Not deserving of a title (this post, not the rangers)

Well Dave, I would say that was one of the worst games of the season, but 1) it wasn't, there have been so many complete no shows from this team, that that one doesn't really stand out, 2) When I found out Hank wasn't starting, I started drinking so much and so fast that I can't recall most of the game anyway.

I have to disagree about sitting Hank. Where you saw brilliance, I saw the sort of stupidity that I did when the red sox decided to rest pedro for game 5 of the 1998 ALDS against the cleveland indians. Of course there never was a game 5, pedro got rested all winter, and it was a move that has helped make Boston the most talked about least successful team in sports, outside of the cubs.

The rangers had two days off prior to Sunday's game against the Bruins, and have the next two days off. I am not sure how much rest Hank needs, but I don't see a large difference between resting 4 days out of 6, and 5 days out of 6. And if Torts was that worried about rest, he could have played Hank last night, against a team the Rangers desperately needed to beat on the road, and he could start Valiquette in Nashville on thursday, against a weaker less relevant team to the standings for the rangers. That would give Hank a full four days off prior to the philly game on sunday.

Much like that pedro game though, it may not have made a difference. The red sox scored only one run in that little league, joke of a park they call fenway, and the rangers got shut out last night, so in retrospect, maybe getting Hank the rest works out. But I don't know how it affects the psyche of the team when they know it's a "must win" game, and they are going with their backup goalie? I am sure everyone like vally on the team, and they talk about how he prepares himself, and blah blah blah, but I am relatively confident that if you asked every ranger last night, was that a game they had to win, they would have said "yes", and if you asked them if they wanted hank in goal for that must win they would have said "yes". Perhaps they pressed on offense even more with Hank out? Who knows.

I knew getting sh*tfaced was the only way I was going to be able to watch that game. Two falls ago the rangers had a game in carolina that I am still seething about. For some reason the officiating gets particularly bad on the boys in blue when they head down to Carolina. That game was won when Shanny roofed a perfect shot over fatty Cam Ward to seal a 4-2 win. Shanny is gone now, off helping the devils lead the Atlantic Division, while the rangers are now sitting in 9th in the wake of the putrid play of one Aaron Voros. (There have been other culprits, most notably redden, roszival, drury to some extent, gomez, dubinsky, kalinin, etc, but Voros was the shanny sub that would play infront of the net and get tip ins. Somehow sather thought a "journeyman" could do the job of a "hall of famer")

In the end, the defensive highlight of the night was marc staal on lying on his stomach, slapping away the puck from a carolina player to prevent a 2 on none right in front of Vally. The offensive highlight was Dubinsky lying on his back, forgetting he was playing hockey and not basketball, and trying to throw the puck into the net. Anytime the highlights of the evening come with your players horizontal to the ice, you probably didn't put up a great performance, and they didn't.

But they have a game in hand on carolina, and they play most of the teams ahead of them down the stretch. They control their own destiny. I just hope Hank will be in net for it.

Note: I have never, and will never proofread. Thanks.