Starman States: Peaks and Valleys

New York, NY (WFAN)  -- The thought that it’s November and Sean Avery’s name is in the New York newspapers again is nauseating.

The thought that anyone in NY can say the Rangers would be better off without him is clearly presenting an agenda either against Ranger management or is annoyed because they lost their mole in the dressing room.

I won’t accuse Larry Brooks of the NY Post of either but it’s hard to figure out his story in today’s Post. I like Larry, he’s a very good hockey writer and the type we need to have because he stirs emotions and opinions. Today, he presents some unique points but to insinuate that Sean Avery is needed here in NY is just nuts. Let’s be honest, if Avery hadn’t roomed with Brett Hull when he came up with the Red Wings, he’d never be in Dallas, and a case could be made that this is his last stand in the NHL if he can’t keep his act together in Dallas.

The season is peaks and valleys and the Rangers are in a valley. Fatigue could be a factor, they have played at least three more games than any other team in the East. They are also past the euphoria of the season starting and have had some success so maybe this is a result of resting on some early season laurels.

Hey, the Rangers are a better outfit than last season because they have just about everyone competing, unlike last season when their captain showed up for about 15 games plus the playoffs. The fact that they got run out of the building in Washington, outplayed the Islanders but lost on two shg’s, and got roasted in a bad third period in Toronto (who are playing fairly well) can’t be tossed out. There are some issues there, mostly that at times they seem disinterested and the power play is struggling. Coaching experience dictates to me the power play issues stem from bad chemistry on the five-man unit or the players think they can run a better power play than the coaches have game planned. This will straighten out.

So to get some juice and jump, Lauri Korpikoski was called up from Hartford. Let me toss this out. Sometimes playing hard without playing smart gets you no results. I’m a firm believer from my hockey life that playing hard and smart wins games and in the system there are two players that have great hockey sense that haven’t been given a chance. While Korpikoski gives the Rangers and edge, there is an argument that forward Greg Moore or defenseman Corey Potter could provide some energy and some smarts. They would also get some guys cemented in the lineup to realize that the press box is an option.

Renney made a point about how many games they have played and the inability to practice with proper fitness built in. That’s not window dressing, I’d buy that. Playing 24 minutes a game with commercial timeouts and 17 minute intermissions does not provide the same 1:3 or 1:2 work to rest ratio that the well constructed practice does. If you want to play an up tempo game with your top three lines they’d better be in shape to play at that speed. Renney wants tenacity and pressure. We’ll see if the Rangers upcoming schedule can facilitate his cardio vascular wishes.

Speaking of high tempo and puck pursuit, the Islanders have proved to be the best two period team in hockey. This third period collapse situation is troubling.

Reasons?

Maybe minus an elite goalie that can shut the door at crunch time is a factor? Rick DiPietro has shown he can do that. Isles fans are getting a little too attached to Joey MacDonald here and he is proving the old theory that part time players thrust into prime time roles and expectations usually fall a little short of the finish line. MacDonald has had some moments of brilliance, but he’s a backup playing the starter’s role. Very few can do that. Ty Conklin can. Steve Weeks did it. Rollie Melanson did it. However, Wade Dubliwiecz couldn’t and when former coach Ted Nolan rode him one more game than he should of (last season against the Rangers at the Coliseum), it started the beginning of the end of his Islanders coaching career.

The issue of the Isles going into a defensive shell to protect third periods is a ton of baloney. This is the new NHL, you really can’t do that much anymore, and the Islanders are doing themselves and their fans an injustice by even contemplating that because they have been missing two big time studs defensively, especially Brendan Witt.

Scott Gordon is a “play for the next goal” type of coach and he has some offense on the backline in Mark Streit and Brett Skinner. Chris Campoli likes to think offense; Tomas Pock is a disaster in his own end, which leaves Bruno Gervais and Ken Sutton to defend the fort. You tell me that’s a six-man unit you’d feel comfy with as a coach protecting a lead.

The Rangers are struggling a little because they have played a lot and had some early success. Emotion can carry you only so far so its time for them to settle in and do what makes them successful, playing methodically. On the Island, losing multiple goal games stings but be honest, the lineup doesn’t have a ton of depth.