By now you know the numbers: The Rangers have never won a Game 7 on the road, going 0-4. Their last Game 7 on the road was a 4-3 loss in Philly in 1974 to the Flyers, who went on to win the Cup. For road teams overall, though, the numbers aren’t awful. Since the NHL went to a best-of-seven format in 1939, the home team has won 78 of 123 times in Game 7. That means the road team has won 37 percent of the time.

The other piece of good news, as Carp pointed out today, is that as bad as the Rangers have played the last two games, they can erase it all with a win tonight.

So what do you think? Can the Rangers do this?

Who would have thought a month ago this would be a huge game for the Rangers. It seems like they’ve hit “bottom” a few times recently — the 10-2 loss in Dallas, the 5-2 loss to the Flyers on Sunday, but a loss to the awful Islanders at home might make a new low.

Tom Reney is staying optimistic.

“We are in this together, the coaching staff and the players, and I know that group in our locker room cares an awful lot about what it means to be a New York Ranger,” Renney said at the morning skate today. “I believe that if we trust the system and do the right things, we have the people and the leadership in order to succeed.”

Find out more of what Renney and the Rangers are saying.

The Islanders enter tonight’s game coming off a win over the Penguins. Here is the view from the Island.
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EVENING UPDATE:

Hey, it’s Carp again.

I was listening to the first period on the radio and Dave Maloney noted that his brother, Don, the Phoenix GM and two of the Coyotes’ scouts are in the house. You know that Sather only likes to deal with his buddies and people he knows. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.