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| Jan 10, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) celebrates his game-winning goal against the Dallas Stars with Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) and center Derek Stepan (21) during the third period of a game at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers defeated the Stars 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports |
They’re anti-heroes, ne’er-do-wells, screw-ups.
They could be your brother, your cousin, your friend. Heck, they could be you.
What’s more, he gives them to you unvarnished, because he wants you to love their warts, or at least appreciate them.
The Ragamuffin Gunner. The Magic Rat. The Kidnapped Handicap. They’re all flawed people trying to get ahead in the world, and most of them don’t. They end up wounded…and not even dead…the ultimate disgrace.
It’s a theme that carries through a lot of his music, so it’s worth studying as the Stars return from a lost week in the Tri-State Area.
Long Island, the Swamps of Jersey, the streets of Manhattan, Springsteen’s characters know these neighborhoods well. They’ve spent many a lonely night and dealt with many a broken dream.
Just like the Stars.
Well I’m riding down Kingsley figuring I’ll get a drink
Well I turn the radio up loud so I don’t have to think
And I take her to the floor looking for a moment when the world seems right
And I tear into the guts, hmmm, of something in the night
They started this adventure with a huge crash, a total blowout, sort of like the driver in Something in the Night. He’s looking for some action, he thinks he’s pretty tough, and he challenges the world to a fight. I mean this is a high-powered Stars team with plenty of jet fuel that has just skated teams like the Kings and the Predators into the ice. They were taking it to the floor with that 2-0 lead and looking for a moment when the world seemed right.
But just like the anonymous driver with the big engine and the lack of discipline, the Stars crashed and burned against the Islanders in a 7-3 defeat. They were beat by their own game, outraced by a faster car. They were left “crushed and dying and the dirt,’’ so they tried to pick up the pieces to get away without getting hurt.
The escape only worked a little, because they found themselves a few days later in a scene from The River. After a strong practice and a vow to bond, they were like the young couple forced to marry and face the realities of life. There was no more riding in their brother’s car or nights down by the reservoir. This was real now, this was work.
And for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat.
We went down to the courthouse, and the judge put it all to rest.
No wedding day smiles, no walk down the aisle, no flowers, no wedding dress.
That’s what the Devils game was like. There was no fun, there was no speed, there was only the hard realization of just how tough this job is going to be. It was painful, really, a moment for the players to understand that you’re growing up and this sport you played for fun is really a job. If you can’t score goals, you’re not doing your job. If you leave a guy uncovered in the slot, you’re not doing your job. It doesn’t matter what you were as a teen, you’re a factory worker now, and they need results.
Or they’ll find someone else to do the job.
That’s an important lesson to learn right now.
Then, the next night, the Stars were cast in Springsteen’s symphony, Jungleland. They were part of the vast mosaic of characters scrambling for a moment to grasp, or simply a little feeling of belonging. For a just a flash, they were part of the ballet, the opera, the battle between the hungry and the hunted. For most of the Rangers game, things made sense, they flowed, they sounded like a beautiful saxophone solo as they took first a 1-0 lead and then a 2-1 lead.
But just as it happens in most Springsteen songs, reality hit in the form of a bullet or a car crash or a drunken collapse on the beach.
In the tunnels uptown
The Rat’s own dream guns him down
As shots echo down them hallways in the night
When Rick Nash scored with two minutes left to give New York a 3-2 win, there was nothing left to write, the Stars fans had to just stand back and let it all be.
It was sad. Yes, you were angry. Yes, you were ready to give up. But really, you were mostly sad. It’s been a long time, and you felt like maybe this was finally heading in the right direction after that 5-0-2 run. But now…now you wonder…now you doubt. It’s a key element to Springsteen’s work.
Because really, these anti-heroes on the ice seem like characters out of a song. There are times it appears Alex Goligoski really does run into the lake in just his socks and his shirt. There are times when Antoine Roussel really does come blasting ‘round the corner and gets blown right off his feet. There are times when Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin really do appear to jump into the ’69 Chevy with a 396 and go Racing in the Streets while leaving the rest at home.
And there are far too many times Kari Lehtonen gets caught up in a crossfire he doesn’t understand.
They aren’t perfect, at least not yet.
There will have to be changes within some of the players.
And some of the players will simply have to be changed.
That’s the reality of this season, and the reality of the rebuild.
It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to take work, and there are going to be some dark days in the process.
But one of the great things about Springsteen is he usually includes a little hope in his songs. Whether it’s the pretty little place in Southern California down San Diego way or the unnatural patience of the protagonists in Reason to Believe, there is always room for faith.
You might not feel that way now, but there’s always a place for you to ponder what’s right and wrong with this team.
Tell ‘em there’s a spot out ‘neath Abram’s Bridge, and tell ‘em, there’s a darkness on the edge of town.
That seems to be Springsteen’s location where everyone can feel left out together.
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