Kick save and a beauty

Toronto will be out soon I think. The other four teams are separated by next to nothing and while I agree we have fared the best against the Bruins it is not clear that any of the four are appreciably worse than the others.

Hoping that all this waiting around is making the Rangers players as salty as it is making me.

Does anyone know when the schedule will be announced? I assume that the Knicks games have to play into this as well

Not sure that 1-8 seeding is all that much different than what we have now. You really only see weak teams in the first round and not always even then. We happened to get one this year. When the dust settles we are looking at Rangers, Canes, Florida and Boston as the most likely final four in the east. No weak sisters in there.

I think we have the X-factor players this time around. Yes, every team has one or two but I think that this edition of the Rangers may have more of them. Players who are a pain in the ass to play against under normal circumstances but who become a real pain in the ass come playoff time. Gritty, physical, talented but with a mean streak and a nose for finding the puck in the big moment. Vinnie and Goodrow have been there done that for years and they have already hit their 2nd-season stride this year. I thin k we will be able to add Will Cuylle and Alexi Lafreniere into that category after this series. Both teams have talented stars. We have depth and stoutness on defense. Even more so since the recent re-pairing of Schneider and Miller. We are a team that no longer gets pushed around by some of the heavier teams in the league. No sir, not any more. Which brings us back to the playoff X-facter guys. Players who really get under the skin of opposing teams. Player who draw penalties and players who move opposing players out of their comfort zones. We have those players now, they are healthy, playing well and I think the series may turn on this point.

<conflicted> I voted Rangers in 6 but then I remembered the whole "will never lose again" thing.

2023/2024 NY Rangers. A team where hot goalies go to die in the playoffs.

When the Rangers hoist the cup they will have beaten Carolina, Florida and whichever monster comes out of the West after a warm up "series" against the Capitals. At that point maybe the rest of the league begins to give this team some props although I wouldn't hold my breath. Rangers in 6 We solve Freddie the same way we solved Charlie

Go ahead and puke. Small price to pay for wearing down our next opponent.

With the Islanders extending the series the Rangers are in a really good position to take care of business and rest up while these two battle it out. Go Icelanders! <gag>

Every period in that series from now on is to the benefit of the Rangers. Until it gets to 3-3 I am a fan of this Islanders team.

Lavi needs to be lobbying the league office like crazy to avoid the refs calling good hits as penalties on Rempe. It can't hurt and it just may help. But a bit like the Aaron Judge low strike zone it may be beyond the refs to make the correct adjustments.

Up 3-0 against the "just happy to be here" team. Igor was great. We need to stop taking so many penalties even if some of them were soft.

I expect them to ratchet up the dirty nonsense. They have the formula. Late hit on Panarin or Shesterkin and watch us go nuts.

Islanders "desperately holdin' on"..... Couldn't do it against us.... twice. And now apparently not against the Canes either. Was hoping they would dirty up Carolina a bit but it looks like that might be too much to hope for.

Bearing mind mind that we were up 2-0 last year but even so and TBH thew Capitals have a "just happy to be here" look about them.

hopefully someone gets a message to the refs between periods that even ESPN is holding their noses on some of these calls.

Kakko for an anytime goal. I got a feelin'

It is Rangers related because results will/could have a direct impact on the Rangers team. I will start it off. I thought the Islanders looked good. Carolina not so much and some of those penalty calls against the Islanders were pretty weak. Freddy Anderson might be a real problem however. Brind'Amour was putting it down to the fact the Islanders have been in playoff mode for 8 weeks and his team took a whole to get started. Not sure I buy all of that but Monday should tell the tale. Islanders PP is really bad

The good news is that we are the sexy pick to get knocked off in the first round. Apparently the #1 seed loses to the #8 seed around 25% of the time and it looks like we are the the most likely upset-bound team this year. According to the I just want to be an edgy analyst crowd this year. I am not even including the Dallas vs. Las Vegas series because that really does not feel like a #1 playing a #8. Cannot think of any better "tackling fuel" going into this weekend (thanks Waterboy).

Maybe not right off the bat but if the Rangers get up by one or two games in the series then Washington may feel that no other choice but to scramble the pieces on the board.

fuckin' matinee games

Tom Wilson is an effective player on the ice and so in any penalty scenario and if fighting is involved we need to have players of lesser on-ice skills going into the box from our side. If Tom Wilson is allowed to smash Panarin's head into the ice again then we have already lost no matter how many minutes he is assessed for such an assault. That means Trouba, Cuylle, Rempe, Goodrow, and Schneider (amongst others) need to be ready to dive in no matter what. I did not mention Lindgren because he always stands ready to do what is necessary for a team mate no matter who the opponent is or what the situation might be. If anything Panarin is even more critical to the Rangers prospects this time around.

Bingo. I know it is trite to say but the best defense against a team willing to dirty thing up is to make them afraid of taking penalties. They will likely try and start the series off by playing the style we saw in their last two games. Very very disciplined at the back and only allowing a small number of chances against. That is the way they will start things off but if they get down in the series they will have no other choice but to risk the Rangers power play by sending Wilson out there to cause mayhem.

Specific predictions give me the willies but of all the teams competing for the WC2 spot I felt that the Capitals were the best matchup for us if for no other reason than they have been running on fumes for the last two months just to get in. They won their cup this year by just getting across the starting line so to speak. Edited to add. Meanwhile I hope the Hurricanes and Islanders beat each other to a pulp in 7