GDT [RS] (#81) Rangers vs. New York Islanders — Revenge Is a Dish Best Served at 12:30pm, Nationally

[LindG1000]

5 minutes ago, Ranger Lothbrok said:

 

That is eerily accurate. That is 100% what I would do. Definitely a "glass half empty" guy. 

Statistically speaking,  and for emotional protection, it's the safe bet. You're not at all likely to win the cup. Not in a 32-team league. Not in a 26-team league. And not when there are six teams and all the talent is in Canada, Massachusetts, and the Upper Midwest, and you have no access to that talent because of territorial rights. I don't think it serves any of us to expect a Cup win simply because it is highly likely to end in disappointment.

 

At the same time, though - push to shove, isn't this the single best team we've put together in nearly a decade? Heck, scoreboard! We've won more games this season than in any other. A win tonight sets the franchise points record and solidifies that this is the best regular season team we've ever iced. We have the goalie. We have the defenders. We have the forwards. We have the depth. We have the size, the speed, and the skill. The conference is weaker than it's been in years, and we're king of the heap. 

 

What fun is there in being a fan if you can't let yourself get attached to hope when there's good reason to? 

[Br4d]

If the Rangers play well at 5v5 *and* score goals we've got a good shot at a cup.

 

I can't remember the last Rangers team that was superior at 5v5.  Maybe 2014.  Maybe 2006.  It's been a while.

[BrooksBurner]

2 hours ago, Bieser said:

The stats from Brooksie were convincing.  But as my old gambling buddies used to ask....  " Gun to your head" which team do you want to have to win to save your life?

 

I'm taking this year's team.  

That's a tough one.

[Ranger Lothbrok]

1 hour ago, LindG1000 said:

Statistically speaking,  and for emotional protection, it's the safe bet. You're not at all likely to win the cup. Not in a 32-team league. Not in a 26-team league. And not when there are six teams and all the talent is in Canada, Massachusetts, and the Upper Midwest, and you have no access to that talent because of territorial rights. I don't think it serves any of us to expect a Cup win simply because it is highly likely to end in disappointment.

 

At the same time, though - push to shove, isn't this the single best team we've put together in nearly a decade? Heck, scoreboard! We've won more games this season than in any other. A win tonight sets the franchise points record and solidifies that this is the best regular season team we've ever iced. We have the goalie. We have the defenders. We have the forwards. We have the depth. We have the size, the speed, and the skill. The conference is weaker than it's been in years, and we're king of the heap. 

 

What fun is there in being a fan if you can't let yourself get attached to hope when there's good reason to? 

Not to get all armchair psychologist about it, but I divorced myself from hope last year when we made a backup goalie look like Patrick Roy and were gutless pukes despite having made a run to the ECFs a year prior, and even in that run, once Tampa shook off the rust we weren't even competitive. 

 

That team is largely unchanged, except older. That's a positive for the young players, but obviously Kreider and Mika are slowing down. 

 

The only way I could cope with last year's catastrophic debacle was to convince myself that in the grand scheme of things, none of this matters. Like "if I lost my job tomorrow I wouldn't be thinking about NHL standings" kind of rhetoric. I think it was easier to be hopeful when the two biggest fans I knew, my dad and my uncle, were still alive. Now it's just me carrying the torch, perennially surrounded by Devils fans here in Central Jersey. 

[Sod16]

4 hours ago, Pete said:

Yea. The "one cup in 84 years" is such an irrelevant narrative. Firstly no one here has had to live through the 84 years, except maybe @Sod16 and @Ozzy

Yes, but Ozzy and I also got to enjoy the glorious cups of 1928, 1933 and 1940!  And don't leave out @RodrigueGabriel, who may have been following Lester Patrick in the Western League before he brought his outfit to NY to become the Rangers.

[Pete]

1 hour ago, Ranger Lothbrok said:

That team is largely unchanged, except older.

And this is where you're operating from a false premise. The roster is the same. The team is different. 

[fletch]

1 hour ago, Ranger Lothbrok said:

Not to get all armchair psychologist about it, but I divorced myself from hope last year when we made a backup goalie look like Patrick Roy and were gutless pukes despite having made a run to the ECFs a year prior, and even in that run, once Tampa shook off the rust we weren't even competitive. 

 

That team is largely unchanged, except older. That's a positive for the young players, but obviously Kreider and Mika are slowing down. 

 

The only way I could cope with last year's catastrophic debacle was to convince myself that in the grand scheme of things, none of this matters. Like "if I lost my job tomorrow I wouldn't be thinking about NHL standings" kind of rhetoric. I think it was easier to be hopeful when the two biggest fans I knew, my dad and my uncle, were still alive. Now it's just me carrying the torch, perennially surrounded by Devils fans here in Central Jersey. 

I mean, in addition to the first round playoff loss. 

They're working on their third coach in 5 years. 

An aging core has no move clauses. 

GM continues to try and find quick fixes through deadline veterans at the cost of young player TOI. 

 

Players like Shesterkin and Laf give you reason for hope, but there's some vets that are just giving diminishing returns, which is tough.

 

Yet we're one deep run from reviving the fan base.

[Br4d]

12 minutes ago, Pete said:

And this is where you're operating from a false premise. The roster is the same. The team is different. 

 

We've got 4 players playing better than they or the person they replaced did the last couple of seasons: Panarin, Trocheck, Lafreniere, and Fox.

 

We've got Zibanejad, fill-in #1 RW here, Trouba, Miller, Kakko and Goodrow playing worse.

 

The team is not better than the team was in '21-'22 or '22-'23.  Panarin is better than he was in those seasons and that is the primary reason we're a few points up on those teams.

 

If Panarin plays very well in the playoffs, scoring goals and leading by example (which he has done for much of this season) then the 'team' will be better.  If he does not then the 'team' will get blown out.

[Pete]

1 hour ago, Br4d said:

 

We've got 4 players playing better than they or the person they replaced did the last couple of seasons: Panarin, Trocheck, Lafreniere, and Fox.

 

We've got Zibanejad, fill-in #1 RW here, Trouba, Miller, Kakko and Goodrow playing worse.

 

The team is not better than the team was in '21-'22 or '22-'23.  Panarin is better than he was in those seasons and that is the primary reason we're a few points up on those teams.

 

If Panarin plays very well in the playoffs, scoring goals and leading by example (which he has done for much of this season) then the 'team' will be better.  If he does not then the 'team' will get blown out.

I don't agree with anything in this post.

 

But we can agree to disagree.

 

The same people trying to predict what will happen in the playoffs were predicting Panarin being a 70 to 80 point player and the team being a bubble team this season. 

 

Sports can be unpredictable. That's why they play the games. And that's why we watch them. 

 

Edited April 15 by Pete

[BrooksBurner]

2 hours ago, Br4d said:

 

We've got 4 players playing better than they or the person they replaced did the last couple of seasons: Panarin, Trocheck, Lafreniere, and Fox.

 

We've got Zibanejad, fill-in #1 RW here, Trouba, Miller, Kakko and Goodrow playing worse.

 

The team is not better than the team was in '21-'22 or '22-'23.  Panarin is better than he was in those seasons and that is the primary reason we're a few points up on those teams.

 

If Panarin plays very well in the playoffs, scoring goals and leading by example (which he has done for much of this season) then the 'team' will be better.  If he does not then the 'team' will get blown out.

 

Two years ago they also had a .935 Igor. And a healthy Chytil.

[Br4d]

9 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

 

Two years ago they also had a .935 Igor. And a healthy Chytil.

 

I think the '21-22 team was the best of the three but Strome was hurt all through the playoffs and it's very possible this team is better right now than the '21-'22 team was entering the playoffs.

[BrooksBurner]

14 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

I think the '21-22 team was the best of the three but Strome was hurt all through the playoffs and it's very possible this team is better right now than the '21-'22 team was entering the playoffs.

It’s a very interesting debate. Throw in that I think Copp and Vatrano were both much better adds and players than Wennberg or Roslovic.

[Pete]

And Trocheck is a stronger 2C than Strome.

 

Lafreniere is better.

Schneider is better.

Igor is back (.930 since February)

They aren't playing Justin Braun.

The fourth line isn't just a collection of players, they all have a role and they perform it well. 

 

The coaching is better. 

 

Edited April 15 by Pete

[BrooksBurner]

4 minutes ago, Pete said:

And Trocheck is a stronger 2C than Strome.

 

Lafreniere is better.

Schneider is better.

Igor is back (.930 since February)

They aren't playing Justin Braun.

The fourth line isn't just a collection of players, they all have a role and they perform it well. 

 

The coaching is better. 

 

Lots of pros and cons both ways. Also, Gus/Zac Jones infinitely better than that trash bag Nemeth