from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

To a man, following exit interviews with president and GM Chris Drury, the Rangers talked of “unfinished business” on Monday in their final interactions with the press. They expressed the strong opinion that the team doesn’t necessarily need to add ingredients but instead can take that next step by applying the lessons learned this time around. That’s exactly what you’d expect from this group whose self-belief was a significant component in the club’s success.

But even though it seemed as if the Rangers were close when they held a 2-0 lead midway through Game 3 in Tampa Bay after having won the opening two contests of the series at the Garden, the longer the series evolved, the farther away the Cup became.

Because let’s face it, the Blueshirts were ultimately physically dominated by a Tampa Bay team that did not relent for so much as a single shift. Borrowing a precept of Freddie Shero’s almost a half a century old, the Lightning arrived on time and with malice. They hit with purpose. The Rangers could not win battles. The Rangers could not get to the inside. For the only time in the playoffs, the Rangers looked small.

And so as it was Drury’s responsibility last summer to add grit, sandpaper, mental and physical toughness and leadership pedigree to supplement the considerable talent that had been amassed under Jeff Gorton’s tenure as GM, it will now be on him to add size, bulk and a meaner edge up front.

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