Lafrenière Re-Re-Reset: 2023–24 Edition

[Pete]

22 minutes ago, RJWantsTheCup said:

Still playing well but since his 2 goal game against Columbus 1 goal and 4 assists in 15 games while Trocheck and Panarin keep scoring points.  

Didn't notice him at all last few games. No shots in his last 2.

[Valriera]

He’s not been good for the last three or four. There was a stretch in those fifteen where he wasn’t on the scoresheet but was really dangerous in the offensive zone, just not working out in goals. Last three or four that is not so. Hopefully a rut and not a regression to the mean 

[Albatrosss]

Not worried. Zib and Kreider’s inaptitude worries me more

[Br4d]

Laffy's season is shaking like jello at this point.  We have no idea where he is going to wind up and how it is going to look come spring and in the end.

 

This has been going on for awhile and in several stretches not just this last one.

 

It's probably time to cut the Panarin cord at least for awhile and let him try working with somebody else.  The *easy* way to do this is to swap Panarin and Kreider on line 1 and 2.  That kills two birds with one stone and right now the Rangers need to go on a bird-killing spree.

[Albatrosss]

33 minutes ago, Br4d said:

Laffy's season is shaking like jello at this point.  We have no idea where he is going to wind up and how it is going to look come spring and in the end.

 

This has been going on for awhile and in several stretches not just this last one.

 

It's probably time to cut the Panarin cord at least for awhile and let him try working with somebody else.  The *easy* way to do this is to swap Panarin and Kreider on line 1 and 2.  That kills two birds with one stone and right now the Rangers need to go on a bird-killing spree.

I dont agree with anything you just said here. 

[Br4d]

34 minutes ago, Albatrosss said:

I dont agree with anything you just said here. 

 

What's your counter-evidence?

 

Because unfortunately Laffy has been evidence-lite over multiple stretches this season.

 

Lately Panarin has looked very ordinary also.

[Gravesy]

Absolutely no reason to start knee jerking with that line. He hasn’t been as good, but he hasn’t been bad either. He’s set up Panarin for clean breakaways in the last two, but no end product. It happens.

I don’t see any need to move him unless he’s clearly an anchor, and we’re not there yet. We have bigger fish to fry in terms of getting the lines right too.

[mbob]

8 hours ago, Br4d said:

Laffy's season is shaking like jello at this point.  We have no idea where he is going to wind up and how it is going to look come spring and in the end.

 

This has been going on for awhile and in several stretches not just this last one.

 

It's probably time to cut the Panarin cord at least for awhile and let him try working with somebody else.  The *easy* way to do this is to swap Panarin and Kreider on line 1 and 2.  That kills two birds with one stone and right now the Rangers need to go on a bird-killing spree.

 

Good luck getting Kreider to play RW and I'm not moving Bread.  This team is just constructed so bad with a stack at LW and dribble at RW.  I wish we knew more on Kakko's injury.

[jsm7302]

5 hours ago, Gravesy said:

Absolutely no reason to start knee jerking with that line. He hasn’t been as good, but he hasn’t been bad either. He’s set up Panarin for clean breakaways in the last two, but no end product. It happens.

I don’t see any need to move him unless he’s clearly an anchor, and we’re not there yet. We have bigger fish to fry in terms of getting the lines right too.

^This

 

Directions to get the hot streak going again:

- Put Zib between Panarin and Laffy.

- Reunite the Kreider-Tro-Vesey line

- Play Quick until the wheels fall off

- 1-3-1 counterpunch offense all day at practice

- Place unsteady D men with stalwarts

- Play 60 Minutes and Win

Bon Appetit!!

[RJWantsTheCup]

Obviously RW is a problem, but not having a true 3rd line center with Chytil out is killing them.  Center depth is always an issue on this team.  The RW problem they've been able to deal with.  

[Br4d]

11 minutes ago, RJWantsTheCup said:

Obviously RW is a problem, but not having a true 3rd line center with Chytil out is killing them.  Center depth is always an issue on this team.  The RW problem they've been able to deal with.  

 

They haven't dealt with the RW problem.  They've kicked it down the road into an increasingly unpromising future.

[RJWantsTheCup]

10 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

They haven't dealt with the RW problem.  They've kicked it down the road into an increasingly unpromising future.

I should've said they've lived with the RW problem.

[siddious]

2 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

They haven't dealt with the RW problem.  They've kicked it down the road into an increasingly unpromising future.

I’m all for drafting best player available but they’ve done a piss poor job of depth management through the draft. In Drurys defense he has only had 2 drafts to address this but never the less. 
 

Also sucks that kakko is a krappo.

[Br4d]

If Laffy doesn't turn out the Rangers are an old team already past it's window.

 

I'd be doing everything I can to revive his season before it gets into the 40 point doldrums and it's trending that way.

 

None of this by the way is related to anything the current coaching staff is doing.  They're very short of usable players at this point.  It's hard to find answers when most of the people you need help from have already answered the question and are on the way out.

[siddious]

8 minutes ago, Br4d said:

If Laffy doesn't turn out the Rangers are an old team already past it's window.

 

I'd be doing everything I can to revive his season before it gets into the 40 point doldrums and it's trending that way.

 

None of this by the way is related to anything the current coaching staff is doing.  They're very short of usable players at this point.  It's hard to find answers when most of the people you need help from have already answered the question and are on the way out.

Every major player on this team is streaky as fuck.

 

Panarin is a golden god and then you dont see him for a bit (and subsequently the rest of our offense completely disappears).

 

Mika only knows how to take one timers from the circle apparently to the point where thats the only way he scores. Any team who wants to beat us should just glue a defensemen to mika along around the circle on the PP and the rangers will get shut out most likely.

 

Kreider... we all know.

 

Maybe he is still just figuring it out but Laf is getting chances he just cant seem to finish often enough to be a legitimate scorer.

 

Edit: Fuck even Igor seems to get insanely hot and then play like an echl goalie for a while too. no consistency what so ever.

Edited December 14, 2023 by siddious

[Br4d]

At this point Laf is a superstar mind connected to an average Joe body.

 

That doesn't mean he won't be a star at some point but his mind is cashing checks his body cannot afford.

 

I don't mean anything negative by superstar mind.  Dude really has a strong clue about where needs to be and what he needs to do but he's neither fast nor quick enough to make those things happen right now.

 

Line 1 should probably be Lafreniere - Zibanejad - Vesey.  That's 3 guys out there thinking and Zibanejad and Vesey would cover for Laf's defensive lapses which are mostly speed and quickness related.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Br4d

[Pete]

32 minutes ago, siddious said:

Every major player on this team is streaky as fuck.

Almost every major player in the league is streaky as fuck. There are maybe 4-5 that are going to get you a point, nightly...2 are in Edmonton. 2 in Pitt. 1 in Tampa.

 

If you watched 82 Panther games you'd have similar complaints about Tkachuk, Barkov, etc.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Pete

[Albatrosss]

11 hours ago, Br4d said:

 

What's your counter-evidence?

 

Because unfortunately Laffy has been evidence-lite over multiple stretches this season.

 

Lately Panarin has looked very ordinary also.

because i dont see in Laf what you see.  You talk of him as if he's Wheeler.  Laf's season is not "shaking like jello".  You see that the line slowed down and you're panicking.  Laf and Panarin are still making plays, they still get grade A chances but either miss the net, get shots blocked, or goalies making saves.  That line slowed down, i dont see a need to push the panic button just yet.  

[Ozzy]

3 minutes ago, Albatrosss said:

because i dont see in Laf what you see.  You talk of him as if he's Wheeler.  Laf's season is not "shaking like jello".  You see that the line slowed down and you're panicking.  Laf and Panarin are still making plays, they still get grade A chances but either miss the net, get shots blocked, or goalies making saves.  That line slowed down, i dont see a need to push the panic button just yet.  

 

Simon, you ok????  You're defending my boy????

 

LOL

[Albatrosss]

3 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

 

Simon, you ok????  You're defending my boy????

 

LOL

laf was never your boy.  i dont remember you defending him in the offseason when everyone was shitting on him and wanted to trade him. 

[Ozzy]

30 minutes ago, Albatrosss said:

laf was never your boy.  i dont remember you defending him in the offseason when everyone was shitting on him and wanted to trade him. 

 

Change your password, man...I think you've been hacked!  LOL

[mbob]

5 hours ago, Br4d said:

 

Line 1 should probably be Lafreniere - Zibanejad - Vesey.  That's 3 guys out there thinking and Zibanejad and Vesey would cover for Laf's defensive lapses which are mostly speed and quickness related.

 

I would love to see Laf-Zib-Vesey, or Panarin-Tro-Vesey second with Kreider staying with Mika and Laf RW.  

 

[4EverRangerFrank]

Consistency is our #1 problem. Always has been true on Broadway too. 
 

We’ve seen this team gel into something approaching ‘special’ then the bed begins to get shat upon. They alluded to the underlying reason on SIRIUS NHL last week. 
 

All players know down deep that the first objective is to go to the dance. LAV had them playing the way its need to go deep - consistent effort and sacrifice. But what the radio guys talked about was how players can develop a mindset of holding back just a bit. Save themselves for May & June. 
 

When we started losing games recently, and almost period by period, you could see guys letting off the gas. All of a sudden Glider-Kreider stopped using his legs to force a play. K relied on the long poke-check to get the puck when a halfway decent body rub would have been preferred. Igor? IDK what to say other than he’s lost the maniacal focus on stopping the rubber. Think back and we saw the decline little by little. 
 

IMO guys were starting to play just a bit more self-centered (pardon the pun) and didn’t go the extra stride that when it’s being done as a group allows us to see a team fire on all cylinders. Confidence isn’t the question. Commitment is. Our boys need to rededicate themselves to what was working and make that our identity. If not, the happiness and LOL game day posts on BSBH are going to go the other way. 

Edited December 14, 2023 by 4EverRangerFrank

[Br4d]

1 hour ago, mbob said:

 

I would love to see Laf-Zib-Vesey, or Panarin-Tro-Vesey second with Kreider staying with Mika and Laf RW.  

 

 

I hate Laf at RW and I suspect he hates RW also.

 

His great passes go left to right and that backhand on the move from the right side isn't terrible but it doesn't get to it's target very often either.

 

He's on the RW because the Rangers have no RW's and too many LW's.  That's a terrible reason to have him there.

[mbob]

59 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

I hate Laf at RW and I suspect he hates RW also.

 

His great passes go left to right and that backhand on the move from the right side isn't terrible but it doesn't get to it's target very often either.

 

He's on the RW because the Rangers have no RW's and too many LW's.  That's a terrible reason to have him there.

Couldn’t agree more. If the kid is our future I want him at his best thus my previous LW stack and poor construction comment.  I can’t make out the lines when I move him back over lol.