how about we try this. we tell gaborik to pick his play the **** up.
why do we need dubi to help gaby play better.
my god, reading stuff like playing capt snoozy with gaby
this guy needs to get it together. he says he healthy. he needs to man up and start producing.
he needs to stop playing the wrong side on the pp.
he needs to get back to shooting off the pass.
he needs to get back in the kill zone where his shot is lethal.
he needs to stop being a distributer and start shooting the puck like a sniper.
he needs to stop going behind the net with the puck.
he needs to start finding those seams again.
he needs to start cherry picking more like he did last year.
heres what i tell him.
skate. shoot. rinse repeat.
and for gods sake, score a pp goal pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.
I would guess the coaching staff is a bit worried about the defensive coverage with a line like that. Two offensive-minded rookies (one of them at a disadvantage physically) paired with a natural sniper sounds a bit flaky in the defensive zone. Just saying.
When Callahan comes back, he replaces Zuccarello who is bumped into the 4th but still getting PP time. Yes, the Gaborik line still might be a bit questionable defensively but you could always switch Dubinsky/Wolski or even Fedotenko to mix things up if needed.
Nope.
Thre two couples that need to stay together - MZA-Stepan and Boyle-Prust. If Callahan's back, thn also Callahan-Dubinsky.
Dubi should stay on the wing.
Centers are Anisimov, Stepan, Boyle, Drury, Christensen, Prospal (if he's back - which would help A LOT) + possibly anybody from minors on the fourth line.
Gaborik has to help himself. He is not shooting the puck. He is not hunting down loose pucks. When Gaborik does have an excellent scoring chance,he can't finish. Dubinsky and Gaborik didn't click last season. Why would they click this season? Dubinsky centered Jagr because Jammy Jagr had zero chemistry with Gomez and Drury. It's not like Jagr flourished playing with Dubinsky. After Nylander left,Dubinsky became Jagr's center by default. Dubinsky is better on the wing than at center. Uncle Larry wrote Jagr would thrive playing with Gomez. They were a terrible match. Gomez wanted to go while Jagr preferred Nylander's slow it down approach. Fast break and take the shot before 10 seconds was left on the shot clock versus run the half court offense and run a play with 8 seconds left. Gaborik clicked playing with Prospal but Vinny may never play another NHL game again.
You can make the same argument about half the other teams in playoff position in the east. Boston.Montreal.Atlanta and TB. Carolina is 7-2-2 in their last 11 and they are still 3 points out of 8th. They have games in hand on the teams above them but they need to win those games. They got blown out in one of the games in hand yesterday. Cam Ward has some kind of an injury suffered in the Ranger game two weeks ago. Back injury? Ward was pulled yesterday. Justin Peters has started some games since Ward got banged up.
Absolutely. Too many excuses about needing "a number 1 center to pass him the puck." Same thing when Jagr was here and Gomez wasn't good enough for his greatness. So everyone points the finger at Gomez. It's time for some of these so called "super stars" to look in the mirror and adjust to what (or actually who) they have around them. For instance, if he cannot score because Stepan is centering his line, maybe the problem is Gaborik, and not vice versa.
He might need to be on a line with guys who could help create more space for him (after all, he did score goals in Minnesota with Voros playing LW).
Essentially, that's what it comes down too. Zuccarello, Stepan, and Dubinsky all, are more than capable of passing the puck. The problem is execution. So it may not matter if one of Brad Richards, Niklas Backstrom, Joe Thorton, H. Sedin..etc is brought in . Gaborik needs time and space. So maybe Dubinsky + Prust? or Boyle + Prust? Players who really grind and are hard on the fore check (Cally when he comes back?).
The one thing I don't want Sather doing is giving up assets to acquire someone out side of the organization. Been there, done that.
I hear it all the time...."our prospects may develop" or "the key word is if they develop." At the same time, how do we know a player like Richards will provide the answers to Gaborik's problems and much more importantly, the problems with the team as a whole. People want to trade Anisimov and he hasn't even finished his second season in the NHL yet!! By showing confidence in the kid, letting him know he's going to stick around (as long as he busts it) could pay off in the long run when he's scoring 25-30+ goals a year, every year, for many years.
Last edited by gravytrain6t: 01-18-2011 at 05:05 PM.
My assessment is based on what we have seen, not on what we may still see later this season. I am not declaring Gaborik's season a disaster but to say his season to date isn't a disaster is just wrong.
If he snaps out fine, but indicators so far are almost scary as to where this situation is headed.
We all understand where this could go. It could always get much worse than it is. This is the Rangers after all I'm simply choosing to focus on the positive first. Let's cross the other bridge when we get to it.
I predicted 25 goals and was attacked just not so long ago. It is far from disaster. Or... is it?
Well it's far from optimum in terms of where Gaborick's performance should be.
With 35 games left I'd be ecstatic if he could pull his head out and score 20 or so goals. That's being a difference maker and probably wins us at least 1 of the 3 games we dropped last week. That's the kind of production a pedigree and contract like Gaborick's demands.
Bad idea, you don't screw with what is working just fine, that being Dubi on the wing.
I'd be all for giving Zucca-Step-Gaborik a shot again, Zucca&Step has great chemistry and whoever ends up on their side has been doin fine, Wolski&Dubi. Gabo has been on that line before, but that was in the beginning and it seems like Zucca has taken his game to the next level. So maybe its time to hook up him and Stepan with Gaby?
how about we try this. we tell gaborik to pick his play the **** up.
why do we need dubi to help gaby play better.
my god, reading stuff like playing capt snoozy with gaby
this guy needs to get it together. he says he healthy. he needs to man up and start producing.
he needs to stop playing the wrong side on the pp.
he needs to get back to shooting off the pass.
he needs to get back in the kill zone where his shot is lethal.
he needs to stop being a distributer and start shooting the puck like a sniper.
he needs to stop going behind the net with the puck.
he needs to start finding those seams again.
he needs to start cherry picking more like he did last year.
heres what i tell him.
skate. shoot. rinse repeat.
and for gods sake, score a pp goal pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.
Quote:
how about we try this. we tell gaborik to pick his play the **** up.
exactly!
Quote:
he needs to stop playing the wrong side on the pp.
he needs to get back to shooting off the pass.
he needs to get back in the kill zone where his shot is lethal.
he needs to stop being a distributer and start shooting the puck like a sniper.
he needs to stop going behind the net with the puck.
he needs to start finding those seams again.
he needs to start cherry picking more like he did last year.
When you're not scoring, I hear announcers from around the league say that. "Shoot the puck (from all angles), keep your feet moving, get to the net, and look for loose pucks."
Probably most importantly, "get your ass back and play defense in your own zone." Coming back on "D" helps break up plays and leads to scoring chances off the transition. I think the Rangers need more speed. Look at how much better their pk was when they had guys like Sjostrom, Callahan (can motor), Dominic Moore, Korpikoski, and Gomez in the lineup. Betts is good, but more so at face offs and blocking shots.
Montreal is a great example. We haven't been able to beat them because they force us into making mistakes, leading to turnovers. We chase them around all game and take penalties. For them, it is not about obtaining "elite talent." It's about "what can you do to help contribute to our team's concept because this is the way WE want to play and win hockey games." That's why Tommy Pyatt is in the lineup. If he was still Rangers property, people would complain that he sucks and doesn't have elite talent. Elite talent means #### if your team has no identity and no chemistry.
N.J. of all teams should have known this before signing Kovalchuk (who's style of play is no where near indicative of what the Devils TEAM GAME has been notorious for the past 20 years). Surprising, coming from one of the greatest hockey minds (Lou Lamoriello) in the sport's history.
I think its only a matter of time before Dubi plays with Gaborik at the rate things are going. I would like to see Gaborik-Dubi-Avery as a line i think that could push all three players. I like Stepan on the second line as i dont think he is ready to center the 1st line yet even though he may in the future. I also like Anisimov as a 3rd line center as i dont see any chemistry with him and Gaborik. Why cant people realize that he is still playing with a sensitive shoulder. Its simple if he over-extends himself and plays hard he will get hurt and be out because as we knew when we signed him HE IS FRAGILE! (means he get hurt a lot), not everyone is the same. So the real question 1. Do we want him playing at 70% because of the shoulder issue and cautiousness he plays with or 2) Want him to go all out and prob get hurt in no time at all.
I'm simply choosing to focus on the positive first. Let's cross the other bridge when we get to it.
