The Rangers Defense Is Collapsible

The New Jersey Devils are at The Garden tonight but the Rangers defense may – once again – be out to lunch, dinner and a Midnight Supper.

Word has gone round the NHL, the Blueshirts defense has more holes than Trader Joe's latest Swiss Cheese shipment.

"They have one reliable defenseman and that's Adam Fox," asserted ex-Blueshirt Cup-winning GM. Neil Smith on his NHL Wraparound podcast with Vic Morren.

Which helps explain why tonight's MSG guests, the New Jersey Devils, picked apart the Blueshirt backline two nights before Christmas.

What's more, Peter Laviolette should expect no philanthropy from Garden Staters like Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier and Dougie Hamilton.

"If that's not enough offense," says The Old Scout, "toss in the Hughes brothers Jack and Luke. When Jack is on his game he's a holy terror on the attack."

If Neil Smith hit a bullseye about the Blueshirt blueliners, where does that leave K'Andre Miller, Braden Schneider and Ryan Lindgren, to name a few.

Miller is as unpredictable as the weather in the Aleutian Islands. A prime trading subject, Miller's late game blunder against Dallas cost his club two points.

Lindgren's game has so deteriorated, his mainstream apologist is now urging fans to be nice to Ryan.

"They should be playing Zac Jones," says ex-Ranger-turned analyst Sean Avery.

Sean is right-on as usual but Jones is so deep in Lavvy's doghouse that you'd need ten flashlights to find him. That's why Jones figures to be traded any day now; night time, too.

The Maven would have given Chad Ruhwedel more of a chance but the difference between Jones and Ruhwedel only is the size of the kennel chateau.

These holes in the Rangers defensive dike are so numerous you have to wonder how backup Jonathan Quick or backup-to-the-backup Louis Domingue plan to survive the assaults.

"One way," adds The Old Scout, "is for New York to play a concentrated defensive game and hope that the goaltending holds up. Who knows when Shesterkin will be back."

And let's not forget, the Beloved Blueshirts have some gunners to match their Visitors. Alexis (The Seltzer Man) Lafreniere, has shown refreshing pizazz while other young'uns like Will Cuylle and Brett Berard are for real.

Getting back to the defense – and Neil Smith citing Fox as top banana on D – the problem there happens to be Fox.

Ask around the league and what you hear is the Ye Olde Swiper The Fox ain't what he used to be.

These days it's hard to imagine Fox in a starring role when once upon a time he won a Norris Trophy.