The past few games provide some hope for a team that needed a verbal (and for some, a seat in the press box) kick in the butt to revitalize their lackluster play. Still, if there are notions that the Rangers can compete with the East’s elite, then we are all greatly mistaken. Since it’s the holiday season, I’ve compiled a few items that should be on the Rangers’ wish list this Christmas. Some of them are attainable, others are just wishful thinking. Nonetheless, it’s still enjoyable to create, for someone on the outside looking in. It’s especially easy when you’re not the one paying the salaries and even easier when you theoretically treat player movement as a free-flowing entity, as if you’re in a fantasy league and all one needs to do is click a few buttons to complete a transaction. Without further adieu, let’s take a look at my Rangers Wish List:

1) Accountability: The number one issue with this franchise lately has been accountability: from the ownership down to the players. Only recently has John Tortorella taken it upon himself to bench underachieving players and express his displeasure with the team’s play by scratching Wade Redden and Ales Kotalik. Torts finally revealed many of Rangers’ fans sentiments: your paycheck doesn’t dictate your ice-time. While us fans have handful of other players to sit, at least something was done, so we have to be happy with that. Despite these statements from Coach, it’s about time Glen Sather becomes accountable for his mistakes – numerous bloated contracts for players who are playing up to minor league standards – and send some of these players down to the minors. I’d rather see a young player make mistakes, but work hard, then an older player make mistakes with lesser effort. Although Torts has made some moves to motivate the underachievers, he also needs to be held accountable. Often, he needs to take a step back and realize his game-plans aren’t working – instead of playing mostly two lines, relaxing the shifts so that three can receive the majority is an idea. And maybe it’s about time he realizes that this team can’t play his run-and-gun style…the personnel doesn’t lend itself to it, so there needs to be a shift to a more defensive-style, no matter how boring it can be.

2) Physical-Top-Line Center: Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov have looked a lot better of late. Both have some very intriguing potential, but both still experience their own growing pains. It’s perfectly realistic to expect one or two of them to become top-six-worthy players on the Rangers’ roster. They just aren’t at that level, yet. Dubinsky has an edge to his game and he doesn’t mind taking the body. His offensive game and his ability to finish, still needs some work. Anisimov, on the other hand, has great hands – the skill at times is clearly evident – but he’s still maturing into his body. He’s a bit wiry and doesn’t have the physical strength expected to build up to in a few years. Hence, the Rangers need a bruising-playmaking center. The Rangers don’t use their bodies enough, they are rather week in the corners and they need someone who’s fearless and isn’t afraid to standup to the opponents’ physical-shutdown defensemen. I’m not going to name any names in this post, but it would be nice if we could add a sizable center – Chris Drury’s play has improved since his teammates’ benchings, but we know he’s far from a number one.

3) Physical-Shutdown Defenseman: The theme in this post for me for the Rangers team is tenacity. The younger defensemen certainly have a very exciting future. Michael Del Zotto has a future similar to a Brian Leetch. Dan Girardi isn’t flashy, but he’s dependable. Marc Staal is a budding superstar defensemen – without much offensive game – and is a workhorse who is fearless in defending the league’s great scorers. Matt Gilroy has had his lapses this season, though the Rangers believe he has a bright career ahead of him. None of these Rangers’ D-men are especially physical (with the exception of Staal) and it’s not like Michal Rozsival or Wade Redden are either. The Rangers need someone in the backend who’s willing to knock an opponent down when they run into Henrik Lundqvist. The Blueshirts lack someone who will stand-up at the blueline and get into an opponent’s face. The Rangers defensemen might be pretty good puck-movers, but they’re not gritty enough and they don’t play with enough of an edge for my taste.

4) Secondary Scoring: I don’t care if it comes from within, or if it comes from elsewhere. The Rangers may not have the scoring prowess of the Pittsburgh Penguins or San Jose Sharks, but it’s not like we don’t have a group of twenty goal scorers. Ryan Callahan has greatly stepped-up his game lately, but there needs to be other contributors. Ask any Rangers fan and I’m sure the first thing they’ll tell you is that we have one scorer and without him we’re probably one of the worst teams in the NHL. We’re a bit frightened every time Gaborik gets hit hard or skates slowly to the bench. There needs to be other players who jumpstart their play or else it’ll be a very long winter in New York.

So that’s my list, as of now. Let’s hope our Blueshirts continue to fight hard and at least show the effort of the past few games. Hank has had to stand on his head quite too often of the past month-plus and it would be nice if he had a game that allowed him some breathing room.

The Rangers faceoff against the Florida Panthers, who have won four of their past five games, tonight.

They had to win against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum following the catastrophe that transpired the night before.

After John Tortorella’s post-game tirade in response to the Rangers’ listless effort on Wednesday in the first game of the home-and-home against the Isles, it was about time something was done about these season-long shenanigins. Tortorella promised some changes – and even if they weren’t the most drastic ones – he was true to his word. Maybe this Rangers team will never be never be the one looking down at teams beneath them in the Eastern Conference standings. Maybe this team will truly never have the talent to compete against the elite in the NHL. And quite possibly this Rangers team isn’t playoff-worthy.

But don’t tell that to John Tortorella and the rest of the coaching staff. Perhaps you could get such mediocrities by Glen Sather, who might have “saved” his job if you believed some reports that surfaced during the day on Thursday, with the Rangers’ first second win in ten games. While I was optimistic that an ultimatum on Sather’s job was true, I certainly wasn’t convinced. Regardless of the rumblings about Sather’s job, Tortorella finally took the season-long disappointment into his own hands by scratching Wade Redden and Ales Kotalik – only two culprits of a vastly underperforming Rangers squad. Nevertheless, I’d like to think moves would’ve been made more swiftly if the Rangers hadn’t been so crammed against the salary cap.

Redden had been better this season, though he had been noticeably “fighting-it” since his return from a shoulder injury. The defenseman hasn’t fulfilled the expectations associated with such a lofty contract since day one. But he had been easier on the eyes to watch this year. That doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been consistently overworked by opponents, or quite frankly, overmatched this season. Still, it’s a lot easier to accept the problems afflicting Redden’s game when they are occurring with the younger defenders, such as Michael Del Zotto or Ilkka Heikkinen. At least they have the excuse of learning by experiencing. Ultimately, it was about time a D-man – Redden or Michael Rozsvial – sat out a game. Even though the Rangers’ least experienced blueliners continued to play lesser minutes, Redden should enjoy another game in as a fan, if Tortorella really wants to mean business.

Kotalik has basically been useless this season, outside of a heavy shot from the point on the power-play. Though, he hadn’t scored in 15 games, and made some huge gaffes on the PP over the past few games. Even if they were out of his control, Kotalik has been in the Tortorella doghouse since early on in the season, with the Rangers mercurial coach often relegating him to the fourth line as previous punishment. It was nice to see Erik Christensen take his spot in the lineup, as he hasn’t been given a full opportunity to even prove his capabilities, at least in my view.

The most jaw-dropping move of Thursday may have been to a player who wasn’t removed from the lineup. Inserting Chris Drury as the new fourth-line center spoke volumes about Tortorella’s seriousness in shaking up the Rangers lineup. We all know that it was months overdue, but we have to take each small step as progress with this Rangers organization. Although Drury played 15 minutes, the “Captain” actually earned his ice-time tonight. Just registering two hits (even though I noticed a ramped-up willingness to utilize the body), I saw a more desperate Drury tonight – someone who realized that quite possibly his roster-spot/ice-time was in jeopardy. It would’ve been a real shocker if the team’s captain had been a healthy scratch tonight. Talk about tension in the Big Apple!

If questions still remain from Rangers personnel about what kind of play is admissible for this hockey club, look no further than Ryan Callahan. Besides having a career-night, with two goals and two assists, the Rangers’ winger continues to produce beyond the stat-line. The Rangers’ version of the energizer bunny, Callahan is relentless whenever he’s on the ice – the forechecking is incessant and the fearlessness to play at the crease on offense is something the Blueshirts don’t do enough of.

The Rangers’ win provides a small glimmer of hope for their next opponent, another faltering franchise, the Philadelphia Flyers. As fans, we all know the rivalry excites, even if both teams are floundering for their playoff-lives. Let’s hope the Rangers realize this, too.

The Rangers’ shot-barrage-affair with the Thrashers had domination written all over it, except for the final score. It looked like the Rangers were hungry for a win – the tempo was there, the offensive tenacity was there (except for the goals), and a conscious defensive effort was present. That five-on-three penalty kill in the third period was one of the more clutch few minutes this Rangers team has ever been a part of this season. Still, they fell short in the shootout… but it’s left me reveling in more of the good, than the bad.

Since I’ve analyzed enough of the problems that have plagued this team this season, I’d like to take a look at one of the more inspiring Rangers news items: the return of Brandon Dubinsky.

First of all, I may be biased when I say this, but I’m a believer that Brandon Dubinsky will eventually captain this New York Rangers team. The only impediment currently standing in the way is Chris Drury and his bloated contract. I also think Dubinsky possesess the skill-set to be that physical, number-one center the Blueshirts have been dying for all year. Regardless of the fact that he’s never  put up top-six forward numbers, Dubi is still just 23-years-old and exhibits the traits I’d certainly want in a franchise leader. Sometimes it takes players a little longer to refine their offensive game, and I think that’s the case with Dubinsky.

Like many of the Rangers, we all know that Drury plays a  “soft” game. He doesn’t like to get into opponents faces, nor does he indulge much in the acts of firing up the troops – who have been seemingly too content with mediocre hockey. The current “Captain” is way too passive  for a leader. Furthermore, if he’s going to lead by example, he’s not doing much of that either with his nine points and 17 minutes of ice time. I admire his penalty killing abilities and defensive prowess, but his phlegmatic demeanor is more suitable for golf, rather than hockey.

With Dubinsky, you get a guy who may never be a 30-goal scorer, but I’m still optimistic in that I feel like his offensive side is still very raw. For a team that has a lot of players who appear to hit the ice just to collect their paychecks, Dubi is one of those guys who bleeds Rangers blue every time on the ice – and he  makes his presence felt even when he’s not collecting any points. Besides Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan, Dubi is the first guy to stick up for a teammate after they’ve been crunched to the boards with a dirty hit and he’s the type to be the first one to defend Henrik Lundqvist after he’s been knocked into. Over the past 13 games, the Rangers have missed a player, with size, who actually cares to stick up for a teammate.

Those of us in Rangers-land have been desperate for a number one power-center. While Sather may never deliver this season, now is Dubinsky’s chance to fill that gaping void. Throughout his short career he’s been a very inconsistent offensive force, with his 41 points last season, a career-high. That was last season though, and that was without one of NHL’s premier scorers, Marian Gaborik. Many will point to Dubinsky’s season with Jaromir Jagr and say that if he couldn’t do much then, how could we expect it now. My outlook is that if his offensive game is raw now, it was in its infancy stages then.

Dubi has the rare opportunity to center a line with Gaborik -  and most importantly show the Rangers’ organization that he has what it takes to be a frontline power-center. We know he has the speed to keep up with the Rangers’ leading scorer – and John Tortorella has been on record saying that not many Rangers can keep up – but the offensive ability has been boom-or-bust with Dubi. He’s got great awareness on the ice and he’s  always looking to create in the offensive zone. I’d like to see more selfishness in his game. Take the extra shot; move defenders away from Gaborik, and the Rangers most pressing need may shift away from a top center. We’ve already seen what Torts expects of him, in his first game since a broken wrist, he played over 24 minutes in every situation of the game. Number 17 has 10 points in 19 games this season, but it’s about time he elevates his gameplay.

Dubinsky has the intangibles to be a franchise leader. Unlike Drury, he’s never content with the team’s “effort” on a nightly basis. He expects to win and he makes it known. When the team plays like a bunch of high-schoolers, Dubinksy will admit that such hockey is unacceptable and bothersome.  In order to gain respect from the rest of the NHL though, Dubi must start producing like a third-year player with playmaking ability. After all, it’ll be one less gripe from the Rangers fan perspective. The next step will be to remove Drury from the second line… but we’ll save that one for another day.

My latest (of many qualms) range from the “youth” movement to the use of Donald Brashear to some rumored acquisitions. It’s basically my way of releasing some steam:

Heading into this season it looked as if the Rangers were a team that would be committed to getting younger. After Glen Sather mysteriously re/signed Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Wade Redden, and Michael Rozsival over the past few seasons, it actually appeared that the once respected, and now derided general manager had maybe learned a lesson or two…or not. He traded Gomez for Chris Higgins and some other younger pieces this offseason, yet proceeded to give “enforcer/big man” Donald Brashear a two-year pact, worth $1.4 annually.

In case he hasn’t watched or listened to John Tortorella speak about his system before: he wants skilled players, who can skate (I know pretty funny considering they haven’t shown much “skill” at all this year). Now maybe if he’s seen what Donald Brashear does best besides playing 6 1/2 minutes a night, it’s really just a whole lot of nothing. Maybe immobility is his best trait. The point is after watching Dane Byers, a Rangers AHLer, play in some stints this year, he would’ve been a better fit: he’s cheaper, is a better skater, and takes just as many penalties! Seeing Brashear play on the third line is just despicable. Maybe Torts was trying to justify his signing to appease his boss.

Okay so enough about Donald Brashear. Even though I complain about the signings and even putting Brashear on the ice, this year has seen a lot more younger faces than a typical Rangers year. Of course, it’s nice to see. I’d rather lose with more inexperienced players, than see the languishing over-paid veterans this team has put up empty stat-lines night after night.

Fast-forward to this season and Marian Gaborik is the only one who knows how to put the puck in the back of the net. Having absolutely no cap breathing room this year has really constrained any kind of moves the Rangers can make for secondary scoring, though it didn’t prevent Sather from making it known that he had some serious interest in Pavel Demitra about a week ago. The fact that Demitra hasn’t played at all this year after undergoing shoulder surgery is one thing, the other fact that he’s due $4 million this season is another. And who does Sather think he’s going to trade to get Demitra? Aaron Voros? Michael Rozsival? I’d like to think not. And if the Rangers really want to get younger, I don’t care how “explosive” Demitra can be, he’s 35-years-old. When was the last time the signing of an older player panned out for New York? Anyone know?

If the latest rumor of the Rangers attempting to trade Bobby Sanguinetti for the Coyotes’ Peter Mueller is true, then there would almost certainly have to be a young piece that the Rangers part with to pry Demitra away from the Canucks. And if the Rangers do trade someone young, then they’re back to the same nonsense that’s plagued them over the past decade. The point is, no matter how talented Mueller has– and no matter how much of an offensive defenseman we think Sanguinetti can be — other GM’s know that the proverbial ball is in their court when dealing with Sather, so they’re going to ask for a king’s ransom. Not to say Brandon Dubinsky or Ryan Callahan are stars… but that’s exactly what GM Don Maloney did and other GM’s will follow that model.

As I conclude my Rangers diatribe, I’d like to get back to the demotion that led me on this path. Sending Matt Gilroy to Hartford yesterday was an extreme shocker to me, and to many of the Rangers’ fans. While I’m happy to see Ilkka Heikkinen get some time with the club, what exactly will Gilroy be learning in the AHL that he couldn’t learn at the NHL? It’s obvious that both his offensive and defensive game has fizzled, though it was to be expected at one point considering he was making the jump from college to the NHL. Rozsival or Redden should’ve been the ones sent down, but we all know that Sather has a tough time swallowing those mistake. The 66-year-old GM would have to be too much of a man to admit that.

So while the Rangers are making small strides to get younger, just realize that as long as those beloved veterans are making millions (for their inefficiencies) more than they deserve, the young guys who are playing their hearts out every night will also be the scapegoats when the team isn’t performing.

With that being said, the New York Rangers square off in “The Windy City” to face the Chicago Blackhawks tonight. No, it’s not Capitals/Penguins, but at the very least it should provide a pretty tough test to a Rangers team looking to break out of several-week long rut. The effort level has been there of late, but the results certainly haven’t matched that. Against a team like the Blackhawks, who are 7-2-1 in their last ten games, the Rangers can ill-afford to come out flat. Despite only outscoring the Rangers by two goals this season, the ‘Hawks possess a much more skilled team than our friends in New York. They are also coming off a tough road victory at Pittsburgh, and with four days to prepare for the Rangers, the young team from Chicago definitely has the leg-up.

Even though the Rangers have played a much better team game their past few tilts, they haven’t necessarily all translated into victories. Since I’m feeling a bit optimistic today, I’ll rundown some of the “good” of their past game against Detroit, then discuss what they’ll need to improve upon for tonight.

The number one biggest difference for me the past two games has been the Rangers’ focus on team defense. John Tortorella can say all he wants about the team adapting to his more uptempto style; the fact is, the Rangers will never be a team who outscores their opponent, they need defense and Henrik Lundqvist to win them games. I have to say the defense has been more responsible and the backchecking much more evident over the prior two games. Tom Renney may have had a boring playing style, but it worked for this team. As a Rangers fan, you have to hope the defensive efforts continue because it’s what will separate this team from earning a playoff berth and sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

The Rangers seemed to me to have a higher battle-level the past two games. Having seen nearly every game this season, I can say this team tries, but never as a single unit. The past few games have been an all-out high-energy fight, where each player is looking to make an impact and earning each second of ice-time. After writing the piece on Chris Drury as a captain, he’s also looked a lot better of late. Even though the production may not show it, 21-plus minutes of ice-time and seven shots on goal the past two games are definitely better. Maybe Drury is a reader of Hockey Independent! In any case, the Rangers need their captain to show some emotion, get the guys fired up and lately even I’ll admit he’s done that.

The Rangers love to relax in the penalty box, but only three penalties each in the two previous games are definitely admissible from my point-of-view. The ‘Hawks have a top-ten ranked powerplay and loads of snipers, so the Rangers can’t be careless with the body or the stick tonight. You just can’t give a team as skilled as the Blackhawks any extra chances or ways to shift the game’s tempo.

While the battle-level and effort were there, the Rangers are still learning how to play a full 60 minute team-game. This time Henrik Lundqvist isn’t privy to being left off the list as he let in a bad angle goal against the Red Wings with about two minutes to play. For once the Rangers had no real lapses from the forwards/skaters on the ice…but this time Hank didn’t help the cause and help force the game into OT. Don’t get me wrong, Lundqvist was brilliant for most of the game, but if your analyzed for what you did on the stat-sheet, he still let up two goals and couldn’t preserve the tie.

The other huge detriment to this team right now is their powerplay, which is 1-14 over the past five games. The focal point of the powerplay is Gabroik, I’m not going to debate that. As many have noted though, is that their man-advantage quarterback, Michael Del Zotto, has been silent: two “PP” assists in his past eleven games. Opponents have found out how to block his passing/shooting lanes and basically he hasn’t been given much room to operate. The powerplay’s success is as good as Del Zotto makes it, and right now the rookie needs to make some adjustments to find some open space. Still, who would’ve expected this to be an issue this year? The rookie’s play has already led us to expect some great things and I’m sure he’ll figure it out soon.

Since we all know the capable scorers from the Blackhawks’ side I’d just like to point out one thing, which doesn’t exactly bode well for NY: Chicago has allowed the third least goals in the NHL. The team knows how to play defense and their goalies have done an excellent job this season.

Regardless, it’ll be a huge test for the Broadway Blueshirts. Do they take a step forward, or will they take their ever-prevalent step-back?

By no means are these moves going to make or break the Rangers’ season, though they are worth mentioning to a degree.

Claiming Erik Christensen off of waivers on December 3rd looked rather insignificant from a pure production standpoint. After-all, the left-handed center was pointless in his nine games with the Mighty Ducks before the Rangers scooped him up. Then we found out that Donald Brashear, who has been literally invisible, playing just over six minutes a game,  had re-injured his hand. Add this (no matter the insignificance) to the injury already to Brandon Dubinsky and the Rangers were desperate for a healthy forward (should we count Aaron Voros?), let alone a scoring one. There’s no question that if Christensen produces, the Rangers will find a spot for him when Dubinsky returns.

Though, even that’s a big if. Christensen is in his fifth year in the NHL, but his fourth team in three years, so as a realistic Rangers fan, we shouldn’t expect too much from him as a Blueshirt. His best season was with the Penguins in the 06/07 season, with 33 points in 61 games and has really been an inconsistent scorer since his days in the WHL. I’ll admit, I haven’t seen him play much, but what I do know from watching some video is that he has a plus-shot and looks to be a decent skater. Typically the Rangers are the team who gives up on fringe players, only to see them (Nigel Dawes: 8 goals)  succeed with another team, so I can’t see the tides turning too much here. Even though I’m hopeful, this team just has too many third-line-type players who are being stretched too thin, so someone like Christensen won’t put them over the top. We can  hope that the new opportunity actuates him because it very well may be his last one in the NHL.

The Rangers also made news — if you can call it that,  this week by demoting Steve Valiquette to Hartford and recalling 23-year-old Chad Johnson, the Penguins’ former fifth round pick. Basically the Rangers’ brass want to see Valiquette find his game and confidence again, so he will play everyday at Hartford. The Rangers must place him on recall waivers once they feel his ready to contribute, so we may have seen the last of his Spiderman mask. Not that the Rangers had any better options, but if they wanted to groom Johnson, it won’t be done with the parent club because he’ll barely be seeing the ice. Hopefully Henrik Lundqvist’s play doesn’t lead to a Johnson sighting because I’d like to see him gain experience in the AHL. Regardless, Torts said the Rangers will be able to “bounce” him back and forth between levels to keep him fresh.

Another noteworthy item from this week for New York was the promotion of Finnish defensemen Ilkka Heikkinen. Wade Redden is still experiencing pain in his shoulder and won’t be suiting up this weekend, and despite the Rangers giving Bobby Sanguinetti a chance in the previous few games, Heikkinen gets the nod now, after tallying 16 points in 24 games with Hartford. Although I’ve never seen him play, I’m always intrigued when some young players come up to play at the NHL. Heikkinen was signed as a free agent from Finland after posting 15, 24, and 37 points in his past three seasons there. He’s got good size at 6’2″, 205 lbs., and will allow Matt Gilroy to play on his more natural right-side.

The Rangers have a plethora of young offensive-minded defensemen in their system and while I know injuries have forced their hand lately, I still wonder if it’s possible that the Rangers showcase some of these younger D-men now and spin one of them off later in the season. They’ve got a lot of like-minded younger defensemen, who basically all need to refine their defensive game, so it’ll be interesting to see how they evolve as the year matures.

Finally, one of the more impressive forwards this season — despite his age, has been Artem Anisimov. The ice-time has been increasing since day one and Torts has liked his play so much that he’ll be centering the top-line. I’ve been enamored with the guy since the beginning; I love his size and hands for a bigger player… and he’s shown to be competent as a defender. I’m more in favor of evening out the lines, but Torts leans on his top lines so much that I guess he feels it’s worth it to stack them up.

The Rangers face-off against the streaking Sabres in Buffalo tonight.

While I could write a whole post about this team’s flaws: a lack of secondary scoring, too many defensive lapses, and a dearth of any sort of physical presence, to name a few, I’ll save that for a future entry. Every team will go through their trials and tribulations during a season. The fact is, the good ones are able to weather the storm and stop the bleeding more quickly than the inferior teams. The Rangers right now are a submissive hockey club; they’re one game above .500 at MSG, which is supposed to possess a huge home-ice advantage. And they’re a team without any sort of attitude or spunk.

Maybe it’s because we’ve been fortunate enough to have one of the better leaders in professional sports, Mark Messier, grace the Garden ice for a decade that I’ve been spoiled. But, right now the “C” on Chris Drury’s sweater is meaningless to me. What kind of leader is he? When Messier was in town, he was outspoken, sensible, and unsatisfied. But ever since Drury has been named the “captain,” he’s been nothing more than another player choking in the limelight of New York.

First off, Drury is making the most money on the Rangers’ roster: more than Marian Gaborik, more than Wade Redden, and more than Henrik Lundqvist. Signed a few years ago to be a number-one type center, Drury has been anything but, especially since the “C” has been patched on his jersey. Last season, Drury’s point total dropped to its lowest point since the 2003-2004 season, which wouldn’t be too terrible had his plus/minus not been a negative-eight. Or maybe none of us would care, had Drury produced when the fans of New York want it most: in the postseason. After the Rangers went up two games to one against the Capitals, what did the “captain” do? Well, he played just forty minutes combined in three games, compiling zero points, three shots on a goal, and a plus/minus of negative four.

Okay, so maybe this season would be different. John Tortorella would have a full offseason to implement his system, the players would become more acclimated to his style, and Drury would begin to fulfill the obligations of a captain in New York. My hopefulness was a bit short-sighted, it’s been much more of the same in this year’s campaign, maybe even worse.

Drury is a tough player in some regards, yet he’s not in others. He’s an excellent shock blocker, absorbs crunching hits like the best of players, and he’s a hard-worker. But he’s not a fierce player; he doesn’t hit anyone. A captain in New York needs to be someone willing to not only receive  hits, but dish them out as well. With 23 hits in 22 games played this season, Drury is far from a physical presence–and the team follows suit, as Ryan Callahan and Sean Avery are probably the only consistent bangers on the team.

For someone who was originally signed to be the number one center, this season is the perfect opportunity to show that he is capable. After all, Vinny Prospal , who’s been a winger for the majority of his career is centering the first line and a rookie in Artem Anismov is centering the second line. There is no legitimate faceoff threat. Drury’s faceoff winning percentage has declined over the past three seasons: 55%, 51%, to 50% this season. Even Prospal has won more faceoffs than Drury this season and he’s signed for quite the bargain!

So not only is Drury not taking the body, winning his share of faceoffs, but he’s not scoring (surprise!) at all, either. With just two goals on the year, Drury is projected for six goals and 27 points this season! I think half the Rangers’ AHL team could score more than that. I’m no coach, but possibly if Drury would shoot more than just 1.7 times per game, he’d score more goals? Again some wishful thinking, considering he’s missed the net 17 times already this season. Compare that to Gaborik who has 93 shots and 36 misses, and you realize Drury is a futile offensive presence.

As I begin to wrap this up, we’ll stray away from the numbers. Ultimately captains represent more than the figures shown on a stat-sheet anyway. They’re the ones who have to say the right things in the locker room to the press after the games conclude. Messier never shied away; he never patted the team on his back if it wasn’t warranted. Drury though, is a different story. It’s quotes like this after the 5-2 loss to the Penguins that make me question his leadership qualifications more than just the production on the ice:

“Every loss hurts,” captain Chris Drury said. “I always feel it’s hard to find good things in a loss but tonight I certainly felt we did some good things. A couple of unfortunate breakdowns results in two goals.”

It would be fine had it not been the same thing he says after every other loss. This “captain” doesn’t speak up, call people out, or motivate his teammates. It’s like he’s perfectly okay with the level of effort, but doesn’t really care about winning.

It’s about time Drury be a man for once. If he’s not going to be a leader on the sacred Garden ice, then give up the “C.” Us New York fans know a captain when we see one… and right now you’re far from it.

Since these teams played days ago, I’m going to briefly rundown some of the good, and some of the bad from the last game against the Blue Jackets. First a foremost, John Tortorella’s timeouts seem to come at the most opportune time for this Rangers team. It seems as if every time he calls one, the Rangers wake-up from hibernation and get to playing some impassioned hockey. It would be nice if they can come out with that spunk when the puck drops in the first period. Still, it was great to see the team comeback from a two goal deficit against a team that was very evenly matched. Plus, the Garden faithful wasn’t too receptive to the Rangers being down so early, so the Blueshirts had to turn those boos into the cheers we’ve come to know and love when the Rangers play well.

The number two storyline from this game had to be the emergence of some secondary scoring. This team has been too much about Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal and nothing about any other guys picking up the slack. I’m a firm believer that this team will make noise in the East if other lines can score. The defense won’t always be there for the Rangers because we have some young guys who will make rookie mistakes and jump up in the play–and we’ve got some duds like Michael Rozsival who should be replaced by a Hartford defenseman as soon as possible, so scoring more than two goals a night would certainly ease the burden on the defense (and Henrik Lundqvist). This game marked the first time the Rangers scored more than two goals since November 12 against the Atlanta Thrashers (which was a 5-3 loss).

The game on Monday was a total coming out party for the non-Gaborik/Prospal lines. Ever since the Avery/Anisimov/Parentaeau line has been put together, they’ve really shown some offensive prowess. It was about time Avery scored. From my assessment of this team, he’s been the third most effective player as of late besides the obvious two. Playing over 18 minutes, it’s really showing that Tortorella believes in him and Avery is taking advantage of it. I’d like to see him get more time on the power-play because I think lately it’s been a bit passive and lacks a guy who wants to get dirty and dig for loose rebounds. This “second” line had seven points on the night.

While the goals by Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto were impressive, I really can’t say enough about how much better Wade Redden looks this year. I know he’s never going to validate his ridiculous contract, but I no longer find myself cringing whenever the puck is near him. He’s been steadier and he’s looked more comfortable out there on the ice–this year, and lately. Especially since Rozsival hasn’t been good and Staal has had to work through some bumps in his game, Redden’s steadiness has been a pleasant surprise. He’s played with a little tenacity lately too, not letting opponents get away with banging into Lundqvist every other play. Redden’s been a negative +/- only three times in the past ten games. Let’s not be afraid to over-emphasize the good.

When we talk about the good, we can’t forget about the Rangers’ knack for taking penalties. The Rangers only took one on Monday night and two against Florida the last time they played. Are they finally realizing games are tough to win when you’re constantly in the penalty box?

Wednesday night’s game in Florida marks the return of the captain of the Blueshirts, Chris Drury, who has missed five games with a concussion. Despite the fans’ displeasure with his play lately, this team has really been downright awful on face-offs. And if Ales Kotalik misses tonight’s game (still feeling the effects of a hit), Drury will be a nice add to the lineup. In addition, the penalty kill has given up five goals in the five games Drury was absent, and no matter what anyone says he’s one of the team’s best on defense. I’d still be cautiously optimistic about him though, a five day recovery is pretty quick for someone who’s had a concussion before. I wouldn’t expect him to get over his usual 16 minutes of ice-time tonight, as he begins to get acclimated to the NHL pace again.

The Rangers will play four games–three on the road, in five nights. Was Monday’s game a sign that good fortunes are on the horizon for this team? Or will they frustrate tonight, scoring one-goal, and lose 2-1?

The Florida Panthers, at 9-9-2, seem like the ideal team for the Rangers to come out aggressive against. Prior to the previous game against the Red Wings, the Panthers had scored 14 goals against their past three opponents. It would make you think that this team can put up points with the best of teams, yet on the year they’ve averaged under 2.7 goals per game, rank in the lower third in team scoring, and less those three games, have scored a total of 39 goals in the other 17 tilts they’ve played in.

Regardless, the Panthers (with backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen in net) went into a road game in Detroit no less, tied it in the third, and won it in overtime. Winners of four of their last five, they assuredly will be riding a high coming into the Garden. The Panthers aren’t an offensively dominant team, but they’re opportunistic. Five of the Panthers’ nine wins have been by one goal. They know how to win the close game. I’m not sure if we can definitively say that about the Rangers. If the Rangers offense can somehow find that early season stride, this Panthers shouldn’t have a chance. They aren’t built to play in high-scoring affairs. But we know the Rangers have been sputtering as of late.

The Rangers offense though, is the big question mark. Obviously this team lacks  scoring, outside of Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal. With word that Ales Kotalik (the team’s third leading scorer) is moving to the first line, the supporting cast will be watched with an even keener eye. Tortorella is searching high and low for line combinations that mesh well together, and quite frankly, I’m not sure a line of Donald Brashear/Chris Higgins/Ryan Callahan is going to produce much offense. Enver Lisin looks to have been demoted to the fourth line and the even though he hasn’t done much lately the Rangers have to hope his broken foot doesn’t continue to hamper him for much longer. Tortorella felt Lisin was one of the few Rangers who could keep up with Gaborik and Prospal’s speed, yet now he’s looking for more puck control on the first line. The Rangers just don’t have a lot of bodies around to plug-in for Lisin (or anyone for that matter) and it’s really starting to take its toll.

The second line of Avery/Anisimov/Paranteau could have some nice potential against the Panthers tonight. Parentau isn’t the fastest skater, but he’s not shy about getting the puck on net. Avery has begun to add the missing friction to his game, so this line has a grinder–coupled with Anismov’s size up the middle. Anismov has been a bit apprehensive about shooting, but I’m hopeful that with the talk this week of getting more secondary scoring, Anismov will show us some of his scoring polish (37 goals with Hartford last season). Plus, the reuniting of Parenteau and Anismov (who played together at Hartford) could prove to be one of those lesser talked about, but nonetheless very important kind of lineup moves.  No matter how you slice it, this game has a good chance to be one of those 1-0, 2-1 affairs where Henrik Lundqvist is forced to stand on his head.

The special teams side of things seems to favor the Rangers and this could be the deciding factor because the Panthers tend to be more effective at even strength (only 11 out of 57 goals on the power-play). Despite the Panthers 14.7 percent power-play scoring percentage, we all know that penalties provide opportunities and a shot of momentum. The Blueshirts have a sin-bin fetish, so a priority has to be to break them from that in this game.

On the other hand, if the Rangers can force the Panthers to take some penalties, it could provide a great opportunity for the power-play, which is two for 15 in their past four games, to get back on track. Though, outside of the first power-play unit (Gaborik/Prospal/Callahan/Del Zotto/Kotalik), I’m not sure there’s much of a threat, with Higgins/Avery/Parenteau/defensemen rotation, the other configuration. Tortorella talks about evening out the playing time–giving the “top” guys some rest, yet the second power play unit won’t strike too much fear into any opponent. I hope I’m wrong.

The Rangers currently sit in the cellar of the Atlantic Division, tied with the Islanders. with 23 points. Florida has garnered 15 of their 20 points on the year in their past ten games. It’s time for the Rangers to put their foot down and come up with a decisive win on home ice.

Life really is no different when discussing the Broadway Blueshirts. 15 years is way too long to wait for another Stanley Cup run and year after year we think we’ve got a good shot of making noise again. Part of what makes rooting for a New York team so special is the fact that there is no boring offseason. We’re all well-aware though of the disastrous signings the Rangers have had over the past fifteen years, so there’s no point in rehashing some of our worst nightmares. Though I will go into one of the more recent ones. When Scott Gomez came over to the Garden, he was supposed to impart some of that winning attitude to a Rangers team that desperately needed to get over the hump. Yet in his last season in NY, it looked as if Gomez was better on-camera interviewed by Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti, then he was at playing hockey. Still, GM Glen Sather was able to jettison Gomez and bring a package of nice players to New York, but you get the idea. If you’re not going to produce, then don’t bother playing in New York. We don’t want anything else, but championships…and lately they’ve been hard to come by.

This year was supposed to be a year the Rangers rebuilt. We signed Marian Gaborik, but otherwise the trademarks of the NY Rangers of the past (signing a myriad of overpriced veterans: i.e Wade Redden), didn’t really plague the team this offseason. We weren’t expected to contend for supremacy in the East, but a playoff spot would’ve been nice. Then, we started off 7-1 and the chatter began that maybe this team could be the beast of the East.

Fast-forward to November 19th, and the Rangers are now 11-9-1 and are 4-6 in their past ten games. So maybe we aren’t that good after-all. Fans, who thought John Tortorella would be the franchise’s savior, are now beginning to doubt his up-tempo  game. They’re calling for Glen Sather’s firing. And some are even proposing we trade Henrik Lundqvist.

I’d like to get into the action and put my two cents in, for what it’s worth.  For once, we Rangers fans should be patient. The season is just 21 games old and we’re already looking to make drastic changes. I don’t want to be tied with the Islanders either, believe me. But, take a look at this team: for once in the past decade, we are building from within. Sure, we’ve got some preposterous contracts on our hands, but our current active roster has an average age of 27. I think it’s the first time in a while we can attribute some of the season’s failures–and our successes to youth (and Marian Gaborik).

Part of what makes us as fans so special and unreasonable at the same time is that we want to win…and we want to win now. Think about how nice it will feel when we make the playoffs, or win a Cup, with Michael Del Zotto working his magic like Brian Leetch did. Or Artem Anisimov heading the second line and showing us why scoring only 16 goals this season was worth it, because now he’s nearly a point per game player. Or think about how nice it will look when Brandon Dubinsky is hoisting the Cup while wearing the “C” –and although he may never become the scoring threat we want him to become, he’s still just 23-years old, has heart and gives us 100% maximum effort when he’s on the ice.

Take comfort in the fact that we have our “own” to watch now. Stardom doesn’t just happen with the flip of a switch. We have to endure the hardships now, so when we are winning, it’s that more enjoyable. I may be in the minority here, but I’m all about patience. We sign big-time players, but we have skilled youngsters, too, that really provide for our foundation.

So let’s let this season unfold, fellow Rangers fans. Let’s let our younger players learn from our veterans, but most importantly from their struggles, as well. We’ll really be happy when these guys turn into our stars. But we’ll be angrier if we give up on them now.