Quiting Is Easy

Yes the Rangers are in a deep hole, yes the Rangers have a very good chance of losing the series against the Penguins and yes you have a better chance hitting the lottery than the Rangers do roaring back to win this series.

However if anything what happens in Game 4 just might tell us more about the future of the Rangers than most people realize. We say this because no matter what the result it will serve as a teaching tool for the youngest of Rangers playing and on the taxi squad.

With Sean Avery (lacerated spleen) out for sure, Blair Betts (broken cheekbone) almost for sure and Chris Drury (injured torso) might as well then you are looking at a situation that makes impossible seem like a good bet.

Who replaces these 3 very important Rangers also could send a message to the fans about the direction that the franchise is heading. The easy solution is to dress Petr Prucha, Colton Orr and Jason Strudwick as they are the 3 Rangers who have been the scratches.

They are also the safest of choices since they have been with the Rangers since Tom Renney has never been known to gamble on long shots or put a rookie out in a situation where he was not prepared fully for.

However we on the other hand have the luxury of being able to look outside the box and thus if we wanted to dress a diaper squad of totally green rookies then why not Artem Anisimov centering Greg Moore on the right and Dane Byers on the left. After all these 3 are serious prospects going to be looked upon to contend for roster spots come the next training camp.

Here is our mindset as we realize that under the current circumstances that whoever is dressed for the 4th line will see next to no ice time unless the game gets out of hand. So why not think outside of the box and give the future a taste of tomorrow.

And before you say how crazy we are let us remind you that we are not talking about those who have never ever played in huge games. Greg Moore played in the NCAA Frozen Four twice while at Maine (and earning First Team All-American Honors), Artem Anismov has played on 2 Russian National Under-20 teams and Dane Byers may not have the resume but we know firsthand that Byers has played his best when asked to do the impossible.

There is nothing left to lose and who knows the Rangers have a history of finding playoff heroes who showed up out of nowhere. All it take is one win to start and you never know.

That is why they play the games.

Give it a Rest on Renney

If you look at the Ranger world then you see the supposedly "expert" fans have already quit on this team and even more so on the coach. We will be royally blunt here if you are thinking that Tom Renney should be fired than quite frankly you are the one who has the problem.

It is sad too because so many of those who want Tom Renney fired are also the same one who demanded that the Rangers rebuild the franchise. Yet those same "fans" are not willing to stick it out and allow the rebuild to finish. Already we see supposed fans wanting wholesale changes as if this team was still not making the playoffs.

The truth is that too many of those crying for Tom Renney's head are in all honesty clueless. They scream for Renney to be fired but yet they do not offer even reasonable solutions. It is always easy to sit in judgment when you can hide behind a computer and shout from the rooftops.

Tom Renney is the reason why the Rangers have 3 straight playoff appearances after 7 years in the toilet. Tom Renney is the reason why there is a Brandon Dubinsky in the lineup, a Nigel Dawes, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Ryan Callahan and why there are more talented prospects on the way.

Yes let us fire the one person who has the Rangers playing team defense (again what so many demanded), let us fire the one person who has the Rangers AND the Wolfpack playing on the same sheet of music.

Of course these same folks are forgetting one tiny little fact; fire Tom Renney and you have just wasted the last 4 years of rebuilding. Any new coach will bring in his own system and what if the current group of prospects and young players do not fit that system?

Answer is 3 years from now the same"experts" will be calling for his head as well. How about before you are so quick to want the head of Tom Renney, so quick to want wholesale changes on the team, and so quick to trash that you put together an honest realistic plan to show who would be a better selection.

Then while you are at it show the rest of us how you would rebuild the Rangers but here is the catch; you have to put it out here just like we are using your REAL NAME and stand up like a person to allow those to dissect your plan without any kind of censorship.

Let us see how "smart" you are.

Hey Steve

Yesterday Steve asked: "Do you think the Rangers should do everything in their power to trade for Stamkos? "

No because I see 3 prospects coming who are going to actually be way better than Stamkos and would rather be patient for them.

"He would be there answer for the crosby's and malkins and ovenchens of the world."

Stamkos is a great talent BUT he is not at the level of those 3 who are franchise superstars.

"They would probably have to give up Staals and Tyutin, plus a couple of prospects and their own 1st pick to get him."

"What do you think jess, would you do it?"

Sorry Steve I would not make that kind of deal as I really think over the next couple of years we will see a couple of prospects who will blow right by Stamkos. The first is a young man named Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires. Hall is just 16 and in his first season in the OHL was 45-39-84 +40.

Hall is just 16, still growing (6'1 168) and will be in the 2010 draft. Hall is scary good as he is a 5 tool player who is just starting out his career. What made his standout is after his teammate Mickey Renaud passed away, Hall showed that he was mature way beyond his years by stepping up his game and putting his team on his shoulder. Keep an eye on him.

The other player is John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals who has been breaking all of Wayne Gretsky's records in the OHL. If not for 5 days on his birthday it would have been Tavares not Stamkos who would be the first pick in the NHL Draft.

Pictures: Dawes/Kootenay(WHL), Dubinsky/Portland (WHL), Callahan/Guelph (OHL), Byers/Prince Albert (WHL), Staal/Hockey Canada