The Time Has Come: Break up the Bromance!

[RichieNextel305]

I can stomach the lack of production. Every single time those 2 touch the ice, the ice is tilted. Brain farts are everywhere, production is no where and chances and momentum for Florida are everywhere when those 2 hop the boards. Enough. Break them up. Cry in one another’s arms after. I don’t care. Not gonna produce? Fine. Gonna kill us defensively then too? Unacceptable.

 

Time has come for a change with them. Shake it up and see if you get either going. And soon.

[Jdog99]

Its not so much the bromance that gets me as much as the continuous trotting out of zibanejad to open almost every game and period, along with big pp1 minutes, as if he's untouchable.

 

Its putting the players ego ahead of the team. And its a similar mistake to leaving kane on the ice last season, and letting Trouba just slide right back into his doofus role at the end of this season when the team was killing it with jones. Yea, hes named 'captain'...so f'n what...grow a pair.

 

Zibs been getting that same type of treatment for too long and its sickening.

Edited May 29 by Jdog99

[BrooksBurner]

It’s a resurfacing of the same issue as the first half of the season. Zibanejad is supposed to be the play driver and he is killing the whole line with his play. He’s a turnover machine. Kreider is a complimentary player on a line and is not typically going to do anything without a playmaker.

 

There’s no way you can break them up at this stage. For one, nobody is saving Zib when he’s like this. He had to come around on his own during the 2nd half of the season, and he has to do it again on an expedited schedule. They need him to or they will be going home.

[siddious]

I don’t want to be reactionary to last night. 
 

but there are some truths here that need to be said;

 

mika is a hell of a player when he’s on his game. 
 

im not sure it’s a consistency issue… he’s had a generally bad season from the start with small stretches where he was great, not the other way around. 
 

ive been pretty iffy on Mika for a few seasons now- even last year when he seemed to be better a lot more than bad he still had those bad stretches where he seemed brain dead for extended periods of time.

 

i don’t want to say he’s not a 1C but he definitely seems to be incapable of being THE GUY. 

 

in regards to breaking up that line… I’m not sure if this is the time for experimenting. 
 

you sure as shit don’t break up panarin tro laf.

 

ive tried since last night to come up with something half way decent but it looks bleak any way you arrange it.  

The first line

Chytil-Zib-kakko?

Kreider-wennberg-Cuylle on his off wing?

Roslovic on his off wing-goodrow-rempe

 

 

 

[RichieNextel305]

I think we’ve all tried being patient with him. We know what he can do when he’s going. So this isn’t reactionary, because he’s had a largely underwhelming season. The fact of the matter is Mika can fill the net up like few others when he’s going. And when he’s not, he’s ice cold. It’s been too much of hot and cold. The difference right now though is that he’s actually hurting the team with carelessness with the puck. He’s been a turnover machine. And last night, his turnover essentially handed Florida the game. It’s bad. It’s real bad that now across 2 seasons, this guy just can’t seem to find another gear in the playoffs. Because we rely so heavily on him to be a driver and he isn’t one.

[Sharpshooter]

How long have we been saying this? lol I really don't think it's ever going to happen. I really believe that one or both of them has huge sway in that locker room, and just won't allow for them to be ever split up.

[RJWantsTheCup]

It's not happening so it isn't worth talking about.

 

[Flynn]

Pipedream... Much like the bong these two have been smoking the past 4 games  

[JHS]

The issue is Lavi can't put these guys out there to start the period, after a goal or any other time where momentum is key.  It's becoming evident that this line is actually serving the 4th line role in terms of productivity and trustworthyness.  Sadly, if Mica and Kreider can't start moving their feet an playing faster than they are 100% a liability.  I wonder if Peca( considering he's a successful playoff player and has a respected voice) pulls them aside and really has a moment with them about how to settle down and play like they know how.  Mica's play is just so defensive minded that I can't see how he's even attempting to play as a top 6 players and Kreider's play is so lazy.  They have 3 game( hopefully less) to figure this out before the season is toast-  it's really now or never.

Edited May 29 by JHS

[Pete]

14 minutes ago, RJWantsTheCup said:

It's not happening so it isn't worth talking about.

 

It's this. Laviolette is big on redemption arcs. He will always give players the opportunity to work themselves out of slumps, he did it with the power play in the middle of the season where he would not change it even though the fans begged him to, and they worked it out. 

 

That said, I'm not sure this one is going to get worked out. There was one play which epitomizes the issue, Zib was behind the net with the puck battling with two Panthers, and instead of dumping the puck off to a wide open Kakko in the corner, he tried to beat two players by bouncing the puck off the net and lost it. That is the problem in the nutshell, these guys just want to play their two-man game and don't even realize there's a third guy on their line. 

 

Kreider... Yeah, we've discussed that he is not going to take over the game with the puck on his stick (Not saying that he can't, just saying that he doesn't unless he feels like it), so you can't really expect him to be a difference maker with Mika like this. But that motherfucker's hair was bone dry in the post game interview. He didn't even break a fucking sweat. 

 

If there was a world where lines were broken up, I think you just swap Mika and Wennberg. That would be the most/least disruptive thing you can do but maybe they'll take it as a shot off the bow. 

 

Cullye Zib Kakko

Kreider Wennberg Chytil

 

In reality you'll probably just see Wheeler as their right-wing in the next game. 

[Phil]

1 hour ago, BrooksBurner said:

It’s a resurfacing of the same issue as the first half of the season. Zibanejad is supposed to be the play driver and he is killing the whole line with his play. He’s a turnover machine. Kreider is a complimentary player on a line and is not typically going to do anything without a playmaker.

 

There’s no way you can break them up at this stage. For one, nobody is saving Zib when he’s like this. He had to come around on his own during the 2nd half of the season, and he has to do it again on an expedited schedule. They need him to or they will be going home.

 

The only thing you could maybe try is to put Panarin up with Zibanejad and hope it works by shifting Zibanejad to a shooting threat rather than a playmaker, because he isn't one. Not now, not against this team. He's getting absolutely caved in, just like he was against the Crosby line.

[Br4d]

1 hour ago, BrooksBurner said:

It’s a resurfacing of the same issue as the first half of the season. Zibanejad is supposed to be the play driver and he is killing the whole line with his play. He’s a turnover machine. Kreider is a complimentary player on a line and is not typically going to do anything without a playmaker.

 

There’s no way you can break them up at this stage. For one, nobody is saving Zib when he’s like this. He had to come around on his own during the 2nd half of the season, and he has to do it again on an expedited schedule. They need him to or they will be going home.

 

They need a real driver on that line and I only see one guy on the Rangers driving right now.

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

39 minutes ago, Pete said:

If there was a world where lines were broken up, I think you just swap Mika and Wennberg. That would be the most/least disruptive thing you can do but maybe they'll take it as a shot off the bow. 

 

Cullye Zib Kakko

Kreider Wennberg Chytil

I would love to see Cuylle with Zib. If anyone's able to get Mika more involved offensively I think it could be Cuylle with his speed and aggressiveness. The problem is Kakko is an O-zone blackhole and Cuylle is limited with the puck on his stick.

 

I would try:

Panarin - Tro - Laf

Cuylle - Zib - Chytil

Kreider - Wennberg - Kakko (Defense/shutdown line)

Goodrow and two others

 

Tbh I don't even like this lineup, but for me it's the only sensible thing if we want to split up Mika and Kreids.

[BrooksBurner]

29 minutes ago, Phil said:

 

The only thing you could maybe try is to put Panarin up with Zibanejad and hope it works by shifting Zibanejad to a shooting threat rather than a playmaker, because he isn't one. Not now, not against this team. He's getting absolutely caved in, just like he was against the Crosby line.

This is why I wanted to experiment during the season. Always going with “what works in the long run” is great for winning a President’s Trophy. It’s not great for learning which combination of players could be used when a change is needed to shake things up in dire times.

 

The powerplay is a prime example. Zibanejad is 100% useless on it right now. Bob is over and set before the puck even leaves his stick on a one timer, and that’s on the few chances Zib gets right now. That’s all Zibanejad is can do on the powerplay. They don’t have the benefit of waiting a month for him to work it out like during the year, and now any potential changes to the powerplay haven’t had any reps together to lean on. Lavi tied his own hands on the ability to use different combinations just like Gallant did. The only changes that can be done without being completely different is changing things that don’t matter. Swapping out the RW on the Zib line and changing the bottom 6. Lavi has done this every game. The bottom 6 more or less has not been a problem and changing that doesn’t really change anything.

Edited May 29 by BrooksBurner

[JJ in VA]

Not the time to experiment.    Tried that last night and it failed.

Go back to the lines from Game 3. 

Stay the course.

 

[SomthingRangersRelated]

2 hours ago, RichieNextel305 said:

I think we’ve all tried being patient with him. We know what he can do when he’s going. So this isn’t reactionary, because he’s had a largely underwhelming season. The fact of the matter is Mika can fill the net up like few others when he’s going. And when he’s not, he’s ice cold. It’s been too much of hot and cold. The difference right now though is that he’s actually hurting the team with carelessness with the puck. He’s been a turnover machine. And last night, his turnover essentially handed Florida the game. It’s bad. It’s real bad that now across 2 seasons, this guy just can’t seem to find another gear in the playoffs. Because we rely so heavily on him to be a driver and he isn’t one.

 

The playoffs are all about toughness and not so much about finesse. Zibs just does not want to play a tough style game. He wants to play mens league hockey where hitting isn't allowed and everyone is nice to each other. The moment bodies start flying he gets scared and starts making shit decisions because he doesn't want to get hit. I think he needs to get involved in some after play stuff, even if he initiates it. 

[Morphinity 2.0]

This is a change that has major implications in the room and in the lineup. I think it's at too critical of a juncture to make a change that rocks the boat this much.

But, trust me, their play is putrid enough to warrant anything.

[Sod16]

The Mika one timer from the hash or angle needs to be written out of the PP playbook.  It is slow to develop, results in shots that miss the net, and no goals in recent memory.

 

Mika is going to conclude his career with several years as a very good, albiet grossly overpaid, third line center.

[Pete]

There's nothing wrong with the one timer from the circle. The problem is he's taking it from the bottom of the circle near the goal line. So that extra second that it takes the puck to get to him combined with the loss of shooting angle equals no goals. 

[RangersLEETCH]

Put Mika on the 4th line with Rempe… since Mika doesn’t want to get physical he might feel more protected knowing Rempe can take a hit and give a hit…. not that it’s going solve anything but hey at this point fuck it! 
LGR 

[siddious]

46 minutes ago, Sod16 said:

The Mika one timer from the hash or angle needs to be written out of the PP playbook.  It is slow to develop, results in shots that miss the net, and no goals in recent memory.

 

Mika is going to conclude his career with several years as a very good, albiet grossly overpaid, third line center.

I would be surprised if you told me

has more than 1 goal this season on that play. 

last year it was money. 
 

this is the kind of thing that makes no sense to me.. how do you suddenly

lose The ability to do this. 

[Abe Froman]

Stevie Wonder can see his one-timer coming. 

[Br4d]

1 hour ago, siddious said:

I would be surprised if you told me

has more than 1 goal this season on that play. 

last year it was money. 
 

this is the kind of thing that makes no sense to me.. how do you suddenly

lose The ability to do this. 

 

You age a year after 30 and your reflexes and hand-eye coordination degrade in the process.

 

Whatever happens in the next few games won't change the fact that the Rangers vets are over 30 and on the downside at this point.  Kreider is kind of a unique player but all the other over-30's are likely to be worse next year than they were this year.  Some of them were worse this year than they were last year.

 

It's just the way human physiology works.

 

I was running 3 miles a day at 29 and I was retired from running permanently with shin splints at 32.

[Mistercosmic]

I wouldn't mind the lack of production if Mika would at least play like the Selke candidate, that some wish to recognize in him. Unfortunately, he is currently far from being as good as a center like Barkov. But probably it's too late for experiments on the so-called first line including bromance + whoever on the right side. 

[siddious]

Fuck I dunno why it keeps uploading so small but lmao