In years past, when the Rangers were eliminated, I was able to accept it easier.
Last year they played their hearts out, making it all the way to the Conference finals before running out of gas. They left everything on the ice.
Not this year. Can’t even explain what I saw. They were gangbusters in the first two games and then they just… went away.
With the notable exception of Igor, who turned in a superhuman effort every night in net, this team sort of… skated around.
Jersey took advantage, and as painful as it is to say, were easily the better team.
Disappointing, yes, but this is also the first time experiencing another emotion upon their elimination – embarrassment.
Over the last few years I’ve been a massive cheerleader for the Rangers, getting neighborhood kids to play hockey with [The Hell’s Kitchen Rangers](https://www.facebook.com/HellsKitchenRangers?__cft__[0]=AZUpbvuPBmZSr1vYXRluPY_E6J-nrPqnIm8CfdirB_8RPhKHFBfJZjKTMtIKHC34z1bzSJ76d1YqIj0otw0vKaQmuphYEN0opUzoCQZpRPtAWNdMyXd2ugK0FpfSk2vw5GKxJwvAnB9DYOMyMil7Blsea9GqDXpYe62qvqwK_PLPeQ&__tn__=-]K-R) (as seen in that fan spot if you watch MSG) I’ve encouraged people who have never followed hockey before to get behind the team.
It’s been a privilege, a fun privilege, to have consistent conversations with friends and family about hockey.
But when they got bounced, quite a few people messaged me with “what the Hell was THAT?”
My wife had the best take, reminding me it’s just a game and not the end of the world, and she’s right.
However, the sting of embarrassment remains. In my neighborhood, I’m kind of an ambassador for hockey, and this team. It feels like the egg on their faces is on mine, too.
Am I putting too much weight into this? Probably. But it’s also who I am.
Street hockey will continue as it did before, for as long as my son wants to do it. We’ll finish out this last season of [Junior Rangers](https://www.facebook.com/JuniorRangersNY?__cft__[0]=AZUpbvuPBmZSr1vYXRluPY_E6J-nrPqnIm8CfdirB_8RPhKHFBfJZjKTMtIKHC34z1bzSJ76d1YqIj0otw0vKaQmuphYEN0opUzoCQZpRPtAWNdMyXd2ugK0FpfSk2vw5GKxJwvAnB9DYOMyMil7Blsea9GqDXpYe62qvqwK_PLPeQ&__tn__=-]K-R) with him, too.
Hockey, specifically [New York Rangers](https://www.facebook.com/nyrangers/?__cft__[0]=AZUpbvuPBmZSr1vYXRluPY_E6J-nrPqnIm8CfdirB_8RPhKHFBfJZjKTMtIKHC34z1bzSJ76d1YqIj0otw0vKaQmuphYEN0opUzoCQZpRPtAWNdMyXd2ugK0FpfSk2vw5GKxJwvAnB9DYOMyMil7Blsea9GqDXpYe62qvqwK_PLPeQ&__tn__=kK-R) hockey, has been a big part of our lives for a while now. The expectations that were built up for this team were sky high, and yet felt personal as well.
To have it all crash down in such a humiliating fashion stings more than expected.
So, no, it’s not the end of the world.
But it sure feels like the end of a chapter.
by GoodChadAndUgly
3 Comments
Super disappointing but likely not worth getting worked up over. I agree it was easier to accept last year when they clearly just ran out of gas and laid it all on the line.
I moved on to other things and am ok with getting that time back in my life rather than watch some guys who look like they rather hit up vacation a bit earlier this year
**edit** please lordy I hope they have common sense to move on from that “No Quit in NY”
Woah, yeah ive seen a lot of the Hells Kitchen Rangers on MSG. What you do is awesome by the way.
This one hurts, it really does. I think if they actually competed in G5, 4, and 7, we wouldnt be all feeling like this. They were complete no-shows.
Even though we got bounced by a team that was seeded higher, this season couldve felt like so much more, I think we would run over the Canes, and from there-on who knows.
Unfortunately the players just have to look at this as a learning experience, they got lazy during the regular season, “conserving” their energy for playoffs. Playoff time rolls around and they lay an egg as well, definitely seems like the culture in there is way too fat and happy, not saying we need a John Tortorella, but somethings gotta change.
My way of coping is just to look forward. Hopefully we’ll move on from Gallant, I know about his regular season record and frankly I do not care. I think without Igor it is much worse. Hes shown he cant make adjustments in playoffs, doesnt know lineup construction- why didn’t we try lineups during that last stretch of the regular season? Why are we trying them out in GAME 7?! My preferred coach would be Knoblauch down in hartford, we wont know for sure until Hartford gets eliminated, so dont think the recent silence surrounding GG makes his job safe.
I’m looking forward to Kakko (who is playing for Finland in the IIHF World Championships, where he will probably get top 6 time) and Lafreniere to play in the top 6 next year, which is needed. The Devils with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischer just showed us that the way to develop top end talent is to give them proper ice. 10 minutes a night isnt cutting it.
I think Drury has learned to build teams with less “starpower” and build them around their needs instead, and I think going forward he’s going to be a lot smarter and not get blinded by someone like Kane who he can get for absurdly cheap and getting him because “he can”.
Othmann is going to be exciting next year, think hes going to make the team simply cuz we cant afford an established NHL player.
We’re all in this struggle together man
LFGHKR