The Broom Is Out, The Clubs Are Packed,

...LET'S GO GOLFING!

Yes, as I predicted, the NY Rangers ended their highly anticipated '05-'06 playoff run with another lackluster performance on Saturday with a 4-2 loss by a dominant NJ Devils club, thus commencing the all too familiar, Rangers 'Early-Bird Special' May golf season. To add insult to injury, Jaromir Jagr, the Rangers' best player and until recently, a favorite for league MVP, reinjured his shoulder just 53 seconds into the first period. This ended any hope Ranger fans had of a Messier-eque comeback of the century.

Jagr's injury not only added the proverbial nail in the coffin for the Rangers, but also put into jeopardy his and his team's future come next season, five months from now. Five months may sound like a long ways away, but considering this dude is already 34 years old, and it could take between two to three months to recoup from shoulder surgery (so the 'pros' say), things could look interesting come September. Even if he is back, some of his Czech buddies may not be- Martin Rucinsky, Martin Straka, and Petr Sykora are all free agents next season.

What does the future hold? Hopefully another shot in the playoffs, minus the humiliation of being defeated by a state known for Bon Jovi and its uncanny geographical resemblance to a mailman; a state whose idea of a Stanley Cup ticker-tape parade is driving around the Continental Airlines Arena parking lot, albeit a state whose team obliterated the best NY Ranger squad in over a decade in four straight games.