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Could these "Magic Slippers" help the NY Rangers? (Photo by Per Ola Wiberg-Powi/Flickr)
When the New York Rangers started the season 7-1, ripping off 7 consecutive wins in the process, nary a soul thought that that kind of pace could continue. And it didn’t.
But as pleasent a surprise as the start was, the last stretch is just as disturbing, having lost 5 of their last 6, prompting Tortorella to tell the media and possibly his team, “I think we’re too easy a team to play against.”
With October in the books, the Rangers having posted an 8-5-1 start, coach John Tortorella told MSG’s Sam Rosen, “we go back to work…there’s no magic potion.”
On the blue line, the coaching staff will continue to work with their core of young defensemen, teaching them to join the rush without leading the rush. There seems to be a learning curve, especially with Marc Staal, who on more than one occassion has carried the puck a bit longer than the coach would like. Instead the coach commented, “Marc’s got to learn to headman the puck. A basic play. This is not about trying to beat people.”
Offensively, the Rangers sorely miss Marian Gaborik, not only for the obvious numbers he puts up but also for how he helps his teammates generate offense. Vinny Prospal, one of the prime beneficiaries of Gaborik’s skill put up 16 points in his first 12 games in a Ranger uniform. Without “Gabby,” Prospal has but one assist in the last two games and looks noticeably less significant on the ice.
Naturally Tortorella was having none of it when asked about the teams lack of offense without his star forward. “We can’t whine about that! We didn’t develop enough chances.” When pressed further, the coach added, “we have to try and manufacture offense with some of the guys out of the line-up.”
So with the first month of the season complete and the coaching staff going back to work, the Rangers return to the Garden for a Sunday afternoon matinee(1pm) with the Bruins. From there the team heads west as they travel cross-country in the great north for dates with Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.
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