A better team had use for him. ‘Better’ being the operative word. Though they lost last night to resurgent Buffalo 2-1, the Canadiens remain in the driver’s seat for the postseason. With Boston losing to Toronto 3-2, they still lead their division with 45 points. In a year little was expected, Montreal has a 20-6-5 record ranking second in the Eastern Conference to Pittsburgh. They’ve had the kind of year we did in ’11-12. Getting contributions from everyone and doing it under Jack Adams candidate Michel Therrien.

While the Habs have improved leaps and bounds, the Rangers have been a colossal disappointment. Their mediocre 15-13-2 record sums it up. A .500 hockey club minus the brownie points. In many aspects, they’ve gone from one of the hardest teams to play against to one of the easiest. Soft and predictable. So, what did the dysfunctional organization do a day after giving Halpern his freedom? They waived Stu Bickel. Apparently, a guy who knocked the lights out of Ryan Carter has less value than Matt Gilroy.

What else would you expect from the NHL’s second least penalized team? That’s correct. A team that once wasn’t afraid to mix it up en route to a regular season top seed along with a division title- ranks 29th in penalty minutes. Their 306 PIM trail only Calgary (275) for fewest. That isn’t necessarily a good thing. The 2013 New York Rangers don’t stand up to the opposition. They rarely drop the gloves. So far, they’ve had 12 fighting majors, tying them with tonight’s opponent Washington for sixth fewest. Conversely, they tied with Boston in ’11-12 for the league lead with 65 majors. You can pretty much guess who was a part of that that’s no longer here.

The Rangers want us to believe that they’re going to do something big by saving cap space on role players. They want the Garden Faithful to think there’s a plan to save the season. It’s been an organizational failure from the front office down to the coaching staff to the players. This isn’t just on John Tortorella, Perry Pearn clone Mike Sullivan and dynamic dud Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik. The latest moves are proof that they weren’t prepared for any hockey in ’12-13.

It’s fairly obvious that it was just wait until former Columbus GM Scott Howson gave in and dealt Rick Nash for a more friendly package of Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon and a No.1 pick. Outside of that, Glen Sather did little to improve the roster. Maybe we shouldn’t act so surprised by the lackluster results. They currently sit ninth with 32 points. Carolina is eighth by virtue of more regulation/overtime wins. Don’t look now. But the Sabres have played themselves back into contention. Their third straight win moved them to 10th, only two points behind the Canes and Rangers. The Caps and Islanders each have 29.

In other words, it won’t get any easier. Who replaced Bickel on the roster? That AHL lifer Kris Newbury. You know. The same guy whose selfish penalty led to a power play goal against in a loss. Tortorella then glued him to the bench. You’d swear a trade is coming but for who and at what cost? I’ve seen a few names tossed around but won’t even venture to guess. Why can’t they be more like the Devils and find a bargain? That’s asking too much.

They better pray that no more defensemen go down. Not too long ago, that was an organizational strength. Now, it’s a weakness. And Erixon has done alright with Columbus, posting five assists with a plus-four rating. The Blue Jackets had a franchise best point streak of 12 games snapped by Nashville. Their 8-0-4 mark put them back in the playoff picture out West. Amazingly, they have the same amount of points (32) as us. Looks like there’s life after Nash. Anisimov scored his eighth. Dubinsky remains out with nine points (1-8-9) in 19 games.

It’s funny how things work out. Nash leads our team with 10 goals, 15 assists and 25 points. He’s done his part. The team’s offensive ineptitude has been well documented. He came here to win a Cup and is almost in an identical situation. Looked upon to carry the load. They’ll need better production down the stretch to make it. Where is it coming from?