One of the more famous quotes by the late Satchel Paige:

“Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.”

After last night’s lugubrious loss to the Debbies, that is exactly what might happen.

Although I hate to be the purveyor of doom and gloom, I cannot help but recall that in 2006 the Rangers were one point shy of winning the Atlantic Division. They went 8 and 9 in their last 17 games and let the Devils sweep past them to take the title.

The team that may do that to them this year is the Penguins, who have just won seven straight and now trail the Rangers by only six points. No Cindy, No Letang, no problem. Philadelphia is ten back and New Jersey is twelve.

Okay, so one loss may not mean the sky is falling. But, the Rangers need to tighten up and play these Atlantic Division four point games a little smarter and a lot harder.

Last night was not a 60 minute effort and our King and Savior cannot bail out his club each time they make a boneheaded play or an horrendous turnover. He’s the King, not God, for Chrissakes!

What is going on with the defense? Are Girardi and McDonagh running out of gas and grey matter? Marc Staal is not yet back up to speed. Every single defenseman last night was minus except for Stu Bickel. Yikes.

Only Boyle, Prust, Fedotenko and Bickel were even. Gaborik was a minus three. The Devil checkers certainly had his number. Carl Hagelin was the only plus player on the night. And I thought Shaggy would run out of gas before the veterans. Good for him.

Here’s the $64,000.00 question. Why in the hell did Sather sign Big John Scott if he couldn’t dispatch a little puke like Jansen? Scott has a half foot reach on Jansen and he couldn’t “Fedoruk” (cold cock) him? Scott certainly wasn’t signed for his scoring ability. The Rangers have another player who can’t skate, score or win fights.

Just as Henrik Lundqvist has no business ever going behind the net to play the puck, Brandon Dubinsky has no business fighting ANYONE. He has no talent for pugilism. If he thought he might spark his team, he was wrong.Taking himself out of the game left Torts short a forward.

Seeing as so few forwards showed up to play, Dubinsky was a sorely needed warm body. Although Dubinsky I hasn’t earned his keep lighting the lamp, he is a sound defensive player.God knows there weren’t enough of them out there last night.

We learned today that the hockey career of Sean Avery, at least with the New York Rangers, is indeed over. He was released from the Hartford Whale. Were I Sather, I would have let him go through waivers and brought him up and down like a yo-yo for the last few games the Rangers played against Pittsburgh and New Jersey. He has proven he can get Brodeur off his game.

No Avery effect. No Powerplay. Low Scoring. A Tired Defense.

If the Rangers want home ice advantage, if they want a banner to hang from the roof of the refurbished Garden, if they want to bring home some hardware, they better look behind them and not let anyone gain on them. Just because they have 91 points doesn’t mean they should take their foot off the gas.

Posted under New York Rangers