Finding Ways to Win

[RangersLEETCH]

Got sloppy at the end of tonight’s game but still found a way to win. Rangers may want to brush up on the defensive end. Still finding ways to win. In any sport when you have a team that has the ability to come from behind and win you have something special. Go Rangers! One game at a time. 
 

Ranger Ed 

 

[Albatrosss]

Quick looked in preseason form. I was really nervous when SJ shot pucks. 
 

Ranger Si

[Ozzy]

8 hours ago, Albatrosss said:

Quick looked in preseason form. I was really nervous when SJ shot pucks. 
 

Ranger Si

 

Not like he had ANY help at all back there!

[Morphinity 2.0]

The regular season is a slog and especially nights like that - back-to-back, with travel, less than 24 hours after the previous game, and against a rested opposite conference opponent - are games that you just take whatever points you get and run. Same goes for the Preds game - Shesterkin bailed the Rangers out.

 

Just gotta make sure it doesn't become a habit. 

[Pete]

23 minutes ago, Morphinity 2.0 said:

The regular season is a slog and especially nights like that - back-to-back, with travel, less than 24 hours after the previous game, and against a rested opposite conference opponent - are games that you just take whatever points you get and run. Same goes for the Preds game - Shesterkin bailed the Rangers out.

 

Just gotta make sure it doesn't become a habit. 

Agreed. The most important takeaway from all of this, is that the team is never out of a game. That's a great mindset to have. Last year they would go down by a goal or two, or the opposition would get a few quick ones and they would just give up. They're not doing that this year.

 

You don't want bad habits to develop, but you also want the team to feel like they're always in the game if they stick with the process. 

[Phil]

54 minutes ago, Morphinity 2.0 said:

The regular season is a slog and especially nights like that - back-to-back, with travel, less than 24 hours after the previous game, and against a rested opposite conference opponent - are games that you just take whatever points you get and run. Same goes for the Preds game - Shesterkin bailed the Rangers out.

 

Just gotta make sure it doesn't become a habit. 

 

Right, but also, this team has been defined by "finding ways to win" all year. You can only play the opponents the schedule dictates. They have no control over who, or when, but they do control the outcome, and they've been doing a marvelous job of coming away with two points.

[Flynn]

This will age like milk- but keep Johnny Brodz on the top line till the shine wears off. His speed is exactly what they need over Wheelers cement boots.  

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

totally normal for teams to have a lull as you start getting into the grind of a long season.

 

They bought themselves a lot of runway so even if they lost these 2 games this weekend, they'd still be in a good spot and it wouldn't be panic time

 

I can forgive a not-so-great performance against San Jose there. SJ gets to play with no pressure anymore. they got their losing out of the way early. These teams can also give you problems because there's pressure to not lose to the basement dwellers. Human nature to approach this kind of game as a 'we can't lose this one' instead of a 'Lets go win this one' if that makes any sense

 

@Pete is right though, this team is never out of any game. Even their 5 losses, most can be forgiven

 

Loss 1 - In columbus, that was just a wacky game, 2 goals called back by tiny margins. They were the better team

Loss 2 - Nashville at home - Just an off night early

Loss 3 - Minnesota in a shootout, yeah we blew a lead, was a game we werent the best in though and were still right there. take a road point and move forward

Loss 4 - Dallas - were controllilng a game on the road agaisnt a very good team, just had a tough third period that got away from us

Loss 5 - Buffalo - first game after a 3 in 4, played a big game against Boston before that that I think they poured a lot into. Were due for an off night.

 

Even a REALLY good team is going to lose 20-25 a season 

 

 

 

 

 

[RangersIn7]

1 hour ago, Flynn said:

This will age like milk- but keep Johnny Brodz on the top line till the shine wears off. His speed is exactly what they need over Wheelers cement boots.  

 

[RangersIn7]

1 hour ago, BlairBettsBlocksEverything said:

totally normal for teams to have a lull as you start getting into the grind of a long season.

 

They bought themselves a lot of runway so even if they lost these 2 games this weekend, they'd still be in a good spot and it wouldn't be panic time

 

I can forgive a not-so-great performance against San Jose there. SJ gets to play with no pressure anymore. they got their losing out of the way early. These teams can also give you problems because there's pressure to not lose to the basement dwellers. Human nature to approach this kind of game as a 'we can't lose this one' instead of a 'Lets go win this one' if that makes any sense

 

@Pete is right though, this team is never out of any game. Even their 5 losses, most can be forgiven

 

Loss 1 - In columbus, that was just a wacky game, 2 goals called back by tiny margins. They were the better team

Loss 2 - Nashville at home - Just an off night early

Loss 3 - Minnesota in a shootout, yeah we blew a lead, was a game we werent the best in though and were still right there. take a road point and move forward

Loss 4 - Dallas - were controllilng a game on the road agaisnt a very good team, just had a tough third period that got away from us

Loss 5 - Buffalo - first game after a 3 in 4, played a big game against Boston before that that I think they poured a lot into. Were due for an off night.

 

Even a REALLY good team is going to lose 20-25 a season 

 

 

 

 

 

This 100%
 

They are going to have some crappy nights.

They’ll run into a hot goalie, a hot player, a hot PP or line or just a hot team at points and get beat.

Theyll have a slump or a little valley too.

 

But it’s all looking very good and you have to be encouraged.

[Br4d]

The Rangers are playing extremely well.  They're also catching most of the breaks along the way.

 

They still need to pick up the 5v5 play.

[Pete]

3 minutes ago, Br4d said:

The Rangers are playing extremely well.  They're also catching most of the breaks along the way.

 

They still need to pick up the 5v5 play.

5 even strength goals last night!

[Valriera]

4 minutes ago, Br4d said:

The Rangers are playing extremely well.  They're also catching most of the breaks along the way.

 

They still need to pick up the 5v5 play.

They've scored plenty of goals at 5v5 in the last few weeks. The main issue has been in our zone. 

Trivia: when was the last time the rangers gave up 4 or more goals in two games over two weeks and won both of those games?

[Br4d]

6 minutes ago, Pete said:

5 even strength goals last night!

 

I was also going to say that Panarin has cooled off big time with 0 points in 4 of the last 8 games however the hatty last night does a good job of remedying that.

 

The Panarin line has been carrying the Rangers all season long.  If it drops off the way it did recently there is a big difference on the ice.

 

To make the point: the Rangers eked out a win last night against a 1-10 team on the road because Panarin basically jumped through hoops to do it.  There's no reason that should be the case with the talent on the team this season.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Br4d

[Pete]

7 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

I was also going to say that Panarin has cooled off big time with 0 points in 4 of the last 8 games however the hatty last night does a good job of remedying that.

 

The Panarin line has been carrying the Rangers all season long.  If it drops off the way it did recently there is a big difference on the ice.

 

To make the point: the Rangers eked out a win last night against a 1-10 team on the road because Panarin basically jumped through hoops to do it.  There's no reason that should be the case with the talent on the team this season.

Kind of a narrow view, no? 2nd game of a back to back against a rested team, Rangers were in NSH Friday night, played Saturday, and then got on a plane and come home and played another early-ish game the next day.

 

Sharks were rested and won 3 of 4, including beating very good Vancouver team, and the Devils who were picked by many to run away with the Metro.

 

I do get what you're saying, I just don't think you can take last night without context. It's a quarter of the season in. This stuff tends to even out.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Pete

[Br4d]

Counting last night Panarin has 9 points in the last 8 games.  That's not an indictment of him because it's decent production just a statement that unless he plays like he was playing prior to the cool down the Rangers are in some trouble and unlikely to maintain their pace.

 

The alternative is that the rest of the team plays better at 5v5 than they've been playing so far.

 

The logical move for the Rangers at this point is to play multiple lines with a key producer and rely on that guy to trigger the 5v5 offense until they are consistent across the lineup.

 

One way to do this would be to put Zibanejad on line 1 with Cuylle and Brodzinski.  Put Panarin on line 2 with Bonino and Lafreniere.  Put Kreider on line 3 with Trocheck and Wheeler.  Leave line 4 as is because they're fairly productive for their TOI.  Line 1 has a trigger guy in Zib with two fast active skaters who are producing chances alongside him.  Line 2 has Panarin and Laffy with Bonino winning face-offs and being the very responsible defensive guy.  Line 3 has two trigger guys in Kreider and Trocheck and if playing with those guys doesn't keep Wheeler's skates moving nothing will.

[Slobberknocker]

there doing fine.  point here is to bank the 2 points.  plenty of time to work on points for style.  lav is doing a great job.  locker room seems tight.  they look like there having fun and despite a few injuries, next man up attitude is in place.

 

question. when's the last time you've seen us go into the A and bring up guys who have immediately made an impact.

 

ships going in the right direction.  enjoy the ride.

[Br4d]

You can see what's going on in Laviolette's post-game pressers.

 

He's very careful about what he says because he knows the Rangers aren't this good but he doesn't want to be a dampener on the celebrations those post-games have turned into.

 

He talks a lot about the ups and downs of the season and how things will need to get adjusted here and there.

 

Very, very smart coach.  Glad we got him.