NHL Power Rankings: Evaluating the Top Eight Teams in Each Conference

Now that we're past the halfway point in the NHL season, it's time to re-evaluate my power rankings for the sixteen best teams in the NHL. 

Since my initial season-opening projections, there've been a few surprises; the biggest being the collapse of the Islanders, who I picked to win the Stanley Cup this year, and who were only five wins away from doing just that last year. Read my thoughts on what went wrong. Whether they will be sellers at the trade deadline remains to be seen.

Unlike October, when I predicted who the top three teams in each division would be, plus the wild cards, this time around, I've decided to rate the top eight teams in each conference, followed who I believe will win the Cup.

My criteria for evaluating each team comes down to the following: won/loss record, goals for and against, special teams, 5v5 play, goaltending and, finally, my gut instincts. That last one isn't always as trustworthy as I would like it to be.

As always, take these predictions with a grain or two or three of salt.

Eastern Conference:

1. Carolina Hurricanes: From top to bottom, the most balanced team in the NHL. Their forwards check with a reckless abandon and their defense, while lacking the pizazz of an Adam Fox or Cale Makar, has allowed the second fewest goals in the league. Imagine having to win four out of seven games in a playoff series against this team. I pity whoever draws the short straw in the wild card race.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning: They lost their entire third line during the offseason and didn't miss a beat. Credit GM Julien BrisBois for retooling on the fly. No one navigates the salary cap better. They can skate and they can check, and they have the number one goalie in all of hockey. It wouldn't shock me one bit if they won it all again.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins: Despite losing four straight going into the all-star break, they've been one of the most consistent teams this season, and they've managed to do it with Sidney Crosby missing a dozen games and Evgeni Malkin missing more than 30. Coach Mike Sullivan deserves a lot of credit. Don't sleep on them.

4. Florida Panthers: A world-class offense reminiscent of the great Edmonton Oilers teams of the '80s, and yet for all their prowess with the puck, they can be sloppy in their own end, which could bite them in the postseason. They remind me of the '92 Rangers: loaded up front, but soft.

5. New York Rangers: They have four of the top twenty scorers in the league, their special teams have been in the top ten all season long, and goalie Igor Shesterkin has stolen at least a half dozen games for them. Still, their 5v5 play ranks near the bottom, and unless it's addressed via a trade, it could undermine their playoff prospects.

6. Toronto Maple Leafs: Their regular season successes have been consistently met by epic collapses in the postseason. On paper, they look like world beaters, but until they prove they can win when it counts, I will remain a skeptic.

7. Washington Capitals: Ever since they won the Cup in 2018, they've consistently underperformed in the playoffs. And I've seen nothing this season that makes me believe a repeat performance isn't in the offing. They're showing their age and their goaltending is suspect.

8. Boston Bruins: They've been looking for a number two center ever since David Krejci retired, going so far as to put a winger between Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak. And now that Tuukka Rask has called it a career, it's hard to see this team making a serious run in the postseason.

Western Conference:

1. Colorado Avalanche: Watching this team play is like watching a tsunami come ashore. Just when you're done with the first wave, the second wave hits you. How dangerous are they? Their best forward, Nazem Kadri, happens to be their number two center. With Cale Makar having a Norris trophy-type season, they might be unstoppable in the playoffs.

2. Vegas Golden Knights: Jack Eichel is expected to make his season debut in a couple of weeks. The rest of their forward contingent is the perfect blend of skill and grit. They have the goaltending and the depth to make a deep run in the postseason. The only thing standing in their way might be the Avs.

3. Calgary Flames: Jacob Markstrom leads the NHL with eight shutouts, and their coach, Darryl Sutter, has twice before piloted a team to a Stanley Cup championship. It's worth noting that both times the LA Kings won, they were not the best team in the league. Food for thought.

4. Minnesota Wild: I'll be honest, I totally missed this team. The third best offense in the conference and a very stingy defense makes them a dangerous opponent in the playoffs. And I have a soft spot for Mats Zuccarello. The ex-Ranger is having a career year and I'd like to see him hoist the Cup.

5. Nashville Predators: They have the comeback player of the year in Matt Duchene and an all-star goalie in Juuse Saros. I'm not sure they have enough depth to go far in the postseason but their hard-nosed style of play will be difficult for opponents to overcome.

6. St. Louis Blues: Three years removed from a Stanley Cup, this team has been quietly flying under the radar. They've retooled and they could shock someone.

7. Los Angeles Kings: Talk about rebuilds. The Kings weren't supposed to be competing for a playoff spot. Yet, here they are. Jonathan Quick is still solid in net and Anze Kopitar, at 34, is the leading scorer. They'll probably exit early but this is a team moving in the right direction.

8. Edmonton Oilers: As of this writing, the Oilers are 5th in the Pacific Division, six points out of a playoff spot. It's unfathomable that a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Drasaitl could miss the postseason, and that's why I'm predicting that won't happen. Somehow, someway, this team will find a way to sneak in. But poor goaltending and a lack of grit will prove to be their undoing. 

Cup finals: Colorado Avalanche over the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-3.

When It Comes to Trades It Takes Two to Tango

Even though the NHL trade deadline is still more than a month away, rumors are circulating about who might be on the move and where. On Twitter, Rangers fans are finalizing their post-Christmas shopping lists and, as is typical for them, coming up with some creative suggestions.

Of course, the problem with making a trade is that it invariably hinges on two things: 1. Who you're competing against; and 2. How willing both sides are to arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Regarding the former, it's obvious the Rangers aren't the only team looking to improve their playoff prospects by adding one or more players. The Bruins have been looking for a second-line center ever since David Krejci retired; the Panthers are in need of someone, anyone, capable of playing defense; and the Avalanche could use a goaltender. You can bet they, and a few other teams, will be burning up the phone lines between now and March 21 in an attempt to address those needs.

Regarding the latter, contrary to what the Twitterverse says, it's rare that one team gets the better of another. For a trade to be consummated, both teams have to be realistic about their demands. Remember the Jack Eichel standoff? The Sabres were adamant that they weren't going to part with the all-star center unless they received the proverbial king's ransom in return. In the end, what they got from the Golden Knights was a second-line winger, a future center, a first-round pick in 2022 and a third-round pick in 2023. Not a bad haul, but hardly what I would call a king's ransom.

The bottom line is, fans don't make trades, GMs do. And that's why, if I'm a Rangers fan, I wouldn't get my hopes up about Chris Drury going trade happy at or before the deadline. Yes, per Capfriendly, the Blueshirts will have a shit-load of cap space with which to add players at the trade deadline; more than any other team that's out there. And, yes, it's better to have more cap space than less, even if it's only temporary. But having cap space is one thing; being able to utilize it is another.

In the end, any moves Drury makes will come down to who he's willing to give up and, more importantly, who he's not willing to give up. If he can find a reasonable trade partner to deal with, he'll pull the trigger; if he can't, the Rangers will go into the playoffs as is. 

With that in mind, I thought I'd conjure up a few of the more realistic trades that Drury could make that would improve his team's chances come May. I'm not saying these are done deals, just doable.

From the Vegas Golden Knights: Reilly Smith for a second-round pick in 2022 and Vitali Kravtsov. The Golden Knights need to clear about $5 mill in cap space and the Rangers need help at right wing. Smith is a UFA after the season, so he'd be a pure rental. He's played for Gerard Gallant before and he's familiar with his system. A win-win for both sides. You hate giving up a kid like Kravtsov with so much potential, but after what happened at the start of the season, some fences can't be mended. 

From the Arizona Coyotes: Phil Kessel for a second-round pick in 2022. Like Smith, he'd be a rental, except he'd be a lot cheaper to acquire. I'll be honest, Kessel wouldn't be my first choice but he's been on two Stanley Cup championship teams in Pittsburgh and his playoff experience will prove invaluable. Plus, he beats the hell out of Dryden Hunt at right wing. As for the talk of Jakob Chychrun, forget it. At $4.6m over the next three years, he's way too expensive for a team that has several, more pressing needs.

From the Seattle Kraken: Mark Giordano for a second and third-round pick in 2022, a third rounder in '23 and Patrik Nemeth. Ron Francis agrees to take Nemeth's $2.5m contract off Drury's hands for the next two seasons in exchange for some badly-needed draft capital, and the Rangers add an experienced defenseman to solidify their third pairing.

From the Vancouver Canucks: J.T. Miller for Filip Chytil, Nils Lundkvist and 2022's first rounder. As I wrote in an earlier piece, the only way Drury goes after Miller is if he feels he can't re-sign Ryan Strome. Miller has one more year remaining on his contract at a very team-friendly $5.25m, so acquiring him won't hamstring the organization in their efforts to extend Kaapo Kakko in the offseason. Of all the potential trades, this one might be the most difficult to pull off because the Canucks will likely want Braden Schneider instead of Lundkvist, and according to Larry Brooks of The New York Post, Drury has labeled him untouchable.

From the Winnipeg Jets: Mark Scheifele for Chytil, Lundkvist, and a first and second rounder in 2022. His name has surfaced recently. He's signed thru the '24 season, but at $6.125m, he might be a little too expensive for an organization that has several players it will have to sign to extensions over the next couple of years. Like Miller, if Drury goes this route, it means Strome is gone after the season.

From the Dallas Stars: Joe Pavelski for a first and second round pick in 2022, Chytil, Kravtsov and Lundkvist. This will be an expensive acquisition, but as rentals go, it doesn't get any better than Pavelski, who at 37, is leading his team in scoring. I'm not even sure this haul will be enough to land him, that's how valuable he is. One potential roadblock: Dallas is still mathematically alive for a playoff spot, so they may not want to trade him, even for a "king's ransom."

From the Philadelphia Flyers: Claude Giroux for a first-round pick in 2022 and Chytil. Chuck Fletcher still believes the Flyers can make a push in the second half, so he might not shop Giroux. But let's say he's willing to part with him, the Bruins might come to the table with a better package. Charlie Coyle and a number one would definitely be better than the Rangers offer, and unless Drury wants to get into a bidding war, the asking price might be too steep. Still, Giroux would be a great addition for the Rangers at center, and as a rental wouldn't upset the apple cart.

Of all the potential trades I listed above, the two I think are the most likely to come to fruition are Smith and / or Kessel. The Rangers need help at right wing and both these players represent considerable improvements over what they have. Since they'd be rentals, Gallant can keep Alexis Lafreniere on the third line with Chytil and either Kakko or Barclay Goodrow. And if they land both, Gallant can slot Goodrow on the fourth line with Kevin Rooney and Ryan Reaves. I also think it's possible they get Giordano, though that begs the question, what does Drury do with Nemeth if Francis balks at taking him in a deal?

I still think at the end of the day, Drury would prefer to re-sign Strome, but if he can't, Miller remains a viable option over Scheifele. As for Pavelski, I predict Dallas will hold onto him, the Bruins will end up with Giroux, and the Avs will acquire Marc-Andre Fleury from the Blackhawks, making them the odds-on favorite to win the Cup.

In my next piece, I'll rate what I think are the top eight teams in each conference.

Imagine What Might've Been

Beginning in 2019, the NBA decided to use a weighted lottery system to determine which team had the privilege of going first in the draft. The decision couldn't have come at a worse time for the New York Knicks, who had the league's worst record at 17-65 and were looking forward to drafting Duke power forward Zion Williamson with the number one pick. Thanks to the bean counters in the league offices, they now had no better than a 14 percent chance of landing him.

Well as fate would have it, the New Orleans Pelicans, the team with the 7th worst record, wound up winning the rights to Williamson; the Knicks got the third pick, which they used to pick Williamson's teammate, RJ Barrett.

At the time, Barrett was considered a solid choice for a rebuilding Knicks team that was desperately looking to turn the page from yet another disastrous front office administration. But while Barrett has been a good, if unspectacular, player for New York, it was the second overall pick, which belonged to the Memphis Grizzlies, that has garnered the majority of headlines over the last three seasons.

Ja Morant is generally acknowledged to be an elite point guard and one of the most exciting players in the NBA. And in a league that rewards its stars the way kids are rewarded with ice cream for cleaning their rooms, Morant has his team solidly in 3rd place in the Western Conference, while the Knicks are mired in 12th in the East. 

Imagine what might've been. Imagine if the Knicks, instead of picking third, went second. Imagine Ja Morant wearing the blue and orange in the most famous arena in the world. Imagine what coach Tom Thibodeau could do with a budding star like Morant in his back court. The Knicks would be a contender instead of a sub-500 team that, with a bunch of middling players last year, over achieved and were ousted in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks.

It is axiomatic that in today's NBA, teams that do not have elite-level talent simply don't succeed. Take a look at the standings. Without exception, each team at or near the top has at least one player that can carry his team. The Sixers have Joel Embiid; the Nets have Kevin Durant; the Warriors have Steph Curry; the Suns have Chris Paul.

Unlike the NHL, which for some reason rewards its less talented teams by allowing them to neutralize the advantage superior talented teams have once the postseason begins, in the NBA, the cream always rises to the top. If the Knicks shot pucks instead of hoops, they'd be the Islanders. Hard as it is to believe, last year, the boys from Uniondale were five wins away from a Stanley Cup championship, and they didn't have a single scorer in the top 40. Go figure.

But, alas, the Knicks shoot hoops, and as it turns out, not very well. As a basketball team, they're not bad; they're just not all that good, especially against the top teams in the league. Julius Randle, last year's most improved player, tries hard every night. He just isn't a star; nor is Barrett, or anyone else on this team.

After last year's early exit, you'd think that Leon Rose would've spent the offseason moving heaven and earth to acquire a star that could've transformed this franchise into a bonafide contender. Someone like, say Damian Lillard, the Portland Trailblazer point guard who, while not quite on Morant's level, is considerably better than either Kemba Walker or Evan Fournier, both of whom played for the Boston Celtics last year. While the Celtics are currently five games over .500, the Knicks are five under. You can't tell me that for the right package, Rose couldn't have landed Lillard. You can't.

And now, with the trade deadline a few days away, it's time for Rose to think big picture. Having a team full of sixth-men just isn't going to hack it. You don't get an E for effort in the NBA; what you get is a big fat L. Case in point, the game against the Lakers the other night. Despite jumping out to a twenty point lead in the first half, the Knicks had no answer for LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the third quarter. They eventually lost in overtime.

That's been the story of this team all season long. Game in and game out, early leads dissipate once the other teams stars take charge. In the end, all the perspiration in the world can't overcome the dearth in talent. I don't care how good your coach is - and Thibodeau is one of the game's best - he can't shoot, or pass, or rebound. Athleticism, or a lack thereof, is the ultimate determining factor.

I've been a Knicks fan since the 1970s. I remember, fondly, the '73 team that had the likes of Walt, Clyde Frazier, Dave DeBusschere and Earl, the Pearl, Monroe. Under the guidance of coach Red Holzman, they won the NBA championship that season. That would be the last title this franchise would win. In all the years since, they've been to the finals twice: '94 and '99, with no cigar.

Great players come and go, most of them wearing the opposition's uniform. In the '80s, it was Bird and Magic; in the '90s, it was Jordan and Shaq. Like the Four Tops used to sing, it's the same old song. The only thing that changes is the date on the calendar.

The NFL's Minority Problem

The accusations made by Brian Flores in his class-action lawsuit against the NFL, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and Denver Broncos have shaken the sports world, and if they are proven true, will have profound repercussions throughout the league.

Here are the allegations that are contained in the lawsuit:

In 2019, the Denver Broncos kept Flores waiting several hours to interview for their head-coaching vacancy, and when team officials finally did show up, they looked disheveled and hung over from the previous night. At the time, Flores was an assistant with the New England Patriots. The job eventually went to Vic Fangio, a white man.

In 2019, while head coach of the Miami Dolphins, owner Stephen Ross approached Flores and offered him $100,000 per game to tank the season so that the team could land the overall number pick in the NFL draft the following year.

In January of this year, the New York Giants invited Flores to interview for their head-coaching vacancy. However, in a text exchange with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, which was intended for then Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, but was mistakenly sent to Flores, Belichick congratulates Daboll for landing the job three whole days before Flores's interview. To say Flores was humiliated would be an understatement.

Look, I realize that these are just allegations; we still have no way of knowing whether they're true. But here's what we do know:

Over the last twenty years, only two NFL head coaches have had consecutive winning seasons for the Miami Dolphins: Dave Wannstedt and Brian Flores. After getting off to a 1-7 start, the Dolphins went 8-1 the rest of the way, finishing 9-8. Yet Flores was let go after only his third season.

News of the termination was met with surprise and skepticism by most people covering the league. By all accounts, Flores was considered a good head coach who had done a more than competent job with a team coming out of a rebuild. Given that the Dolphins play in the same division as the Patriots and the Bills, a 9-8 record isn't all that bad.

When the Rooney Rule was instituted in 2003, there were three Black head coaches in the league. With the firing of Flores, there is now only one Black head coach: Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. After the conclusion of the regular season, nine head-coaching vacancies opened up; four have already been filled. Not a single one by an African American, though technically Flores is still a finalist for the Houston Texans vacancy. Who knows what will happen now that this suit has been filed. 

It is inconceivable with such qualified assistant coaches as Eric Bieniemy in Kansas City that not a single one has been hired as a head coach. Indeed, Bieniemy never even received the courtesy of an interview this off season. The question begs, why?

Initially, I thought John Mara and Steve Tisch were going to hire former Chiefs' Director of Player Personnel Ryan Poles as their next GM, and Poles would then hire Bieniemy as his head coach. It would've been a win-win for a beleaguered organization: two eminently qualified African Americans charged with restoring the Giants to their glory days. What a headline that would've made.

Instead, another headline has dominated the sports pages of the New York metro area.

Just to be clear, Mara and Tisch are well within their rights to hire anyone they feel is best qualified to lead their franchise. Nothing in the Rooney Rule compels a team to hire a minority coach; only to interview them. And to be sure, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll are considerable improvements over the previous regime of Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge. But the revelation that they went through a pro forma interview simply to check a box is an indictment for an organization that has had more than its fair share of missteps over the last decade.

Regarding the bribery charge, it is certainly no revelation that the way in which the NFL conducts its draft incentivizes teams to deliberately lose games in order to get a better seeding. That is precisely why both the NBA and NHL conduct draft lotteries: to ensure that their teams aren't tempted to tank games for personal gain. Regardless of what the investigation into Ross reveals - and if in fact the allegation against him is proven to be true, he should be permanently banned from the league - it would behoove the NFL to amend its draft procedures to conform with the above-mentioned leagues.

Speaking of things the NFL should amend, it is time to revisit the Rooney Rule. Clearly it isn't working. All it has done is given teams an off ramp when it comes to hiring Black coaches. It is time the league tried a new approach; something along the lines of dangling supplemental draft picks for hiring men of color for assistant coaches and head coaches. The former would get a second round pick; the latter a first rounder. It sure as shit beats what's in place now. 

If the NFL really wanted to fundamentally change how it does business, it could incentivize its owners to sell off parts of their teams to minority owners. Two supplemental first round picks for a 25 percent share; three first rounders for 40 percent. What good is having a seat at the table if you don't own the table?

The bottom line is this: Brian Flores has taken a huge risk here by launching this lawsuit. In all likelihood, he has permanently imperiled any chance he has of ever becoming a head coach in the NFL. The league has a long memory; just ask Colin Kaepernick. I'm sure Flores knew that going in. All the more reason to take him and these allegations seriously.

As for the parties involved in the suit, including my own Giants: They have some 'splainin' to do, that's for sure.

Hanks for the Memories

This will be a bittersweet moment for me and for millions of Rangers fans. Henrik Lundqvist's number 30 is going to be raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden. It is a fitting end to a glorious career that, sadly, had but one blemish: no rings.

It was not from lack of effort, or talent. As I wrote in a piece from last August, Lundqvist was the "greatest Ranger NOT to win a Stanley Cup in the history of the franchise." In the Mount Rushmore of the organization, there's Messier, Leetch, Gilbert and King Henrik.

What about Mike Richter, you say? Certainly the goalie who stoned Pavel Bure on a penalty shot in the Cup finals should be on that mountain. He would, except for one thing: Hank was better. Of course he was better; deep down you know he was. And that's coming from someone who was a Mike Richter fan.

Pick a metric: wins, shutouts (both regular season and playoffs), save percentage, goals against average, the game sevens, the 2012 Vezina trophy, and Lundqvist was far superior to Richter. Put aside the Cup win for a moment and be honest. If you had one game to win and one goalie to put between the pipes, who would you choose? You could make the argument that Richter benefited greatly from playing on a championship-caliber team while Lundqvist gave an otherwise good team a chance at becoming one. Among his contemporaries, only Martin Brodeur was better.

But this is not the time nor the place for comparisons. This is a time for honoring the life's work of one of the greatest athlete's the sport has ever known; a man who brought honor to the game he loved with every fiber of his being; and whose professionalism and competitive spirit knew no equal.

I've been watching "30 Days of 30" on MSG Cable, and I'm still amazed at the acrobatic saves he made against the Penguins and Canadiens in the 2014 playoffs and the Caps in both the 2012 and 2015 playoffs. To paraphrase a well-known baseball analogy, the man left it all on the ice. He did everything humanly possible to drag all three teams across the finish line, but, alas, somethings were beyond even the King's reach.

As we watch the emergence of Igor Shesterkin into an elite goalie, it's worth noting that his predecessor set the standard by which he and all future Rangers' net minders will be judged. Whether Igor ends up eclipsing Lundqvist's records remains to be seen; but one thing is certain: he will obviously have to be a lot more durable than he has thus far been.

As for me, I will forever be grateful for the thrills he gave all of us; and I will treasure the wins he willed into being, and, yes, saddened at what might've been. He has earned this moment, this honor, and this place in Rangers history.

To quote Shakespeare, "we shall not look upon his like again."

Four Great Games, Four Wild Finishes

I've been watching football since the mid-1970s and I can honestly say, without hesitation, that this past weekend's playoff games were the best I've ever seen. Period! I defy anyone to prove me wrong.

You might find one game that matched what we saw yesterday; hell, you might even find two; but you'll never find four. If you're a fan of the game, this was special; this was a treat.

Consider the following: Each game was decided on the last play and the combined margin for all four games was 15 points: three field goals and an overtime touchdown. 

Game one: Cincinnati at Tennessee

Joe "Cool" Burrow against Derrick "King" Henry. If ever there was a player with ice water in his veins it's Burrow. The Bengals quarterback was sacked nine times, yet still hung in the pocket to complete 28 of 37 pass attempts for 348 yards.

But as good as Burrow was, the reason the Bengals won this game was because for some strange reason, Titans' head coach Mike Vrabel thought his quarterback was Peyton Manning. With the best running game in the NFL, Vrabel allowed Ryan Tannehill to throw the ball 24 times, resulting in three picks; the last one led to the winning field goal. 

Look, I wasn't a big believer in Tennessee going all the way. In this game you need an elite quarterback to have a shot at a Super Bowl, but this was a winnable game for the Titans and their coach chose a particular inopportune time to have a bad day. Dumb, simply dumb.

Game two: San Francisco at Green Bay 

January at Lambeau, the frozen tundra, scene of the infamous ice bowl. Game-time temps in the single digits, wind chill below zero. The team from the Bay area taking on the team that was built for this weather. There was just one tiny problem: the team from the fair-weather city seemed to handle the elements better, or at least came better prepared, than the home-town team.

Yes, the blocked field goal and the blocked punt hurt, but that was not the reason the Packers lost. They lost because they scored only ten points; and they scored only ten points because the most celebrated quarterback in a generation played like shit when his team needed him most. The fact is in the middle of a snow squall, with 3:40 left in regulation, and the scored tied at 10, with the ball at his own 28 and needing only 11 yards for a first down, Aaron Rodgers decided to heave a 40-yard pass downfield to Davante Adams that the Niners were all over. The pass was broken up and the Packers were forced to punt.

That gave Jimmy Garoppolo three minutes to navigate his team down field and set up the game-winning field goal. Yes, as strange as it may seem, Jimmy G, God's gift to defensive coordinators, looked like the king of the two-minute drill, while his counterpart looked like Daniel Jones.

If that sounds harsh, it was meant to. There's a reason why Rodgers has only one Super Bowl ring despite a plethora of opportunities to get more. He's simply not a clutch performer when it counts. Think about it. He could've chosen to, as Hank Stram used to say, "matriculate the football down the field." But, alas, his ego got in the way. So he forced a play he had no business forcing and cost his team a win they should've had going away. Chalk this one up to sheer arrogance. 

Oh, and by the way, Aaron, Brandon sends his love.

Game three: Los Angeles at Tampa Bay

Matt Stafford versus the GOAT. The last time Sean McVay went head to head with Tom Brady, Brady beat him in the Super Bowl. This time around, he brought his own gun slinger with him. To be honest, I wasn't much of a Stafford fan, but he showed me something yesterday. Stafford was a cool customer, besting Brady in yards and completion percentage. Indeed, the only interception in the game was thrown by Brady.

The fact is, had it not been for the four turnovers the Rams committed, none of which were Stafford's fault, this game would've been a rout. Even after the Bucs mounted a successful comeback to tie the game, Stafford had enough composure to throw a strike to a wide open Cooper Kupp at the 12 yard line line to set up the winning field goal as time expired. Not bad for a guy everybody, including yours truly, thought was overrated.

Didn't think it could get any better? Well...

Game four: Buffalo at Kansas City

Now we come to the pièce de résistance. If you missed this game, you missed one helluva match. Three lead changes in the final two minutes of regulation; both quarterbacks combining for 707 yards, 7 touchdowns and no picks. 

This was not a game for the faint of heart, believe me. I must've said "Holy shit" at least a dozen times. Hey, Giants and Jets fans, this is how football was meant to be played.

It's a shame that one of these quarterbacks had to lose; that's how great both Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen were. We might never see a performance like this again. But if you're a Buffalo Bills fan, you have a right to be pissed at your coaching staff, particularly the special teams coaching staff.

After Mahomes threw a slant to Tyreek Hill that he took all the way to the end zone goal for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:02 left, Allen successfully navigated his team downfield and threw his 4th touchdown of the night with 13 seconds remaining to put the Bills ahead 36-33. All the Bills had to do was protect that lead for a lousy 13 seconds - a lousy 13 seconds!

But rather than attempt a squib kick and force the Chiefs to field the ball, thus running some time off the clock, the Bills elected to kick the ball into the end zone, which gave Mahomes the full 13 seconds to get his team in position to kick the game-tying field goal and force overtime. And that's exactly what Mahomes did. And after the Chiefs won the coin toss, Mahomes sliced and diced his way through an exhausted Buffalo defense and connected with Travis Kelce for the game-winning touchdown.

It was a heartbreaking loss for a Bills team that, two years in a row, has lost to the Chiefs in the postseason. They deserved a better fate this time around. But for the majority of us football fans who didn't have a horse in this race, this was a game for the ages.

Memo to Joe Schoen, new GM of the New York Giants: as you continue your search for the team's next head coach, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll should be at the top of your list. Both men have done an outstanding job with their respective teams, and either would make a great choice, especially for an organization that hasn't had a functioning offense in more than a decade.

The Rangers at the Halfway Point

41 up, 41 down. Halfway through the 2021-22 season, the New York Rangers are 26-11-4, tied for first place in the Metropolitan division and fifth overall in the NHL with 56 points. If you had this team with that many points challenging for first place in late January you're a better person than me. Last night's disheartening loss to the Carolina Hurricanes notwithstanding, this season has been an unqualified success, so far.

I say so far, because while there are many things to be happy about, there are a few that continue to be a concern. Let's look at the record, shall we?

Against teams with losing records, the Rangers are 12-0-1. Against teams with winning records, their record is 14-11-3. However, against teams that are playoff contenders they're only 11-11-2, 1-5-1 against teams that are either in first place or tied for first.

What that means is that the Rangers are cleaning up against the bottom feeders in the league, as they should, but against the better teams, the results are more mixed. For instance, against teams that excel in the transition game like the Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes, they've been outscored 15-28, including last night's 6-3 drubbing in Raleigh. However, against the rest of the league, they've outscored their opponents 107-77.

So what we can conclude from the above statistics? For starters, despite the acquisitions Chris Drury made during the offseason, the Rangers remain a work in progress. While they have shown themselves to be far more resilient than last year's squad, they are still learning how to play a full sixty minutes. The last two games are a microcosm for how the season has gone, so far. In both games, the Rangers fell behind by two goals early. Against the Toronto Maple Leafs, they recovered and won going away; against a more disciplined and better-coached Hurricanes team, they weren't quite as fortunate.

Is this something to be concerned about? Most definitely. Assuming they make the playoffs - and at this point, with a majority of their remaining games at home, anything else would be seriously frowned upon by ownership, i.e., James Dolan - how far the Rangers go will be determined by how willing they are to play a complete game. Teams like the aforementioned Hurricanes will make quick work of them if they play like they did last night. Think '06 against the Devils. Yeah, that bad.

Part of the problem is psychological. The core of this team - Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Ryan Strome and Chris Kreider - are far more comfortable playing an east-west style of play. Head coach Gerard Gallant has tried to get them to play a more conventional, north-south style of play, with some success. The 4-0 win they had against the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning was the most compete game they've played all season. Zibanejad scored a hat trick, while Kreider picked up three assists. If Gallant could somehow bottle that performance and get his players to drink from it on a consistent basis, this team would be a legitimate Cup contender.

But, alas, he hasn't. And that's why it's incumbent upon Drury to look outside the organization to acquire the missing pieces that will give this team a fighting chance in the postseason. But which pieces should Drury be looking for?

Contrary to what I may have written before, I think it would behoove him to trade for a player with some grit, someone who can drive to the net and knows what to do with the puck when he gets there. Someone like Jesper Fast, for instance. It pains me to admit this but it was a mistake for management to let him go after the '20 season, especially when the Hurricanes are only paying him $2 million a year. Last night, the right winger scored his ninth goal of the season. To put that in perspective, that's only three less than Kaapo Kakko, Dryden Hunt, Julien Gauthier and Ryan Reaves have scored collectively.

If you're as embarrassed about that as I am, you're not alone. The entire league knows the Rangers don't have a legit top six right winger. Kakko has been ineffective on either the Strome or Zibanejad line, to put it mildly. Apart from his two-goal performance against the Coyotes in Arizona on December 15, the third-year forward has been virtually invisible the last two months. Filip Chytil, with the exception of a handful of games at right wing, has been a bust. And neither Hunt nor Gauthier are sufficiently talented enough to warrant being anything more than what they are: fourth liners. As for Barclay Goodrow, the Swiss-army knife's talents are being wasted as Gallant keeps shuffling him around the lineup, desperately looking for some spark that can jumpstart this team's anemic 5v5 play. Last night, his physicality drew a penalty that the Blueshirts converted on. The Rangers need more of that if they intend on making a deep run in the postseason.

The top five players are pulling their weight, but the drop off from there is profound. Among playoff teams, only the Boston Bruins have a similar drop off. Not even the Maple Leafs are this shallow. If this lack of depth isn't addressed, it will threaten the second half of their season. 

I'm guessing Drury already knows this, so look for him to make a move or two. The only question is cost. I don't expect him to part with any of the top prospects in the system, but the first round pick is definitely in play. Depending on how reasonable the other GMs are, help should be on the way soon. Fortunately, the Rangers will have an abundance of cap space at the trade deadline with which to accommodate salaries. That's what happens when you don't waste money on overpriced contracts just to appease the Twitter mob.

The bottom line is the Rangers, after 41 games, have exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. They are tied for first place in their division. They have some very exciting players, including Norris trophy winner Adam Fox and Vezina trophy candidate Igor Shesterkin. With the right additions they could surprise even the experts this spring. But if they do fall short of the Cup finals it will not be the end of the world.

After four long years in the wilderness, it's refreshing to have something to look forward to.

The Pros and Cons of Rangers Trading for J.T. Miller

Before I get to J.T. Miller, a word on the new Covid-19 protocols that the NHL and the NHL Players' association jointly announced. Beginning February 3, the league will no longer test fully vaccinated, asymptomatic players. Only players who develop symptoms will be tested, and if positive, will be isolated. The lone exception will be teams that travel across the border to Canada. In those instances, the protocols will be dictated by the "relevant health authorities." In other words, for teams in the lower 48, the NHL will adopt the NFL protocols; for teams in Canada, the Provinces will run the show.

It's a welcome sign that this league, which was forced to postpone dozens of games over the last six weeks, has finally admitted what the medical experts have been saying for a couple of months now: that while Covid-19 isn't going anywhere, for the vast majority of people who are fully vaccinated, the health risk is relatively small. In the end, pragmatism won out. Good for them, and good for the fans who will now be able to see their teams play at or near full capacity.

Now onto the main topic. Frank Seravalli of Daily Face-off is reporting that the Rangers are one of the teams interested in trading for the services of the Vancouver Canucks' center. 

Let's assume for the moment that Seravalli is right and Chris Drury is serious about re-acquiring the player his predecessor Jeff Gorton sent packing in 2017, along with Ryan McDonagh, in what is now considered one of the franchise's most lopsided trades. 

It would signal two things: 1. After returning home from a 3-2 road trip that saw them take over first place in the Metropolitan division with 54 points, Drury believes this team has a legitimate shot at a deep run in the postseason; and 2. Contract negotiations with Ryan Strome's agent don't appear to be going well. If I had to guess, I'd say it's mostly the latter that is driving this bus.

With Strome scheduled to become a UFA after the season, it's logical to assume he is seeking a rather long and substantial payday, say six years at around $7 million AAV. He's currently making $4.5 million. Given the cap constraints the Rangers will be under for the foreseeable future, such a contract would be too rich for Drury's blood. So unless he can talk Strome's agent down to a more mutually beneficial number, say four years at closer to $5.75M AAV, Drury's hands will be tied.

Hence the Miller speculation.

Of course, it wouldn't surprise me one bit to learn that Drury is floating the idea of a possible class reunion with Miller to force Strome's agent to come to the table. I can't be the only one who thinks it wasn't a coincidence that within 24 hours after Larry Brooks of The New York Post reported last October that the Rangers would only be interested in trading for Jack Eichel if they believed they couldn't re-sign Mika Zibanejad that the two sides miraculously came to an agreement on a contract extension. The more I see of Drury, the more impressed I become with him.

So, what are the pros and cons of J.T. Miller coming back to the organization that drafted him?

The pros:

1. Since his departure from Broadway, Miller has developed into one of the better pivotmen in the NHL, averaging just under a point a game over the last three seasons. With 38 points in 38 games, he is currently the leading scorer on the Canucks this year. As a Ranger, he would be tied with Artemi Panarin for second in team scoring, right behind Adam Fox, who has 39.

2. In addition to his offense, Miller is exceptional on draws. At 53.5 percent, he would be tops on the Rangers. For a team that has struggled winning face-offs over the last few years, this would be like manna from heaven.

3. Miller has one of the best team-friendly contracts in the league at $5.25 million AAV and is signed thru 2023. Re-acquiring him would give Drury the financial flexibility he needs to retain Kaapo Kakko, who is scheduled to become an RFA after the season. It also doesn't hamstring him if he wants to acquire a rental like Reilly Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights. Imagine a top line of Chris Kreider, Zibanaejad and Smith and a second line of Panarin, Miller and Strome, who I assume would shift to right wing. Now that would be a helluva one-two punch.

The cons:

1. Strome is gone. I've crunched the numbers over and over and there's no way the Rangers can afford to keep both Miller and Strome next season. Even if they decide to let Kakko walk - a bad idea - and they find someone to take Patrik Nemeth off their hands, they still don't have the room for both players. With the salary cap scheduled to increase by only one million to $82.5 in 2022-23 - and that's assuming the Omicron variant doesn't impact the league's bottom line further - a lot of teams are going to be faced with some tough choices next season, the Rangers no exception. Face it, this pandemic has really fucked things up royally.

2. The chemistry on the team could suffer. So far this season, the Rangers have been one of the most resilient teams in the NHL. They continue to defy the analytics gods who insist they aren't as good as their record suggests. They currently have the third-best penalty kill percentage in the league and their power play has been in the top ten for most of the season. They also boast one of the best goaltenders in Igor Shesterkin. His acrobatics in net have allowed them to win games they had no business winning. Trading for Miller could upset the apple cart, so to speak. There's no way of telling how Panarin would react knowing that Strome's days with the team are numbered. Drury would be taking a huge gamble potentially pissing off his top winger.

3. Despite Miller's team-friendly contract, Drury would only be kicking the can down the road an additional year. Come the '23 season, he'd be faced with the same dilemma he's facing now: a pending UFA he can't afford to re-sign. With no one in the system capable of stepping in - and let's face it, Morgan Barron is not the answer - Drury would have the daunting task of trying to find someone who can put up numbers comparable to either Strome or Miller, and who doesn't cost a king's ransom. Good luck with that.

So why Miller and not someone like Tomas Hertl of the San Jose Sharks? As a UFA, Hertl would be the ideal rental and Drury could land him without sacrificing any of his valuable assets. Then there's Claude Giroux. With the Philadelphia Flyers sinking faster than the Lusitania, a second-rounder and a couple of prospects might do the trick.

A rental, of course, assumes Drury can re-sign Strome. All things being equal, he'd probably prefer to do that. But if Strome's agent plays hardball, Drury may have no other option than to pull the trigger on Miller. Getting him won't be cheap. Vancouver will demand at the very least a first round pick, a young center who can develop - Filip Chytil makes sense - and a top prospect - anyone but Braden Schneider, Will Cuylle or Brennan Othmann.

One and Done in Dallas

Normally, I wouldn't give a shit about what happens in a playoff game involving the Dallas Cowboys, especially since my team has been dreadful for most of the last ten years. But given the travesty that occurred yesterday, I thought I'd put in my two cents.

That the Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers should surprise no one. Let's be honest, given the playoff seeding, the Niners were the last team the Cowboys wanted to face in the playoffs. But the manner in which they lost is revealing of a team that has multiple issues, all of which came back to haunt them when push came to shove.

Let's start with the offensive coordinator. You have a two-headed monster in Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard that at one point in the season was averaging 6 yards a pop from the line of scrimmage and you only call their number 16 times for a total of 45 yards, while at the same time calling 43 pass plays? Kellen Moore should be fired for being this inept.

Secondly, can we just admit that Dak Prescott is not an elite quarterback? Jerry Jones can pay him all the money he wants, he's not Tom Brady; nor is he Aaron Rodgers, or Patrick Mahomes, or Josh Allen, or Juston Herbert. All of the above QBs would've taken advantage of the multiple opportunities the Niners presented them and propelled their team to victory yesterday. The ugly truth is if you are depending on Dak to lead you to victory, get used to being disappointed. And that's saying something, given that my team still thinks Daniel Jones is a franchise quarterback.

Third, the officials didn't cost the Cowboys the game; poor clock management and bad play calling did. Think about it: With 14 seconds left in regulation, no timeouts and the ball at the Niners 41 yard line, instead of throwing a quick pass to the sidelines to get closer to the end zone, or attempting a couple of Hail Mary's from where they were, the Cowboys elected to call a quarterback draw up the middle for 17 yards to Niners 24 yard line. What happened next was bizarre. Apparently no one on this team knew that before they could spike the ball the umpire had to first spot it. So while the ump was doing his job, time ran out on the Cowboys season.

One and done!

How typical for a Mike McCarthy-led team. Despite all their talent and accolades, this was one of the most undisciplined and unprepared teams in the NFL this season. I'll say it again, this was a winnable game against an opponent that made its fair-share of mistakes and was minus its best defensive player Nick Bosa for most of the second half. Like I mentioned above, Brady or Rodgers would've found a way to win under similar conditions. Bottom line, the 49ers exposed the Cowboys for what they were: an overrated team that took advantage of playing in a poor division.

But rather than accept responsibility, McCarthy and his perennial underachiever Prescott deflected and blamed the officiating. Worse, Prescott, when informed that some fans had thrown things at the officials as they were headed off the field, approved of it, which in itself is a disgrace and worthy of a fine by the league. 

Never mind that McCarthy didn't know where the hell the ball was when the ill-fated play was run; he said in his press conference that it was on the 50 yard line when it was actually on the 41 yard line. Never mimd that he apparently doesn't think his quarterback has a good enough arm to successfully reach the end zone from midfield. Regardless of whoever called in that horrific play, he, as head coach, is responsible for the outcome. If he didn't know what the play was, shame on him for not knowing; and if he did know and signed off on it, shame on him for being that stupid.

Look, it's no sweat off my nose that the Dallas Cowboys were eliminated from the postseason. Truth be told, I revel in their fans' pain. But the group of players we saw on the field yesterday looked more like the Keystone Cops than a professional football team, and if I were Jerry Jones, I'd be real pissed right now. 

The Pressure is on John Mara and Steve Tisch Now More Than Ever

Now that the Ren and Stimpy Show has been canceled at MetLife Stadium, the real work begins. The New York Giants, owners of the worst win-loss record in the NFL over the last five seasons at 22-59, are in the market for a new G.M. and a new head coach at the same time. That hasn't happened since 1978 when head coach John McVay was fired and G.M. Andy Robustelli was allowed to "retire."

If you recall - and the memory has been seared into my consciousness for decades - the Giants were the laughingstock of the league that season. Come to think of it: they were the laughingstock of the league for six years running. But 1978 took the cake. That was the year of "The Fumble" - the double reverse handoff to Larry Csonka that wound up in the waiting hands of Herman Edwards of the Eagles who ran it in for the winning touchdown. 

That stunt would prove be the last straw for Wellington Mara and his nephew Tim. After the season, they commenced to find someone who could reverse the team's fortunes. The problem was the two couldn't agree on who was best qualified. After a bitter public feud, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle stepped in and appointed George Young to run the football operations. Young would subsequently hire Ray Perkins as his head coach. And so marked the beginning of what would become the most stable period in the franchise's storied existence since its glory days of the 1950s and early '60s.

Perkins in his third year got them in the playoffs before leaving to coach Alabama the following season. Defensive co-ordinator Bill Parcells was promoted to HC and guided them to two Super Bowl wins in 1986 and 1990 before resigning. Young's specialty was drafting and during his tenure, the Giants drafted the likes of Phil Simms, Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks.

Young eventually stepped down as G.M. after the 1997 season, and it was his successor, Ernie Accorsi, who, like his predecessor, assembled the makings of a championship-caliber team that included Tom Coughlin as coach and Eli Manning as quarterback. That team would go on to win two more Super Bowls in 2007 and 2011. 

When Accorsi retired in '07, Jerry Reese took over the reigns. But unlike Accorsi and Young, Reese was a lousy talent evaluator. His draft selections, with a few notable exceptions, were dreadful, and after the 2011 season, the team began to decline, making the playoffs once in ten years. Reese was eventually fired in 2017 and replaced by Dave Gettleman, who in his relatively brief four-year stint managed to make things even worse.

And this, my dear Guinevere, is where we came in. A franchise wrecked by poor management, inept coaching and bereft of talent is now in tatters. The parallels to 1978 are unmistakable. It'd be easy to say things can't get any worse, but sadly that's not true. If there's one thing we know about professional sports, it's that the pit is bottomless. If you think 4-13 is bad, try 2-15 on for size; or perhaps even, dare I say it, 0-17. Don't laugh, it can happen, because it has.

That's why these next few weeks are critical for both John Mara and Steve Tisch. The two co-owners must work together to find the right man who can rebuild this once proud franchise. The pressure couldn't be greater, especially since they aren't the only ones looking for a G.M. Both the Vikings and the Bears cleaned house after their disappointing seasons as well. Misery, it appears, does love company.

Fortunately, there is an abundance of potential candidates out there from which to choose and Mara, to his credit, is looking outside the organization. He's already reached out to several teams in an attempt to get a head start. Indeed, the Giants have already interviewed Buffalo Bills Assistant G.M. Joe Schoen, and have asked permission to speak with Kansas City Chiefs Director of Player Personnel Ryan Poles. Both men would be excellent choices, especially Poles who, if he's hired, could entice Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to join him in New York as his head coach. Bieniemy is considered one of the best and brightest offensive minds in the league, and if there's one thing the Giants desperately need, it's someone who knows how to run an offense.

Whoever gets chosen is going to have his work cut out for him. Gettleman not only screwed the pooch, he took out a four-year mortgage on it. The Giants went crazy last year signing players who didn't pan out, and because they got creative with the cap, they're going to be in cap hell for the foreseeable future. And that means any hope the fans have of seeing Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson in a Giants uniform next season will have to remain the stuff of dreams. Like Young, the next G.M. will have to go through the draft to repair the damage.

And that's why as difficult as these last few years have been to watch, things might not get much better next season. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will the Giants. When you clean house, it takes time to put in place an infrastructure that can endure. Remember, it took Young eight years before he could deliver a Super Bowl. Expectations, both for the fanbase and ownership, will have to be managed. Incremental progress will be the catch phrase. It's worth noting that the last last three coaches this franchise hired - Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge - all regressed in their second season. By comparison both Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin had losing records their first season, only to reach the postseason in year two, followed by a championship two years after that.

That's how this typically works. You take your lumps early, while you construct the building blocks that inevitably leads to a parade outside your stadium. Successful franchises know this, which is why they can survive the odd bad year or two. As disappointing as the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints were in 2021, both teams have the right personnel in place to rebound next season. 

And speaking of the right personnel, the Pittsburgh Steelers have them in droves. Their head coach, Mike Tomlin, has not had a single losing season in 15 years. He didn't accomplish that with smoke and mirrors, or by referring to other teams as "clown shows," or by calling consecutive quarterback sneaks on second and third and long deep in his own end. He did it because he knows how to motivate his players to win.

Look, this isn't rocket science. When you hire the right people, good things tend to happen. John Mara needs to find the right man, and that right man needs to hire a lot more right men to turn this shipwreck of a franchise around.

We're About To Find Out What the Rangers Are Made Of

Let's cut to the chase. Wednesday night's 4-3 loss against the Florida Panthers was disappointing. Yes, Igor Shesterkin let in a couple of soft goals, and, yes, if Ryan Strome had scored on that breakaway early in the third period, the outcome might've been different. Shoulda, coulda woulda. Excuses, excuses, excuses. The simple truth is that what happened against the Panthers was no different than what happened against the Avalanche (twice) or the Predators or the Golden Knights. Despite their early season success, the Rangers remain a work in progress.

And now this work in progress that has turned so many heads this year is about to go from the proverbial frying pan to the fire. Beginning with Friday night's match in Tampa against the Lightning, the Blueshirts are about to embark on a stretch of fifteen games over the next four weeks, only two of which are against teams with losing records. If the last seven games - in which they went 0-4-1 against winning teams - are any indication, we're about to find out what this team is made of.

I won't mince words here. There are a couple of holes that need to be plugged if this team is going to become a legit contender. The first is right wing. As long as Gerard Gallant insists on keeping Chris Kreider on left wing, Dryden Hunt is going to continue to look out of place playing alongside Strome and Artemi Panarin. The guy is a bottom six winger, period.

And speaking of being overmatched, Julien Gauthier is in over his head. He's got the speed and he's got the size, but he can't finish worth a damn. The season-ending injury to Sammy Blais may have presented Gauthier with the gift of a lifetime, but it's a gift he seems determined to return.

Clearly Chris Drury needs to address this problem, and somehow I doubt Tim Gettinger is the answer. The perennial Hartford Wolf Pack forward was recently called up to replace Kevin Rooney who's on the Covid protocol list. With Will Cuylle is at least a year away, that means a trade is in order.

Please spare me with the Pavel Buchnevich recriminations. Look, he's gone; get over it; it's time to move on, people. So who should Drury go after?

Tomas Hertl's name has come up lately. The San Jose forward is in the last year of his contract and checks off multiple boxes. Gallant can slot him at right wing on either of the first two lines, or he can fill the other hole on this team by using him at center on the third. 

Let's face it, whether you think Filip Chytil is a bust or not, he's not working out at center, and he doesn't appear to be any better at wing. He's got one more year left at a very reasonable $2.3 million and getting rid of his salary would help Drury in his contract negotiations with Strome. And if it turns out he can't re-sign Strome, then Drury can use that money towards Hertl. Chytil for Hertl straight up makes sense.

Another name that keeps coming up, and the one I think Drury has the best chance of landing, is Reilly Smith. Not to beat a dead horse, but the Golden Knights are going to have to shed some salary to get under the cap before they can activate Jack Eichel. Smith's $5 million contract makes the most sense. He's a UFA after the season and he's just what the doctor ordered for a Rangers team that desperately needs a right winger who can finish. To get him, Drury might have to part with one of his second-round draft picks and a prospect from Hartford, perhaps Zac Jones.

As for the defense, I don't see it as a major area of concern so I don't expect Drury to make any moves here. Their top four are solid and the third pairing with Patrick Nemeth and Nils Lundkvist is serviceable for now. Don't forget, Braden Schneider will likely be with the club next year so the future looks bright. The Islanders should be this deep.

Bottom line, while the Ranges wait for Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere to, hopefully, deliver on their promise, and youngsters like Cuylle, Brennan Othman, Ryder Korczak and Schneider to develop, they cannot, and must not, let this season go to waste. A rental like Hertl or Smith can help them now without mortgaging the future. 

Drury would be a fool to pass on the opportunity.

How To Save the NHL Season

According to ESPN, there are currently 70 NHL players - roughly 10 percent of the league - who are in Covid protocol. Given the way the new Omicron variant is spreading throughout both the U.S. and Canada, that number is expected to rise, if not double, within the next few days.

Breakout infections have forced the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers to shutdown operations until after Christmas. There have been calls for a league-wide pause through the holidays. In some Canadian cities, attendance at arenas has been restricted to 50 percent capacity. Montreal went so far as to bar all fans from the Bell Centre during a recent game between the Canadiens and the Flyers.

In response to the situation, the league, in conjunction with the Player's Association, agreed to the following changes in its Covid protocol:

• All players will be subjected to daily testing.
• Masks will be worn by all players, coaches and trainers at club facilities.
• While on the road, social distancing must be maintained during team meals.
• There will be no indoor eating or drinking in restaurants or bars open to the public.

While all these measures are laudable, they are unlikely to be successful. Indeed, daily testing will all but guarantee that the number of positive results will rise precipitously. And as for a league-wide pause, this is the worst time of year to do something like that. Sending 700 players home for the holidays to mingle with family and friends would be like pouring lighter fluid on a fire.

So what should Gary Bettman, et al do?

Fortunately, the NHL doesn't have to look very far. The NFL has already provided them, and the NBA, with a template. Faced with their own outbreaks that have decimated teams and forced the postponement of several games this weekend, league officials came up with a solution they believe will save the season and the playoffs.

• All unvaccinated players will continue to get tested daily, and if they test positive will be quarantined.
• Vaccinated players who are symptomatic will be isolated and tested immediately, and if they test positive will be quarantined.
• Vaccinated players who are asymptomatic will not undergo mandatory testing.
• High-risk players may opt out of the rest of the season, including the playoffs.

I would also add the following to this list:

• The Beijing Olympics are off as far as player participation is concerned, and the All-star game will be canceled. The league will use the three weeks in February to make-up the games that were postponed.
• All players and team personnel who are eligible to receive booster shots will be required to get them.

Now before you accuse me of being part of the anti-vaxxer mob, let me just say up front that the reason we are in this predicament is because roughly one third of the country has refused to do the right thing. The simple truth is that had every single person who was able to get vaccinated done so, we'd be close to, if not at, herd immunity, and we would not now be seeing the rash of Covid infections that have forced every professional sports league to postpone games. When historians sit down to write this chapter in American history, there will be a lot of head scratching and references to Ripley's Believe It or Not.

But here's the thing: the overwhelming majority of players in pro sports are fully vaccinated; in the NHL, only one player - Tyler Bertuzzi - is unvaccinated. The majority of players who have tested positive are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. One player on the Maple Leafs reported having fever, chills and body aches. Compared to the population at large, the NHL is a virtual panacea. While eliminating mandatory testing would no doubt spread the virus even more than it is currently spreading, there are steps the league can take - such as mandatory masks and social distancing - to mitigate the risk to the players.

I seriously don't see anyway that sports as we know it can continue to move forward unless a sense of pragmatism is adopted. Daily testing and pausing the schedule simply will not cut it. Each variant that comes along appears to be more transmissible than the previous one, and while the jury's still out as to whether Omicron leads to milder or worse illness, what we do know is this: fully vaccinated people with booster shots fare much better.

Bottom line: protect the players as much as possible, but let them play. If the league needs to impose additional restrictions in order to protect its staff and the fans, it can do so while not compromising the integrity of the games. To require a team to play with as much as one third of its roster in Covid protocol is simply unacceptable, especially when, as stated above, the majority of those players are asymptomatic. And it's a slap in the face to the loyal fans who pay good money to attend the games.

P.S., the NHL announced on Sunday that all games involving cross-border travel have been suspended until after the Christmas break, including Wednesday's game between the Rangers and Canadiens at the Garden.

Coyote Ugly

File this under "we'll take the two points, thank you." The New York Rangers, losers of two in a row and three of their last four, limped out of the Arizona desert with a come from behind victory over the hapless Coyotes, thanks to two late power play goals by Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko. To say they were fortunate would be an understatement.

Consider this: the Arizona Coyotes are last in the NHL in points, last in goals scored and second to last in goals against. Yet, last night the Rangers made them look like world beaters. It's one thing to get outplayed by the Colorado Avalanche; they are, after all, one of the four best teams in the Western conference. To get outplayed by a team that many picked to be a draft lottery finalist at the start of the season is embarrassing.

This wasn't a resilient team that persevered and found a way to win; this was a sloppy and lackluster team that needed to be rescued by an undisciplined team that gifted them two power play opportunities late in the third period. Sans that, we'd be talking about a three-game losing streak today and a lot of soul searching.

You can blame the scheduling all you want. Playing six games in nine nights is brutal, I get it. But good teams rise above those sorts of handicaps and take care of business. We did not see a good team last night; we saw an incredibly lucky one that should seriously consider sending every Coyote player a dozen roses.

Yes, they are in first place and, yes, they are an incredible 11-0-1 against teams with losing records. But dig a little deeper and what you'll find is a bit unsettling. Of those eleven wins, six have been by one goal, including two against the Sabres and last night's yawner against the Coyotes. The one lone "laugher" - a 6-2 rout against the Blackhawks in Chicago - was a tie game heading into the third period. And the 4-1 win they had at UBS Arena against the Islanders - a team that at the time was decimated by a Covid outbreak - was only 2-0 after two periods.

While they are 8-7-2 against teams with winning records, two of those wins were the direct result of Igor Shesterkin standing on his head; while three of the losses were blowouts: 5-1 and 6-0 against Calgary, and the recent 7-3 shellacking against Colorado at the Garden last week. Their plus-10 goal differential is the lowest among the four division leaders. And they have yet to play the Carolina Hurricanes, the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Pittsburgh Penguins, winners of five in a row.

Look, I don't think it's time to push the panic button; not yet, at least. But there is reason to be concerned. These trends are not good. Teams that habitually live on the edge almost invariably die on it. Of their 84 goals, 43 have come from Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Ryan Strome and Adam Fox. The "kids" - Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil - at times have been in the witness protection program. Kakko finally got off the schneid last night, scoring twice, including the game winner; Chytil was a healthy scratch - draw your own conclusions; Dryden Hunt is a top-six forward the way I'm an NBA center; Barclay Goodrow has played every position except defense and goal; and Julien Gauthier still can't finish. Gerard Gallant is doing everything humanly possible to squeeze every ounce of talent out of this group and, so far, he's been very successful.

Despite their impressive record, the Rangers are NOT, I repeat NOT, a Stanley Cup contender. Yes, they will make the playoffs, but unless Chris Drury decides to pull the trigger and utilize the cap space he has to address this team's needs - a right winger who can bury the puck or a play-making center - their chances of advancing deep in the postseason are next to nil.

Their power play bailed them out last night; it won't save them come May.