Spring Break
Rangers, Sharks Poised To Charge Late
NHL
Emre Aksoy
Issue date: 3/18/08 Section: Sports
With 10 games left in the NHL season, teams are starting to focus on the playoffs. Hockey guru Barry Melrose has always stressed the importance of "it's not how you start, but how you finish" and it seems that the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks have taken it to heart.
The off-season was a busy one for the Rangers, landing both free agent prizes Chris Drury and Scott Gomez, making them the clear preseason favorite to win the Eastern Conference. But the pieces didn't fit exactly the way the team expected. Starting 3-6-1 out of the gate, it was evident that the chemistry between the team wasn't quite there yet. The teams forwards consisting of Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Martin Straka, along with Drury and Gomez, were looked upon as being one of the deadliest units in the league; however, their offense was abysmal. Jagr, one of the games most feared offensive players, is on pace statistically to have his worst season since his rookie campaign.
The one upside for the Rangers was their defense. The Rangers have one of the most active defensive groups, and in turn have helped generate needed offense throughout the season. Henrik Lundqvist, the clear Most Valuable Player of this team, is having a phenomenal season in net, and has been able to steal the Rangers a couple games they had zero business winning. The down point of the season for the Rangers also happens to be the turnaround point for them as well.
On Feb. 14, the Rangers faced off against the Montreal Canadians and built a 5-0 lead at one point in the game. Then they somehow managed to squander that lead and lose 6-5. For a Canadian's franchise, which history spans over the course of a hundred years, it has never seen a comeback of that magnitude before, but it seems that in the face of adversity, the Rangers came together.
All cylinders are now firing and the Rangers look to shake up the Eastern Conference. Posting a 10-2-3 record in their last fifteen games, they are poised to battle both Pittsburgh and New Jersey for the Atlantic Division lead. Although they are currently seven points back, there are still pivotal games left against divisional foes, and it wouldn't be an unreal picture for them to slip up to the top. It seems that the team has finally gelled, playing like what we expected from them in the beginning of the year.
The off-season was a busy one for the Rangers, landing both free agent prizes Chris Drury and Scott Gomez, making them the clear preseason favorite to win the Eastern Conference. But the pieces didn't fit exactly the way the team expected. Starting 3-6-1 out of the gate, it was evident that the chemistry between the team wasn't quite there yet. The teams forwards consisting of Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Martin Straka, along with Drury and Gomez, were looked upon as being one of the deadliest units in the league; however, their offense was abysmal. Jagr, one of the games most feared offensive players, is on pace statistically to have his worst season since his rookie campaign.
The one upside for the Rangers was their defense. The Rangers have one of the most active defensive groups, and in turn have helped generate needed offense throughout the season. Henrik Lundqvist, the clear Most Valuable Player of this team, is having a phenomenal season in net, and has been able to steal the Rangers a couple games they had zero business winning. The down point of the season for the Rangers also happens to be the turnaround point for them as well.
On Feb. 14, the Rangers faced off against the Montreal Canadians and built a 5-0 lead at one point in the game. Then they somehow managed to squander that lead and lose 6-5. For a Canadian's franchise, which history spans over the course of a hundred years, it has never seen a comeback of that magnitude before, but it seems that in the face of adversity, the Rangers came together.
All cylinders are now firing and the Rangers look to shake up the Eastern Conference. Posting a 10-2-3 record in their last fifteen games, they are poised to battle both Pittsburgh and New Jersey for the Atlantic Division lead. Although they are currently seven points back, there are still pivotal games left against divisional foes, and it wouldn't be an unreal picture for them to slip up to the top. It seems that the team has finally gelled, playing like what we expected from them in the beginning of the year.
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