The Rangers have won 7 in a row... must be time to start complaining. (Wait... huh?)

Being a Ranger fan has always been a bittersweet thing. We are among the most loyal fans in the NHL, enduring year after year of disappointment and lost potential yet still slogging it out, proudly displaying our gear, and proclaiming our love for our boys in blue and the hockey legacy of the greatest city on earth. Unfortunately, after so many years of disappointment, some of the Ranger faithful can't seem to find an identity as fans that doesn't include harping on the negative while ignoring or downplaying the positive.

So far this season there is more positive than there has been in a long time. Our goalies, both the King of New York and his Duke, are at the top of their games, our best player is once again our best player, Glen Sather's latest free agent gamble is thus far looking like he might have actually been worth the money, our young guys, for the most part, are playing very well, and our D, to a man (and led by that ultimate beast Dan Girardi), has so far managed to overcome the glaring absence of Marc Staal and play pretty damn well. Even Sean Avery has, for now at least, abandoned the dumbass penalties and begun to remind us that he can be more than a sideshow. Goddammit, the Rangers are playing like a TEAM.

So, all those who feel the need to bitch and moan about what the Rangers don't have, what they're not doing right, or that things might change for the worse as the season wears on: can it, will you please? No, they're not perfect. No team is. There will always be players on other teams playing better than some of the players on ours. Always. The fact that these guys have yet to play their best hockey and yet are tied for 2nd in the goddamn league - with games in hand on every team even with or ahead of them - should be looked at as a positive thing, not a negative. Sometimes I wonder if some of these doomcriers even really want the Rangers to win, lest they be deprived of shit to complain about. Who the hell is dissatisfied during a 7-game win streak? What kind of poor, miserable creature feels the need to dwell on what's lacking or what *might* happen down the road, instead of relishing the team's best streak in over two years, and the fact that they have the best goals-against average in the league, and that more things are going right than wrong? Some people also like to cite the fact that the Rangers "have yet to play a lot of the better teams in the league." I have news for you, folks - based on the numbers, the Rangers ARE one of the better teams in the league. There is not a team in the league with fewer losses than the Blueshirts, not a team with a better win-loss ratio. Who are these "elite" teams you speak of? Pittsburgh? You mean that team the Rangers took last year's season series from, 4-2? Washington? Oh yeah, the Rangers took that season series last year, too.

Lighten up, Negative Nellies. I know that this team has given us a lot of reason to complain and be negative over time. I've been watching them for 30 years myself. I also know it's a long season, that things can change quickly. But we as fans have little control over what will happen next week or next month, and right now, things are going well. So for god's sake, learn how to enjoy it instead of talking about how much better things could be, or how quickly they could fall apart. Because don't we all already know how much worse they could also be? (If you answered "no" to that question, spend a little time with an Islander fan. If you can find one.)

-RangerAmy, 11/16/11

(Postscript: Based on the date, I dedicate this particular posting to my mom Kay, who died 21 years ago today. She was in no way a hockey fan, but she indulged me in my own puck obsession and I will always be thankful to her for those (ahem, rare) occasions when I was grounded and was NOT supposed to have the game on in my room, when she totally knew I had the game on anyway but didn't say anything and let me watch it. Thanks, Mom. Love you.)

Dammit, why won't this team give me anything to complain about?

As a Ranger fan, I believe it is my hockey-god-given right to have someone or something to bitch about when it comes to my team. So how dare those bastards in blue take away my ammunition by playing so well?

All right, I guess I could complain about the power play, which has been getting a lot of chances lately yet capitalizing on very few. Still, considering that the Rangers were the last of the NHL's 30 teams to notch a power play tally, the fact that they are currently 23rd in the league could be looked at as a positive thing to a degree. And two things that would have to be considered PP positives are a couple of guys named Brad Richards and Michael Del Zotto. Whether Richards will, in the long run, prove worthy of his 9-year, $60 million dollar contract remains to be seen, but as of right now, it's looking like Glen Sather may actually have made a good free agent signing this time (all those in hell, prepare to break out your skates). As far as Del Zotto: considering he's still barely out of training pants, he looks awfully rejuvenated right now, back to the lovely long outlet passes and nifty offensive moves that grabbed him so much notice as a rookie two years ago. He is also tied (with that other impressive toddler, Ryan McDonagh) for the team lead in plus/minus. It seems that for now at least, "Del Turnover" has left the building. So all those fans who were clamoring to "trade DZ for a bag of pucks" can zip it.

Another of the most welcome Ranger rebirths thus far this season has to be that of the Hot Slovakian himself, Marian Gaborik. Whether or not "Gaborik" is Slovak for "Glass Bones" may still be up in the air, but there is no disputing that when the man is healthy and confident, he's among the league's elite and an absolute joy to watch. And right now, he's got that old Gabby magic back. There are some who still think he could be doing more, will revert back to the uncharacteristic (and underproductive) Gabs of last season, or won't match his output from his first season in New York; to those people I kindly say, shut the f*ck up. We're 13 games into the season and he has been flying thus far, averaging a point a game, and I for one am thrilled to once again catch myself on the edge of my seat when he picks up the puck. Just enjoy the majesty, people.

If I'm talking about improvements in the Rangers' game, I guess I'm kind of obligated to mention the recent play of Erik Christensen. Everyone who knows me knows how I feel about EC: he's soft, he's inconsistent, he's lackadaisical, and much of the time he looks like he's not terribly interested in being where he is. He is also, as I have always freely admitted, talented, and if he wasn't I wouldn't dislike him nearly so much. But lately, I've been seeing a level of effort from him that I have not seen before in his 2 years in blue. Do I trust it to continue? Weeell, I probably won't be ordering a #40 sweater just yet. I'm not that easy. And admittedly, I still have a general aversion to EC as a player. (Or maybe I just don't like to be wrong. Who does?) But for the good of the team, I have to hope it does continue, and if it does, I'll have more crow to eat as time goes by. Which blows, but as long as he's helping my team win, I'll suck it up. I am not one of those fans who will shred a dude unequivocally. As Spock might say, it is not logical to tear a guy down while he is making good things happen. So cheers, EC. Keep your shit together or I'll go out and get that voodoo doll after all. 

OK, on to the league's most kickass backup goalie. Because we Ranger fans are lucky enough to have the King of New York as our starter, it seems any backup is going to pale in comparison, at least for some of us. Not me. Martin Biron is, in my estimation, one of the best Sather free agent signings ever. A proven NHL goalie who spent years as a starter, is a great teammate and mentor (not to mention shootout advisor), knows his role on the team and is content to fill it to the best of his ability, and can take some heat off of Henrik's lovely shoulders without us fans having to wonder whether we will see Jekyll or Hyde in net on any given night. All this for a very reasonable $800,000 a year. In addition, although he has only played three full games this season, Marty currently leads the league in GAA at 0.95. The King is the King, and he earned that royal nickname, and the Garden still belongs to him. But give Marty his due. There's room between the pipes at MSG for more than one pair of striking blue eyes, and if, god forbid, anything should happen to Hank, we don't have to rely on Steve Valiquette or Chad "Ochonueve" Johnson to keep the puck out of the net.

In closing, yes, I'm going to address the sheer ridiculousity of the Sean Avery Affair. All those fans at MSG with the Avery chants? Shut the f*ck up. The guy has played 4 minutes a game, in 2 games this season, and done absolutely nothing of note. The only time I've even noticed him on the ice is when the goddamn chant goes up. Said chant is stupid, unwarranted, and most of all, disrespectful as hell to guys like Richards, Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, and others who have actually been busting their asses and making a difference. And before you whine about his lack of ice time, remember that ice time is earned. Brandon Prust got his own ass off the 4th line by making the most of the time he got, and if Avery can manage to make an impact despite limited playing time, Tortorella will have to increase his minutes regardless of how much he hates him. Till next time, Ranger fans. Here's hoping they get revenge on Ottawa tonight for that utter humiliation last weekend. Otherwise EC won't be the only one whose likeness I'll be sticking pins into.

-Ranger Amy, 11/09/11

(NOTE: To be fair, it can be said that the productiveness of a few Rangers, such as Brandon Dubinsky and Brian Boyle, has thus far left something to be desired. And I would agree. However, I like both dudes and that being the case, I'm willing to give each of them a little more time before I start bitching about them. But the clock is ticking... -RA)