Pucks on Broadway: Analysis, Discussion, and Musings on the New York Rangers

While Ranger fans and the hockey world mourn the loss of an upcoming star, there is a lot to take solace in on Broadway. The Rangers, off to a 5 - 0 start, have the opportunity tonight to win an unprecedented and club-record sixth game to start the season.

What can we attribute to this?

First, we have the power play. Yes, Monday night's 5-on-3 was atrocious, but other than that the Rangers are getting shots through and have produced on the man advantage. A distinct difference from last season. An added bonus is that many of those goals have been dirty goals, from hard work in front of the net. Again, a mentality foreign to this club the past three seasons.

On the flip side of the special teams, the penalty killing has been perfect. Many thought this could suffer with the likes of Brendan Shanahan and Martin Straka not in the lineup, but everyone has contributed strongly and kept the opposition predominantly to the outside.

Now, I won't bore you with what you have already heard. You know that Brandon Dubinsky, Aaron Voros and Nik Zherdev have been outstanding. You know that the first and third line have yet to really click on U.S. soil, and you know that the fourth line has been better than last year. As for the goalies? They speak for themselves.

So where are the Rangers weaknesses? Well, they are more obvious than the media is currently examining given the winning streak. The most glaring has to be the defense down low in their own zone. Certain players, such as Paul Mara and Dmitri Kalinin, have looked slow in their own zone and unable to really compete on the boards.

This has led the Rangers to being trapped on multiple occasions only to have a forward, an icing, or a goalie bail them out. Granted, these defensive pairings are still aclimating to each other, but it's clear that another strong bottom-pairing defenseman could be a huge help.

Now consider the problems on the first and third lines. It is not a question of talent, but rather chemistry and combination. Head Coach Tom Renney just hasn't fit the pieces into the puzzle. In time, the Drury-Gomez-Naslund line will succeed. The third line will need consistent personnel in order to do the same.

Ryan Callahan has established himself on the line. Then amidst the craziness the Rangers will have to decide between Petr Prucha, Nigel Dawes, Patrick Rissmiller, Dan Fritsche, and Lauri Korpikoski. Who belongs where? Nobody really knows, but the Rangers need to figure it out sooner rather than later. Personally, I think Prucha needs to be in the lineup.

Some stuff to ponder as well as a piece over at The Hockey News.

More to come...