RangersIn7

Mika’s high-end is better. Aho is more consistent. But it’s close to even either way. Both are excellent players.

Trouba will have an important moment at some point

Yeah Can we just watch and enjoy them play the hockey they’re clearly good at playing and clearly enjoying. They’re clearly in this shit for one another and their coaches and all of that. This is a really good group who could win it all. Lets just enjoy that.

He’s only ever played the left side. And he’s played it oh so well… as a clutch performer. Hes proven he’s a great player in his spot. Hes proven he can easily play with great players. But you need to keep him on his side. He’s the player you never move. Guentzel is one of the most underrated players in the NHL. And has been for a number of years. Name 10 left wingers who’ve been better than him over the last 5-6 seasons? You cant. No one can. Cause they don’t exist.

I was agreeing with you.

He was still a better and more complete player than Strome was. Strome can’t win a faceoff to save his life, doesn’t kill penalties, and a stiff wind might knock him over. And I’m a fan of Strome’s. But he was an upgrade last year. Hes an upgrade this year. Hes an upgrade ever.

Maybe put the two of them with Chytil???

Now would be a good time to swap if Lavy wants to.

Keep it rolling and tack on another one! LGR!

I agree that teams that have had success playing THEIR game and doing so consistently absolutely matters. Not at all saying otherwise. What I’m saying is simply that the models based on analytics don’t play out in the way of wins necessarily in a short series, because outliers and oddities can beat you. Now obviously that can happen in the regular season, but it doesn’t matter than. If Carolina goes up to Ottawa, on a Tuesday night in January and does all the things they do well to the Nth degree, dominates in puck possession and shot share, has tons of chances, yet they lose 3-1, you shrug it off and chalk it up to bad luck and it has minimal impact on their season and you move on and you play another game in a day or two. In the postseason, if that happens, it’s an entirely different set of circumstances. You tell your guys to just keep doing what they’re doing and things will even out. The problem is that things don’t have the time to even out in a short series as much as they do in 6 months and 82 games.

Yeah. Again… it’s a short series. These games are won and lost and play out based on things that happen in very short stretches of time. And oddities and “outliers” are way more impactful now. In fact, they’re actually more impactful than that which trends well and plays out over 82. It just doesn’t matter. I can specifically remember a game in the Conference Semifinals vs Pittsburgh in 2007-08. Game 3 at the Garden. Rangers came in down 2-0 in that series. They were far and away the better team that night. Out shot Pittsburgh something like 40-17 Had the puck all night. Had tons of great looks. They lost 5-3. It doesn’t matter.

While the likelihood of him taking a penalty- whether it’s real or not- and it resulting in a PPG against is there, there is also no guarantee that it happens, and there’s also no guarantee that that goal is a meaningful one. It may not matter. And in reality, it doesn’t matter till it matters.

Would you rather, in a fight, have 5 elite soldiers? Or 50 mediocre soldiers?

This is why the analytic model is flawed. It’s based on shot share, irrespective of where those shots come from and how likely they are to result in goals. Obviously, the more you shoot from wherever, the more likely you are to score more goals. And while that has value, as does possessing the puck in the o-zone, if it doesn’t manifest in good looks, quality shots, and high danger chances, it’s not so impactful. They scored a handful more goals in droves of more shots than the Rangers did in the regular season. And it does nothing to show how efficient a team is offensively. If you pot your chances consistently and efficiently, the quantity means less.

There’s a valid case for making a lineup change given all the reasons- limited minutes, needing to be sheltered, no utility, and the fact that he’s being targeted by the officials. But bottom line is that they’re winning and playing good hockey when he’s in the lineup so you probably just have to keep rolling with him.