Was Their Anything Redeeming About Today's Rangers Game. . .?

AT ALL?

Umm, yes.

The fact that it ended.

I might have not had a great feeling about the game to start.

Early game. Versus Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh. On NBC.

It had all the makings of the game the Rangers would have to work harder than usual at to win.

Unfortunately as it turned out, they didn't work hard or at all.

I can't say it was the worst game. Ever. Or for the season. But it has been a long, long time since I can say there was nothing - not one thing - that was redeeming on the part of the Rangers and their play. Not one thing.

And that's staggering.

Naslund failed to shoot the puck numerous times. Gomez pulled his typical dipsy-doodle without direction. Kalinin was on the ice every single second, it seemed. Hank gave up a horrible goal on the 2nd one. Their powerplay was lifeless, not at all shockingly.

No one seemed to skate. No one seemed awake. And with a few minor exceptions, no one seemed to want to take the body.

The Rangers saw, more than once this year alone, that the way to win against Pittsburgh, is to take the body, and play physically against Malkin and Crosby.

They couldn't get it done.

Or they wouldn't.

And that's what was embarassing. I don't mind going to a game and having them lose. I don't. I've been a Rangers fan long enough to know they don't always win.

But my gosh, at least show up.

What I'd assume was the Penguins newly constructed 4th line, the one with Menard, skated like pros around the Rangers. And we're all fully aware they were just in Wilkes-Barre last week.

Tell me how that's acceptable?

Everytime Orr tried to get Godard to fight, I just kept saying, do it already. Get it over with. Anything to add some life to the mess that was occurring.

Even better? When the Orr, Crosby scuffle was going on, a guy a few rows behind me said, "oh sure Renney. play it that way. You go after our best guys. we'll go after yours. Gomez."

I rolled my eyes. I know he's the highest paid and I know he's our #1 line center - for what both of those two things are worth I have no idea - but seriously. Gomez. I laughed. And I laughed too that this guy thought Renney had any responsiblity for that.

I almost WISH Renney would have told Orr to go and level Crosby or Malkin. It worked last time. Crosby was on his butt, on MSG ice, and boo-ed with out mercy just less than two weeks ago. And today, all Penguins skated freely.

The Rangers legs were gone. They were life-less. Truly life-less. I sincerely hope I don't see this again on Tuesday against the Ducks at the Garden. I'm not sure I can take it again. But with these players constructed on this team, I am not sure what can be done to change it. I don't think anything can. At least not now. Not for a while.

The Rangers needed a game changer today. Someone to go out there and SHOW their team that such a lackluster effort was unacceptable.

The Rangers do not have such a player. They don't. They have guys that play well at times, and perhaps for stretches. But they do not have someone that could have pulled them from the funk that was today's game. When Pen went up 3-0, it was over. There was no one to turn it around. It was that obvious.

A shame. A shame. A shame. Just an out and out game where I have nothing positive to say.

Except that it ended, of course.