That is much more hockey than the New York Rangers have played recently.
The Kings and Hawks currently sit at first and second place in their divisions, respectively.
Defensive Breakdowns- Legitimate Problem
If you spend any time engaging in conversation about the Rangers, then you’ve most likely heard this common excuse.
The Rangers have been playing horrible team defense this season. Defensemen and forwards alike have made a bad habit out of leaving opposing players open.
As a result, players over-commit to the opposition and their positioning falters.
These defensemen are ultimately blamed when stats show that they are on the ice for goals against.
Watch the lack of coverage from the forwards on this goal by Justin Williams:
Emerson Etem gets caught in no-mans land on this play.
Situations like this have become a common occurrence, leaving players like Marc Staal and Dan Girardi to clean up the mess.
Don’t get me wrong, Staal and Girardi are not the spring chickens they used to be, but blaming the team’s woes solely on their play is an excuse.
Mental Fatigue- Excuse
Success can be a double-edged sword in sports.
With success comes higher expectations, and with higher expectations comes pressure.
This snowball effect is something that all New York athletes must be able to navigate to be successful.
In the past two years, the expectations for the New York Rangers have skyrocketed to almost New York Yankee proportions.
This “championship or bust” mentality can be a good thing in the playoffs, but this must seem daunting in October.
Especially after losing a Stanley Cup Final and two Eastern Conference Finals in four years, thoughts of “can we really do this” are only human.
While a lot of playoff hockey is no excuse for physical fatigue, the lack of success must take its toll on a player’s psyche.
Injuries- Legitimate Problemm
Injuries affect a player’s performance, whether they admit it or not, and Martin St. Louis is a prime example.
Everyone loves to bash MSL for the horrible playoff performance he had last year, but no one discusses why he performed so poorly.
St. Louis suffered a sprained MCL in his knee and was never quite the same after the injury. He was slower, couldn’t cut as efficiently, and his production tanked.
Fast forward to today, and people are all over Dan Girardi. But similar to St. Louis, no one wants to discuss that the veteran defenseman is playing with a cracked kneecap.
Derek Stepan and Kevin Klein also suffered injuries this season, and neither have returned to their former, productive selves.
A Complete Lack Of Confidence- Legitimate Problem
The Rangers are experiencing a bad stretch of hockey that only the 1998-2004 Ranger teams could sympathize with.
For a team that is used to making deep playoff runs, losing consistently can shatter confidence.
Seth Rothman, columnist for Insidehockey.com aired his concerns after the most recent loss to the Florida Panthers:
This level of adversity has the Rangers floating in uncharted waters.
Look no further than Tiger Woods to see how a lack of confidence can effect an athlete’s performance.
Tiger was commonly mentioned in the same breath as golf great Jack Nicklaus, and it was almost a given that Tiger was going to break Nicklaus’ record of 18 Major Titles.
But, Tiger Woods became a completely different player after his scandalous affairs came to light. His biggest attribute, confidence, was now gone and his play still hasn’t resurfaced.
The Rangers need to overcome adversity and string wins together, if they want to regain their confidence. That is a must come playoff time.
No matter what the excuses or problems are, the New York Rangers need to correct them, and fast. Everyone around them are getting better.
What are your thoughts? What are the excuses and real problems surrounding the New York Rangers?