McDonagh Expresses Frustration in Post Game

[Blueshirts1926]

Post game show I thought McDonagh slammed AV as he said we need to start using our speed in the game plan and take a page from Vegas. Then he says other players need to start stepping up ( includes himself ) starting the next game vs Islanders. My guess is a little frustration in the locker room,

I was at the game last night vs the Coyotes and the first period the Rangers sucked with 5 shots on goal. 2nd & 3rd period they were average. Yes got the win but it took a shoot out against the worst team in the league. They did not play 60 minutes.

Everyone may slam me for this but Las Vegas is not that good. If you watch there game plan it is speed & straight up the ice, mostly the middle. The game winner straight up the left - pass all the way over straight up the right. All these other teams can not see what they are doing to defend this?

My first post on the board THEY STILL NEED A GOAL SCORER/PLAY MAKER.

AV just good hockey game and we had tons of speed on the ice. Friction from AV vs Players?

[Parsley]

I wasn’t impressed with Vegas.

AV benching Buch. I don’t get either.


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[ThirtyONE]

Hardly slammed him.

That said, I have absolutly no idea why one of their highest point scorers in Buchnevich was scratched.

Then again, I’ve been scratching my head with AVs decions for years.

[Blueshirts1926]

I am not sold on AV and I think some of the veterans are not either. McDonagh is right no one is stepping up.

Did he say why Buchnevich was a scratch?

[Bugg]

I am not sold on AV and I think some of the veterans are not either. McDonagh is right no one is stepping up.

Did he say why Buchnevich was a scratch?

If Gorton is going to make a change, the time is now. Or it's not happening.

[Fatfrancesa]

Rangers arent doing anything with AV. Years of piss ass decisions, selective accountability standards and discipline and no team structure. Nothing new here management must like what he does. Just add another year to the drought. 54 years will seem like a dynasty this time.

[Fatfrancesa]

Oh and mcd didn’t slam av. The only one mcd should be slamming these days is himself. His play has fallen off a cliff. Stunning how bad he’s been. What’s odd is that a lot of it is not physical. All of a sudden a smart hockey player has become stupid. I don’t get it but at this point I’d be searching hard for a trade for him

[paddynyc]

Not making excuses for McD, but having Holden as you partner can't help his case.

[Blue Heaven]

Hardly slammed him.

That said, I have absolutly no idea why one of their highest point scorers in Buchnevich was scratched.

Then again, I’ve been scratching my head with AVs decions for years.

Maybe b/c he's looked like shit the last couple of weeks?!?!?! 3 assists in 10 games, 1 goal in 14 games. His last goal came almost a month ago. He's not creating offense, he's not good defensively. Let him sit a game and maybe that ignites a fire under him especially with the NYI game coming up.

[Ozzy]

McDonagh got caught twice on the same shift for 2 two-on-ones!! That's gotta be a record!

I keep wondering how this team is thinking they're going to win a cup with this squad.....and that coach, most of all.

[phillyb™]

McDonagh got caught twice on the same shift for 2 two-on-ones!! That's gotta be a record!

I keep wondering how this team is thinking they're going to win a cup with this squad.....and that coach, most of all.

Well, I'm no expert here, but if you see a Dman pinching, then someone needs to cover that point. The first one, McD was in deep and trying to make a play, IIRC. The point was vacated for longer than it should have been. Bad read by the forwards on the ice.

[Ozzy]

....but to then get caught again...on the other side of the ice, no less??? LOL

I had a good laugh at that one!!!

[Giacomin]

Well he was able to have Nash cover for him, which was fine, but expecting DD to do so seems to be a problem. Does DD disrupt anything or have any impact on play besides when he is spinning with the puck, behind the opposing teams net?

McD has been alright, just not playing like #1 D. McD needs to get into a different mindset altogether. Holden is partly to blame and so is AV. I can't believe we are not mixing up our attack better. Plus our neutral zone play is slipping and we are sloppy in our own zone, slow to pucks and lacking quick crisp passing (not stretch passes or drop passes) to exit the zone quickly. Not putting teams on their heels enough, no one is scared of our rush.

[torontonyr]

I don't know, "slammed" is a bit hyperbolic and feels like fan projecting. If anything, reads to me as though he's frustrated with the room. Speed is something AV has always preached, the effort seems like it's just not there according to the initial quote and the subsequent follow up.

[Sod16]

Well he was able to have Nash cover for him, which was fine, but expecting DD to do so seems to be a problem. Does DD disrupt anything or have any impact on play besides when he is spinning with the puck, behind the opposing teams net?

DD is not a terrible player, but his presence is emblematic of a very serious hole in the roster. He's just one of those "passing through" players. The chances of him being here next year are less than 5%. It's frustrating that he seems to be our only option at the moment.

[4EverRangerFrank]

Where has our speed gone? Ok, Kreider is out - I get that. Grabs has been flying but otherwise ineffective. He’s always going in alone. Grabner needs someone else to trail him closely so when he backs-in the D, he has an open man to feed...’cause he ain’t finishing those breakaways himself.

Fast has not kept to the front of the play either and he appears to be lagging. I’m a JT fan but he’s become too much of a Kreider-like skater recently by not following the play hard, especially defensively.

If we don’t play our speed game with authority we will lose. Simple as that. Shoot the friggin’ puck!!

[josh]

Where has our speed gone? Ok, Kreider is out - I get that. Grabs has been flying but otherwise ineffective. He’s always going in alone. Grabner needs someone else to trail him closely so when he backs-in the D, he has an open man to feed...’cause he ain’t finishing those breakaways himself.

Fast has not kept to the front of the play either and he appears to be lagging. I’m a JT fan but he’s become too much of a Kreider-like skater recently by not following the play hard, especially defensively.

If we don’t play our speed game with authority we will lose. Simple as that. Shoot the friggin’ puck!!

This team has decent speed, but most of those guys are out or hurt. The rest of the team isnt "slow", but when they arent going, they cant play a speed game

kreider - out
zib - hurt, awful since return
Buchnevich - not a speedster, sitting
Nash - noticeable, but not fast
Hayes - not fast
Zucc - not fast
Miller - shows up for one month a season. Only has 5 games left. saving for February
Fast - awful since return
DD - quick, but not a speedster.
Grabner - fast, but straight line has been taken away. Not good enough to adjust
Carey-Boo-linemate/Letteiri - have usually been the most effective and noticeable, because they are skating and using some speed

[Sod16]

I agree that we are not a particularly fast team at this point. Arizona looked faster.

[Future]

Not making excuses for McD, but having Holden as you partner can't help his case.

Well they said the same thing about Girardi. At some point, especially in the way G and Staal have been scapegoated, Mac deserves criticism.

I don't pretend to know why, but Mac does not use his legs anymore. At his peak - the playoff series against Montreal during the finals run - he was dynamic all over the ice because he was the fastest player. I'm not sure if AV doesn't want defensemen to skate with the puck, or he's hurt, or he's lost a step, or what the deal is. But Mac no longer uses his legs, spare a play here and there.

Him skating into the offensive zone and putting Vegas on their heels is what led to the late push (right before the Carey chance). That's the shit he should be doing constantly, and it's his ceiling. That's what put him in the Norris conversation a few years ago. At this point, though, there's very little to separate him from the Marc Vlasic, Erik Johnson, and Dmitry Orlovs of the world.

[josh]

Holden had a couple bad games a few weeks ago, but has been far from terrible. He makes a lot of good plays. Obviously, he's not a top pairing dman, so to be able to play as one for most of the season speaks volumes.