The New York Rangers finally beat somebody on Tuesday afternoon -- they beat themselves to the postseason punch, as both general manager Neil Smith and coach John Muckler were dismissed.

This shake-up had been in the making since early November, and the Rangers are now headed toward their third consecutive spring out of the playoffs.

	Former Rangers GM Neil Smith couldn't survive off his 1994 Stanley Cup legacy forever.

The hardest hit was Smith, who has been the Rangers' GM for over 10 years. For whatever his errors, he is still the man who helped bring the Stanley Cup to New York in 1994, breaking a 54-year old hex. He is also the man who brought Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky to Broadway, although his legacy might be more centered on the fact that he was also the man who ushered them out of town.

It is pretty clear that the Rangers came into this season with a mandate to make the playoffs, and then to make some noise once they got there. Smith spent a lot of money in the free agent market last summer, acquiring the likes of disappointing veterans Theo Fleury and Valeri Kamensky from the Colorado Avalanche.

Those two have been woeful underperformers this season. At least in Fleury's case, there were some warning signs. Many critics suggested Fleury would not have his heart in a move east, and it certainly appeared that he played with a lack of emotion this season in New York.

The Rangers also were undone by a seriously subpar season from Brian Leetch, lack of size up front, and the lack of a No. 1 center in front of Petr Nedved.

Where do they go from here?

The first order of business will be to hire a general manager. The ideal hockey candidate should be New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello, who can walk away from the Devils and their new ownership after this season.

Here's the problem: Lamoriello needs autonomy, and in order to take the job in New York, he would have to get guarantees that he would not be hampered by the Rangers' corporate structure. Lamoriello is also less than media friendly, and the Rangers have always encouraged high-profile executives. It's not a perfect fit on all levels, but if the Rangers are serious on the hockey side, Lamoriello should be the first choice.

The Rangers might also consider an easy move, in which assistant GM Don Maloney simply takes over for Smith and remains on the job. Despite his time with other New York organizations, Maloney has always been a true Ranger. He has done a good job replenishing the farm system and draft choices and can certainly deal with both the corporate structure and media demands.

Also on the initial list the Rangers are sure to consider are New Jersey's director of scouting David Conte and Craig Button, who holds a similar position with the Dallas Stars.

And if you want a surprise name, what about Edmonton GM Glen Sather? Sather always appears on the verge of leaving Edmonton (the latest rumor was Los Angeles), but this time it might happen.

As for the next coach, that will be the choice of the next GM, but don't be surprised if the Boston Bruins fire Pat Burns as soon as the season ends and Burns ends up behind the Rangers' bench next season.

Al Morganti covers the NHL for ESPN.