Mercogliano Time for Rangers to Find Out If Youngsters Will 'Sink or Swim'

[Phil]

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It’s past time for the Rangers to find out if they’re going to sink or swim. Put these guys in position to succeed, and if some ultimately fall flat, at least you've given them a long enough runway to get a true evaluation. It worked in the case of defensemen prospects Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren and K'Andre Miller, and now it's time to apply the same methodology to the forwards.

That means playing at least two or three of them in the top six every night. That means not shying away from using them in crucial situations. And yes, that means giving them power-play time – a chance to get some easy points and feel good about themselves.

The current top PP unit of Fox, Kreider, Panarin, Trocheck and Zibanejad is in a slump, having converted just two of their last 25 opportunities. Why not work in the kids, spread out the vets and use the two units more evenly?

If the fear is that it will cost the Rangers games, the counter is how much worse can it get? And for the long-term health of an organization that is earning criticism for botching the development of its young players, it’s a necessity.

If they need an example, just look across the Hudson River.

 

https://www.lohud.com/story/sports/nhl/rangers/2022/12/05/heres-the-move-the-ny-rangers-need-to-make-for-the-present-and-future/69702176007/

[Phil]

 

I've been anything but shy re: Kakko and Lafreniere and just how undynamic I find the both of them, but the justification is beyond just growth at this point. The season is spiraling, so this is now just as much about stabilizing as it is about trying to move young players along in their careers.

 

Their once lethal power play is sputtering, big time. Change it up.

[phillyb]

The ad-hoc rebuild bites the team in the ass, whodathunk? But yeah, full on agree with the sentiment here, play the fucking kids. 

[Keirik]

I just posted this in the GDT but I’ll post it here since it fits most.

 

   It’s difficult to ask Gallant to coach that way if he knows his job is hanging in the balance. As bad as we are, we are 2 points out of a wildcard spot right now. The only way he will coach for the long game is if Drury publicly comes out and says Gallant is going nowhere or a trade of someone like Kreider to force spots open. He may shake things up temporarily, but it won’t stick unless it literally catches lightning in a bottle right away.

2 points out of a wild card, 6 points out of 2nd in the division. The only way I really see this happening is a change behind the bench, which I fully support. 

[BrooksBurner]

Which one is Vince? He has to be lurking

 

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[Keirik]

2 minutes ago, Phil said:

 

Their once lethal power play is sputtering, big time. Change it up.

This is the key, especially at home where they can force pp2 to have the second best pk unit of the opposition.  I have no idea why it isn’t being used at all. 

[RangersIn7]

Ummm… ok. 
 

So yeah.

Play them. For a stretch. With top talent. 
And let’s see. 
 

Quit teasing it. Do it. 
 

Challenge them for a while. 

[RangersIn7]

38 minutes ago, rmc51 said:

Which one is Vince? He has to be lurking

 

 

I’m kind of upset I’m not listed as a suspect.

 

Not even as Bruce Vilanch to Cartman’s Coon?

 

 

[RangersIn7]

7 minutes ago, Keirik said:

This is the key, especially at home where they can force pp2 to have the second best pk unit of the opposition.  I have no idea why it isn’t being used at all. 

IMHO, Their PP has hit a dry spell. But it isn’t done.

The right combinations at even strength spark it all moving forward. 
 

Shuffle the forward and D pairs moving forward. See what happens 

[BrooksBurner]

Just now, RangersIn7 said:

I’m kind of upset I’m not listed as a suspect.

 

Not even as Bruce Vilanch to Cartman’s Coon?

 

 

Lol I only posted the lurkers after the article was shared on here. I figure Vince might have been slamming refresh on this forum after he released the article, just waiting for it to be posted.

 

Phil should have all the analytics and could compile a list from the last couple of hours. One of them is Vince 

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

1 hour ago, Phil said:

 

I've been anything but shy re: Kakko and Lafreniere and just how undynamic I find the both of them, but the justification is beyond just growth at this point. The season is spiraling, so this is now just as much about stabilizing as it is about trying to move young players along in their careers.

 

Their once lethal power play is sputtering, big time. Change it up.

who wouldve thought that teams would figure out to not just let us force a pass through the middle to zibanejad

[BrooksBurner]

Copying my post I made during the 2nd period of the last game in the GDT:

 

“Zibanejad has 1 PP goal in the last 40 PPs over a 13 game span. He might have a blistering shot, but it's not a reliable approach when every team knows what's up. The crux of the problem is that there's not a big enough shooting threat at the point (Fox) or on the opposite boards (Panarin), so the PK doesn't feel enough of a threat. I think I'd take Trocheck out and put Panarin in his spot (yes this takes the puck off Panarin's stick but it is what it is). Put a LH shot on the right boards (Kakko? Chytil when healthy?). If PKs insist on shading Zibanejad, a LH shot can skate in with a premium shooting angle that Panarin doesn't have. Panarin and Fox are premier PP playmakers, but it's not working”

 

Put a kid there! Kakko, Lafreniere, Chytil…all lefties

Edited December 5, 2022 by rmc51

[Karan]

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The constant back-and-forth, being yanked from one line to the next without any consistency, is taking its toll. Making matters worse, multiple players have indicated those moves are being made without any communication from the coaching staff as to why.

 

For me, that's the most telling quote from Vince's article. If that's the kind of attitude being spread in the locker room by the coaching staff, it's really no surprise most of the team looks completely disengaged. From an outside perspective, it looks like the players have lost faith in the coaching staff's system/message, and worst yet, possibly even their ability to lead this team to success. And that's a bad place to be mentally as we see on a nightly basis...

Edited December 5, 2022 by Karan