Back when the Rangers were starting their season on that horrible west coast swing, the team looked lost and confused. It had lost it's coach who held everyone accountable for everything and were without some key players and had a few fill-ins that just weren't good enough to play on this team. Coach A.V. used the start of the season as a "try-out" for some players and hoped that "game experience" would get the players to learn the system once the injured players came back into the fold. It took a long time, too long for most Ranger fans, but it sems as if the pieces might be in place and that the team and the system have gotten on track with each other.

Back on October 11,2013 I wrote a blog that some thought was "clueless" in saying that the Rangers had too many of the same type of players. Well, out of those players I had mentioned, Taylor Pyatt and Michael DelZotto have both been traded while Arron Asham and Jesper Fast have both been sent to the AHL where they still are part of the Rangers organization at this time.  It seems That Rangers G.M. Glen Sather agreed with the asessment, so that just might prove it was clueless. To start the season, A.V. thought that the speed of Fast would work well in his system, but he was fast(no pun intended), but had no "finish" and played in 8 games getting zero points and only got on the scoresheet with a 2 minute penalty. In his place came a player I thought should have made the starting lineup in Chris Kreider. Kreider came up from the AHL affiliate Wolfpack and has been a key player in the Rangers turnaround along with being mentioned as a Calder nominee for rookie of the year. Kreider has played 35 games and has scored 13 goals-17 assists- for 30 points while playing a power forward game with Derek Stepan and Rick Nash, and has also added 60 penalty minutes. Another comparison was Taylor Pyatt and Brian Boyle as the same type of player and one needed to go. Both players skate slow and have hands of stone, both are big solid players but neither can fight, and both need to be only 4th line players for the Rangers to be successful. Taylor got to play 22 games this season as a Ranger getting on the score sheet only with 1 assist and 10 minutes in penalties. Brian Boyle can at least take faceoffs and contribute somewhat in his 52 games with 3 goals-7 assists-10 points and 46 penalty minutes but needs to stop dropping the gloves to fight because he could actually get killed out there he is so bad at that part of the game (someone needs to send him for boxing lessons) and after his beatings the other team gets all the momentum. Arron Asham was supposed to be the muscle on the the team and played in 6 games recording zero points and 14 penalty minutes before they realized he couldn't keep up with the pace that A.V. wants from his players, and he was buried in the AHL Hartford Wolfpack . Derek Dorsett took over the role and in 37 games he played the physical role (although only a middle weight against many heavyweights) and even scored 3 goals-2 assists-5points while amassing 103 penalty minutes. Dorsett's role is an important one as "policeman" so that the other team doesn't take liberties on the Rangers top players or goalies. When D.D. went down to an injury, the Rangers overnight traded a conditional 7th round pick out to L.A. for Daniel Carcillo to pick up the slack, and in 8 games as a Ranger has scored a goal and been in the "sin bin" for 17 minutes.  Now for the last and biggest comparison- John Moore and Michael Del Zotto. Both are young and the offensive type of defenseman. MDZ was asked to play of the right side of the defense and he and Moore were paired together on the 3rd dman grouping, this just didn't work. MDZ went to coach A.V. and asked back on the left side forcing John Moore to the left(his ofside), and MDZ didn't do any better. MDZ was on the market for a few weeks and yesterday the Rangers made a trade that worked for both teams actually. Nashville had an extra right side dman and sent Kevin Klein($2.9 mil per for 4 years) to the Rangers while MDZ(RFA with arbitration rights and has at least a $3,1 tender offer) will now be a Predator. MDZ this season played 42 games and scored 2 goals-9 assists-11 points and 10 penalty minutes while J.Moore played 50 games scored 2 goals-7assists-9 points and 23 minutes and Moore can handle himself in the fighting department. The addition of Klein sets up the Rangers defense like it used to be when they were successful, an offensive and defensive type of player paired together on the backend. It makes sense for McDonagh and Girardi to stay together, Staal and Stralman, while Moore and Klein for the 3rd pairing for now and a pretty tough duo for the other teams tough guys. Stralman's spot should be taken by either of the Moore/Klein pairing as the season goes along.

The forward lines of Nash/Stepan/Kreider----Hagelin/Richards/Callahan---Pouliot/Brassard/Zuccarello----Boyle/D.Moore/Carcillo are playing well right now but still need a faceoff specialists and you can never go wrong with another sniper to shoot from all areas of the ice. The powerplay has looked much better even without the much needed "shot from the point". Whether Sather stays "in house" and gives players like J.T. Miller or Danny Kristo a shot is to be seen, but if we know Sather like we think we do, he will give up a piece or two for a veteran who can get the Rangers into a position for a hopeful long run in the playoffs.

Let's Go Rangers!!!