“Our first objective is to get to .500. After that, we can begin to climb the ladder.”JOHN MUCKLER ST. LOUIS – Neither freezing rain, nor snow, nor winter travel advisories could keep the Rangers and Blues from keeping their appointed rounds here last night.
For despite the storm that commenced mid-day on Friday and dropped upwards of a foot of snow on the area – the storm that’s headed East – the show did go on.
The Rangers had arrived from Denver early Friday night, the Blues had arrived late that night following an afternoon match in Nashville; referee Don Koharski, who makes his home here, had been assigned to work the match, and his linesmen made it in, as well.
The Rangers did not make it to their morning skate, however. With the downtown arena just a couple of blocks from their hotel occupied, with the suburban practice rink 45 minutes away on treacherous roads, the team stayed in for a meeting.
Though they had played on Thursday, the Rangers hadn’t had a practice of any kind since Wednesday morning’s game-day skate in Phoenix, having met rather than skating on the morning of the Avalanche game.
Whether the meeting, chaired by Brian Leetch, played a role in their subsequent 6-3 win in Denver, is debatable. The Rangers have had many meetings this year. But certainly, they were seeking to maintain whatever momentum they gained from that one, as they closed out their four-game trip against the Blues.
While 3-6 in their last nine, and without consecutive victories since their five-game win streak that ended on Dec. 7, the Rangers had won two of three on the trip that began with a 6-3 win in Carolina a week ago last night.
“We’re going to have peaks and valleys, but what we’re looking for is more consistency,” said John Muckler. “We would like to have won [the first] three on this trip, we thought the game in Phoenix was certainly one we should have been able to win, but we do have a chance to go home with six out of eight points.
“Our first objective is to get to .500. After that, we can begin to climb the ladder.”
The Rangers were two under break-even going into last night’s match, at 13-15-7. The game against the Blues marked the team’s 21st on the road in their 36th match of the season. Beginning tomorrow, when they face the Sharks at the Garden, the Rangers will have seven of the next nine at home, where they’re 7-6-2.
Of those next nine, the Rangers will play sad-sacks San Jose, Tampa Bay and Chicago at the Garden, dreadful Montreal and Washington on the road, as well as the Islanders, Ottawa and Florida at home. Only the Devils, who cross the Hudson this Wednesday, seem an opponent out of the Rangers’ class.
“We’re all aware of the schedule, but you can’t say we’re in position to take advantage of the schedule, and then not take advantage,” Muckler said. “We’ve failed in situations before.
“It’s getting later in the year. We can’t fail now.” *
Rangers had been limited to one goal or less in 13 of their first 35 games, but had struck for five goals or more, 10 times. They’d scored 17 goals in their last four road games.
Petr Nedved, who had a goal and an assist against the Avalanche, had 11 points (5-6) in his last seven games and 21 points (8-13) in 16 games overall since joining the Rangers on Thanksgiving Eve. Niklas Sundstrom, who had a pair of helpers in Colorado, went into last night with 13 points (4-9) in his last 11 games.