Now, with the Rangers having lost four of their last five in regulation while being outscored 16-10, there's simply the matter of Jagr being both a pain in the neck and good as he goes, not as good as he's been going.

This is the way it was going to be at the start of the season, remember; the Rangers going only as far as No. 68 could carry them? Well, let's be honest here. Whether a result of an unspecified injury, or fatigue, or simply a slump, Jagr's production has fallen dramatically off the pace he established through Thanksgiving.

And maybe it's no coincidence that his declining output can be traced back to that Nov. 24 date, for it was on that night in Atlanta that Jagr played sparingly due to a strained hip flexor. No. 68 hasn't missed a game, but he has cut short several morning skates in order to get treatment for that problem — at least that's what is believed — and lately he has more often than not been among the first to leave the practice ice as opposed to one of the last, which he was early in the season.

Jagr still leads the NHL in scoring with 55 points (23-32), and he hasn't exactly melted away, either, posting 16 points in the 12 games since Thanksgiving. But Jagr hasn't scored a goal in five straight games, and, indeed, has scored only two goals in the last 12 matches.

What's more, Jagr has gone 14 straight games without a power-play goal — and in that span the Rangers have gone 9-for-80 with the man-advantage, which might make them champions in a two-team division with the Devils, but not much else.

Plus — oh, nothing like piling on the team's MVP, is there? — Jagr has scored only one power-play goal in his last 18 games and two in his last 24 after getting nine in the opening 13 matches. Not that there's any intent to rain on anyone's parade or anything, but six of Jagr's 11 total PPG's have been scored with the Rangers owning a two-man advantage.