Ryan McDonagh/Dan Girardi or Marc Staal/Dan Girardi

[Sick Rash]

What do you think is the better pairing going forward? Prior to this year, some said that Staal/Girardi was the best defensive pairing in the NHL. This year, McDonagh has taken the ball and run with it and has proven that he can play on the top defensive pairing.


So what do you think? Which was/is the better pairing: Staal/Girardi of years past or McDonagh/Girardi this year?

[BlueshirtBlitz]

I think Danny and McD have been pretty average for a while now. They need to step back up...the minutes probably got to them and they're burnt out.

When Marc is healthy he's definitely our best d-man.

[SlingshotVv]

McD - Girardi this season.

Next season after a full off-season of working out again, skating, and a full camp, Staal will be back on the top pairing, and I don't think anyone is going to think otherwise by October.

[NYRKING30]

Originally Posted by SlingshotVv

McD - Girardi this season.

Next season after a full off-season of working out again, skating, and a full camp, Staal will be back on the top pairing, and I don't think anyone is going to think otherwise by October.

if staal steps up and keeps improving his play during the stretch run feels fine mentally and physically, i think hell be right back on the top pairing in the playoffs. regardless i dont know if i see torts using him on the 3rd pair in the playoffs.

[Sick Rash]

I think it's time to reunite the two and pair McDonagh with Stralman

[Fitzy]

Staal-Girardi as a pairing lacks mobility. It was a good pairing but when Staal pinched it created all kinds of problems.

Marc is better off paired with Eminger moving forward. Just need to get Eminger playing well again.

[Riche16]

I was at the game... McD was terrible. He's an amazing Dman. But tonight... Christ. Horrible

[Florida Ranger]

Originally Posted by Riche16

I was at the game... McD was terrible. He's an amazing Dman. But tonight... Christ. Horrible

Wouldn't box out in front

[Jabroni1994]

Originally Posted by Rad Brichards

I think it's time to reunite the two and pair McDonagh with Stralman

I have The Great One in my avatar too.

I just can't until Erixon plays for us (hopefully next year).

A top 4 of Staal, Girardi, McDonagh and Erixon will be great.

[Kershaw]

Both have been good, but McDonagh-Girardi has been better than the Staal pairing. Perhaps the top shutdown defense pairing in the league.

[Jonathan.]

Erixon should be on the team right now. He's better than garbage like Woywitka. We have PLENTY of cap space.

[SupersonicMonkey*]

I think they're concerned about Erixon's ability to handle the physical game, for now.

There's no denying his talent. But his body needs to fill out a little.

That said...id prefer a young player like him making mistakes, than a depth veteran making the same mistakes.

[Noonan25]

How about Staal and Mcdonagh

Pair 1- Staal and McDonagh
Pair 2- Girardi and Del Zotto
Pair 3- sauer and Erixon

[SupersonicMonkey*]

Staal and McDonagh is Lefty Lefty. It obviously matters to Tortorella to an extent. For the first pairing.

McDonagh-Girardi is fine.

Staal's minutes still need to be sheltered. He isn't in the right kind of shape yet like he was before the concussion last season.

Del Zotto can't come back soon enough metaphorically speaking. He needs to heal up 100%. But we NEED him in the lineup.

[lbrowne]

Man, finally McDonagh has hit somewhat of a lil wall. I say little because I don't think it'll last long.

This is his first real full season on top minutes and I can't believe how well he stepped up. He has to run out of gas at some point. Give him some rest. Start pushin Staal into some minutes and situations even more.

[jniklast]

McD-Girardi for this season at least. They had one bad game, but overall I thought they were more consistant and maybe even better (hard to say, the whole team looks better this year) than the Staal-Girardi pairing in the past.

Come playoff time I think Staal should be ready to play 20 minutes on the 2nd pairing though.

[Vitto79]

At this time I would say stick with McD and Girardi. Next yr revisit

I see why people want to bring up Erixon but the plan is to have him develop in CT which he is doing. If DZ was out a month then I bring up Erixon. Since I think it will be day to day you have to just play the Bicke, Eminger, Woywika types

[Guess What]

Im a homer for staal...so

[JayQueensNY88*]

I think u leave whatever is working at the moment.If that answers your question.

[JayQueensNY88*]

Originally Posted by Jabroni1994

I have The Great One in my avatar too.

I just can't until Erixon plays for us (hopefully next year).

A top 4 of Staal, Girardi, McDonagh and Erixon will be great.

you are nof really putting Erixon in place of DelZotto are you?? You mean ,if anything ,DZ-McDonagh & Staal-Girardi & Erixo-Eminger...
gets no better than that...

[emodwarf]

Originally Posted by jay8899

you are nof really putting Erixon in place of DelZotto are you?? You mean ,if anything ,DZ-McDonagh & Staal-Girardi & Erixo-Eminger...
gets no better than that...

Replace Eminger with Sauer and it definitely get better than that (talking about next year when Sauer is healthy).

That way we'd have a big strong feisty top 4 Dman to help shelter Erixon a bit while he ramps up to the more physical NHL.

I can't wait until Sauer is back. Imagine what our points lead could be like if Phaneuf hadn't popped him.

[jniklast]

Originally Posted by emodwarf

Replace Eminger with Sauer and it definitely get better than that (talking about next year when Sauer is healthy).

That way we'd have a big strong feisty top 4 Dman to help shelter Erixon a bit while he ramps up to the more physical NHL.

I can't wait until Sauer is back. Imagine what our points lead could be like if Phaneuf hadn't popped him.

Sauer is a good defenseman, but I don't think we'd have more points. Most games we lost points in it was our offense that struggled. And Stralman has really stepped it up in our top 4 replacing Sauer very well.

[TheRedressor]

Torts should mimic the big 3 method which Bob Hartley implemented in 2001 with the Avs.

There was never a situation where one of Bourque, Blake or Foote weren't on the ice. If my memory serves me the even strength pairings were

Bourque-Klemm
Blake-Skoula
Foote-de Vries.

As the game tightened up it was usually Bourque eating up the most minutes alternating shifts with Foote and Blake as well as Klemm to a lesser extent. Staal can be this teams Bourque and eat up that ice time

[Jabroni1994]

Originally Posted by jay8899

you are nof really putting Erixon in place of DelZotto are you?? You mean ,if anything ,DZ-McDonagh & Staal-Girardi & Erixo-Eminger...
gets no better than that...

I should've been more clear.

For next year, Erixon would be a bottom-pair defenseman.

However, from everything I've read on here, he has the capability to be one of our best D-men, so him eventually being in the top-4 is not a stretch by any means.

[msv957]

Originally Posted by TheRedressor

Torts should mimic the big 3 method which Bob Hartley implemented in 2001 with the Avs.

There was never a situation where one of Bourque, Blake or Foote weren't on the ice. If my memory serves me the even strength pairings were

Bourque-Klemm
Blake-Skoula
Foote-de Vries.

As the game tightened up it was usually Bourque eating up the most minutes alternating shifts with Foote and Blake as well as Klemm to a lesser extent. Staal can be this teams Bourque and eat up that ice time

Interesting thought but I think Girardi is every bit as good to be in this rotation.

Is there a better defense than what this Ranger team has? Wow... Girardi, McD, Staal, MDZ