6 hours ago, Pete said:

6 hours ago, siddious said:

I just find it hard to fully blame the goalie when the defense was arguably worse. It’s not just this game it’s been a long stretch this season he’s just not keeping this team in it. Happened last year too. 

 

Yepp said this the other night. Inconsistenterkin.

The defense was worse? Stop it. He let in four goals that should have been stopped. He was dribbling rebounds right in front. The only goal that was unstoppable was the Matthew's to Marner tap in.

 

He fucking sucked.

Parts of column A, parts of column B. 

Igor was shit. 

But team defense has taken an absolute nosedive lately. We're back to the doldrums of Quinn and GG with guys just waving their sticks around, lack of aggression and assertiveness, puck watching, not cleaning out in front of our own net, breakdowns in structure. The works.

That doesn't excuse Igor letting softies in, but it's a massive problem that we shouldn't let go because there's an easy fall guy in the goalie.

Both aspects are deeply troubling to me. 

10 minutes ago, Pete said:

The hole in this thinking is that the Rangers have traded away a good amount of mid-round picks as well, including second and third rounders.

 

So even if you're first rounder amounts to the quality player you would draft in a middle round, it's still valuable to the Rangers who essentially don't have a lot of picks especially in 2025. 

 

Someone here posted that a good strategy might be to fire sale for young players instead of draft picks, I don't see that as a successful strategy. You're not going to get any players that a team holds in high regard, you're probably going to get their Kakko. A draft pick is a lottery ticket. A young player has already given you a taste of what they are or what they aren't. 

 

That said, I also completely understand that your team can't be in a state of perpetual rebuild and at some point you have to go all in. I'm just not sure if a guy like Tarasenko is a guy you go all in for, because you essentially already gave up a boatload for him last season... I don't know that you give up two first rounders plus for essentially half a season of Tarasenko. 

I'm not sure I make that deal for Tarasenko either.

My point is, if you buy the idea that this is a special team with a great chance if they get some help at the deadline, you simply cannot allow yourself to be held hostage by your previous actions. Yes, the cupboard is bare and they've given away too many draft assets. But this is not the time to start thinking about the future.

I understand that the bill comes due at some point, but you simply have to go for it if what we've seen so far keeps up. Teams like this doesn't come around all that often. 

22 minutes ago, Br4d said:

Also, counting your ducks 3 years up is very risky.  It's why the Rangers have the problems at RW that they have right now.  You can generally look at 3 years up the road.  You do that by preserving your high picks and hoping the ones you already made work out.  That doesn't help with positionality or balance or any of that stuff because you never know who is going to make it and who is going to wash out.

It won't be a high pick. It's at best in the mid 20's. Whoever you pick there is basically a 50/50 proposition. 

You don't sit around and preserve that with a cup run staring you in the face, if it can be used on someone who gives you a better chance of getting you over the line. 

I completely agree that the Rangers have been far too quick to give up their high picks in general, but if they keep this up it's a special team, with a great coach and probably their best chance in a very long time. They should not let history get in the way of that.

12 hours ago, RichieNextel305 said:

If the Rangers stay on course, I have no problem sacrificing a 1st for the right player at the deadline. This is a year to do it. The cupboard isn’t bare, Othmann is waiting in the wings, Perrault looks to be a player, we do have young talent. If a 1st would get someone like Tarasenko for 50%, I would certainly be open to it. 

This 100% the correct take. 
In historical terms I would’ve liked the Rangers to have a more balanced approach, take the future into consideration and not always be buyers with often marginal teams.

But with one of the best rosters in the league, performing like an elite unit, great coaching and goaltending you’re all in. All fucking in. These opportunities don’t come around too often. That’s even without considering we’re talking about an organization that hasn’t won in 30 years. If they find an addition that helps the team, handing over a 1st that’ll be in the late 20’s or worse is absolutely the correct thing to do.

5 hours ago, MuddyInTheMiddle said:

Does anyone remember the logic of trading a 2 time 30 goal scorer for a 3rd and 4th liner?

 

I know Messier was the shadow GM and him & Keenan thought some guys were "too soft" for the playoffs, but geez!

Neither of them thought he was built for the playoffs. Keenan in particular didn't think the could help them get past the Devils, which is what they built that team for specifically. It's tough to be too categorical about it given we'll never know what would've happened if they did with Neil Smith wanted and rolled into the playoffs with the team that won the Presidents Trophy. But the Devil series definitely became the physical war they envisioned at the deadline. 

16 hours ago, Morphinity 2.0 said:

I know it all worked out - "MATTEAU, MATTEAU, MATTEAU" and all that - but Tony Amonte. 

That shit got me grounded.

I was in the kitchen eating a bowl of cornflakes. The house phone rang, my mother picked it up and goes "your brother would like a word with you". 

He goes "You won't believe it, they've traded Tony!"

"For who?????"

"Brian Noonan and Stephane Matteau"

And with that I yelled "FUCK OFF" and launched the bowl of cornflakes across the room. I was so mad. I couldn't believe it. Tony Amonte trade for two complete water carriers. My mother didn't care about Tony and gave me a couple of days to think things over.

I guess a cup is a cup, but that one hurt and did so for a very long time.

11 hours ago, Phil said:

Kakko feels stuck between worlds to me where he really doesn't "belong" in either. As a third liner, he doesn't give you nearly enough heart, and as a top-sixer, the talent just doesn't seem to translate to points. He's constantly in no-mans land. It's what makes this type of injury so disheartening for him and for fans.

Kakko feels like a tweener to me.

He has the hands and size/strength to dominate against weaker opposition on a bigger surface where his lack of burst and foot speed isn't punished as much. I could see him absolutely tearing the KHL a new one. I don't think his skill set ever translates to a legit top 6 NHL player. And like you say, he doesn't have the punch of a great 3rd liner.

4 hours ago, Bieser said:

 

Surprisingly many to choose from. 

I'll say Quick because I thought he was a genuine early cut candidate, and Cuylle because he's been a valuable and consistent contributor from the hop whilst I expected him to at least be up and down and possibly do a bit of yo yoing between the Rangers and the Pack before settling in.  

That looked ACLy* to me. *not a doctor

28 minutes ago, Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc said:

Well, it was nice knowing you Kakko.

 

3 points in 20 games and then a season-ending injury. Rehab for months while his confidence is destroyed and he needs a new contract. This is not looking good, at all.

 

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if Kakko is back in the Liiga in 2024/25.

Yeah, that's a pretty disastrous injury for him if it's as bad as it looked. He'll get another shot given the pedigree, but without any of the protection and patience he's had up until now. Really feel for the guy.

Probably that I'm still not convinced this team has the personalities to lean on when the going gets tough in the playoffs. It's unquestionably a very good team, fairly balanced and I'd say without many obvious holes in the lineup. Certainly, none that can't be addressed at the deadline. But if I'm going out of my way to find things to worry about, which you must as a Rangers fan, I'm worried too many of their best players are fair weather guys, streaky and not really the types to put the team on their backs when things look bleak. And that is basically a requirement for any successful Stanley Cup run.

3 hours ago, Phil said:

Rangers are not in the Patrick Kane sweepstakes this time around

 

https://nypost.com/2023/11/14/sports/rangers-not-in-the-patrick-kane-sweepstakes-this-time-around/

 

 

1. Artemi Panarin

2. Igor Shesterkin 

3. Chris Kreider 

4. Vincent Trocheck 

5. Alexis Lafrenière 

6. Erik Gustafsson +1

7. Mika Zibanejad 

8. Jacob Trouba 

9. Ryan Lindgren

10. K'Andre Miller

11. Will Cuylle

12. Kaapo Kakko

13. Jonathan Quick

14. Barclay Goodrow

15. Jimmy Vesey

16. Blake Wheeler

17. Braden Schneider 

18. Nick Bonino

19. Tyler Pitlick

20. Zac Jones

21. Spicy Pork and Broccoli

22. Dylan Garand

This feels absolutely insane but

50 minutes ago, Sharpshooter said:

Wheeler retires before the holidays, Goodrow gets traded, Kane signs. Do it.

Losing Goodrow and adding Kane makes the Rangers worse imho.

7 hours ago, Long live the King said:

If Garand is up, play him.

This. They know what they have (or don’t) in Spicy Pork Boy.

My favourite Graves image/moment is him skating around in pre game for G7, no helmet on looking up at the stands as every single person of the 18500 in the Garden chants “we want the cup”. Every time I see it I try to imagine the sheer weight of pressure of pressure on those guys. Incredible. 

Yeah, luckily for the first time in a while the Rangers HC doesn't treat the 4th line as a penal colony/doghouse for underperforming players.

Wheeler would kill that line. Next move is the press box. 

15 hours ago, RJWantsTheCup said:

Graves played 772 games for Rangers with 280 goals, 227 assists for 507 points.

Kreider is at 744 games, 273 goals, 214 assists for 487 points.

Not much of a difference and Kreider isn't finished yet. 

The Stanley Cup is the only argument for Graves over Kreider.

He didn't "only" win the Stanley Cup. He was the heartbeat of that team in many ways. A lot of it has to do with the way he played the game and the person he was too. He went out there every night and went head first into everything, taking an absolute beating for the team with no consideration for his own health and general well being. 100% willing to sacrifice it all for the team.

Their numbers are comparable, but to me Graves is an absolute legend. Kreider is a good player, great guy and a career ranger. That's good too, but to me longevity isn't enough to earn legendary status.

Both of those penalties were purely down to not being able to keep up with the speed of the game. 

He's cooked and probably shouldn't be on the team, unfortunately.

Really looking forward to this one. Should be a good test. It does feel a bit like one of those where you’re coming off a great road trip and then get your fucking clocks cleaned. 3 down after 12 minutes type of thing. At the same time, I feel like this is the first time this group has been able to show up on time consistently.

Should be a good one.

1 hour ago, 4EverRangerFrank said:

Hoping our boys enjoyed a smooth flight, got laid multiple times as part of a "Welcome Home, Winner!" dad/husband/boyfriend appreciation vibe, and are now rested and refreshed to begin a strong run at MSG.

It's a good, but not great roster.

It's tough to have a strong take on the culture from outside, but one of the fatal flaws in this roster in terms of real contention is that your core of good to great players are prone to taking nights off and complete disappearing acts. I don't know if that's down to culture, leadership or what but it's there. It's far too early to make a definitive call on whether Laviolette can fix it and whether his system can mitigate it in terms of helping this team win consistently even if their best players aren't firing. But I had my doubts going in to this season and they haven't been alleviated by what I've seen so far.

1. Igor Shesterkin 

2. Chris Kreider

3. Mika Zibanejad 

4. Adam Fox 

5. Vincent Trocheck

6. Filip Chytil

7. Artemi Panarin

8. Ryan Lindgren

9. Jacob Trouba

10. K'Andre Miller

11. Barclay Goodrow 

12. Kaapo Kakko

13. Alexis Lafrenière +1

14. Jimmy Vesey 

15. Erik Gustafsson +1

16. Braden Schneider

17. Blake Wheeler
18. Will Cuylle

19. Nick Bonino

20. Tyler Pitlick

21. Zac Jones

22. Jonathan Quick

Maybe I’m seeing what I want to see, but I thought the main difference was that he looked half a step quicker all night. And that makes a huge difference. Whether that is down to physical training or skating technique, or that he was just more mentally engaged or indeed that the Sabres were still at pre season speed is hard to say. But I thought he got to more pucks, looked quicker with the puck on his stick and were able to make more plays because he kept up with the pace of the game better. Hopefully it’s not just a mirage.