The Streakless Rangers Seek To Blow Over The Blackhawks In The Windy City

Here's all you need to know about your impossible-to-figure Rangers:

1. STREAKLESS ONES: More and more, coach Peter Laviolette's Blueshirts look like one-win wonders. A victory last night in Washington was available but rejected by the Caps, 7-4. The Rangers try for another one-game streak today in Chi. Trust me, if they lose, figure on a deal any minute after.

2. QUICK SLOWED DOWN: The Maven predicted two bail-em-out games in a row for Jonathan. We got one which was not enough. I mean, giving up six goals on 27 shots to the Caps is N.G. (Alias, No Good). Goalkeeper Louis Domingue is better than that; at least he'd better be today at United Center or the Visitors will be in Oy Vay Land again.

3. THAT JERKED AROUND JONES BOY: At the start of the season Zac Jones was pencilled in by The Hockey News Yearbook as sixth defenseman with New York. The way management has been treating the Viriginian he's looking more like 26th than sixth. If you ask me, this poor treatment has hurt team morale as much as anything.

Let's face it folks, the Rangers plight has aroused, concern, bewilderment, head-scratching – not to mention also – joy around the NHL. It all depends on who you're rooting for – or against.

Have you noticed that weaknesses that weren't apparent last season are surfacing now. Or, to quote the insightful defenseman Adam Fox "We won the Presidents' Trophy last season. We CAN play hockey!"

But, Foxy, the club's (supposed) top backliner, is overlooking very important factors.

A. Last year there was genuine leadership. It's gone, including the captain – and titular leader – Jacob Trouba.

B. Former "Old Reliables" such as Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad have turned into "Old Unreliables," not to mention Untradeables!

C. You, Mister Fox, once were the club's balance wheel; the key to the super power play, the guy who delivered offense and took care of his kitchen as well. If Foxy's game suffers anymore he'll be rated an "average" defenseman; that's all. And that really hurts!

Fox carried a 27.34 on ice load yesterday in Washington but wound up minus 3. That was not the Adam of yesteryear nor even before that.

What's more, it pains me even to bring up the Blueshirts' latest version of "The Invisible Man" – Sir Alexis Lafreniere. He's playing as if he'd like a tryout with the New York Americans. (But they're dead!)

Hopefully, there'll be life in the Rangers deportment this afternoon in Chicago.

Or, to put it in a more dramatic way. They had better win or we'll have to be judging them like what they've become – LOSERS!