Rangers Tonight

The Rangers finally start their season tonight against the Blues in St. Louis.    Though they're starting out on the road, they'll have a much more balanced schedule because the Garden rebuild is done it's not an Olympic year.

Unfortunately, they are starting the season without Derek Stepan for at least 10 games or three weeks, and that causes problems down the middle. They'll try to solve it from the start by having Marty St.Louis play C.   He should do a great job of chipping pucks to Kreider and Nash, but his D may be an issue.  But is shouldn't be an overwhelming one, and I think we all know he'll give it all he's got.

Some folks are predicting a final round hangover.  I don't see that happening.  I think the Rangers have a chip on their shoulders about losing the Cup on goalie interference and overtime bounces.  

I think they'll actually be better this year for a few reasons.  First, they had a great experience and won a lot of tough games and series on their way to the cup.

Second, they've increased team speed.   I've written about team speed before, but let me digress about the importance of being overwhelming in as many dimensions as you possibly can.   The Rangers have already had elite goal tending for the past several years, and we've seen how that's served them. Now they're have overwhelming speed and that will get other teams on their heals.   It would be nice to have overwhelming size, too, but we're not their yet, and it's not particularly on the horizon.   Having said that, we don have a bunch of good power forward types, so we will be bigger going forward.     The team speed will allow the Rangers to get lots of breakaways, draw lots of penalties and out skate their mistakes.

Third, they've allowing a youth infusion, and there are even more kids who are going to play in the league down in Hartford, so the Rangers will be in pretty good shape when injuries arrive, and, and I hate saying this, they'll be in a position to trade for help if they need it at the deadline.

So, enjoy the game tonight, and don't get too frustrated in the early going, without Stepan, it's a process, and they're strong finishers.