RichieNextel305

I wouldn’t say they handled the Islanders easily. The Islanders choked away Game 2, something they did frequently across the season. They beat the Canes in Game 4, and in Game 5 shit the bed in the 3rd period with another 2 goals given up in under 10 seconds. I’m not saying it was a 7-game war. But the Islanders caused problems and scored some goals against them. This is going to be a hard series. No doubt about it. These were the 2 best teams in the East this season.

In addition to the other injuries, DeAngelo sounds like he may have a decent injury off a slash tonight against the Islanders. Canes definitely come into series with some holes on the blueline.

I have no clue how you can justify favoring the Hurricanes here. The Rangers have been ahead of them since before Halloween, won the Division and won 2 of 3 against them. But, such as life. Carolina had issues giving up goals to an Islanders team that isn’t as potent as the Rangers. Fast and Pesce out is huge for us and a huge loss for them. Rangers seem to have a very business-like, next-game-up mentality that is dangerous. A real tunnel vision for a greater goal. Playoffs really begin now. Rangers in 6.

I can’t see him going anywhere at this point. Been there his whole career. Still plays a big role on the ice and in the room. Tampa can still compete. Plus factor in the under market value he may get from them in Florida with tax situation there, which is always an advantage for them. I see him staying and retiring there.

Wake up!

For sure. Their lack of goaltending reminds me almost of the Flyers back in the early-00s. Just a revolving door of mediocrity. Samsonov stinks. He isn’t the answer. When he is on, he can flat out steal games alone. But it’s too much of a rollercoaster with him. This is the year a core piece goes. I would imagine it might be Marner.

The Islanders don’t play in Siberia. They aren’t what they were 20-25 years ago. But they can definitely recruit. And while they don’t have the appeal of the Rangers, it still is a fairly attractive market in a new arena with good ownership. This isn’t 1999 anymore. Panarin has the 4th highest AAV in the league. Sure, he chose to come here. But I wouldn’t say he fell in our lap. We had to pony up for him. And if he flopped, it would have been a disaster. They do deserve to be ragged on. The front office has made several questionable decisions over the last few years in regards to roster management.

Rumor is food poisoning. My God. That team is going to be stuffed in a rocket and shot to the fucking Sun this summer. Gonna be changes.

And if my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle. Lol. Bottom line is we have that game breaking talent. And it’s not only him.

They’re going to be amped to play at home. My hope is they’re too wound up and come out overly aggressive, abandon structure and take a stupid penalty or 2 early on and we could put them behind the 8-ball early.

I mean, ideally? Sure. Would have loved both. But them losing Pesce and Fast is still noteworthy. We likely have to go through them at some point, whether they’re exhausted or well rested.

Florida looks terrifying. I can’t believe this is 3-0, especially with how Tampa played down the stretch. Really impressive stuff.

I don’t understand the Islanders. My theory on being too attached to a roster is that the Rangers handled things right with their elite teams in the mid-2010s. You had teams that won divisions, a Presidents Trophy, an Eastern Conference Title. And when things began to tail off, management understood this notion: if we couldn’t win with this little engine that could when they were all at their best (Henrik included), are we going to win with them getting older? The answer was a resounding no. They dealt Brassard, a staple, at the right time. Stepan. They cut ties with people like Girardi. This was all before the Letter. They knew it was time for new blood. Lou, for whatever reason, is living off of 2020 and 2021. They got close. They were good. They were tough to play against. It was never a team built on talent, but instead it was the depth and the grit. But it’s a hard brand to sustain across many seasons and these guys are mostly older and still there. And in that time, aside for grabbing Horvat, no major moves have been made to compete with the big boys in today’s NHL. They just don’t have enough talent. Barzal is good, but is he the play driver on a Cup Winner? I see him more as a secondary guy. Same for Horvat. If this ends the way I think we can all agree it likely is going to end, it’s time to nuke that core and just start over. They had their chance. They, like the mid-2010s Rangers, had a few good kicks at the can. But it’s time for new blood in there.