The closer we get to the regular season the more the debate about which
player is the key to the season increases. Depending on who you listen to that
key player is going to be Lindros, Kovalev, or Dunham. Each player is going to
be important to whether or not the Rangers end the non-playoff streak but yet at
the same time they really isn't one key player that will make or break the
season.
You see there isn't going to be one key player for the Rangers this season
who's play will help to determine the team's fate but rather there are going to
be 23 key players who will. Lindros for example could lead the NHL in scoring,
win the Hart Trophy and the Rangers could still fail to make the playoffs. Same
could be said about Kovalev and his role on the team or even Mike Dunham but
that is just it as if only individuals have a good season then the team will not
put an end to 6 years of frustration for Ranger fans.
I say there needs to be 23 key players on the Rangers because at different
points in the season each player is going to have a chance to help decide the
Ranger's fate. In fact the one single player who I feel is going to have the
greatest impact on the Ranger's chances doesn't even know that fact himself
because he has stepped forward yet. To me the most important key player on the
Rangers is going to be the guy who decides that he is going to put his own game
aside and do whatever the team needs to win even if it means hurting his own
personal stats.
I had a great laugh today when I read Sandy McCarthy's comments about what
was wrong with the Rangers in the Boston Herald. Our old pal Sandra was quoted
as saying: ``It's really tough to play with a bunch of stars on the team,
because nobody wants to do the grunt work. I think that explains it. That's my
theory, at least.'' Now of course I won't bother to remind Sandra of all the
times he used to say how much he was happy being a Ranger because they allowed
him to become a "more complete player" which most of us viewed as his
way of saying wannabe goal scorer.
Nor would I bother to mention how the player who was brought in to be the
Ranger's enforcer forgot that role and stopped fighting during his time as a
Ranger. However though once I stopped laughing and read a bit further he did in
fact make a good point regarding how most teams are built as compared to the
Rangers.
``A lot of guys make a lot of money on that team,'' said McCarthy. ``On most
teams throughout the league there are one or two guys making big money, and then
there are 18 grinders. And those grinders are what makes those star players as
good as they are." And as much as I hate to say this Sandra is right on the
mark here as that has been one of the biggest problems the Rangers have had in
recent years. Which player is going to do the dirty little jobs that make it
possible for the goal scorers to score their goals?
Which player is going to do the grunt work by going into the corners to dig
out the puck? Which player is going to give up his body to open up space for his
teammates? Which player is going to step up his game on nights when the rest of
his teammates have nothing in the tank? How about which player is going to
realize that by giving up part of his own game that he would be setting the
example for the rest of the team about it takes an entire team to win?
And there is going to be more key players as well. Which player is going to
make sure that the hot scorer on the other team that is his check for the night
doesn't score by concentrating on defense instead of trying to match him goal
for goal? Which player is going to jump to the aid of a teammate when someone
tries to cheapshot him? Which player is going to speak up in the locker room
when something needs to be said?
What about which player will be there when someone gets injured? Injuries are
part of the game as every Ranger fan knows so at some point in the season there
will be a time for a player to have to step himself up to replace another. There
will be also times when a key player will be the guy who takes himself out of
the lineup because he is hurting or tell a teammate that he has to. How many
times did we see Messier for example continue to play last season while hurt but
was ineffective due to his injury and thus hurt the team. More than anything
else when you look at the big picture the key player for the Rangers this season
is the one who leaves his ego in the locker room and can convince his teammates
to do the same.
We saw it happen during last year's playoffs as the teams that went deep into
them were the ones who always said "the team comes first". If one
player or even a few players can convince the rest of their teammates about the
importance of the "team must come first" attitude then he will be the
team MVP.
That is why I say that there are 23 key players on the Rangers this season.
No one player is going to carry this team no matter what hype is placed on
Lindros or Kovalev or anyone else. This season is going to require a total team
effort for them to make the playoffs for if they get themselves bogged down into
individual efforts then come next April we will be talking about everything but
the NHL playoffs for the Rangers.
We have heard the Rangers talking about the need to come closer as a team to
get this effort but history tells us that most of the time talk is just talk.
That can't happen this season as this group simply can't afford to get hung up
on individual stats, to break the team into cliques or even to use the media to
complain about things. This is going to have to be all about doing whatever it
takes to win for if they don't then they will find themselves once again the
butt of NHL jokes not to mention hostile crowds at the WMFA like they have never
ever seen.
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