Post-Game Talk: King Cullen

[Gordon Bombay]

So back to mediocre... They wasted the rebuild.

They were like... #1 and #2? Right after drafting our future medal throwing captain and our future Russian superstar?

What could go wrong?

Next rebuild they need to wait until they see on ice production before going for it.

How about next rebuild they don't sign an $11 million forward and trade for an $8 million Dman before the rebuild starts?

 

[Profet]

This car is not a Ferrari but its also not a Pinto. The problem is the pretty good engine doesn't have enough top end horsepower to win Daytona. My preference is not to total a car with many good parts. My preference is to add a supercharger to the solid not spectacular engine.

It's a nice analogy. But not the one I see.

It would be great if it were possible to add top end talent to the existing team without giving anything up, but that's not how this league works.

You need a good mix of cheap high end talent and some cheap low end passable talent... Sprinkled with a few expensive mercenaries.

The only way to acquire cheap high end talent in this league is through the draft.

This team would look a lot different if any of Kravtsov, Laf, or Kakko exceeded or even met projections. They didn't... And here we are...

A high end car with a great suspension, exhaust, dialed in steering... But a vw beetle air cooled engine.

 

[hardnosed]

Yeah. K'Andre is not the only one who does that. Trouba the other night chased a guy to the boards, lost him, & a goal was scored.

I'd like to see K'Andre away from Trouba.

So what you are saying is that we put a defensive scheme in that our guys can't play

 

[NickyFotiu]

It's a nice analogy. But not the one I see.

It would be great if it were possible to add top end talent to the existing team without giving anything up, but that's not how this league works.

You need a good mix of cheap high end talent and some cheap low end passable talent... Sprinkled with a few expensive mercenaries.

The only way to acquire cheap high end talent in this league is through the draft.

This team would look a lot different if any of Kravtsov, Laf, or Kakko exceeded or even met projections. They didn't... And here we are...

A high end car with a great suspension, exhaust, dialed in steering... But a vw beetle air cooled engine.

You are right that we will not get the upgrades needed without giving up anything but that does not mean we do not try to upgrade if the upgrades become available. We know what will not work. That is staying with what we have. Now is the time to look for upgrades. If they costs some of our current top 10 players or prospects or draft picks that is the cost of doing business. Top end talent does not need to be cheap. It just needs to be possible. I know people will come up with a dozen things we cant do. The only can't do in my mind is do nothing.

 

[McRanger92]

You are right that we will not get the upgrades needed without giving up anything but that does not mean we do not try to upgrade if the upgrades become available. We know what will not work. That is staying with what we have. Now is the time to look for upgrades. If they costs some of our current top 10 players or prospects or draft picks that is the cost of doing business. Top end talent does not need to be cheap. It just needs to be possible. I know people will come up with a dozen things we cant do. The only can't do in my mind is do nothing.

Yeah now is really not the time to have diamond hands on young players or picks if we can upgrade the team. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expect different results. Since Covid the constant has been the roster.

 

[Fitzy]

For what it's worth, last night I saw a failure to adjust stylistically.

The LA kings took away the middle of the ice in the defensive zone and played very soft coverage. That neutralizes the Panarin line's style of play which relies on drawing defenders out of position to open passing lanes.

Conventional wisdom is that when that happens you need to have players cut to the middle to look for either deflections of rebounds. They didn't do that.

 

[Profet]

For what it's worth, last night I saw a failure to adjust stylistically.

The LA kings took away the middle of the ice in the defensive zone and played very soft coverage. That neutralizes the Panarin line's style of play which relies on drawing defenders out of position to open passing lanes.

Conventional wisdom is that when that happens you need to have players cut to the middle to look for either deflections of rebounds. They didn't do that.

Players cut to the middle...

Lol

Who was the last player we had that did that?

Jagr? Lindros?

We're allergic to that type of play in NY. It makes it hard to spend your millions when you have a concussion.

 

[will1066]

I miss Rick Nash's unwaivering eye contact interviews...

Even sitting on a couch 50miles away... They would make me uncomfortable. Yet... I felt something... I have no interested in what any of these dude's say. Because they say nothing. There is no emotion in any of these players.

When he looked you in the eye and didn't turn away, it was his inner soul communicating with you. He meant it. He cared. You believed him. The players right now can't even look Gingras in the eye much less ours. And they can't even wait to leave, getting out of their seat while still on camera.

 

[IchabodCrane]

But why don't they put Lafreniere on the Power Play, right guys? Dude had a point on his f***ing stick.

Laf is not the problem in this game or this stretch.

and even with that f*** up I’d still rather him on pp1 than mika.

you can’t tell me laf played worse than mika on that sequence. at least laf make a play towards the net

100%. What about zbads terrible one timer missing the net 4+ times a game.

 

[Kovalev27]

https://x.com/rluker12/status/1749119377838928357?s=46&t=QUcCtS0WrUbUSXL4U-JD-A

Igor is the biggest problem

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Laf is not the problem in this game or this stretch.


100%. What about zbads terrible one timer missing the net 4+ times a game.

Or his stupid ass shot pass to Kreider which hasn’t worked since Game 7 vs Carolina

 

[Fitzy]

https://x.com/rluker12/status/1749119377838928357?s=46&t=QUcCtS0WrUbUSXL4U-JD-A

Igor is the biggest problem

Everyone has gotten really quiet about this for the past couple of weeks, which is when you know something is actually amiss.

 

[Kaapo di tutti capi]

Is it too late for us to "Suck a weenie for Celebrini?"

 

[majordomo]

https://x.com/rluker12/status/1749119377838928357?s=46&t=QUcCtS0WrUbUSXL4U-JD-A

Igor is the biggest problem

Link takes me to a "this page doesn't exist" site.

 

[Kovalev27]

Works fine when I click it not sure why

But says since 11/30 we rank 29th out of 32 teams in all situations save percentage. That’s on Igor. Quick built us a 9-0-1 cushion while Igor was “finding himself”.

This is abysmal goaltending. Period.

 

[majordomo]

Works fine when I click it not sure why

But says since 11/30 we rank 29th out of 32 teams in all situations save percentage. That’s on Igor. Quick built us a 9-0-1 cushion while Igor was “finding himself”.

This is abysmal goaltending. Period.

Agreed.

 

[Bob Richards]

Actually, I was wrong.

The Penguins went THIRTY-seven minutes without a shot.

Won the game too.

Hate this sport.

Penguins/Predators Game 1?

Might actually have been the stupidest hockey game I have ever seen

 

[Clark Kellogg]

The rebuild was aborted the moment they acquired Trouba and Panarin.

Never despised an New York Ranger President or GM as much as I despise John Davidson.
That’s saying a lot being that I have lived through both the Esposito and Sather regimes.

Yeah. K'Andre is not the only one who does that. Trouba the other night chased a guy to the boards, lost him, & a goal was scored.

I'd like to see K'Andre away from Trouba.

I like to see K’Andre away from this team before the rest of the league catches on.

 

[Row I Goon]

You are going back into the future. Tell us if we even make it into the playoffs

Actually....

 

[Gordon Bombay]

When he looked you in the eye and didn't turn away, it was his inner soul communicating with you. He meant it. He cared. You believed him. The players right now can't even look Gingras in the eye much less ours. And they can't even wait to leave, getting out of their seat while still on camera.

I mean, I know I would get a little nervous

 

[Machinehead]

Yeah ok keep going with the goalie was lucky narrative

He lifts the puck and no one would be talking about it here. It wasn't even a glove save. It was a PAD save. Which any goalie makes when he slides over. Absolutely no extra effort needed.

If I saw a glove windmill, then maybe I'd be inclined to agree

You can't just lift the puck on your forehand that close to the goal.

Even if you did, it hits the pad before it rises.

Read a book.

 

[Kovalev27]

Puck was behind laf. All he could do there in that fight was sweep it. Goalie made a great save. The kind we haven’t been getting all year

 

[ReddestRum]

Works fine when I click it not sure why

But says since 11/30 we rank 29th out of 32 teams in all situations save percentage. That’s on Igor. Quick built us a 9-0-1 cushion while Igor was “finding himself”.

This is abysmal goaltending. Period.

Context of those games matter as well. If you were to break a 32 team league into the top half and bottom half, Igor has played against the top half 13 times. He's also played against top five teams 6 times.

Quick has played against the top half 8 times. The top five, 1 time. The bottom barrel five, 5 times.

Not to take anything away from Quick because he's played well when he's played, but I feel like there might be a slight (sarcasm) difference in skill of opponents when Quick plays against the very last team in the league (he has) and Igor playing against the #1 team in the league (he's done so twice).

 

[Machinehead]

Puck was behind laf. All he could do there in that fight was sweep it. Goalie made a great save. The kind we haven’t been getting all year

Imagine the reaction if he went to his backhand to lift it and lost control.

"Too sawft!!! Just shoot da puck soy boy!!"

He basically did what Zibanejad never does. We need to pick a lane.

 

[will1066]

You can't just lift the puck on your forehand that close to the goal.

Even if you did, it hits the pad before it rises.

Read a book.

Look at the photo