At the end of the day, one has to take a look at one of the most divided fan bases in all of sports. The Ranger fan is passionate and loyal to a fault. We are used to disappointment. If we’re really being brutally honest, the franchise we root for is pathetic. They’ve won four Stanley Cups and one in the last 62 years.

Like it or not, James Dolan is living off 1994. Next year marks the 20-Year Anniversary of the Curse being lifted. It’s hard not to reminisce. That was a great time to root for this team. Even though they only won once, those teams led by captain Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Adam Graves and Mike Richter gave us hope. It’s not unrealistic to think they could’ve won more. But Mike Keenan’s departure and Neil Smith’s mistakes doomed them. I go back to a column Larry Brooks wrote during ’96-97 when a veteran club that featured Wayne Gretzky was struggling. Even though they turned it around and made an improbable run to the Conference Finals, the warning signs were there.

Cablevision made the mistake of letting Messier go to Vancouver. Smith had a great backup plan, offer sheeting Joe Sakic. But when Colorado matched, there was no alternative. Pat LaFontaine came here but concussions doomed him. Instead of building through the draft. Smith tossed dollars at free agents, who basically came here for retirement. The Theo Fleury signing was the biggest failure of all. The Rangers didn’t do their homework on Fleury, who was an emotional train wreck who was doomed the minute he signed. Fleury’s sad tale is told in a courageous book Playing With Fire.

Little changed when Glen Sather took over for Smith. Once, Slats claimed that if he had the Rangers money, he’d win every year. They never made the playoffs once before the lockout. Only when he adjusted his philosophy did our team turn it around. Including a second round exit this year, they’ve made the postseason six of the last seven seasons.

It wouldn’t be possible without Henrik Lundqvist. A seventh round gem former European scout Christian Rockstrom discovered. He’s become the best goalie in the sport, winning a Vezina and backstopping the ’11-12 club to its first Conference Final appearance in 15 years. A year removed from their best season since they won the Cup, expectations were through the roof. The acquisition of Rick Nash was supposed to put them over the top. Instead, a shortened season saw a less cohesive roster never find consistency. Brad Richards wasn’t the same and John Tortorella struggled to find the right combos.

Eventually, Slats was forced to address the Blueshirts lack of depth dealing off top sniper Marian Gaborik to Columbus. In return he got Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett and John Moore. A trade many questioned. It was a stunner that changed the dynamic of the team, making it similar to last year. Sather also swung a trade with San Jose for Ryane Clowe. Despite these solid additions, he didn’t do enough. Injuries to Clowe, Marc Staal and Anton Stralman left Tortorella empty. Forced to play Steve Eminger and Roman Hamrlik on the bottom pair, he couldn’t prevent the inevitable. While Eminger was a solid extra who stepped up the past two years, Hamrlik was on his last legs. Two glaring turnovers on the same shift resulted in Greg Campbell’s series clincher.

Perhaps if the roster boasted better quality depth, it would’ve been able to compete with a superior Boston club, who severely outplayed them. If not for Tuukka Rask’s misplay, the Bruins sweep despite some splendid netminding from Lundqvist. The combination of injuries, Richards’ benching and not enough fill ins left Tortorella with AHLers Kris Newbury and Micheal Haley on a fourth line with Dorsett. When facing a legitimate energy line, they were victimized. This isn’t the first time an opponent’s grinders made the difference. The Devils did it last year with Ryan Carter, Steve Bernier and Stephen Gionta.

On a more balanced roster, diligent workers Brian Boyle and Taylor Pyatt play smaller roles. If you stuck them with Arron Asham or Dorsett, that’s a solid energy line. Instead, Tortorella gave them too many minutes. That’s where Clowe’s impact was felt. Only Mats Zuccarello has the skill level to play third line. Ironically, a guy who once was an afterthought finished second behind Brassard in team scoring this Spring with seven points (2-5-7). His skating, play making and edge make him easy to admire. Despite his smallish size, Zuccarello plays bigger and with more guts than Nash showed. Whether it was the pressure or plain inexperience, Nash didn’t play well despite his insistence that he was “good.” A damaging remark that’s dumbfounding.

You can’t expect to go far when your top finisher has one goal. It doesn’t help that the top line isn’t really one. Derek Stepan, Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin aren’t talented enough to be first liners. In the event they keep Richards, it would help if he regained his form because they were counting on him to center the No.1 line. Instead, Stepan did it out of necessity and fared well. Ultimately, he ran out of gas while Callahan and Hagelin couldn’t maintain pace. Brassard shouldn’t be confused as a one either. As constituted, the Blueshirts must do it by committee.

Even if Chris Kreider gets it next year, the center depth is still a question mark. There’s no guarantee that J.T. Miller will be on the roster. You don’t just hand kids spots. They must be earned. That’s the misconception. Fans are fuming about Kreider without seeing the big picture. He came back stronger, which should bode well for his development. It’s no secret that New York fans have no patience. Look at how many want Tortorella gone. Talk about a short memory. It’s all about what have you done for me lately. Suddenly, he’s a bum and so is Richards. Cut them loose. For the so-called geniuses who want drastic change, what’s your solution? Or is it supposed to fall out of the sky?

Unfortunately, this is what you’re dealing with. An angry fan base who fails to see that the Rangers are not in the same stratosphere as Pittsburgh or Boston. Just wait till Detroit arrives. That’s another team they’re worse then. They got past the more talented Caps on guts and determination plus the big man in net. Unless the talent level improves, it’s hard to see more than another second round appearance next year.