More Backman?

Even after receiving boos only ten minutes into his Garden debut, Tom Renney said today that Christian Backman will get some time as a pointman on the power play. Oh you all must love hearing this.

Interesting philosophy here by Renney...Typically when a team is on a power play the goal is to keep the power play for the full two minutes or until a goal is scored. But, this is now unlikely since Backman is incapable of being on the ice without taking some sort of ridiculous and unnecessary penalty. Although maybe this is what Renney is looking for since the Rangers have been a better team 5 on 5 this season then when on the power play. Now, whenever the opposition takes a penalty, giving the Rangers the power play, Backman will always be there to negate it. I kid.

In all seriousness, this just might be the answer to the power play troubles the Rangers have had, well, for the entire season. They haven't had that big shot or the great passer on the point since the retirement of Brian Leetch. Although Backman has had his troubles in his first two games, I kind of like his skills and he has shown some signs of being an offensive threat from the blueline. Just look at the goal he scored. Although it was a softie, he was able to find some open ice in a good scoring position and he did what all good scorers do, put the puck in the back of the net. The only thing holding this Ranger team from becoming a great one is the power play. Hopefully this move will work and the power play will click...

And maybe the Rangers will actually beat the DiPietro-less Ice-landers for once.