Most of these playoffs have been, aside from the rare game here and there.
I've gotta agree. We KNOW this team is capable of putting in better performances than this, but honestly, I haven't seen one since March.
What scares me most is.....it's the Devils. You shouldn't have to be smacked in the head to get up for a game against your biggest rival. It should be 60 minutes of hate-fueled effort just the way it would be in preseason.
Maybe the key players are just gassed at this point. It's been 9 forward and 5 d-men for the better part of 2 months now with games almost every other day. It seems obvious that one of teams out there doesn't have the legs for full throttle hockey all night long.
The Devils aren't the team they were in the regular season. DeBoer made an adjustment and they're more aggressive on the forecheck than ever before. Not only that, they have a goalie that can handle the puck incredibly well in Brodeur. This dump and chase style mentality will not work against the Devs. Tortorella MUST make an adjustment before the series is lost. Otherwise we'll be stuck scoring one or two goals every night.
I went to the viewing party and it was really difficult to follow the game (who was on the ice, who did what). I learned that I probably need to get my eyesight checked. Regardless, it was an extremely poor effort. After a while, I was huddled into a cringing position.
On a lighter note, I still want to know why the Devils come out for postgame interviews in their undergarments. It's so awkward.
1. The lack of effort to begin games is disturbing to say the least. I don't buy that they're tired...they seem to get 'less tired' as the game goes along. In games 3-4 of the Eastern Conference finals Tortorella should not have to call time out halfway thru every game to get them to play hard.
2. Del Zotto was positively dreadful. You can't play a worse game than he did last night. Because of his Grandmother? Who knows...Del Zotto doesn't even know. But he can't go all Wade Redden on us at the biggest part of the season.
3. The Devils just look faster and hungrier than we do. Not saying they ARE faster and hungier, saying they LOOK faster and hungrier.
Glass Half full:
1. We are tied 2-2, with two of the next three at home. We've been there before, we've succeeded, and we can do it again.
2. We have Henrik. Obviously he cannot be as ridiculous as he was in game three every game, but if he can win one more game all by himself, perhaps the team can win another one as well. And they have Brodeur. He's already let in some soft goals this series.
3. The power play is working....at least it's a few levels above horrible. Hank and a power play can be the difference.
Relax bro, we are tied 2-2. We aren't dead yet we still have a chance to make things right, and it starts with putting this one behind us and winning game 5 at home. We know what we need to do to beat this team, we shut them out twice and we can do it again, just gotta play hard damn it and not let up.It seems like the team that came out with the more aggressive forecheck won the game in every game this series, we just have to come out banging full of energy, hell drink a few 5 hour energys if they need to.
Hey Bro, pretty relaxed here. I didn't say we are done, but this team is worn down and tired. Torts stopped playing all of our big minute guys after the game was out of reach to rest them. All the 5 hour energy in the world won't matter, it is pretty easy to say from a computer screen these guys need to come out with more energy and go hard, but we have no idea just how hurt and worn down they really are. Have you seen Girardi's face... can you imagine what the rest of him looks like! There is a reason 2 of our best players are Staal and Kreider, they haven't been overplayed for 82 games plus the playoffs.
2. We have Henrik. Obviously he cannot be as ridiculous as he was in game three every game, but if he can win one more game all by himself, perhaps the team can win another one as well. And they have Brodeur. He's already let in some soft goals this series.
This is basically my hope. Besides last game Hank has looked significantly better than Brodeur, and even than the one goal we scored was awful. Hank is leagues better than Marty right now and if he can weather the storm in the first period for the rest of the series, I see our guys getting to Marty first.
The Rangers are a young team and the killer instict to close out series is something that is learned through experience. They are learning it on the go for future reference.
This team is tired not just from playing the most this play-offs with two 7 game series and the triple over-time game, but also as a carryover from playing the most than anyone since since early February.
The Devils were more desperate team yesterday, but tomorrow - I expect more urgency and desperation from everyone on this team.
Either tomorrow or the game after Dubinsky is going to be back and have some fresh legs. Prust is going to be back more rested after missing last night's game. We might have an outside chance to have Zuke in the line up providing more skills.
The King is going to be back in his castle for the next game where everyone worships him - expect another outworldly (reference to the aliens theme) performance from His Grace.
So in summary - still expect the Rangers to win the series.
Just enjoy the series being close. Makes it exciting. I cherish my teams' titles they really fought hard to win.
Think about it - the 1994 team was one of the most powerful single-season teams of the modern era, they played a 7th seed in the SCF, and might have come a post away from blowing it all.
The team is fine. They're young. This whole postseason has been a learning experince. The Devils are a veteran squad.
i think we see dubi and zuke in the lineup tomorrow night, we need fresh legs...i'd be up for a line even if they just take one shift or 2 of zuke-dubi-kreids, 2 well rested players...dubi to do the grunt work in the corner getting the puck to zuke makes insane pass/passes to kreider that has gotten open, but somehow the pass/passes get through the devils d and kreids roofs it...i think it could work, be a real up tempo fast line that should keep control of the puck
mitchell and then either rupp/feds/anisimov...anisimov has been flat lately this series, rupp and feds both have had agreat sucess in the playoffs before and should be in the lineup for that reason, so i think it would do anisimov some good to sit
Arty has been okay as has Mitchell... I think Rupp needs to sit even though I was hoping he'd be big for us this series and at the very least do more than just win us the one game all season...
I went to the viewing party and it was really difficult to follow the game (who was on the ice, who did what). I learned that I probably need to get my eyesight checked. Regardless, it was an extremely poor effort. After a while, I was huddled into a cringing position.
On a lighter note, I still want to know why the Devils come out for postgame interviews in their undergarments. It's so awkward.
Ok, I didn't know where else to post this, but I feel like this is a good place to do it.
I was leaving work today (72nd & Columbus) and I had a truly, awful day. Especially after last nights loss, combined with this s*** day I had, I was walking to the subway (columbus circle) and I was just bummed out, walking to the train. Right about the time that I was getting to the subway, I see a giant man with a great goatee, Brian freakin' Boyle! At the moment I saw him I didn't even look to see who was with him, when I greeted them I realized it was none other than our Artem freakin' Anisimov! I felt like a *********** child ! I could not have been happier that this was the end to my day, We shook hands, I told them I watch every second of every game and I wished them the best of luck for tomorrow. Great, crazy experience. And let me tell all of you something, those two boys looked FOCUSED, no bs. I f'ng believe. This was a sign! L G R
