ThirtyONE

Is scouting a total bullshit job? Like, it's mostly luck. 

You had to know this would become a real thread with people actually talking about trading the teams best offensive player some point. 

6 minutes ago, Pete said:

Eh, while that's true, he's definitely fallen on some consistency issues in the post. Less goals, but timely goals.

Kreider isn't the same kind of player as Mika. He doesn't create, he's an opportunist. In the playoffs that's gonna be harder to come by based on strength of the opponent. Tampa is now cheating to take Mika's shot away on the PP so the Rangers are gonna have to figure out a way to get Kreider the puck in the slot. Once they do, I expect the big goals to continue.

Hank mentioned it, but there's a strange movement in goaltending coaching that wants goalies to hold their glove like a catcher in baseball - palm facing forward, webbing vertical. This is fine for baseball when the object you're catching is being thrown from 60ft away but on defections and low shots, this creates a slow glove. This is exactly where Miller beat him last night. 

So while Vas has been susceptible high blocker (which I think all goalies are in some capacity) his real weakness is low glove, just over the pad. 

Good post and yeah we get no respect and I actually love it. We don't have "the best" player in the league. We don't have Ovi or Crosby or McDavid or McKinnon so national hockey media don't really give a shit. They celebrate players over teams. That's why their takes are lazy. 

Connor McDavid and Nate McKinnon are great, but no matter who comes out of the East, the East has my pick to win the cup because neither of the western teams can keep the puck out of their net.

19 minutes ago, Myusername said:

 

I honestly think the above is way overblown. If anything there should be less pressure on them overall since they already managed to do twice what many teams fail to do even once in some peoples lifetimes. Sure their fans might be greedy and expect nothing less but I doubt it's something that's keeping the players and coaches up at night. Also, it's not like this is the last chance they'll get before the team completely dissolves 

Yeah, I don't think there's any pressure on them to three-peat. Who cares? But that in itself is where we have the advantage. Nobody's gonna care if Tampa loses. They have 17 cup winners on the team. They've reached the top already so I think we might have the advantage in that they might not dig as deep when the going gets tough. 

And again, just like Carolina's home winning streak, at some point Tampa is going to lose. I think we're the most physical team they've played by a wide margin. I think we'll wear them out in a long series.

Hopefully, after tonight, the next lesson we learn is how to play with a lead in a series. 

47 minutes ago, Phil said:

 

Is that parking garage supposed to be Tampa? 

The big move is no big move. Leafs shuffle the deck chairs and keep everything mostly the same. Add a couple of old scrubs and repeat the last 7 years or whatever. 

Never seen a team accept moral victories as real victories so often. Don't forget they got respect in the handshake line this year. Big stuff.

IMO, this is all bonus hockey. Absolutely nothing to lose, so why not fuck around and eliminate the champs? 

16 minutes ago, Phil said:

That's such a boon. Original injury time frame was 6–8 months, right? That'd put him at the early point of it, but damn, getting Blais back would be awesome.

He'd be awesome in a series like this. Hopefully they can extend the season long enough to get him back.

Just now, josh said:

You’re right. Put Nemeth back in there!

Responded to one fallacy with another. Classic internet. 

Fuck Jarry. This ain't a Pens board. Guy was a scrub last year in the playoffs. He's lucky he broke his foot so he wasn't exposed as a fraud again. 

Just now, josh said:

Also why he hasn’t won anything 

Damn. Fallacy much?

Has anyone brought up Barry Melrose yet and how terrible he looks? He's got concerning sun spots, missing his bottom teeth, and just sits there with no personality. Who's call was it to have him back in the studio? I know ESPN wants him to be the American Don Cherry, but he's scaring the children. 

1 hour ago, Sharpshooter said:

Their players and fans are so entitled. Fuck them.

To be fair, the Rangers just killed their franchise and they know it. It's back to the basement for them. Wonder how the NHL will survive. 

Igor. 

Way back when in Hank's first playoff, he was not very good. They opted to play Weekes over Hank in game 3 and that basically sealed the series for the Devils. 

His confidence is shook. The only thing you can do is play him and show confidence in him. He's your goalie long after game 5 tomorrow so you let him play and learn, even if learning means losing.

6 minutes ago, josh said:

Too plain down the middle with Zibanejad Strome and Chytil. Unfortunate position for Strome, but playoffs were do or die for his Rangers tenure. 

Agree. Lots of sameness. If the choice is Copp or Strome, imo the choice is easy. Copp plays playoff hockey. Strome plays December hockey. Love Strome, but the team is going to move from regular season success to playoff success this summer.

Chytil has improved, but again, it's obvious he's not a 3rd line center on a playoff team.

When the team loses the toxic people take that as their cue to step to the forefront. It's a bummer because it seems like there's a lot these days. Are we really upset that someone didn't purposely run their 3rd string goalie? Is this a serious conversation?

lame

Fears from earlier in the season are rearing their ugly head. The centers on this team are too soft. They're all perimeter players. None of them can win a faceoff. 

Ryan Strome and Fil Chytil shouldn't be the solution this summer.

2 minutes ago, Blue Heaven said:

With the way the Pens fans are taunting Igor, PPG Arena might be a house of horrors for him just like MTL was for Lundqvist

I mean, he's a pro athlete. He's gotta learn to let that fuel him. 

Rangers learning what real hockey looks like.

Centers being exposed. Ryan Strome and Fil Chyil are both way too soft to be counted on as playoff centers. 

Everyone else getting a rude awakening.

It'll be an interesting off-season. 

Loser Domingue is gonna get eaten alive. It was a fun story for all of 5 seconds. Shame.

1 hour ago, RichieNextel305 said:

 

2 hours ago, rmc51 said:

Dryden Hunt was good energy last night. Plays hard on that 4th line. Has no issue being physical either. When Goodrow comes back, Hunt shouldn’t be the guy coming out based on last night.

Goodrow has a broken foot so it's not something to worry about.