Just because a Ranger starts a game doesn’t mean he will be there to finish it, not now, not with five weeks and 16 games to go in the season and not when every mistake might ultimately cost the low-scoring Blueshirts a playoff berth.
Saturday, it was Wade Redden nailed to the bench for all but two shifts and 2:02 of the third period of the 2-0 defeat in Washington.
“He didn’t play well enough in certain situations,” coach John Tortorella said. “So we shortened the bench.”
Last night against the Sabres, it was Erik Christensen who found himself dropped from the rotation. The first-line center did not get on the ice for the final 6:03 of the third or the 2:22 of overtime in the Rangers’ 2-1 Garden defeat. It came after his ill-advised pass in the offensive zone and the resulting bad change on the resulting Buffalo rush led to the Adam Mair goal that broke a scoreless tie at 14:03 of the third.
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Up to 200 fans gathered on Seventh Avenue across from the Garden before the match for a “Fire Glen] Sather” Rally organized by frustrated Rangers loyalists who publicized the protest on various Web sites and message boards. Fans calling for the general manager’s dismissal chanted intermittently while citing a laundry list of grievances that most prominently featured the selection of High Jessiman in the first round of the 2003 Entry Draft.
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The Rangers have lost 11 of the 38 games (27-6-5) in which they have limited opponents to two goals or fewer.
The Blueshirts, who have earned just eight power plays in the four games since the Olympics, didn’t get their first last night until 11:47 of the third period. They didn’t score on that one, but got the game-tying score on their next (and last) power play opportunity. The Blueshirts’ next match is Wednesday in New Jersey against the Devils, 6-12-2 in their last 20.