PlamsUnlimited
Big Church Bells
Eh. Cut this toughness out.... Steve Ott probably isn't moving from Buffalo. He's one they likely re sign
Are the Rangers Good or just Hot
- Thread starter free0717
- Start date
Eh. Cut this toughness out.... Steve Ott probably isn't moving from Buffalo. He's one they likely re sign
pld459666
Registered User
I'm skeptical of the following guys:
Hagelin - I like him....alot. But he vanish's for longer stretches than I would like. I think he can be a very solid 3rd liner.
Pouliot - He seems to mesh very well with Zuccs and Brass. I just look at the body of work and think, I wish we had someone that really could score (40+ pts) for that LW spot.
Shooter from the Point
the team as a whole are forcing me to eat some crow as I did not think that we could get from them that we are seeing in terms of playing a quick transition game while slowing the game down.
By that I mean moving quickly but not forcing passes. Soft touch to a pass allowing your teammate a better chance to take the pass.
Zuccs is a good example of that. He's fast, but in terms of doing what he wants to do with the puck he seems ot slow the game down and make things happen.
It's an odd dynamic that when you can get a good grasp of, it really make you a dangerous team
Hagelin - I like him....alot. But he vanish's for longer stretches than I would like. I think he can be a very solid 3rd liner.
Pouliot - He seems to mesh very well with Zuccs and Brass. I just look at the body of work and think, I wish we had someone that really could score (40+ pts) for that LW spot.
Shooter from the Point
the team as a whole are forcing me to eat some crow as I did not think that we could get from them that we are seeing in terms of playing a quick transition game while slowing the game down.
By that I mean moving quickly but not forcing passes. Soft touch to a pass allowing your teammate a better chance to take the pass.
Zuccs is a good example of that. He's fast, but in terms of doing what he wants to do with the puck he seems ot slow the game down and make things happen.
It's an odd dynamic that when you can get a good grasp of, it really make you a dangerous team
beef 4 lunch
Registered User
- Jan 24, 2011
- 239
- 0
Team needs a top end LW and center as well as points from the back end.
They are def on a roll. If you can time a hot streak correctly a team can go a long way. We may have peaked too soon tho. Messing with chemistry at this point can be dangerous.
They are def on a roll. If you can time a hot streak correctly a team can go a long way. We may have peaked too soon tho. Messing with chemistry at this point can be dangerous.
mas0764
Registered User
- Jul 16, 2005
- 13,832
- 11,203
I'm also gonna say "both." I think they struggled early on, right now they are hot, and it's put them back into the conversation as to where they should have been all along.
Though I still think they have a handful of players underperforming and therefore can be even better than the 4/5 seed they are now.
Nash got real hot, cooled off, but if he can get hot again, and the rest of the first line actually starts putting up points (Stepan and Kreider), the team will be even better.
Though I still think they have a handful of players underperforming and therefore can be even better than the 4/5 seed they are now.
Nash got real hot, cooled off, but if he can get hot again, and the rest of the first line actually starts putting up points (Stepan and Kreider), the team will be even better.
Slick Rick 61
Registered User
- Jul 11, 2007
- 435
- 0
I'm with everyone else in the "both" camp. Still think only Pittsburgh and Boston are clearly superior in the East. I think the Rangers are a lower-end, but definite top 10 team.
Blue Seat Spartan
Permanent Vacation
Rangers are definitely BOTH good and hot. Sure, they may not be the favorites to win the Stanley Cup on the 20th anniversary season of their previous triumph, but the Rangers are good enough to do some damage in the Eastern Conference. We have a dominant power forward in Rick Nash who has found his game and an emerging Chris Kreider. Despite the lack of a top line center and/or winger to create a dedicated scoring line, the Rangers have compensated for that with balance and depth through four lines and three defense pairs. With that setup, the Rangers are ripe for hot streaks at any time depending on who's contributing on the score sheet.
I like most that the Rangers have a middle six than is capable of two way play and scoring when needed, Brad Richards notwithstanding. Hagelin and Callahan on the same line provide great backchecking effort to balance the puckhandling wizardry of the Pouliot-Brassard-Zuccarello trio. In essence, the Rangers have interchangeable parts in the middle six, who can adapt their roles based on opponents or game situations. Personally, I'd like to see a Hagelin-Stepan-Callahan trio once again, even if it means Richards has to play on the top line. That trio has had good chemistry in the past, and they can be used as a checking unit or a quick strike band of forecheckers who can sustain pressure in the offensive zone.
The fourth line that the Rangers are throwing out in Boyle-Moore-Carcillo is the best we've seen since the HMO in 2005-06; guess what they have in common: Dominic Moore is the glue that held the past and current lines together and he is deserving of a contract extension. Plus you can integrate the likes of Jesper Fast, Marek Hrivik, and Oscar Lindberg with Moore in the event that Boyle and Carcillo are not retained.
Finally our most pressing need is forming a legitimate first line. While Kreider can crash the corners and the slot a la Kevin Stevens/John Leclair, Rick Nash lugs the puck with authority... Stepan doesn't have the foot speed to anchor the top line, which leaves a declining Brad Richards whose passes no longer find their mark as in his prime years.
So the Rangers have to contend with a donut first line. But, everything else has gelled together to create a team that can play beyond their normal abilities come playoff time.
I like most that the Rangers have a middle six than is capable of two way play and scoring when needed, Brad Richards notwithstanding. Hagelin and Callahan on the same line provide great backchecking effort to balance the puckhandling wizardry of the Pouliot-Brassard-Zuccarello trio. In essence, the Rangers have interchangeable parts in the middle six, who can adapt their roles based on opponents or game situations. Personally, I'd like to see a Hagelin-Stepan-Callahan trio once again, even if it means Richards has to play on the top line. That trio has had good chemistry in the past, and they can be used as a checking unit or a quick strike band of forecheckers who can sustain pressure in the offensive zone.
The fourth line that the Rangers are throwing out in Boyle-Moore-Carcillo is the best we've seen since the HMO in 2005-06; guess what they have in common: Dominic Moore is the glue that held the past and current lines together and he is deserving of a contract extension. Plus you can integrate the likes of Jesper Fast, Marek Hrivik, and Oscar Lindberg with Moore in the event that Boyle and Carcillo are not retained.
Finally our most pressing need is forming a legitimate first line. While Kreider can crash the corners and the slot a la Kevin Stevens/John Leclair, Rick Nash lugs the puck with authority... Stepan doesn't have the foot speed to anchor the top line, which leaves a declining Brad Richards whose passes no longer find their mark as in his prime years.
So the Rangers have to contend with a donut first line. But, everything else has gelled together to create a team that can play beyond their normal abilities come playoff time.
They are a deep team. The deepest I've ever seen them, it just took time for everyone to figure out their roles, and fill the line up and learn the system. Biggest strength is that the depth allows them to outclass teams from a match up standpoint.
Pouliot, Brassard were never top 6 scorers, but going up against other teams 3rd line's with the team's spark plug Mats Zuccarello has created a real match up problem for teams.
Not a cup contender by any stretch, but a solid 2nd round playoff exit type of team.
Status quo at the end of the day, but a much more entertaining brand of hockey to watch.
Pouliot, Brassard were never top 6 scorers, but going up against other teams 3rd line's with the team's spark plug Mats Zuccarello has created a real match up problem for teams.
Not a cup contender by any stretch, but a solid 2nd round playoff exit type of team.
Status quo at the end of the day, but a much more entertaining brand of hockey to watch.
RangersFan
Registered User
ilovemarkmessier
Registered User
I have been a Ranger fan since 1985. This roster is deep and more talented then they are given credit for. We stay healthy and we go deep in these nhl playoffs this postseason.
94now
Registered User
Megustaelhockey
"I like hockey" in Spanish
- Apr 29, 2011
- 21,395
- 13,797
Hot or good? After loss to Oilers I'd say Rangers are neither.
I say they're still both. They just didn't show up tonight. Worrisome but not indicative of talent or trending.
