Ranger offense Flames out in second straight defeat

December 8, 2008   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

Offense is defined as being able to score. In hockey terminology, that means doing what it takes to beat the opposing goalie. In order to win NHL games, you must be able to finish plays.

Despite a much better effort last night than a few days prior in Montreal, the Rangers’ inability to score cameback to haunt them dropping a 3-0 decision to Jarome Iginla and the Flames before a frustrated MSG crowd who grew so bored, they began a derisive “Sloppy Seconds” chant aimed at defenseman Dion Phaneuf referencing former Ranger Sean Avery’s off ice charade on his former girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert’s newfound beau.

Could you blame them much? There wasn’t a whole lot to get excited for even though the Rangers at one point got the first 11 shots of the second period increasing their SOG edge to 22-7 without getting to the primary scoring areas to beat struggling Miikka Kiprusoff, who turned aside all 31 he saw for his third shutout this season. In case you’re scoring at home, that’s three more than Henrik Lundqvist, who apparently is now being asked to not allow anything thanks to how inept his teammates are and letting them know about it.

Somehow, the skills of MIA captain Chris Drury and alternate turnover machine Scott Gomez have gone wayside thanks to Tom Renney’s continued insistence on changing lines without even giving them a chance for chemistry. That it took only two games for the coach to switch up his lines which had Gomez playing with Markus Naslund and Nikolai Zherdev speaks to how bad things have gotten.

Apparently, one miserable game where Zherdev and Gomez each were minus-four was enough for the conservative coach though everyone stunk in front of Lundqvist Thursday. So much for patience. Guess he never was a Guns N’ Roses fan. Ironically, it only took remaining member Axl Rose 14 years to release Chinese Democracy. The same 14 it’s been since now Calgary coach Mike Keenan was at the helm ending 54 years of frustration delivering a Stanley Cup on Broadway.

Ranger fans might start wondering how long it’s going to take for their team to consistently score more than two goals. Since scoring three in a 4-3 shootout win at Florida on Nov.28, the Blueshirts have totaled four goals in the last 245 minutes dropping three of four needing a skill competition to comeback on Pittsburgh while getting shutout twice- the only two instances they’ve failed to score.

Last night, they competed and were in control until Iginla deposited a loose rebound converting his 14th with 4:10 left in the second after Mike Cammalleri kept the puck alive dishing across following their first shot of the stanza by Phaneuf, who heard it from the crowd once his name was announced for the secondary helper.

We bet the league must’ve loved the fans’ reaction following the six-game suspension to Avery along with a mandated anger management course. Only those who never covered the sport would applaud such classic overreaction which is why it was fitting to hear the chant come up about Phaneuf’s current squeeze Cuthbert.

A little over two minutes later, the NHL All-Star defenseman was guilty of an elbowing minor continuing to get the brunt of it with some fans even chanting, “Avery. Avery. Avery.”

They didn’t seem to care that the Rangers had a power play which in hockey terms means a five-on-four advantage which should give your team a better chance to score. But not if you’ve been following the kinda soft perimeter oriented hockey this team plays. Calgary killed it with ease including the remaining 27 seconds at the start of the third. By conclusion, New York was 0-for-4 on the PP and are 3 for 30 in the past eight contests.

A Gomez neutral zone turnover led directly to the Flames’ insurance marker with David Moss deflecting home a Todd Bertuzzi backhand at 1:52 extending his goal streak to four straight. The little known right wing now has eight goals which would tie for third most on the Rangers with Drury and witness protection candidate Aaron Voros, whose game has dramatically slipped since October when he netted five of those eight and nine of 13 points yet remains in the lineup over healthy scratch Nigel Dawes, who scored last game.

The rest of the third saw Renney change lines looking for any spark even trying Gomez and slumping Brandon Dubinsky together to mixed results. They generated opportunities but for reasons only known to Gomez, he didn’t shoot even when within 14 feet earning boos everytime he touched the puck. It didn’t help that he was caught on for the Rangers’ NHL league worst eighth shorthanded goal against when they allowed another eight-goal scorer Rene Bourque to circle around and get his own rebound closing the scoring with two minutes left- making Gomez a minus-seven in the last two losses.

By that point, I’d already seen enough and was almost out of the building when I heard that they’d given up another shortie. How can a first place team allow so many while sucking on the man-advantage? The answer is quite simple. This is the most overrated team in the NHL. They’re just not that good and in dire need of a change.

It was bad enough the Giants didn’t bother to show against the Eagles but they were due for a bad game and will bounce back like defending champions do. It’s not that the Rangers played poorly but the lack of offense is getting to the point of insanity. They couldn’t even score one God damn goal the day before my birthday. What a great gift!

With the economy in the worst shape it’s been in over three decades, it’s starting to look like this Ranger team is also running on fumes. Talk about flameout.

Three Stars:

3rd Star-David Moss, Cgy (goal, 5 SOG, plus-one in 15:00)

2nd Star-Miikka Kiprusoff, Cgy (31 saves incl. 23 first 2 periods, third shutout)

1st Star-Jarome Iginla, Cgy (game-winning goal, 2 SOG, plus-one in 19:32)

Notes: The Rangers’ best two chances came when Kiprusoff got a pad out to deny Ryan Callahan on the game’s opening shift resulting in a failed power play while the other came off the stick of enforcer Colton Orr when his redirect went off the post following Iginla’s decider. … With D Wade Redden out due to a groin injury, rookie Corey Potter made his NHL debut faring alright going minus-one in 15:49 while paired with weak link Dmitri Kalinin. Michal Rozsival worked mostly with Marc Staal and Paul Mara teamed with Dan Girardi. … Flames outshot the Rangers 11-8 in the third scoring twice against one of the league’s best third period clubs. … Lundqvist turned aside 17 of 20 shots absorbing the loss. … Rangers (18-10-2, 38 Pts) get a couple of days off before traveling to 14th place Atlanta Wednesday.