I don't want Zucc's to go down and the team to revert back to having way too many "jam" players. Zucc down? Call up a skill guy to take a skill guys spot. Square peg into a square hole.
Just atrocious. This team WON'T compete in the playoffs if they play like this. Its been a tale of two seasons- pre-all star break and post-all star break. We don't look like a top team very often since the end of the ASB.
Agreed. Go back and watch games played from November-2nd week of February and the team then is nothing like the team since then. That team consistently outworked the other team, continually played a smart, intelligent brand of hockey that limited mistakes...and also received great goaltending. We see a team like that once in awhile now. The norm now is to see mistakes made all over the ice and a team that gets outworked quite often. I look at that Chicago game at home as almost a turning point. That 4 goal 1st period we allowed, I remember it shocking me because it was so rare to see defensive breakdowns like that. This team just DIDNT make mistakes like that. Since then, mistakes like that have been very common.
I know all of us get mad about the offense...but in reality, the offense is the same as its been all year. We notice it much more now because our defense/goaltending has dropped off and isnt winning us games the way it was before.
This isnt a team that will score many goals. So when idiot Mitchell makes glaring mistakes, they cost us wins...while a team like the Pens can get by with those types of mistakes because their offense will make up for it. Those mistakes that Mitchell made tonight--we werent making those the first 50-60 games.
I don't want Zucc's to go down and the team to revert back to having way too many "jam" players. Zucc down? Call up a skill guy to take a skill guys spot. Square peg into a square hole.
Wellman has 4 goals in 41 career games. Not exactly a "skill guy".
I've been done with Mitchel for about 2 months now.
Stepan is fighting to figuure out what his role is. I dont blame him for too much in just his second year.
Fair enough. Still, he has to get it together. The playoffs will be very telling for him. Had a nice first half to the season and then some after the halfway mark. After that, last 15 games or so, he has really been off the mark. His passes aren't crisp, his shot isn't good (these aren't to say these were good beforehand but they were working), and his skating is horrible. He also has no strength. These add up to many bad factors.
I think Stepan will be a consistent 50 pt player in this league when all is said and done. But Steps is average at every category instead of excelling at one or two like most players. He's not a good skater, not a great defensive player, not a great offensive player and has no strength. Gets knocked off the puck way too easily, like Anisimov.
Torts and Sather have a big decision to make. Lots of hockey in a short span heading into round 1. Lundqvist looks terrible and has been since the Tampa game.
Do they acquiesce 1st place, cut down on minutes and give Biron more time?
9 games in 15.5 days including tonight. Playoffs begin on the 11th.
He has had plenty of rest, you can't sit him anymore. He plays until the end imo. You got to hope he finds his grove, resting him won't do it. Knowing Hank, he will find it shortly.
Agreed. Go back and watch games played from November-2nd week of February and the team then is nothing like the team since then. That team consistently outworked the other team, continually played a smart, intelligent brand of hockey that limited mistakes...and also received great goaltending. We see a team like that once in awhile now. The norm now is to see mistakes made all over the ice and a team that gets outworked quite often. I look at that Chicago game at home as almost a turning point. That 4 goal 1st period we allowed, I remember it shocking me because it was so rare to see defensive breakdowns like that. This team just DIDNT make mistakes like that. Since then, mistakes like that have been very common.
I know all of us get mad about the offense...but in reality, the offense is the same as its been all year. We notice it much more now because our defense/goaltending has dropped off and isnt winning us games the way it was before.
This isnt a team that will score many goals. So when idiot Mitchell makes glaring mistakes, they cost us wins...while a team like the Pens can get by with those types of mistakes because their offense will make up for it. Those mistakes that Mitchell made tonight--we werent making those the first 50-60 games.
Ya know, I have to single out this post, and especially the bolded parts, because the way these boards work--posters with little amounts of posts or new memberships are way too often overlooked (with some reason I might add), but this is spot on and an intelligent hockey post and made me re-think a few (just a few! ) of my own thoughts of this team.
Wellman has 4 goals in 41 career games. Not exactly a "skill guy".
This season when he played more than 15 minutes a game (3 games, so a very small sample) he recorded 1 goal and 3 assists. Given the right ice time and linemates, I think he could be effective.
I'd rather see him up here than Deveaux/Newbury and I think Mitchell needs a visit to the doghouse. Leaving Wellman, to me, as the best option for a call up.
But I don't see the Rangers burning another one, only 2 left. So we'll see Mitchell and Fedotenko in the lineup tomorrow night I'm sure.
Why the last 19 games? I'm not understanding some of these measurements of our play. Seems like half of them are random, arbitrary numbers.
It is a random fact but it is indeed still a fact. No matter how farfetched or random it may seem, he didn't get the number from nowhere, though it can be misleading.
Sup dudes, good game. I don't see how some of your fans can blame Lundqvist. Score could've been many times worse if he didn't make some key saves. Anyways, good luck in the rest of the season, I'm just glad Callahan didn't crush us again this game.
Ya know, I have to single out this post, and especially the bolded parts, because the way these boards work--posters with little amounts of posts or new memberships are way too often overlooked (with some reason I might add), but this is spot on and an intelligent hockey post and made me re-think a few (just a few! ) of my own thoughts of this team.
100% accurate IMO.
Thanks...I'm sure some will see it as negativity but I just try to keep it real. I call it as I see it. 19 games is a big enough sample size IMO to say its a good indicator of what this team really is based on how they current play i.e defensive breakdowns, average goaltending.
The question is...was the first 50-60 games of lockdown defense just a case of them playing above their heads? I'm starting to believe it is. I can rationalize a slump, but 19 games is too big to be a slump.
It is a random fact but it is indeed still a fact. No matter how farfetched or random it may seem, he didn't get the number from nowhere, though it can be misleading.
In this case I don't think it's misleading.
Well how about this fact, this team is 46-21-7 in its last 74 games. We've hit a bit of a rough stretch. It happens.
Well how about this fact, this team is 46-21-7 in its last 74 games. We've hit a bit of a rough stretch. It happens.
Here's why I dont think its just a rough stretch....the weaknesses we see in this team's game now are the weaknesses we saw in this team prior to the start of the season. Let me ask you this; what were your expectations of this team this year? what did you feel were their weaknesses?
I saw them as a team that was probably somewhere between a 5-8 seed. A team that lacked offensive talent w/a defense with alot of upside but still flawed. Those two things would keep them away from being a top team.
When we were playing so well the first 50-60 games...were you surprised? I know I was. I was surprised and impressed with how the defense was playing, and how good of a mistake free style the team was playing as a whole. Again keyword...SURPRISE. A part of me felt we were playing above our heads, but I admit another part of me got sucked in and was saying "wow, maybe we really are THIS good! if we can keep playing like this, we really are elite!"
Look at the team now....arent the same weaknesses in the team we see now i.e lack of offensive depth, inconsistent defense the same weaknesses we saw in the roster before the season started? IMO it is. This isnt the case of a super talented team thats underachieving or slumping badly. IMO its a case of this team just being what they really are. The mistake free style has dissapeared. We're not outworking teams the way we did early on.
first time I have ever rooted for a opposing team of the Rangers. I was at the Caps game, and I absolutely despise the Capitals, so I'm hoping they don't make the playoffs.
To be fair, both Lundqvist and Jagr were injured in that playoff series. Out the window went the Rangers best offensive threat and their best goalie.
But the injury to Jagr happened in the series.
The collapse prior to that postseason was depressing as hell.
I don't quite have that same feeling yet, but with games like this it's hard to supress them right now.
The entire defense played like **** vs. Buffalo. When Erixon is your best D-man in a game vs. a playoff-calibre team, that's not generally a good sign.
And with Mitchell, we knew a game like this was coming. He's been handling the puck like a grenade since January. If it weren't for MZA getting injured, I'd think Tortorella would easily scratch him next game.
I've said it a couple of times, the Rangers are like a rabbit horse, fading at the top of the stretch. Just don't have enough finishers, so they make every goaltender look all world. This game could easily have gone the other way - remember, it was 2-1, Rangers completely dominating, Gaborik missed a tap-in, there was (another) 2 on 1, and, presto, game over.
Lundquist was excellent in the first two periods.
Also, I think Bickel has looked almost like an NHLer in the last few games.
Where to ****ing begin. I hope Mitchell never sees another game with the Rangers. He's been awful for awhile now. Plays like a lot of kids I used to do travel hockey with, over stick-handles, never makes the right play. He just looks like a teenager.
Lundqvist didn't give us a chance to win. He wasn't awful, but Miller routinely was making the shot-saves. Hanks got to be better.
Stupidity around every corner. Players skating around with tunnel vision, chipping it off the boards carlessly, shooting with no concern for how many players are back. I'd like to see some sort of hockey IQ test performed on the Rangers, let's just say they lack it more then most teams.
And finally poor Zuccarello was looking great, and I was thrilled to have him on the team, and he fractures his wrist. I feel bad for him.
Tim Erixon had an outstanding game though, so did Bickel.
Interesting to watch the mood swings on here, to say the least.
__________________
"Here we can see the agression of american people. They love fighting and guns. when they wont win they try to kill us all." -HalfOfFame
Whats depressing is the fact that this team is stumbling into the playoffs and about to face either buffalo or washington in round 1.
Can we say first round exit? Beacuse i dont want to face either of those teams right now.
This team has one huge flaw that seperates it from the others in the cup hunt..........our powerplay is completely non existant.......and that is going to cost us everything.......period.
Boston had an abysmal powerplay in the playoffs last year.
Boston had an abysmal powerplay in the playoffs last year.
Aberration.
They were also top five in scoring 5v5. More often than not, if you can't have a decent PP, you aint tasting Stanley pie.
Bear in the mind, Tampa Bay was not a very good team last season. Yet they had the hottest PP in the playoffs, lead them to the ECF where they went seven games with Boston.
If our PP can't even be middling, we certainly won't make it to the SCF.
They were also top five in scoring 5v5. More often than not, if you can't have a decent PP, you aint tasting Stanley pie.
Bear in the mind, Tampa Bay was not a very good team last season. Yet they had the hottest PP in the playoffs, lead them to the ECF where they went seven games with Boston.
If our PP can't even be middling, we certainly won't make it to the SCF.
I agree. Boston was so damn good 5on5 in those playoffs. None of their forwards on paper seem like elite talent, but they kept on scoring and preventing chances against. We're going to need all our lines to click in the playoffs if we want to make a run for it.
) of my own thoughts of this team. 
