Jekyll and Hyde: The Story of the '08-'09 Rangers

As a Ranger fan for about 18 years, I'm well acquainted with disappointment.  Bad trades, worse signings and a seven-year stretch where the playoffs only existed on that year's version of EA's NHL game.  And to be honest, after what seemed like another typical, shop-'til-you-drop offseason, I couldn't have been the only skeptic.

Boy, sometimes, it sure feels good to be wrong.

Fresh off of a 5-2 win at home over The Mullet and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers are sitting pretty at 11-4-1.  But are the Blueshirts really as good as their record indicates?

For all the flashes of brilliance—Henrik Lundqvist's solid play, Nik Zherdev's heroics, and five Rangers with 10 or more points—there's been plenty to shake your head at. 

The Rangers still are unable to play a full 60 minutes of hockey.  Tonight's game notwithstanding, the power play unit would sometimes be better served just taking a two-minute break.  And, considering the money invested into the defense, they seem to have a lot of lapses.

And that choke against Toronto; my God.  One friend, who was watching the game with me, went to the bathroom when it was still 2-0 Rangers, came back just in time to see the Leafs go up 3-2.  By the time I poured myself a drink to calm my nerves, it was 5-2.

I'd be lying if I told you that I wasn't having nightmares about last year's Montreal disaster after that debacle.  Giving up two shorties to the Islanders the next game certainly didn't quell my fears.

But, despite my undying cynicism, I still think this team has far too much talent to really push the panic button just yet, despite what New York media might say. 

With scoring coming from so many angles, teams can't key on one or two guys like they did last year with Jags and company.  Captain Chris Drury snapped out of his funk, netting his first hat trick for the team he loved as a kid.

And there are other guys, like Dan Girardi, who have quietly been having an All-Star caliber season, even if the boneheads in the marketing department didn't put him on the ballot.  Paul Mara has been an unsung hero as well, playing sound defensively and showing tenacity that was lacking in his game last year.

So can the Rangers take the next step and address their issues to tighten their grip on the Atlantic lead?  The season is a marathon, and the Rangers have yet to find their pace.