The Dude

MVP

Most

Valuable 

Panarin 

Sam- "Chabot. Mayyyybe related to Cabot cheese company. Joe, what do you think " 

Joe- "Shut..... UP".

Batherson. No relation to Showerson. 

2 minutes ago, RichieNextel305 said:

Laviolette needs to get in his ear and tell him to stop passing up shots. This is getting silly.

They're trying to feed Panarin  so he can get closer to 50 goals.  Gonna happen all night  

Pinto spelled different than poorly located gas tank. 

They're really trying to get Panarin to 50. 

"There is no Dana only Zub". 

Zub takes a bad penalty 

Fox is back to where you should expect him to be. Elite level. 

Kappo Slasho, has been really careless with his stick lately. Fuckin kid still hasn't figured out how to use his stick.

Right the ship. They are playing looser than @josh's mom. 

To cute with the puck. Cut that shit out. North! NORTH!

Trouba seems to have legs tonight.  

Speed kills. Way to go Roslovic. 

17 minutes ago, Keirik said:

Tonight, the presidents slay the senators. 

Trump in town? Noice. 

20 minutes ago, Scott said:

DId you mean boring?

I think he'd be way more effective on a lower line.  His speed is impressive and it could be used better in a defensive type role, or matched with more grit oriented players. I'd rather see him center line 3 than Wennberg, who I feel is incredibly vanilla. 

Dennis Vial for trivia.  

Panarin with a hatty to get 51

Rempe moves up to Zibanejad line

Miller fights Tkachuk 

Cuylle +2

Roslovic gets a game misconduct for boarding 

Lindgren gets 2 more breakaways.  

Crazy back and forth hockey 

The corpse of Korpisalo is left in the crease even after he gets chased from the game. 

"We want the cup" chant starts in the 2nd period 

Siddious is seen on TV pounding $20 beers in his "executive" seats, because he's acting like a boss. 

21 minutes ago, Ranger Lothbrok said:

Chiming in here with my usual (well-earned) pessimism. There's a reason that if you look at pundit picks for Cup champs this year, it's the same names we've heard since October: Colorado, Dallas, Boston, Carolina, Florida, etc. Not a one has picked us. I know sometimes we relish the whole "underdog" mentality, but I think there's an uncomfortable amount of truth in the whole "Fool's Gold" mentality. 

 

Yes, Igor rounding into form is better than any deadline add. And yes, one win and we tie up the President's Trophy. But how many Cup champs in the last decade have won BECAUSE of elite goaltending? If the team is deep enough, you can get away with a warm body in net. Jordan Binnington has a championship ring and zero Vezina votes. Henrik has zero rings and tons of Vezina votes. 

 

The offense is anemic at 5 on 5. Panarin has yet to show that he can produce in the playoffs. Zibanejad is, ostensibly, our #1 center. His production is at a near all-time low. He doesn't stack up favorably to the MacKinnons and Ahos of the world. Trouba makes this team worse defensively and gets more and more trust. Lafreniere may be ready to be a difference maker, but Kakko hasn't taken that next step. 

 

The precious "core" that we've hung out hats on are all 32-33. They have yet to show that they're gamers. Teams clamp down defensively, and refs let more stuff go. Soft hooking calls aren't going to get you meaningful PP time, and we've shown that we have very little going for us outside Shesterkin and the PP.

 

To put it more bluntly: I believe that every single team that is making the playoffs in the East other than the Capitals or the Red Wings is better built for playoff hockey than we are. I'd love to be proven wrong, but I really have yet to see the "want it" from this roster. Maybe last year's embarrassment is enough motivation, but they were totally gutless when pressured by a hated rival last year. 

 

I still think Shesterkin, Fox, Lafreniere, Kakko, Miller, Schneider, etc. are all part of a dangerous roster down the road. But I don't think the current group of veteran "stars" (Panarin, Zibanejad, Kreider) has what it takes to bring us to the promised land. This team SCREAMS first-round-exit-with-a-whimper to me. I doubt they even make it to 7 games in a series. 

 

And if you ask why I'm so pessimistic, well, one Cup in 84 years will do that to you. As will a first-round exit last year to a team that isn't even sniffing the playoffs this year despite being largely unchanged. We made Akira Schmid look like a world-beater. He can't even stay in the NHL. He's barely AHL qualify. What does that say about this offense when teams clamp down in the playoffs? 

The core is pretty much the same as last year and the year prior....  Why does the year prior get swept under the rug in terms of showing they are gamers? They went to the ECF and dragged every team they played into long series. How haven't they proven that they are gamers? 

You'll point to last seasons collapse against the Devils as a recent gauge for platlyoffs. But, that series was a PP extravaganza. I wish people would stop saying the refs put the whistles away in the playoffs.  It just isn't true anymore  

Game 1- 10 total penalties 

Game 2-  25 total penalties

Game 3-  10 total penalties 

Game 4- 5 total penalties 

Game  5- 14 total penalties 

Game  6-  9 total penalties 

Game 7-  7 total penalties 

There were a bunch of misconduct in game 2 and a couple in game 6. 

The PP is not going to be taken out of the equation. If the Rangers play their game,  they should be able to draw penalties. 

The Rangers inability to get in these nobody goalies heads is frustrating. Smid just had their number and the Devils benefited from quite a few posts hit by Panarin. This just happens. 

I honestly feel like there was some turmoil behind the scenes and the Gallant/Drury yelling match scenario,  was something that ran deeper than we are in the know about. Trocheck was also seen talking back to Gallant on the bench. I'm speculating that Gallant lost the room and it wasn't just because the room "just wanted to be coached"   What "it" was could be anything from interference from Drury, to too many new faces that took over the room.  

I'm not expecting a dominant run from this team. But I sure as shot think they have as good of a chance as everyone else.  On a level ice, and no favoritism from the league and refs. There's no team that scares me to the point that I think the Rangers don’t stand a chance. I feel like (unlike Gallant teams), this team can lose a game or 2, then adjust and figure it out with a game plan. 

I get the pessimism. I'm a Mets fan and a Rangee fan. I bleed pessimism. 

I just don't get how people are so dismissive about the coaching change. 

Hopefully,  you're wrong. 

5 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

The Igor show was in full bloom yesterday!

Hard to believe this is the same guy who went through that 2 month hiatus of "Bad"!  But here we are heading into the playoffs in top form!

 

And here are the Top 12 nominees for tonight's “Ozzy Quote of the GDT”:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've never seen a team that misses the net as much as this one!  I find it really laughable at times;  Lindgren on a breakaway...misses the net totally, and I had to laugh out loud.

Sometimes I think this team couldn't hit the net with a handful of BB's!

...and the winning quote for tonight’s GDT goes to @knedragon, who floored me with the Emily Kaplan line! 

Where the hell is Jackie Redmond these days!  God, I love her!

2 minutes ago, Vodka Drunkenski said:

Oh yea, Zucker is really tearing it up .  And again, I never pushed for Roslovic.  The defense I had was that I don’t know what else people wanted Drury to do without giving up big assets.  Also thanks for proving that Shesterkin isn’t to blame on those goals with the video clips

 

You can block me again, I’ll take that as your white flag

Except he was. Cant say he wasn't flopping around on goal 1. 

I'll take 5 goals, a fight and chippy play in 17 games from a guy that is playing with trash and cost a 7th round pick. 

People expected playoff type players at the deadline.  A few were had for very little. Zucker being one of them. 

OK.  You win. You got me to raise the white flag. Congrats O'doyle.  

45 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

Well, no, stats aren’t the only thing. I don’t agree with your eye test either. I still see way too much reliance on cross ice passes (even that example of Panarin in OT yesterday, totally forced and that was with time and space). I don’t see any improvement in the defensive lapses year over year. 

 

And yet, none of it matters one bit if they tighten up in the playoffs. I’ll be the first one to tell you. I’ve been wanting to see it all season, but I’m not going to pretend it’s happened already just because the majority are rosy optimists.

OK. We disagree on the eye test.

I do agree that the ugly east west crap rears it's head still.  It's really the only thing that keeps my hopes in check. I feel like certain players revert back to it more than Panarin does. Fox being a huge culprit. Zibanejad and his lifemate are the others. But I see way more positive things offensively. Especially the D men joining in down low. Oddly this hasn't benefited Miller. 

I have some doubts.  They just don't weigh down my optimism as much as yours do. 

I'm not going to sit here and say you're wrong.  Just trying to gauge your perspective. 

24 minutes ago, Vodka Drunkenski said:

You make it sound like I was pushing for Roslovic.  I was just simply pointing out your dumb takes on Zucker if I remember correctly.  But nice try to pretend you watched that pregame show, please go on.  
 

For Shesterkin, you may want to go back to your DVR and watch those goals again.  Total lack of defensive awareness by both defensemen and terrible (there’s that word again) pass by Vesey.  You may want to play semantics and call the entire game a hockey play, regardless Panarin made 2 terrible passes that Shesterkin had to bail him out.
 

Oh and let’s not forget this play…

 

You may think I follow you around but it’s difficult not to see your ignorance when you post so much of it.  Also, it’s kind of like driving by a car wreck, can’t help but slow down and look.

Ughh with you. Go read the Zucker thread. I said I watched it. I said I heard him say Roslovic was a speedy winger as opposed to what you somehow heard. 

Zucker (5 goals 2 assists) is outscoring the shit out of Roslovic (2 goals 5 assists playing with 2 40 goal men) playing on a 2nd line with the amazing talents of Mark Jankowski and Cody Glass. since the deadline.  The Rangers need a Zucker.  Not a Roslovic.

You pushed so much for Roslovic that you had to a lie by saying you heard something that was never said by a drunkard Rangers analyst. You go round and round with this shit and now you're inching away from your shit take. Roslovic is a perimeter pansy and he's being eased out of thel ineup game by game .

Onto this topic. 

Goal 1 was due to Shesterkin flopping around and not getting back into position after a good save.

Goal 2 was not his fault. 

They both giveth and almost taketh away. Both shined when they needed to. You'll harp on the bad play by Panarin, instead of the good. I'll harp on the good by both and be annoyed that the rest of the team was stupid with the puck in OT and for the entire game. Which is what my post was about.  

You could block me. I mean I have you blocked, but my dumb ass reads other people's quotes where you feel the need to keep your lust for me going with your attempts to "get" me. 

Panarin is absolved for almost losing the game,  because he got them back into the game. He and Shesterkin carried the team. I don't know how this can be argued.  I'm sure you will though. 

19 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

If you don’t get it from what I posted then there’s not really anything else to say. They were appropriately branded lucky two years ago. I think it had to do with it beng their first year back in the playoffs. This year is mostly the same and it’s branded differently.

 

I guess we see different products on the ice. I see more of a commitment to playing North/South and a bit of defensive backbone. The stats don't show everything IMO,  but I guess that's all you're basing your take on. 

OK. Thanks for clarification.

I disagree and despite the numbers, how this team achieved the numbers this year is different than in the past. They are carried by one line that is playing correctly and a PP. VS having 2 ok lines a PP and elite goaltending. 

What ever. We disagree, but I'm pretty sure we agree in that we are hoping to prove you dead wrong. 

14 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

Well I can’t honestly see them treating him as anything but a serious option if he’s cleared and practicing.

 

Your concern about him not having played in 6 months is a valid one though, and one that I share.

 

Still though, I plug him in at RW next to CK and Zib.

Hes played up there before in a limited basis (probably too limited IMO) and it’s looked pretty good.

Hes the type of player they need I think. Speed and a good shot that isn’t reluctant to use it. 

 

 

We can look back at last years trade deadline moves to see that just because a player is available,  it doesn't mean that they need to be here. 

I'm not the biggest fan of the players Chytil would be moving in the lineup. But they are part of the team and the team has been rolling since they got here. I don't know if such a thing would disrupt that locker-room.  

I mean, did the Rangers really circumvent the cap to add THESE pieces? If you're going to do it. Do it for something better.  If this was planned all along, then meh. I'd rather have had Chytil back a month ago. 

It's such a strange scenario. Lots of questions that will never be able to be answered. 

8 minutes ago, siddious said:

I’ll take chytil at 50% over Roslovic or weinerberg at 100%

Oh, me too man. But, if Chytil isn't actually game ready, I don't see Laviolette having the patience to let Chytil have his preseason/training camp in round 1 of the playoffs. It'd be different if he only missed 30-40 games. 

I like the player enough to put up with it, because I think he fits more needs as far as playing style goes.

I feel like Laviolette is more about using what got him where he is and these 2 softies that contribute little offense have been here for a month, while they got hot. Bumping the feel good story of Brodzinski to a 4th line role or no role is also tied to those 2. It wouldn't look all to good to cast these puffs aside after bumping Brodzinski. I myself don't care, but I think Laviolette likes the room and the room likes Laviolette. Disrupting that cohesiveness may not be the thing to do at the start of the playoffs. 

Or maybe Im totally wrong and  Roslovics already reduced role is a precursor to an eventual change and we see Chytil inserted somewhere. 

32 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

I said almost a carbon copy. There’s some minor differences, with next to no big differences. The only big difference I am aware of is faceoffs, where they have been substantially better, but somehow that hasn’t helped them with possession numbers.

 

This is a game early, but have at it: 

 

21-22 / 23-24

 

Standings Stats

 

110 pts / 112 pts

44 RW / 42 RW

24 RL / 23 RL

4 OTW / 8 OTW

6 OTL / 4 OTL

 

So two years ago the team was actually better in regulation wins and not as good at 3v3 gimmick hockey or shootouts. That’s the key to the very minor difference in point totals. Most of this is just random variance (luck) of those game modes.

Goals For/Against

 

254 GF / 278 GF

207 GA / 229 GA

+47 diff / +48 diff

 

Better offensive output, worse defensive output, but goal diff the same.

 

Special Teams + Faceoffs

 

25.2 PP% / 26.8 PP%
82.3 PK% / 84.4 PK%

48.1 FO% (24th) / 52.3 FO% (7th)
 

Minor, but slightly better special teams. Big difference in faceoffs. Michael Peca might just be a Benoit Allaire type genius but in faceoff mentoring.

 

Analytics (5v5, using NST)

 

2.25 xGF/60 / 2.53 xGF/60

2.53 xGA/60 / 2.63 xGA/60

47.1 xGF% (23rd) / 49.01 xGF% (21st)

2.35 GF/60 / 2.49 GF/60

2.2 GA/60 / 2.52 GA/60

51.63 GF% (14th) / 49.7 GF% (18th)

 

A little better expected offense generation (thanks Panarin line!), a little worse expected goals against. The thing that strikes me the most is they actually rate worse defensively at 5v5 which was something Laviolette was supposed to be able to address.

 

The biggest things I take away here are 1) not much is different, and 2) Peca/faceoff improvement is evident. I saw some stat from Valley where they went from 9 goals off faceoffs, to 20. That can be helpful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not getting how any if this is can be proven as luck though. 

Stats aside. Do they not pass the eye test as far as playing different than they did under Gallant?

Like I said. I get not being overly confident. I just read your takes as a bit more leaning towards disbelief in anything at all on the ice. Stats aside. Do you not see a different product on the ice? 

I'm not trying to be combative. I'm trying to get why you don't see a difference on the ice and in some ways their demeanor. 

13 minutes ago, Vodka Drunkenski said:

Go on Twitter/X and take it up with Maloney if you have an issue with what he said, just because you didn’t watch the pregame, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.  
 

Now back to the original point - can’t win without making incredible saves to keep it a 1 goal game, don’t get that?  Need to be explained?  The pass was stupid, terrible, idiotic…I’m sure you heard those words often during your upbringing.  But yes, he gets a pass because of a shootout goal, then I guess Trocheck won the game by your standards?  Shesterkin has to play in that shootout too? Just checking.   Wave that white flag little buddy

I did watch the pregame. Somehow you got the impression that I didn't. I said I didn't record it to backtrack to show you were full of shit. I said I  heard him say he was a speedy winger. I didn't hear him say he played with snarl. 

Perhaps you were drunk and you heard something that wasn't said. It wasn't said  and  it certainly is a joke to think such an opinion of a player would hold any water if it were said. You trolled for a month on that and where is Mr Snarl now? Matt Rempe is getting more icetime than him when they aren't losing. 

Back to the point. How about they both helped win the game and Trocheck finished it off for them? 

If we are going to point out flaws and mistakes in a players game,  can we blame Shesterkin for a shitty 1st goal against? Or the other 2?  I mean holy fuck. Shesterkin stood on his head but he wasn't perfect either.  

Odd way of absolving one players bad plays to then go shit on another's. Shesterkin let in 3 goals but kept them in the game with some sick saves. Panarin ALMOST  blew the game with a bad hockey play AFTER he tied the game in comeback fashion then scored the first shootout attempt to boost their chances of winning even more. 

Take the L. Or take a draw. Your dissection of Panarin and what I was talking about is a calamity. Just like you're entire life of being an argumentative wanna be bully. You fight on some pretty dumb hills. As do I. I just don't follow people around and badger them like a creep like you do 

A passing attempt is a hockey play. You lose. Period.