Playoff Hockey (No Offense, Bryan)...

Last year, Chris Drury had 69 points, a career-high. He was rewarded with a $35M contract over 5 years. For comparison, Marty Straka had 70 points and was given a one-year, 3.3 million dollar deal. So why the giant paychecks for Drury? Quite frankly, it isn't the quantity of goals he scores, it's the quality. 

It's his late-second goals, the ones he scores with 6.2 seconds left in regulation to bring a game against Edmonton to overtime (looking back, that extra point was huge). To be honest, the goal against the Rangers last year in Game 5 with 7.7 seconds left might have convinced Glen Sather that he needed someone like him - or him - on the team in 2007-08. It's his three-assist games against Jersey in late March, his 55% faceoff win percentage, his 7 game-winning goals (3 more than anyone else on ths team), his penalty killing, his blocked shots, his dives for the pucks on the PK that send the pucks out of the zone and down the ice. 

And to be honest, we haven't seen the best of him yet. He is like a different animal in the playoffs. He won the Stanley Cup in 2001 with Colorado, and he should have won in 2006 with Buffalo, but he never shrunk back in that playoffs. He has 18 points in 18 games. Last season, he scored 13 points in 16 playoff games. Now, he's on the team he rooted for growing up. Imagine how deadly he can be playing as a Ranger?

Last year, Scott Gomez had 60 points, including only 13 goals. Never before has someone been so handsomely rewarded by the Rangers for a subpar season since... okay, that's a lie. But $51M for 60 points? 

However, Glen Sather didn't sign Gomez for his regular season stats. Sure, they will improve as he is just now coming into his prime, but he is here for his playoff experience in New Jersey. He has two Cups already and hasn't averaged under a point per game in the playoffs in the past 3 years. 

He steps up when he is needed the most. He is a warrior, a battler. He had bruise ribs which made sleeping hard over the last weekend, but he still put up two primary assists against the Devils on Thursday. In the regular season, he is leading the team in points (he already has 10 more than he did last year), and he has never been a regular season performer as much as a playoff player.

Jaromir Jagr won two Stanley Cups, both in his 1st two years. Think he won't put it all on the line in what may be his last season? Brendan Shanahan is older and very beat up. This (or next year) could be it for him, and he would love to win his 4th Cup in NY. Henrik Lundqvist played out of his mind in the playoffs last year and he has been showing his stuff lately.

To borrow a phrase from a Versus commercial, Is this the year for the Rangers? I won't guarantee it (well, because I don't play on the team) and I won't bet on it (because my credit card doesn't work on SportsBetting.com anymore), but I think that anyone in the East has the opportunity to come out of it, except maybe Philadelphia and Boston. It might be hard to beat a Western Conference team, but once you're in, your veterans and goalie can lead you far.

First step is clinching.