The Best Scripts Are The Unwritten Ones

Throughout his 20 years as the face of the most successful franchise in American sports, Derek Jeter had the constant knack of being in the right place at the right time and in his final game in baseball's cathedral, The Captain found himself in a very familiar spot.

After Brett Gardner bunted the game-winning run in Antoan Richardson to second base, the stage was set for the man who has always had a flair for the dramatics. In vintage Jeter style, he took the first pitch to the opposite field for a walkoff single that set the Yankee Stadium crowd into a frenzy the Bronx had not seen in nearly a half-decade.

But this forever-etched-in-stone moment almost never came to be. With the Yankees holding on to a 5-2 lead over this season's American League Eastern Division Champion and rival Baltimore Orioles, the Stadium crowd nearly overtook Jeter's emotions, which he has been known to never show. The chants of "THANK-YOU-DEREK" and "DEREK-JETER" reigned down from the nearly fifty-thousand in attendance as Jeter tipped his cap and fought back tears.

Yankee closer David Robertson surrendered a two-run home run to Adam Jones and after striking out Nelson Cruz for the second out, Jeter's career at The Stadium was an out away from being complete. How was Joe Girardi going to handle this? Was he going to remove him from the game early like he did a year earlier in Mariano Rivera's final game? Was Jeter going to finish the game? Would Jeter make the final putout?

But before I could stop asking myself just how it would end, Jeter's former teammate Steve Pearce hit a Robertson-offering into the left-centerfield seats tying the game at five.

I had no idea what to think. When the ball off Pearce's bat cleared the wall I yelled some choice words but if I knew what was to come, I may have cheered like an Oriole fan. It ended up being undoubtedly my favorite Yankee blown save of all-time.

After Richardson slid safely into home plate beating Nick Markakis' throw, the cameras cut to an elated Jeter in mid-air with limbs spread in every direction in jubilation. My all-time favorite athlete....who's been playing baseball in the Bronx for two-thirds of my 30 years on this earth....hit a game-winning base hit in the bottom of the ninth in his final home game.

Baseball is a game that has created heroes like Francisco Cabrera, Aaron Boone and Bobby Thomson. It's a sport where the script is never written, but it always seemed to come down to Jeter and more often than not, he delivered.

It's moments like Jeter's farewell single that make baseball such a beautiful game. When you watch a tight football game, all eyes are on Peyton Manning or Tom Brady to lead his team downfield to the game-winning score. In the NBA, everyone in the arena knows LeBron James or Kevin Durant is going to have the ball in his hands with the clock winding down for the last shot. In baseball, it could be any of the nine guys that's turn is up in the batting order.

How I did not cry is a mystery to myself. Maybe it's because Jeter remained stoic in a time where the sports world finally expected him to let his emotional guard down. Maybe it's because I was in the middle of the MLB Network control room surrounded by co-workers. Right now, I don't know. I don't care to know.

What I do know is this is the perfect bookend to a career full of amazing, unscripted memories that came at the most dramatic moments. Whether it was coming out of nowhere to relay an overthrown ball to home plate, hitting a walkoff home run as the clock struck midnight on a Halloween night or taking one of the game's top left-handed starters deep over the wall for his 3,000th career hit, Derek Jeter never stopped giving us jaw-dropping moments.

Was he the best player we've ever seen play? Certainly not. But was he the closest thing to a perfect ballplayer and model athlete? You better believe it.

Goodbye, Derek....and thank you for everything.

An Early, Realistic Rangers Offseason Outlook

Less than a week after losing the Stanley Cup Final in five competitive games to the Los Angeles Kings, the wounds are beginning to heal and it's time to look forward to an offseason full of questions for the New York Rangers.

THE BRAD RICHARDS SITUATION:

The absolute first and foremost task at hand is what to do with Brad Richards. The 34-year old center has just finished the third year of a nine-year, front-loaded contract with the Rangers. However, he has six years remaining on his current deal with a huge cap hit of $6.67M per year.

Despite what many Rangers fans will tell you, Richards has been a nice player for them. Now, he hasn't played like a player that earns the high cap hit he's signed to, but he has not the disaster some have made him out to be. In the two full seasons he's played with New York (excluding the lockout-shortened 2013 season), Richards has totaled 107 points.

Granted he's had his share of regular season success, his postseason resume while with New York has been less-than-stellar. His brightest moment came in his first season when he scored the tying goal in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2012 with 6.6 seconds remaining in regulation:

In two playoff appearances since, Richards' has seen his role to diminish to a healthy scratch under former coach John Tortorella in 2013 and a demotion to the fourth line in this prior season's Stanley Cup Final.

On Tuesday, Richards' agent Pat Morris told Sportsnet's Fan 590 that he has a "gut feeling" the Rangers retain Richards.

I honestly see no possible way Richards returns to Broadway next season in a Rangers sweater. Listen, I like Richards, but as they say, this is a business. It's nearly an impossibility the Rangers can keep Richards because of the length of the contract, the huge cap hit he's responsible for and the many holes the Rangers now have on their roster.

This is also the final year NHL clubs can use their two compliance buyouts on any player on their roster. The Blueshirts have already used one to get out of Wade Redden's horrendous contract and it makes perfect sense to use their second on Richards.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS:

Should the Rangers use their "get out of jail free" card on Richards, the $6.67M cap hit can and should be used on four of their restricted free agents: Derick Brassard, Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello and John Moore.

The Rangers absolutely need each one of them back and it starts with Kreider. Finally out from playing under Tortorella, Kreider has begun to emerge as the star he was portrayed to be while he played his college hockey at Boston College. He put up 37 points in an injury-shortened regular season before returning to the team in the postseason.

Out of the four, Zuccarello is the most due in line of a pay raise. The 5'7" Norwegian had a major coming out party this past season leading the team in assists (40) and points (59) at a minuscule $1.15M cap hit....a bargain any team in the league would sign up for.

Brassard was a key contributor to Zuccarello's success as the two of them, along with Benoit Pouliot, formed the most consistent line for the Rangers throughout the season.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS:

Pouliot is among the many unrestricted free agents I'd love to see return to the Garden along with Brian Boyle, Anton Stralman, Dominic Moore and Raphael Diaz.

Pouliot was the definition of a bargain buy in free agency last season as he signed a 1-year, $1.3M contract and really played well in the second half of the season and into the playoffs. While he took a stupid amount of offensive zone penalties, Pouliot flourished at times in Alain Vigneault's offense.

I don't see the Rangers retaining Boyle or Stralman as I expect them to seek raises and bigger opportunities elsewhere. Boyle has even publicly stated he's looking for "more responsibility."

A last-minute, trade deadline acquisition, Diaz saw limited action but showed he can move the puck well on the power play. Also, should Stralman depart, his right-handed shot on the blue line could be something the Rangers can ill-afford to lose.

NHL FREE AGENTS:

The biggest name on the NHL free agent market is Colorado's Paul Stastny. Coming off his best season in four seasons, Stastny has said he would like to stay with the Avalanche and Colorado has already offered him a multi-year deal. Regardless if Stastny stays with the Avs or not, his cap hit should hover around what Richards earned with the Rangers which would handicap the Rangers from keeping their depth. I doubt Stastny comes to New York.

It's actually hard to imagine the Rangers going after any of the major free agents this offseason, a move in which GM Glen Sather is well known for, just because it might be financially impossible. Going for lower cost players and depth while keeping most of the current roster might be the smart play this summer.

Should Richards get bought out, that'd leave a void at center, which could be filled by Dave Bolland. Bolland missed much of last season with an injury, but is a solid player that could bring Stanley Cup experience as he's won two with the Chicago Blackhawks.

I'd also like to see the Rangers take a look at wingers Radim Vrbata and, if affordable, former Islander Matt Moulson.

Rangers Dream Run Ends In Heartbreak

*AP Photo

The New York Rangers' 2014 Stanley Cup chase ended the exact way I have dreamed about them winning it for years: a goal in overtime that sends the home crowd into an absolute frenzy. And, boy, did this one hurt.

Perhaps it was bad karma for me to think ahead and dream about a storybook ending. Perhaps it was just coincidence. Regardless, it was undoubtedly the toughest loss I've experienced in my life as a Rangers fan in a season and playoff run that this city has waited for for 20 years.

It most certainly was not your typical bad loss by the Blueshirts. It wasn't a 5-0 blown lead at the Bell Centre. It wasn't a game where a future captain tied it with 6.6 seconds left and then losing in overtime. It wasn't a game in which a trade-deadline acquisition was turned aside in a shootout on the regular season's final day.

It was a game in the biggest series' the Rangers had been in since before Y2K was a thing. It was a game where the Rangers played much, much better than they have in memorable losses of the past. It was a game where the Rangers played up to their competition and nearly stole one on the road (on a few occasions) to bring the series back to Madison Square Garden for a crucial Game 6.

While coming up on the short end in the Stanley Cup Final to the Los Angeles Kings, it's hard to say this team played poorly in the series. The Kings were most certainly the better of the two teams, but the Rangers hung with them in four of the five games as well as any opponent could. After falling 3-2 in overtime in Game 1, I said the Rangers could play alongside the Kings and they proved my point.

Three of the four losses came in extra frames, all games in which the Rangers held a lead. They had four power plays in the five overtime periods played in the series (stop blaming the referees). Henrik Lundqvist proved he is worth every single dollar he's ever earned and, at one point, I thought he had a good shot at becoming the first Conn Smythe Trophy winner in a losing effort since Jean-Sébastien Giguere in 2003.

That's what makes this loss so tough to swallow. Even though the Rangers were playing with house money since their 3-1 series comeback to the Pittsburgh Penguins, they were oh so close to hockey's top prize. The Rangers were right there with the Kings and were a bounce or two away from being up or tied in the series multiple times.

This team is absolutely one to be proud of, however. Players like Carl Hagelin, Dominic Moore, Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider all stepped their games up offensively while guys like Brian Boyle, Derek Dorsett and Anton Stralman held their ground in the faceoff circle, fourth line and defensive end respectively.

An offseason full of questions lies ahead for New York with question number one surrounding the contract of Brad Richards. Getting back to the Stanley Cup Final will certainly be another uphill climb.

Sidenote: My favorite three (or four if you count the two in the first clip) goals that I'll remember from this great run:

Kings Take Game One But Rangers Can Play With Them

If it weren't for two costly turnovers, the New York Rangers would be on the opposite end of a 0-1 deficit one game into the Stanley Cup Final.

After burning the Los Angeles Kings with their trademark speed for the first two goals of the Game 1, Derek Stepan failed to clear the puck out of the Rangers' zone. Jeff Carter found Kyle Clifford in front to cut the Rangers' lead in half just 2:30 after Carl Hagelin scored to make it 2-0 in favor of New York.

Clifford's goal was a huge momentum swing in favor of the Western Conference Champions who then tied it in the second period on a gorgeous move by Drew Doughty. If the Rangers go into the dressing room with a two-goal lead after the first, perhaps it would've been a different story in Game 1.

It also didn't help the Rangers that they were dominated by the Kings in the third period as they were outshot 20-3 and couldn't muster their first shot on goal until the second half of the stanza. Los Angeles was relentless in the third and the Rangers survived, again, because of all-world goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

The game was lost on a horrendous turnover by Dan Girardi 4:36 into overtime. Girardi, in his own zone, whiffed on the puck, fell and then coughed it over. Justin Williams found himself in front of Lundqvist, who started to cheat to his glove side, which Williams noticed and then scored short-side. It was a brilliant move by one of the most clutch players in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Kings made some key adjustments in the first intermission as they were able to take away the Rangers speed, which led to a lot of dump-and-chase hockey which worked in the Kings favor and cut New York's scoring chances dramatically.

One key factor I worried about coming into this series was the style of Los Angeles' play with their big bruisers and it showed in Game 1. The Kings threw their bodies around ferociously landing more than 20 hits in the first period. I love their style of play, unfortunately it comes against the Blueshirts in their biggest series in two decades. They play hard, they play aggressive and they can really skate.

But so can the Rangers. The experts picked the Kings to win this series in a landslide. They may have won Game 1, but it wasn't by a landslide, not even close. It was evident the Rangers can play alongside the Kings despite a horrendous third period. If Girardi is able to get the puck out of their zone, who knows if the Ranges get a bounce their way down in Los Angeles' zone.

I expect the Rangers to answer strong in Game 2 because that's what they've done throughout the playoffs. If they feel the slightest moment their backs are against the wall, which isn't yet, they don't back down. This team has tremendous heart which helped them erase their 3-1 deficit against Pittsburgh. While the experts were singing the praises of the Kings after Game 1, this series is far from over. I still stand my prediction: Rangers in 6.

Rangers In Unfamiliar Territory Four Wins Away From Their Ultimate Goal

Let me welcome you all to the New York Rangers bandwagon....a bandwagon I could have never fathomed of existing. For the newcomers, know one key piece of information: this whole "winning" thing is not what this organization and fanbase is used to.

Since defeating the Montreal Canadiens in six games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, the constant reminder the media has given us is this is the Rangers' first trip to the Final in 20 years. Yes, we all want to live in the positive that the Rangers are here, but what they fail to remind us of is that this Original Six franchise has won a grand total of one Stanley Cup in the last 74 years. Seventy. Four. Years.

To say the Blueshirts need to take advantage of this opportunity is the understatement of the century. In fact, in the last 10 seasons, the Eastern Conference has been represented by seven different teams. Just getting this far in the playoffs has an immense level of difficulty.

Defeating the Los Angeles Kings in a best-of-seven series will certainly be no easy task. The 2012 Stanley Cup Champions have a very deep, star-studded and battle-tested roster with a Conn Smythe winner between the pipes in Jonathan Quick. They've played the maximum 21 games in the first three rounds of the playoffs this year, winning and eye-popping three Game 7s on the road, a feat never accomplished in the history of this great league. They have the chance to shock the hockey world and no one is giving them a chance to beat the Kings in a race to four wins.

The Rangers certainly have the team to get this done. In fact, they are the absolute definition of "team" as compared to recently assembled Rangers squads. Head coach Alain Vigneault has used all four of his lines and each of them have contributed, something we have not seen in recent years under former coach John Tortorella. They all came together during the tragic time of the passing of Martin St. Louis' mother and rallied from a 3-1 deficit against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, something never accomplished in the franchise's history.

They play for one another and are playing at the peak of their game.

The Rangers get contributions from every player that dresses as opposed to their 2012 run, under Tortorella, in which they lost to the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Final. During that run, it was mainly Henrik Lundqvist driving the ship while getting a timely goal here or there from Brad Richards or Marian Gaborik. Oddly enough, the Blueshirts face their former leading goal scorer in Gaborik as he leads the NHL in goals scored this postseason with the Kings (I still don't know what to do with my Rangers' Gaborik jersey).

Their best line all year has been their second line of Mats Zuccarello, Derick Brassard and Benoit Pouliot. Aside from Pouliot taking a number of really bad penalties this postseason, they've been the most consistent and it'll be interesting to see how they mach up against the Kings' big bodies.

During NHL Network's Media Day coverage Tuesday, analyst Barry Melrose noted the team really came together with the acquisition of St. Louis at the trade deadline when they shipped captain Ryan Callahan to Tampa Bay along with two draft picks. St. Louis didn't get off to a flying start with his new club, but man has patience paid off. St. Louis has emerged as a major leader in the clubhouse in his brief period on Broadway and it's hard to say the Rangers would be here without him.

The Rangers are fortunately a healthy squad heading into the Final and they'll get defenseman John Moore back from suspension in Game 2 and Dan Carcillo back from suspension (if they need him) for Game 4.

The experts seem to think this series is mainly one-sided and believe the Kings will cruise to victory. THN's Ken Campbell thought the Penguins would breeze through the Rangers and also said the Rangers wouldn't get by Montreal after that. He says the Rangers' only hope is if the Kings are out of gas.

Look, I understand the Kings are a really, really good team, but so are the Rangers. They've come together better in the last three rounds than I've seen a Ranger team come together in, let's say, 20 years.

The Rangers have just as good of a shot to win the best trophy in sports as Los Angeles does. There's no reason we can't see a parade with Lord Stanley being the guest of honor down Broadway in a couple of weeks. Rangers in 6.