Gravesy

Yeah, I think so too. I honestly think all three of them have looked the best when playing together these playoffs. Part of me wants to see Panarin moved up to Mika and Kreids. We're just not getting shit out of him at 5v5 as things stand. Go Panarin/Zib/Kreider Kids line Vatrano/Strome/Copp Motte/Rooney/Reaves/Goodrow But reverting to the lines that started the playoffs is maybe the best route.

I think it makes sense to allow Laf to keep developing without the added pressure. I can sort of see it with him too, but let’s just play it cool. It’s worth remembering that, whilst he took big steps to end the regular season and has performed very well in the playoffs, he’s been aids on ice for much of his time as a pro. Patience seems like the way to go for now, and in any case he has to earn it.

Let it be known that this guy is a fucking animal.

I feel like momentum is 100% with the Rangers after last night. Like @Petesaid, it's a very different feeling letting a 2 game lead slip like that. Surely the fact they can only score 1/60 is starting to really grate on them, and they needed a bad turnover to get their 1 last night. Also feels like the Rangers are coming to grips with the forecheck, which was rendered fairly inconsequential last night. Maybe I'm seeing what I want to see, but unbelievably enough it feels like the Rangers are grinding them down and they look a bit jaded. Like has been said, they're a completely different proposition at home, but if the Rangers come out flying in game 5 they are without question there for the taking.

Gallant would take him out with a single, massive farmer’s hand

They’ve given up 4 goals in 2 games, of which one was in OT and one was an empty netter. Essentially 1GA/60. Clearly team defense isn’t even close to being a problem. In game 1 the problem was not taking our chances. In game 2 it was being completely unable to deal with the Canes forecheck and neutral zone pressure.

I understand it's annoying, but I really don't buy the idea that it was an effort thing. Not even a little bit. I think they came out of that dressing room with a defensive mentality. They were obviously too worried about losing their lead instead of just focusing on playing their own game and got into a really defensive mind state as a result. Combined with the Canes coming out firing on all cylinders.

I was listening to Friedman talking about Panarin and the Strome line and thought it was interesting he had the exact same take as me. Namely that yes, the production is there. The underlying numbers are decent. But your eyes tell you they're really ineffective and, at times, a downright liability. And that is very consistent over a sample of 13 playoff games. It's difficult to make sense of and really doesn't jive, but it's certainly there.

PLD and Panarin were pretty damn good together iirc?

Fair enough.

Not that it matters, but I’m not entirely sure how you “piss away” a 1-0 game in which you have been comprehensively outplayed in the final 20. If they had carried a 3 goal lead into the 3rd period then sure. A missed opportunity, absolutely. Might be semantics, but I certainly wouldn’t classify what happened last night as pissing it away. Although I guess Panarin’s “back checking” on one skate and one hand on the stick comes close to qualifying.

He means “threw it away”, which I’d say is cherry picking moments somewhat. Yes, they controlled the game in the first 40 and had the game on Kakko’s stick. But they were utterly dominated for the entire 3rd and the Canes hit two pipes themselves. I think “threw it away” is a bit strong.

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Obviously, all is not lost. But it's hard not to feel like that is exactly the sort of game you have to take to get through a tough series like this one. Kakko's hideous miss just makes it worse because again, in that situation, you simple have to put the game away if you want to go on a run. To be honest I couldn't believe what I was watching the first 40 minutes of that. Just completely suffocating the Canes, I really didn't think they had that sort of game in them. It was what I was fearing to see, except with reversed roles. Tough to say what happened in the last 20 whether it's the Rangers turtling, the Canes just finding their game or a combination. Need to come out firing in tomorrow. I still believe they can win this.

Blais-Goodrow-Motte is a bad ass 4th line tbh. I need it.

Regardless of what happens in the next couple of games, a major positive has been how Lafreniere has stepped up to the plate. I don't want to be a prisoner of the moment, but I really feel like he's a completely difference presence on the ice now. He's starting to show the type of player he can become, which might not be a regular 100+ points guy, but a real presence and leader on the ice who can drive play from left wing.

Yes, and that was good. After that they were pretty much not in the contest until they broke through in the 2nd.

It was a game of two halves in my view. Bar the first couple of shifts they were - or were made to look - pretty damn ordinary for the opening 25-30 minutes of the game in all fairness. Terrible might be harsh, but the Pens put on a bit of a playoff hockey clinic again, the Rangers weren't able to generate anything at all and the Pens seemed in cruise control at that point. Then it completely flipped on its head and the Rangers were great for the remainder of the game.

But that's not the case. Maybe he could've stopped a goal or two over the last two games, but it's not like he's been horrible and the reason they've lost. "Not fair to the team". The way the've played is not fair to Shesterkin, who's carried their lazy asses for a long stretch of the season. Spot on @Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc Whilst Igor hasn't been his incredible self and has been unable to steal one for us, focusing on him here is barking up the wrong tree. There isn't a goalie past or present who wins the last 2 games for us.

Not unless the team starts playing. But it should without question be Shesterkin.