my opinion. I still haven't made predictions for the season and will hold off until later this week but. . . they look miles ahead of the Rangers. Or at least they brought their game yesterday.

In other notes -

-The penalty on Korpikoski 5 minutes and change into the game was SO incredibly bad, the NHL resinded his game misconduct shortly after. Unfortunately that didn't change the fact that the lines we were supposed to be looking at, changed and had to be shuffled immediately because of the phantom boarding major and game misconduct.

Around the league -

-This, despite recent rants and inclusions, will not be an entirely NY Rangers based blog for the season. It truly won't. Honestly, with 6 games in 8 days, I've had little time to catch any other games, except for the random few minutes on the radio driving home, and the updates I get every morning on XM204. I've been very out of the rest of the hockey world and will be so for another week. But...by the time the regular season opens up in the states, I look forward to more thoughts and commentary on other teams. Until then, apologies for the rants of a Rangers fan with nothing else to talk about. . .