Playoffs Rangers-Hurricanes — Round Two General Series Thread

[RJWantsTheCup]

3 minutes ago, Dem said:

My father used to say the following about guys like Tony D; God ruined a perfect prick when he put ears on that one

I hated D'Angelo when he was a Ranger

[RichieNextel305]

This narrative of the Hurricanes being dominant through 3 games is hilarious. Calling us Power Play merchants because we can’t score at 5v5? We each have 6 goals at Even Strength so far. Enough of this drooling over shot attempts from fucking Mars. Hilarious takes from people who don’t watch hockey much at all.

 

I’m not saying Carolina isn’t playing good. They are. They’re extremely good. But this notion we’re lucky and that they’re better? It’s ridiculous.

 

And quite frankly, it’s stupid. I would rather be lucky up 3-0 then “dominant” down 0-3. We are both super elite teams. And the Rangers are doing the little things to win.

[BrooksBurner]

6 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

Wennberg had a possession last night where he basically steered around in a phone booth and kept the puck.  Lots of very small movements with the stick as he was doing it and a defensive player on each side of him.

 

It was very impressive until it turned into another non-scoring cycle.

 

Yup. There's give and take.

 

I'm referring moreso to his play when the puck is unstable in the defensive zone. Panicking and reactively getting rid of the puck without a plan only contributes to the instability,  leads to turnovers and chaos, and essentially feeds the backbone of the Hurricanes' entire offensive game plan. He doesn't have a problem remaining calm and turning it into a board battle. It slows the game down against a fast team, allows the rest of his teammates to gather and re-position themselves, and provides a situation the Rangers can still win clean control for a break the other way. I've noticed him do this several times.

[Br4d]

3 hours ago, Albatrosss said:

I’d love to know what is Lavi’s logic behind it

 

Laviolette's logic is likely that you can't keep PP1 out there for 2 minutes every time.   I see PP2 as training wheels for Laf and Cuylle when he's on.

[Br4d]

21 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

 

Yup. There's give and take.

 

I'm referring moreso to his play when the puck is unstable in the defensive zone. Panicking and reactively getting rid of the puck without a plan only contributes to the instability,  leads to turnovers and chaos, and essentially feeds the backbone of the Hurricanes' entire offensive game plan. He doesn't have a problem remaining calm and turning it into a board battle. It slows the game down against a fast team, allows the rest of his teammates to gather and re-position themselves, and provides a situation the Rangers can still win clean control for a break the other way. I've noticed him do this several times.

 

He's also the best defensive 200 footer on the team.  I've seen him skate down a breaker and force him to the boards several times since TDL.

[BrooksBurner]

4 minutes ago, RichieNextel305 said:

This narrative of the Hurricanes being dominant through 3 games is hilarious. Calling us Power Play merchants because we can’t score at 5v5? We each have 6 goals at Even Strength so far. Enough of this drooling over shot attempts from fucking Mars. Hilarious takes from people who don’t watch hockey much at all.

 

I’m not saying Carolina isn’t playing good. They are. They’re extremely good. But this notion we’re lucky and that they’re better? It’s ridiculous.

 

And quite frankly, it’s stupid. I would rather be lucky up 3-0 then “dominant” down 0-3. We are both super elite teams. And the Rangers are doing the little things to win.

 

It's a hog wash narrative. Those people aren't adjusting to what the stats are telling them.

 

Everyone here knows I pay attention to 5v5 xG as a strong indicator of success, but I never use it in a vacuum because how the total is being arrived at matters. High danger chances is a massive part of it and that has been at worst a draw and at best a slight edge to the Rangers all series at 5v5. The expectation before the series was that the Canes were going to generate significantly more high danger chances than the Rangers at 5v5, and based on the season's stats it was a reasonable and >50% expectation of happening. It simply hasn't played out like that at all. Shoulda, coulda, woulda, but not-a happenin. Sucks for them.

[RichieNextel305]

2 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

 

It's a hog wash narrative. Those people aren't adjusting to what the stats are telling them.

 

Everyone here knows I pay attention to 5v5 xG as a strong indicator of success, but I never use it in a vacuum because how the total is being arrived at matters. High danger chances is a massive part of it and that has been at worst a draw and at best a slight edge to the Rangers all series at 5v5. The expectation before the series was that the Canes were going to generate significantly more high danger chances than the Rangers at 5v5, and based on the season's stats it was a reasonable and >50% expectation of happening. It simply hasn't played out like that at all. Shoulda, coulda, woulda, but not-a happenin. Sucks for them.

Yep.

 

They take shots from everywhere. No shit they’re gonna have more shots. The shot totals mean shit right now. The Rangers will give those unscreened wrist shots from a mile away up all day and everyday. Go ahead. Shesterkin is just swallowing it up.

[Br4d]

1 hour ago, RichieNextel305 said:

 

 

He did just get cross-checked as he was dishing to Panarin.  I see the conversation more as "see what you just did?"

[RangersIn7]

52 minutes ago, Flynn said:

Troch may be more effective as a shit talker as he speaks English. Tikkanen ony spoke Tikkanese. 

 

"He brings something special. I don't know what it is, but if you ask him, you couldn't understand his answer."

-Wayne Gretzky

Tikk’s on-ice interview with Al Trautwig, immediately following Game 7 vs the Devils in 1994 is one of the best examples of Tikkanese.

[RichieNextel305]

 

[Ozzy]

9 minutes ago, RichieNextel305 said:

 

 

Richie, this is the stat that I keep seeing.... 

 

Wins :

Rangers - 3

Canes - 0

[BrooksBurner]

4 hours ago, RJWantsTheCup said:

The 2nd PP unit is terrible.

Probably should be Lafraniere, Chytil, Cuylle, Gus & Miller if Chytil is going to continue to play.

 

Here's my two cents. PP2 hasn't done much damage all year no matter who is out there. The chances of them scoring are low, and they are playing the top rated PK unit from the season that can turn the tables and put a shortie up on the board. Yeah yeah, I know their PK unit hasn't fit this billing this series, but they got close a couple of times to scoring a shortie in previous games and Laviolette isn't going to disrespect them because his PP1 unit happened to have success against their PK for 2 games (sidebar: Rangers 0/4 on PP last night). The approach appears to be to aggressively try to score with PP1, and then cautiously try to score with two defensemen on PP2. I think that's the right play against the Canes in close games or playing with the lead. There's no reason to risk letting a well below average PP2 unit give up a back breaking shortie. Perhaps if there was a combination that was more successful throughout the season, it'd be a little different.

 

I did take issue with the 3rd period PP strategy last night though. I don't think PP1 was near aggressive enough, and I think PP2 got out there too early to play the cautious approach. I'd rather use my best players to go for the throat, especially if they're producing, but that's just me. I also have 0 games coached and Laviolette has over 2000, so there's that.

[Pete]

1 hour ago, BrooksBurner said:

 

Here's my two cents. PP2 hasn't done much damage all year no matter who is out there. The chances of them scoring are low, and they are playing the top rated PK unit from the season that can turn the tables and put a shortie up on the board. Yeah yeah, I know their PK unit hasn't fit this billing this series, but they got close a couple of times to scoring a shortie in previous games and Laviolette isn't going to disrespect them because his PP1 unit happened to have success against their PK for 2 games (sidebar: Rangers 0/4 on PP last night). The approach appears to be to aggressively try to score with PP1, and then cautiously try to score with two defensemen on PP2. I think that's the right play against the Canes in close games or playing with the lead. There's no reason to risk letting a well below average PP2 unit give up a back breaking shortie. Perhaps if there was a combination that was more successful throughout the season, it'd be a little different.

 

I did take issue with the 3rd period PP strategy last night though. I don't think PP1 was near aggressive enough, and I think PP2 got out there too early to play the cautious approach. I'd rather use my best players to go for the throat, especially if they're producing, but that's just me. I also have 0 games coached and Laviolette has over 2000, so there's that.

At this point the 2nd unit should probably be Wennberg line + Lafreniere and Miller. Get a line out there that's a least familiar at even strength. 

 

Gus and Trouba should be out there as little as possible. 

[Pete]

2 hours ago, RichieNextel305 said:

This narrative of the Hurricanes being dominant through 3 games is hilarious. Calling us Power Play merchants because we can’t score at 5v5? We each have 6 goals at Even Strength so far. Enough of this drooling over shot attempts from fucking Mars. Hilarious takes from people who don’t watch hockey much at all.

 

I’m not saying Carolina isn’t playing good. They are. They’re extremely good. But this notion we’re lucky and that they’re better? It’s ridiculous.

 

And quite frankly, it’s stupid. I would rather be lucky up 3-0 then “dominant” down 0-3. We are both super elite teams. And the Rangers are doing the little things to win.

At the end of the day this is sports. Anybody trying to reduce it to what a spreadsheet says is doing it wrong. 

 

Carolina has played well in the last two games. They have every reason to believe they deserve the split out of games two and three. They had carried the play for long stretches during both of those games. 

 

What it has come down to is that the Rangers have an ability to generate a high quality shot off of a high danger chance, and Carolina doesn't take any high quality shots. They lack the finishing ability. The HDCs they get either miss the net (aka hit posts) or Igor is making the save. They just don't have any natural finishers the way the Rangers do. 

 

I said this many times about this team, they take what you give them. Carolina isn't giving them much, but when they give, the Rangers take and it winds up a goal. 

[Long live the King]

15 minutes ago, Pete said:

At this point the 2nd unit should probably be Wennberg line + Lafreniere and Miller. Get a line out there that's a least familiar at even strength. 

 

Gus and Trouba should be out there as little as possible. 

 

I'd go OG kid line with 96 and 79.

 

Edited May 10 by Long live the King

[Steve]

Does Rempe play game 4 to keep Canes honest OR does Chytil play and let the Canes self destruct?

[BrooksBurner]

I don’t see how it’s even a question after seeing Chytil progress through the game.

[fletch]

Results often drive the narrative.

 

The Rangers are playing well and on a hot streak.

 

They've had some overtime games so by definition they were close.  Credit to the team for keeping the game going until they had a chance to convert the first scoring chance in overtime.

 

The Canes haven't had a power play goal, which the Rangers Penalty Kill and Shesterkin certainly deserve credit for.  But if a too-many men on the ice or a bad interference, hooking, or spearing penalty far from the defensive end resulted in a Canes power play goal, we're probably talking more about too many undisciplined penalties.  Since the Canes can't convert, we can focus on how good the Rangers Penalty kill has been.  It can be true that the Rangers penalty kill has been great and that it's surprising that the Canes haven't got at least one fluky power play goal.

 

The Rangers certainly outplayed the Capitals and have earned a 3-0 series lead with the Canes.  They've been impressive so far in the playoffs, and there's no reason why we can't hope for an early end to the Canes, and a deeper run toward the Cup.  The Rangers regular season record shows that they can rack up the wins.  The Rangers are getting contributions from throughout their lineup.  There's a lot to feel good about.

 

 

[Kick save and a beauty]

Watching the Boston Vs. Florida series and I an nervous about playing Chytil against either of those teams.

[RangersLEETCH]

2 hours ago, Steve said:

Does Rempe play game 4 to keep Canes honest OR does Chytil play and let the Canes self destruct?

I guess they will stay with Chytil. He looked pretty good considering he was out for months. Great problem to have for the Rangers, speed goal scoring kid in Chytil and a 7 foot giant on ice that can tango with anyone, knock you out any given time and cannot be moved when he’s in the goalies crease and keeps the opposing team on their toes.

LGR  

[Scott]

 

[siddious]

[phillyb]

Does he mean he's gonna play Wheeler at some point? Jeez lol

[siddious]

33 minutes ago, phillyb said:

Does he mean he's gonna play Wheeler at some point? Jeez lol

That’s exactly what I think it means 

[Pete]

Just another lever Laviolette can pull to get the guys in the lineup to sustain their level of play. 

 

There's nothing more motivating than somebody coming for your job.