Thibs' Terrible "Coach's Decision."

With 2:57 left in the fourth quarter, it was obvious both Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were hurt and needed to come out of the game. Tom Thibodeau called a timeout to put in Deuce McBride and Cam Payne. At the time the score was 97-95 Pistons. 

One minute later, the score was 101-95. Both Brunson and Hart were now at the scorers table waiting to check back in. Thibodeau had one timeout left but elected not to use it. Over the next minute and a half, the Knicks had three possessions and made exactly one basket: a fadeaway by Mikal Bridges with 50.1 seconds left to bring the Knicks within four.

Finally with 27.1 seconds left, Thibs called his last timeout and put Brunson and Bridges back in the game. By that point, the sore was 103-97. Bridges made a three to make it 103-100, but Dennis Schroder made one of two free throws for the Pistons to make it 104-100. OG Aununoby, then hit a three-pointer to make it 104-103, but Cade Cunningham made two free throws to ice the victory for his team and send the series back to Detroit for a game six. 

When asked at the post-game presser why he waited so long to burn his last timeout, Thibodeau simply replied it was a "coach's decision." If that's true, it was one of the worst in his tenure as head coach of the Knicks.

To be fair, Thibs wasn't the only culprit last night. The Knicks as a team shot 59.3 percent from the free throw line, and Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns collectively went 9-30 from the field. If Brunson and KAT had each gotten just one extra bucket, or if the Knicks had made just four more free throws, this series is probably over. But that didn't happen, and while coaches aren't responsible for how well their players execute, they are responsible for putting them in the best position to win.

This is not the first time Thibodeau's decision-making has been questioned. Earlier this season, his refusal to foul Jayson Tatum with less than 10 seconds to go in the fourth quarter and the Knicks up by three resulted in Tatum sinking a three-pointer to force overtime, where the Celtics eventually won. In last season's playoffs, the Knicks were 10 seconds away from wrapping up their series against the Sixers in five. Once again, Thibs refused to foul and Tyrese Maxey tied the score, allowing Philly to win it in OT.

Now it's entirely possible that had Thibs called his timeout earlier it wouldn't have made any difference. The way Brunson was hobbling on the court, who knows how effective he would've been? But that's beside the point. Rule number one in sports is you always go down with your best players on the court, field, rink, or whatever. 

Bottom line, Thibs needs to own this decision; a decision that gave a Pistons team that was trailing 3-1 in the series life. We know from history what can happen when you let your opponent off the mat. If Brunson continues to be hobbled by that ankle, the Knicks could very well find themselves out of the playoffs sooner than they expected. And if that happens, I can assure you James Dolan will not be a happy camper. 

Just ask Peter Laviolette. 

Knicks Need To Close It Out

The good news for the New York Knicks is that they're up 3-1 on the Detroit Pistons. The bad news for the Knicks is that they could easily be down 3-1. 

In game one, the Knicks came from behind in the fourth quarter to win 123-112. In game two, the Pistons held off a Knicks rally to win 100-94. In game three, the Knicks had a 13 point lead at halftime and held on to win 118-116. And in game four, the Knicks were trailing by 11 with 8:35 to go in the fourth quarter and came back to win 94-93.

As you can see, every game has been hotly contested; a total of eight points separates the two teams. The Knicks have not been so much dominant in this series as they've been resilient. Their two best players - Karl-Anthiony Towns and Jalen Brunson - have been better than the Pistons two best players - Cade Cunningham and Tim Hardaway Jr. Brunson, in particular, has been almost otherworldly, averaging 33.3 points per game in the series, and 13.3 points in the fourth quarter, the most by any player in the NBA since 1997.

The Pistons can complain all they want about the no-call by Josh Hart against Hardaway Jr with 8 seconds to go in game four, the fact is they've gotten most of the no-calls in this series, including one by Tobias Harris against Hart under the basket three seconds before Hardaway's three point attempt. You live by the no-call, you die by the no-call, I say.

That being said, it would behoove the Knicks to close out this series tomorrow night at the Garden. No way they want to go back to Detroit for a game six. The Pistons, having lost two games in their building, would almost certainly force a game seven. And once you get to a game seven, it's anyone's series.

There's another reason for the Knicks to want to wrap up this series in five. The style of basketball the Pistons employ can be very taxing on opponents. I wrote about their size advantage in my preview. And with the Knicks not having much of a bench, sooner or later, it's going to take its toll on the starters. 

Brunson, in particular, could certainly use the rest. He twisted the same ankle he sprained a month ago in the third quarter of game four and had to leave to get it re-taped. He came back in the fourth quarter and managed to score 15 points. But make no mistake about it, the longer this series goes on, the more stress that ankle will get. If the Knicks hope to do anything against the Boston Celtics in the next round, they will need their captain as close to 100 percent as possible. 

Bottom line: the Knicks control their own destiny. The last thing they want to do is play with fire. 

Giants Take Care of Business

Let's face it: it hasn't been easy being a New York Giants fan the last few years. In fact, since 2011 - the year they won Super Bowl 46 - the Jints have made the postseason twice and have one playoff victory to show for it. You can certainly appreciate the fact that going into the 2025 NFL Draft, the expectations among the fanbase were somewhere between guarded and skeptical.

So let me just say, as someone who's seen his fair share of drafts over the years, I think this might be the most surgically precise one the Giants have had since 2005; the year they took Corey Webster (43), Justin Tuck (74) and Brandon Jacobs (110). Any time you can walk away with what many considered the most physically dominant edge rusher in a decade, a future starting quarterback, a damn good defensive tackle, a power running back, an offensive tackle that can play guard and a tight end you had yourself one helluva weekend. 

Talk about checking all the boxes. 

Abdul Carter was the player Joe Schoen was hoping would be there at three and, sure enough, he was. The guy is a freight train whose specialty is making quarterbacks wish they'd chosen a different profession. Imagine what that this Giants defensive line is going to look like with him on one end, Kayvon Thibodeaux on the other and Dexter Lawrence in the middle. 

Jaxson Dart was the player Brain Daboll wanted from day one. And now the guy that coached Josh Allen in Buffalo finally gets his quarterback. Daboll has gotten a lot of heat the last two years - and deservedly so - but if he can turn Daniel Jones into a respectable signal caller, he should have no problem with a player who was considerably better at Ole Miss than Danny Dimes was at Duke. And the best part was that Schoen didn't have to reach to get him like Dave Gettleman did with Jones in 2019. Nicely played.

If the Giants elect to go with a 4-3 defense, Darius Alexander will play alongside Dexter Lawrence; if they elect to go with a 3-4, Alexander and Lawrence will platoon at nose guard. Either way, with Brian Burns, Micah McFadden and Bobby Okereke at linebacker, this front seven is going to be well stacked and very difficult to contend with.

The mystery of the 2025 NFL Draft is how Cam Skattebo managed to slip all the way to the fourth round. Nevertheless, Schoen and company were delighted he was there at 105. The Giants now have Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary in their backfield. The last time they had this many quality running backs was 2008, the year immediately after Super Bowl 42.

Marcus Mbow (pronounced Bow) will likely take over for Evan Neal at right tackle, but he can also play guard; Thomas Fidone II gives the Giants another option at tight end; and Korie Black will provide depth in the secondary.

Like I said, surgical. 

Look, I realize it's still April, and April is the month where everything looks promising. But I don't think it's hyperbole to suggest that with the free agent signings Schoen has made this offseason, along with his picks in this draft, 2025 might not be such a bad year for Big Blue; in fact, it could be fairly decent. 

Think about it: last season, the Giants lost eight games by a single score. If they had won four of those games, they would've finished 7-10 instead of 3-14. With an improved roster, 7-10 is certainly doable. Who knows, with a little luck, they might go 8-9 or even 9-8. 

All I'm saying is that maybe, just maybe, that light at the end of the tunnel isn't a freight train after all. 

Mets Off To a Roaring Start

Four weeks into the 2025 baseball season, the New York Mets are 18-7, five games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East and currently sitting atop the major league standings. After going 7-0 on this home stand, they are now 12-1 at home, their best start in franchise history, and that includes 1986.

And here's the thing: they are doing all this with Juan Soto still stuck in second gear. With a few rare exceptions, he's been a non-factor this season. Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor have done most of the heavy lifting. And speaking of Alonso, the Polar Bear is off to his best start as a Met. Here is his slash line so far and where it ranks: AVG .341 (5th), HRs 6 (5th), RBIs 26 (T 1st), OBP .440 (4th), SLG .681 (3rd), OPS 1.122 (2nd).

As for Lindor, after going hitless in March, the Captain is batting .349 with 5 HRs, 14 RBIs and a .972 OPS in April, including a walk-off homer against the St. Louis Cardinals and two dingers against the Phillies. How unusual is this? Last season he couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag in April and May.

And while The Three Amigos - Lindor, Soto and Alonso - rightly garner most of the attention, the rest of the lineup is starting to pick it up. Mark Vientos hit a pair of home runs on this home stand, Brett Baty crushed a two run homer into the upper deck and Starling Marte got the game-winning hit to complete the sweep against the Phillies. Isn't it fun when everyone contributes?

The pitching continues to dominate. In 2024, the Mets team ERA was 4.03. This year, it's 2.34, first in the majors. The San Diego Padres are next at 2.92, followed by the Detroit Tigers at 2.94. The starters have not allowed a home run in their last 12 starts, and the bullpen, apart from Edwin Diaz, has been almost spotless. In eleven relief appearances this season, Reed Garrett has yet to give up an earned run. Overall, the staff has the 8th lowest WHIP in baseball at 1.18.

What a difference a year makes. Last season, the Mets got off to a so-so start in April, then did a swan dive in May. It wasn't until after Memorial Day that they began to put it together. From June 3 through the end of the regular season, the Mets were the best team in baseball with a record of 65-38, and a .631 winning percentage. 

This season, the Mets winning percentage is .720. Over a 162 game schedule that translates to a record of 117-45. While no one seriously believes they'll win 117 games, if they simply duplicate last year's .631 win percentage from June thru September, that would come out to 102 regular season wins. I'm pretty sure Steve Cohen would be very happy with that, especially if it's followed up with 11 postseason wins. 

If you think I'm getting ahead of myself, consider this: we know that Soto is going to eventually start producing; he almost had his first CitiField home run the other day but it went foul by about two feet. Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez are set to return Friday, while Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are due back in mid May. With the Phillies bullpen in disarray and the Atlanta Braves off to a poor start, the Mets should be the clear favorites to win the NL East. The only question is whether they will have the home-field advantage in October?

To reiterate what I wrote in my last piece on the Mets: The excitement is palpable; the expectations couldn't be higher.

Drury's Real Problem Isn't Behind the Bench, It's in the Locker Room

Before I go any further, I wanted to take this time to personally express my gratitude to Sam Rosen for all the joy and smiles he brought Rangers fans throughout his illustrious career.

Let's step back for a moment and appreciate the enormity of what we were all privileged to witness. The man was behind the mic for forty years. To put that in perspective, Johnny Carson was on the air for thirty and Gunsmoke twenty. Whatever your favorite among all his memorable calls may be - and there are literally dozens to choose from - know this: there will never be another like him. 

From the bottom of my heart, Sam, thanks for the memories. 

Enjoy your retirement. No one has earned it more.

Now onto the main topic.

Stop me if you notice a pattern.

After David Quinn was fired as Rangers coach, the players said "We need someone who will let us play."

So Chris Drury hired Gerard Gallant.

After Gallant was fired, they said, "We need someone who will provide more structure."

So Chris Drury hired Peter Laviolette. 

After Laviolette was fired, now they're saying, "We need someone who'll communicate more with us."

So I guess Chris Drury will soon hire Dr. Phil. 

You know, my parents never took me to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey when I was a kid, but having watched the Rangers this season, I now know what a circus looks like. 

It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to shit the bed the way these players did and NOT be embarrassed. But based on their exit interviews with Chris Drury that appears to be the case.

Here are some quotes from some of the players on break up day.

Mika Zibanaejad: "I think there was frustration. I think it's just when you don't know everything, we don't know what's going on. I feel like mentally, what I went through the first few months, was probably the toughest I’ve ever been through in my career."

Alexis Lafreniere: "I thought I had a good start and then struggled to be consistent in my game. Didn’t really make a difference."

K'Andre Miller: "Kind of hard to talk about my future here, obviously. I have a great agent that is going to help me throughout this summer’s process."

Not everybody was that tone-deaf. 

Vincent Trocheck: "I think it’s on us, inside this room, in order to make sure that the outside noise doesn’t get to us. Whether that’s talking to somebody individually or if it’s just sticking together as a team and as a family and I think we can get better at that. Lifting guys up instead of bringing guys down, I think that goes a long way."

Igor Shesterkin: "In my mind, something broke during the season, and went the other way. We couldn’t handle it. It was our job to try to find a way to get back."

For those unfamiliar with how flow charts work, I'll explain: the players are answerable to the coach; the coach is answerable to the GM; and the GM is answerable to the owner. And in case you're wondering, the chart only flows in one direction. Nowhere does it say that management is required to communicate what is going on to the players. Even if you believe it wouldn't kill Drury to learn a thing or two about business etiquette, the fact is he's not a fucking guidance counselor, and Mika Zibanaejad is not a patient in a group therapy session.

Of all the seasons in which the Rangers failed to make the playoffs, this was by far the most frustrating. And that's because unlike all those other teams, this one had no excuses. They were not in rebuild mode; there were no major injuries; and they had won the Presidents' trophy the year before. By all accounts they should be in the postseason right now.

The fact is no matter who Drury hires to replace Laviolette, if he isn't able to hold his players accountable, that coach will suffer the same fate as his predecessors. He will have a good first season, followed by the inevitable sophomore jinx. And that's because the real problem with this team isn't behind the bench, it's in the locker room. That isn't to suggest that Quinn, Gallant and Laviolette were blameless. Far from it. Quinn never quite made the adjustment from college to the pros; Gallant took the term "player's coach" way too literally; and Laviolette was stubborn to a fault. But as I wrote in an earlier piece, Scotty Bowman would have a hard time coaching this group.

And that's why it wouldn't shock me one bit if Drury brings back John Tortorella. Of all the coaches this franchise has had in its illustrious history, only Mike Keenan did a better job lighting a fire under his players butts. One thing you can count on: that putrid power play would never be allowed to stay intact. Torts would dismantle it after a couple of games. The man has all the patience of a compulsive overeater at a Chinese buffet. 

Of course with James Dolan interjecting himself into the process - he attended all the exit interviews - anything is possible. If the Pittsburgh Penguins decide to part ways with Mike Sullivan, he would definitely top the list of available coaches. While Sullivan does have an impressive resume, and is certainly qualified, the question begs why would you replace one underperforming coach with another? True, the problem in Pittsburgh is a front office that is in denial over the sorry state of its roster. But how much of that denial is to appease Sydney Crosby? And how much of that appeasement is on Sullivan's shoulders? Frankly, I'd be leery of hiring him. 

But that's just me.

Meanwhile, even though I don't have a horse in the race, here are my playoff predictions:

First round: 

Eastern Conference:

Caps over Habs 4-1 

Canes over Devils 4-2 

Leafs over Sens 4-2 

Bolts over Panthers 4-3 

Western Conference:

Jets over Blues 4-3 

Avs over Stars 4-2 

Golden Knights over Wild 4-2 

Kings over Oilers 4-3

Second round: 

Eastern Conference:

Caps over Canes 4-2 

Bolts over Leafs 4-3 

Western Conference: 

Avs over Jets 4-1 

Knights over Kings 4-1 

Conference finals: 

East: Bolts over Caps 4-2 

West: Avs over Knights 4-3 

Finals: Bolts over Avs 4-3

Knicks Playoff Preview (Round One)

The 2025 NBA postseason is upon us, and for the second year in a row, the New York Knicks have won at least 50 games. But that's where the similarity ends.

There's no debating that the 2024-25 Knicks are more talented than the 2023-24 Knicks. The offseason trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns have vastly improved their offense. Last season, they were 19th in the league in scoring, averaging 112.8 points per game; this season, they're 9th, averaging 115.8 ppg.

However, their success on the scoresheet has come at the expense of their defense. Last season, they allowed the second fewest points per game with 108.2; this season, they've allowed the 9th fewest points with 111.7.

But it's not just the defensive slippage that is a concern. For most of this season, the Knicks have struggled to find their identity. Last season, their tenaciousness on both ends of the court made them one of the most exciting teams in the NBA to watch. They made their opponents sweat for every bucket they made. Too often this season, opponents have been left wide open to make their shots. New York's perimeter defense is among the worst in the league.

And then there's the bench, or lack thereof. To acquire Towns, Leon Rose was forced to give up Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. Randle was a starter, so that was a wash, but DiVo was a valuable cog in Tom Thibodeau's rotation last season. Losing him hurt. When you factor in that Mitchell Robinson didn't return until March, that meant that the starters were forced to play more minutes than they should have. 

How significant was this? The Knicks had three players in the top five in minutes played this season: Josh Hart (37.6), Bridges (37.0) and OG Anunoby (36.6). To put that in perspective, the Denver Nuggets had two in the top 10 and the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves each had one a piece. The Oklahoma City Thunder, the best team in the NBA, didn't have a single player in the top 25 in minutes played, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (34.2) is the presumptive MVP of the league.

What that means is that Thibs' starters enter the playoffs with a lot of mileage on their sneakers. And they're going up against a first-round opponent in the Detroit Pistons that is younger, bigger and considerably deeper, with a chip on its shoulder the size of the Grand Canyon. On paper, the Knicks are the better team; but playoff series aren't won on paper, they're won on the court.

I won't mince words here. There's a lot riding on this series. The Knicks entered the season with high expectations and they have struggled mightily against teams with winning records. During the regular season, they went 1-3 against Detroit and a combined 0-10 against OKC, Cleveland and Boston. After failing to get past the second round the last two postseasons, a first-round exit will not be well received by James Dolan, who is already in a foul mood over the way the Rangers imploded this season. I'm not saying Thibodeau's job is in jeopardy, but let's just say that while losing to the Celtics in five would be disappointing - but not totally unexpected - losing to the Pistons under any conditions would be an unmitigated disaster.

So how do the Knicks prevent that from happening? I believe the best way to counter the Pistons size advantage is for Thibs to start both KAT and Robinson together in the front court. Doing so allows OG to switch back to small forward, where he is far more effective. It also means Hart comes off the bench along with Landry Shamet, who, let's face it, is a more reliable shooter than Deuce McBride. Thibs also has to play Precious Achiuwa more than just a few minutes. Achiuwa isn't much of a scorer, however his size and rebounding will be essential in this series.

But for the Knicks to advance, Mikal Bridges has to produce, and by produce I mean score more than 6-10 points per game. Rose gave up five first round draft picks to the Nets to acquire what he and everyone else thought would be the third option on this team. There have been times this season when he has been virtually invisible. That cannot happen in this series. The Pistons will almost certainly attempt to double team Jalen Brunson and Towns. The only way to make them pay is for Bridges to put the ball in the hoop. Taking six shots like he did against the Lakers earlier in the season is unacceptable.

The pressure is all on the Knicks and deservedly so. The Pistons are playing with house money. After being one of the worst teams in the NBA the last five seasons, nobody expects them to win. Even ESPN - the network that loves bashing the orange and blue as much as possible - has New York prevailing. But I expect a long and grueling series. Knicks in seven.

Here's how I expect the rest of the first round matchups to go.

Eastern Conference:

Cleveland over Miami or Atlanta in four: The Cavs should romp regardless of who they play. 

Boston over Orlando in five: The Magic boast the best defense in the league. It won't be enough against the Celtics.

Indiana over Milwaukee in six: The Pacers have superior depth and that should be enough.

Western Conference:

Oklahoma City over Dallas or Memphis in five: AD would make things interesting, but the Thunder will prove to be too much.

Houston over Golden State in seven: The Warriors will have the two best players in this series; the Rockets will have the size and bench strength to prevail. 

LA Lakers over Minnesota in six: LeBron and Luka against Ant-Man. Should make for an excellent series. 

LA Clippers over Denver in six: For the first time in four years Kawhi Leonard is fully healthy going into the playoffs. 

If the Knicks advance, I'll preview the second round. If not, my prediction is OKC to win it all.

For the Rangers, the Inevitable Becomes Reality

Come on now, you didn't really think the Rangers were going to win out, did you? A team that hasn't had a three-game win streak since mid-November was somehow going to miraculously run the table while the Montreal Canadiens simultaneously were going to lose out? 

That team? 

Seriously? 

Right, and your kid's gonna get a personal visit from the Easter Bunny next Sunday. 

THE Easter Bunny. 

You heard it here first.

Throughout this hellscape of a season, the Blueshirts have had numerous opportunities to take charge of their own destiny and they failed to do so every time. You can point all you want to the horrific December they had - and it was pretty horrific - but there was still plenty of time to climb out of the hole they dug. 

The talent was there. Please spare me the bullshit about how they suddenly got old. Teams don't go from winning the Presidents' Trophy one season to the retirement home the next. That's not how it works. True, several key players had off years, but even allowing for that, the talent on this roster was still better than the one that beat it out for the last wild card spot; in fact, it was better than both wild card rosters.

But then talent was never the problem, was it? To quote former head coach Gerard Gallant, "I love to have talent, but you love to have a work ethic." Tragically for this group, work ethic proved to be its kryptonite. In a league that values grit over glitter, the Rangers were simply unwilling to pay the price to win. The last two games epitomized how their season has gone. Against an Islanders team that was badly outclassed, they had their way with them; against a Hurricanes team that is a genuine playoff contender, they were exposed. Poker players can bluff all they want, but not hockey players. You either have a Royal Flush in your hand or you have a pair of deuces. There's no in-between.

So where do we go from here? For starters, don't expect Chris Drury to go anywhere. James Dolan may not like how this team unravelled this season, but from everything we've heard coming out of the Garden, his job appears to be safe - for now. That's more than can be said for Peter Laviolette. Frankly, I would be shocked if he wasn't relieved of his duties shortly after the season is over.

I've said it before, and it bears repeating, Laviolette doesn't deserve all the blame here. As I wrote back in March, "Coaches can scream till they're blue in the face, but the last time I checked, they're not the ones wearing the jerseys."

But they do make out the lineup cards. And as long as we're being totally honest here, it was Laviolette's refusal to hold his veteran players accountable that proved to be his undoing. The power play was a case in point. It was painfully obvious that the first unit was struggling most of the season, especially down the stretch. But rather than swap out units, he simply moved a few players around, which was the equivalent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Why Laviolette was this stubborn, we may never know. At this point, it's academic. Barring a last-minute change of heart - doubtful - there will be a new coaching staff behind the bench next season. Whoever it is better be able to motivate this core or next time it'll be Drury who gets the pink slip. 

And speaking of Drury, picking a new coach isn't the only thing on his plate. It's clear this core has some major issues that cannot be resolved with a mere pep talk or shouting match. As I also wrote in that piece back in March, "Scotty Bowman would have a hard time coaching this group." You can fault Drury for the manner in which he moved out Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba, but you can't fault him for realizing that both players had outlived their usefulness to the team. And in the cap era, the Rangers simply couldn't afford to keep either of them. If anything, Drury should've played hardball with Trouba in July rather than let things simmer the way they did over the course of the season.

But that's water over the dam now. Drury doesn't have the luxury of indulging in hindsight. He has more "dead weight" on this roster to contend with. Chris Kreider will almost certainly be the next player shown the door. But where? The thirteen-year veteran has played his entire career with the Rangers. But his 26 points in 66 games was a career low for him. Moving him will not be easy, especially since he has a 15-team No Trade Clause. If Drury can find a team willing to take on his entire $6.5 million contract, he can use the cap savings to go shopping for an impact player that can move the needle on this team; someone like Sam Bennett, who's an unrestricted free agent after this season. 

Then there's Brady Tkachuk. While the Ottawa Senators have publicly said they're not interested in trading him, perhaps a package of Alexis Lafreniere, Gabe Perrault, Brennan Othmann and a first rounder - which could conceivably become a lottery pick if the Rangers lose out - might be enough to change their minds. Imagine a line with both Sam Bennett and Brady Tkachuk on it. Hey, a fella can dream, can't he?

But before Drury does any of this, he has some unfinished business at home. Calvin de Haan, the defenseman he acquired from the Colorado Avalanche for Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey, apparently wasn't too thrilled with being benched the final 15 games of the season, in which the Rangers went 6-8-1, a fact he emphasized in front of the beat reporters yesterday, and later tweeted about. de Haan isn't the only player who has a beef about the way he was utilized, or underutilized. Zac Jones was benched in favor of Carson Soucy, even though it was painfully obvious Soucy was having problems in his own end since his arrival from the Vancouver Canucks at the trade deadline. And then there was Perrault, the highly-touted prospect Drury was forced to burn a year of his ELC in order to keep him from going back to Boston College. For some strange reason, he was a healthy scratch the last couple of games. Thankfully, the kid never said anything about it.

Yes, this will be a busy offseason for Chris Drury. His team shit the bed; it's on him to clean the sheets.

Mets Pitching is Keeping Them Afloat

Through ten games this season, the New York Mets record stands at 7-3. They are in second place in the Eastern Division, a half game back of the Philadelphia Phillies.

What's remarkable about that isn't so much the record - they were after all two wins away from going to the World Series last year. It's that they've done it while averaging 3.5 runs per game: 7th lowest in the majors. If I told you a team with Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso would be this anemic offensively this early in the season and still be in second place in their division, you'd think I was pulling your leg.

So why are they doing so well? In a word, pitching. The Mets team ERA through ten games is a league best 1.72. How significant is that? The Los Angeles Dodgers are second with a team ERA of 2.63, and they were supposed to have the best pitching staff in all of baseball.

The starting rotation, which was supposed to be a sore spot for this team, has so far been outstanding. Just take a look at the numbers below. Not one starter has an ERA at or above 3.00.

But as good as the starters have been, the relievers have been even better. With the exception of A.J. Minter - who was brought in from the Atlanta Braves to be the set-up man for Edwin Diaz - and Danny Young, they have been virtually untouchable. Through ten games, Diaz, Huascar Brazobán, Jose Butto, Max Kranick, Reed Garrett and Ryne Stanek have allowed just one earned run. Somewhere up in Heaven, Rube Walker and Tug McGraw are looking down and smiling. 

Can you imagine where the Mets would be right now without their pitching? I can assure you they wouldn't be 7-3; more likely 3-7. And that is very good news because there's no way this team with all its offensive talent is not going to break out sooner or later. Already, Lindor is starting to get untracked. After going hitless in his first three games, he's 8 for his last 22 for a .363 batting average; Soto has reached base safely in all ten games and is batting .286; and Alonso is leading the team with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs. His 1.086 OPS is 12th best in the majors. 

If there is a concern it's at third and second base. Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuña and Brett Baty are a combined 8 for 73 for a .110 batting average and one run batted in. That would be unacceptable even on the '73 Mets, and that team had the likes of Don Hahn, Ed Kranepool, Ron Hodges and Jim Fregosi on the roster.

Once Jeff McNeil comes back, that should take care of second base. McNeil is a proven hitter with some pop in his bat. But Vientos at third remains a problem. He has got to produce. Last year, he batted .266 with 27 HRs and 71 RBIs, and the Mets are counting on him to put up similar numbers this season. If there's one thing you can point to that's encouraging it's that last night he walked three times; a sign that he at least isn't swinging at bad pitches. Sometimes you have to walk before you can run, no pun intended. 

Think about it: last year, the Mets got off to an 0-5 start, CitiField was a ghost town, and the fans had little to root for. This year, they're off to a 7-3 start with two more games against the Miami Marlins before they hit the road to play the A's and Twins. A 5-1 trip is not out of the question. 

The excitement is palpable; the expectations couldn't be higher. 

Rangers Have No One But Themselves to Blame If They Miss the Playoffs

It's come down to this: the New York Rangers currently sit two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Each team has seven games left in the regular season. While the Rangers own the tie breaker by virtue of having more regulation wins, they have the tougher schedule. If the Habs go just 5-2, the Blueshirts would have to go 6-1 to make the playoffs. A herculean task to be sure, but one which they brought on themselves. 

There's no easy way to put this: if the Rangers fail to make the playoffs, they will have no but themselves to blame. Throughout the season, they have had more than enough opportunities to move up in the standings. Having gone through a hellish December in which they went 3-12-0, they began to turn things around in January. After an inspiring 2-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on January 11, New York had finally clawed its way back to the .500 mark.

But they were never able to build any momentum. They'd win two in a row, then lose a game; they'd win another two in a row, followed by another loss; they'd win two more in a row, only to lose three in a row. The last time the Rangers won three games in a row was back on November 19 against the Vancouver Canucks. Their longest win streak of the season was four games back in October. How bad is that? The Nashville Predators - who with 62 points have been an even bigger disappointment than the Rangers - have had two four-game win streaks and one three-game win streak this season.

But it's the manner in which this team loses games that is the most disconcerting. Since the beginning of the new year, the Rangers have lost seven times when they've held leads or been tied in the third period. 

January 7 vs the Dallas Stars at the Garden. The Rangers led 4-3 with three minutes to go in regulation when K'Andre Miller coughed up the puck in his zone. The Stars tied the game and won it in overtime. 

January 14 @ the Colorado Avalanche. The Rangers were clinging to a 2-1 lead late in the third period when Igor Shesterkin gave up a rebound that Arturi Lehkonen pounced on to tie the game. The Avs went on to win it in OT.

January 19 @ the Montreal Canadiens. Once again the Rangers had a third period lead; once again they gave up the tying goal and lost in overtime. 

January 26 vs the Avalanche at the Garden. The Rangers fought back from a two-goal deficit to tie the game with five minutes to go in the third period. Cale Makar then took a penalty with less than three minutes to go in regulation. The Rangers not only didn't score on the ensuing power play, but Will Borgen's ill-advised, cross-ice pass in the offensive zone was intercepted by Makar, who then sped down the ice to set up the game-winning goal with 15 seconds left.

March 5 vs the Washington Capitals at the Garden. In one of their most inspiring efforts of the season, the Rangers led the Caps 2-1 with just over 11 minutes to go in the third period, when Zac Jones took a hooking penalty. Alex Ovechkin scored on the power play to tie the game and Tom Wilson won it in OT.

March 8 @ the Ottawa Senators. This one hurt. The Rangers had a two-goal lead with 10 minutes to go in regulation. The Sens scored twice to force overtime and won it on a turnover by K'Andre Miller. 

March 28 @ the Anaheim Ducks. This one REALLY hurt. The Rangers led by two goals twice in the game, yet still couldn't hold on for the win. The Ducks scored the game-tying goal off a 4 on 2 with less than two minutes to go in regulation, and then went on to win it in OT.

Think about it: if the Rangers had just two of those squandered points back, they'd currently be above the cut line in the wild card race. If they had four of them back, they'd be in the driver's seat right now. 

This team has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory so many times throughout the 2024-25 season, it's a wonder they're still mathematically alive for a playoff spot at all. And when you look at their remaining games - @ the Devils, vs the Lightning, vs the Flyers, @ the Islanders, @ the Hurricanes, @ the Panthers, and vs the Lightning - it's hard to see how they get in, especially when you consider who the Canadiens have left to play: vs the Flyers, @ the Predators, vs the Red Wings, @ the Senators, @ the Maple Leafs, vs the Blackhawks & vs the Hurricanes.

But regardless of what happens over the next few days, the Rangers may have found themselves a budding, young star in Gabe Perrault. The 23rd pick in the 2023 Entry Draft looked good against the Minnesota Wild the other night. Twice he came close to picking up an assist. He may not be the fastest skater in the league, but his passing skills were on full display in that game. Peter Laviolette was wise to put him in the top six. With so many aging forwards on this roster, it is incumbent on the organization to develop what young talent they have, especially given how Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere were brought along early in their careers. Indeed, if, as expected, Chris Drury unloads Chris Kreider over the summer, and then somehow convinces Mika Zibanejad to waive his NMC, the Rangers might have one of the younger lineups in the NHL next season.

But that's next season. We still have seven games left in this one. Anything can happen.

Yogi Berra used to say, "It ain't over till it's over."

Then again, Bob Dylan once sang, "It's not dark yet, but it's getting there."

One of them is right.