Well, in the losers' bracket of the NHL East, the Rangers didn't damage themselves all that much last night in dropping a 2-1 overtime game at the Garden to the Sabres. For in the potato sack race for the final two spots in the playoffs that is being contested...

Just because a Ranger starts a game doesn't mean he will be there to finish it, not now, not with five weeks and 16 games to go in the season and not when every mistake might ultimately cost the low-scoring Blueshirts a playoff berth. Saturday, it was Wade Redden...

Up to 200 fans had gathered on Seventh Avenue across from the Garden by 5:45 p.m. for a "Fire Sather" rally organized by frustrated Blue shirt loyalists. The disappointed fans (pictured) had publi cized the rally through various Web sites and message boards. Fans calling for the dismissal...

There are now 16 games left in the regular season and the Rangers are still on the outside of the playoff picture, which means they have no time for the baby steps they've taken over the past week.

While the slogans and the whistles and the chants about Glen Sather were flying around Seventh Ave. at the end of a beautiful day in New York, one of the four (by my count) uniformed policemen assigned to monitor today’s “Fire Sather” rally turned to me and said, “Think anybody’s listening?”

His meaning was clear - “Nobody’s listening” - but one way or another, the Ranger Fan’s Political Action Committee was out in full-ish force today to air their grievances with the man who has been running the Rangers for the past decade and has led them to two playoff series victories in that time. They carried signs about that, about the 2003 draft that poor Hugh Jessiman will never hear the end of, and had some rather colorful chants to boot - including, but not limited to, making Sather Denis Potvin for an hour, as well as the most ridiculous, utterly over-the-top chant I have ever heard but can’t repeat. That one didn’t catch on, thank goodness.

And afterward, Sather’s Rangers lost another, their third straight, even though they got the salve of Brandon Dubinsky’s tying power-play goal with 1:23 left to salvage a point.

I mention in the game story how Gaborik was left on the bench for that late power play in a 1-0 game. To be clear: Gaborik certainly is not one of the reasons those folks gathered today to vent about Sather - it’s so far so good with that big-money signing, although Gaborik’s health through the length of the deal will have a say in that verdict. But even before this game, John Tortorella had a few straightforward things to say about how Gaborik needed to pick up his game from Saturday night’s return in Washington, when the coach already seemed sick of hearing about his groin injury. Gaborik was even a game-time decision in the coach’s eyes for this crucial game tonight.

“Honestly, let’s call a spade a spade - our top guys were no-shows (in Washington). Our top guys were no-shows, and it can’t be happening at this time of year,” Tortorella said before the game. “He can’t play the way he played last night. If he’s not able in his mind to get through this and be able to play full, he won’t play.”

Speaking of the Rangers’ top unit of Gaborik, Erik Christensen and Vinny Prospal in Saturday’s game, the coach said: “They stunk. Listen, they’re good people, Erik’s been put in a spot here that he hasn’t been in in a long time - he’s our No. 1 center right now. He has to try to handle that responsibility. He’s had some good games for us, but it can’t be the inconsistent rollercoaster here.

“But he certainly wasn’t the only one on that line, it was all three of ’em as far as I’m concerned. And at this time of year - it’s not to cause a stir, I’ve already talked to them about this - your top players have to be your best players. This time of year, with short strokes and where we’re at, they have to be able to do more things than they did (Saturday) night in a very winnable game where I thought most of the team really played well. When your top players aren’t there, you’re not going to win.”

On Gaborik again: “If he is able to work hard and in his mind get through this mentally, he will play. If not, he’s not going to play. It’s just too many minutes that I’ll give him that will be wasted if he’s not ready mentally for this.”

Gaborik, of course, did suit up last night and played close to 19 minutes, though he clearly is still not up to speed. Tortorella said after the game that he would reserve comment on his top players’ play until he could review tape, though he said: “I think they were more engaged - well, I know they were more engaged” - which is to say, that’s not saying much.

Tortorella gave Artem Anisimov some power-play time at the end of regulation and went with Chris Drury for 21:26; Drury played well but was reaching out for Patrick Kaleta’s stick as the Sabres winger whacked at the winning goal.

Lastly, a tip of the cap to Peter Caputo, who tonight received the Third Annual Emile Francis Award “in recognition of the sacrifice, dedication and impact that volunteers have on grassroots development in youth and amateur hockey.” Caputo, a Scarsdale native, is a co-founder and 15-year volunteer at Scarsdale Youth Hockey.

From the Rangers: NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES March 7, 2010 – New York Rangers 1, Buffalo Sabres 2 OT (Game #66, Home #35) ·         The Rangers were defeated by the Buffalo Sabres, 2-1, in overtime tonight at Madison Square Garden.  The Blueshirts have registered a point in six of their last eight contests, posting a record of [...]

Click the headline to the full post

Patrick Kaleta banked in a rebound off goalie Henrik Lundqvist 2:22 into overtime and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Rangers 2-1 on Sunday night to snap an eight-game losing streak on the road. Adam Mair gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead with 5:57 left in regulation, before Brandon Dubinsky...

Unfortunately I will not be able to get to tonight’s rally outside of MSG. But I think some of the Boneheads will be forwarding comments and photos. If you have photos, send them to me at rcarpini@LoHud.com. You know where to put the comments. Also our friend The Mouth will be covering it on Blueshirt Banter radio [...]

Click the headline to the full post

Maybe this wasn’t going to be a game the Rangers could win no matter what, especially with a half-speed superstar and a backup goalie. The Capitals are 25-3-3 at home, with 13 consecutive wins. Wow! The Rangers played a much better puck-possession game in D.C. than they had Thursday against Pittsburgh (they couldn’t have done worse), and [...]

Click the headline to the full post

WASHINGTON -- Marian Gaborik returned and, with that, both head coach John Tortorella and the Rangers fell into familiar patterns that concluded in a 2-0 loss here last night to the Capitals. Given the opportunity to heap ice time on his top two lines with his lone elite goal-scorer in...