Post-Game Talk: Leaf

[Kords]

Sam should stay until his voice gives out. Television commentary isn't about technical accuracy or proficiency in getting every call right, it's about excitement, hype, and the aesthetic sound of a voice.

Kenny Albert is a passable eventual replacement but when I have to listen to other play by play guys from team feeds around the league and even ESPN's national guys, it makes my ears f***ing bleed. They are so monotone, corny, or just unlistenable.

Maybe if there were exciting play by play guys coming up but it doesn't seem like there are any.

Eh, from a product standpoint you need a guy who can actually call a game without making a mistake every other sentence. There are a ton of more casual fans who actually rely on that play by play to follow the game. In fact I’d say it’s the majority when you consider out of market viewers. I love Sam and hope the Rangers win a cup so he can call one more before riding off into the sunset, but it’s time. It’s depressing watching a man you grew up listening to struggle the way he has.

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

Sam should stay until his voice gives out. Television commentary isn't about technical accuracy or proficiency in getting every call right, it's about excitement, hype, and the aesthetic sound of a voice.

Kenny Albert is a passable eventual replacement but when I have to listen to other play by play guys from team feeds around the league and even ESPN's national guys, it makes my ears f***ing bleed. They are so monotone, corny, or just unlistenable.

Maybe if there were exciting play by play guys coming up but it doesn't seem like there are any.

Kenny is a good commentator but I can't stand the way his voice sounds from an audio perspective. Always sounds like he's wearing his mic UNDER his suit in a sound absorbing room, and the leveling every time he calls a game is his voice is always way louder than the on ice sounds, which makes me feel like I'm watching the game on ESPN.

Seriously, a little reverb never killed anyone.

As for hockey commentators I miss, I know it's sometimes an unpopular opinion, but IMO Gary Thorne was pretty great. Still love listening to Sam, but Joe Micheletti is a HUGE dropoff from what JD brought when those two worked together. Personality wise, Joe just has a little too much Pierre McGuire in him for me...can't stand the fan worship of visiting players and dislike the often unwarranted defense of the league and its selective implementation of its rules/policies, as well as Joe's defense of some of the poorer officiating performances.

 

[mas0764]

End of season scoring breakdown:

Love, love, love Kakko getting to 40. He's coming on strong. Still, at one point there was hope the kids would push 50. They have to eliminate the pointless streaks of 4-8 games which happen too often.

Lafreniere too, hate that he got stuck at 39. No points in his last 3, disappointing. Still, baby steps.

Chytil finishes with a nice season and 45 points, despite having missed like ten games, but, he's cooled down tremendously. At one point he was on pace for 55 or more, in the number of games he played (he had 32 pts in 43 games), but then he went through a stretch where he had 0 goals and 5 assists in 17 games. His cooling down of course has something to do with the fact that Laf cooled off too.

Love/Hate --- Love Panarin heating up to finish within striking distance of 30 goals. It wasn't that long ago that I wondered if he'd get much past 20. Hate Panarin finishing with 29. Always want a player to get that one more to finish in the next set of ten.

Mika.... man, who had him going goalless in his last 5 to get stuck at 39 and not able to break 40 for the second time in his career? Not me.

Kreider finishes with a typical 50's point campaign.

With 64 points Trocheck was somehow both at the same time better than I thought he'd be and exactly what he's always been. Just a good second line center.

Don't know how Goodrow has even 31 points because I feel like he hasn't scored since November.

Finally, Tarasenko has been good not great, but both he and Kane need to find another gear for the team to win anything.

Kenny is a good commentator but I can't stand the way his voice sounds from an audio perspective. Always sounds like he's wearing his mic UNDER his suit in a sound absorbing room, and the leveling every time he calls a game is his voice is always way louder than the on ice sounds, which makes me feel like I'm watching the game on ESPN.

Seriously, a little reverb never killed anyone.

As for hockey commentators I miss, I know it's sometimes an unpopular opinion, but IMO Gary Thorne was pretty great. Still love listening to Sam, but Joe Micheletti is a HUGE dropoff from what JD brought when those two worked together. Personality wise, Joe just has a little too much Pierre McGuire in him for me...can't stand the fan worship of visiting players and dislike the often unwarranted defense of the league and its selective implementation of its rules/policies, as well as Joe's defense of some of the poorer officiating performances.

Gary Thorne was the greatest, IMO.

They need another him.

 

[McRanger92]

Gary Thorne was the greatest, IMO.

They need another him.

The Mets had Thorne do some games on TV a couple summers ago and it was a bit of a disappointment. I was too young to really remember him doing the NHL, but I always liked he and Bill Clement on the NHL video games. Now it's McDonough and Ferraro, so i mute the game and listen to music instead haha

 

[Clark Kellogg]

MSG Post Game Show:

 

[mas0764]

The Mets had Thorne do some games on TV a couple summers ago and it was a bit of a disappointment. I was too young to really remember him doing the NHL, but I always liked he and Bill Clement on the NHL video games. Now it's McDonough and Ferraro, so i mute the game and listen to music instead haha

He's getting up there now too, and while he's always been a baseball guy as well, I don't know that baseball lends itself to his strengths.

His calling of the Rangers Devils Conference finals and Rangers Canucks Cup Finals in 1994 is probably the main thing that turned me into a fan at age 11. He was thrilling.



First three minutes of that video, who else today can replicate that? No one.

And it is despite the fact that he got the call entirely wrong by saying "1940 is history!" The Rangers had been TO the Cup finals in that time, they just hadn't won it. They needed to win 1 more round to eliminate that and Thorne got it all wrong.

I wish there was a better version of this game 7 ESPN Broadcast out there. This is the only one floating around the internet. Come on, ESPN, I'll buy it.

 

[will1066]

It’s outrageous, egregious, preposterous!

So do we have a case?

 

[MrAlmost]

I have never been so unsure of a rule in a sport I watch. I am certain I know the rules of golf better than I know the kicking rule in the NHL now. Also, again, have the Rangers won a review all year? The NHL has to hate this team. The Rangers are one of the only teams that doesn't turn their stream on for their game night on the ESPN+ stream. Also, that review was about half the time I have seen taken for other reviews of similar circumstance.

At the end of the day it doesn't matter, but if that was game 5 of the ECF, I don't know what I would think.

 

[MrAlmost]

I know it doesn't matter but how did this count again?

Because it was against the Rangers from a Canadian team, not for the Rangers against a Canadian team.

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

The Mets had Thorne do some games on TV a couple summers ago and it was a bit of a disappointment. I was too young to really remember him doing the NHL, but I always liked he and Bill Clement on the NHL video games. Now it's McDonough and Ferraro, so i mute the game and listen to music instead haha

IMO hockey's pace is way more suitable to Thorne's style...he has a good way of mirroring the intensity of the action.

The best baseball commentators are always laid beck mellow people with really soothing voices who can just tell war stories for hours. Vin Scully is the perfect example. I could listen to that guy narrate paint drying and enjoy it. This is also why Michael Kay sucks ass. His voice is annoying and somehow his personality is worse.

Thorne was great at hockey because his cadence matched the play. When a scoring play happened, he'd cut his syllables and sentences short and get intense. He'd scream and go nuts (in a pleasant way) when something huge was happening. And when the puck was being dumped in for a line change, he was as calm as the best guys calling baseball.

The Thorne/Clement calls were the heyday of ESPN's hockey coverage and nothing has come close since. Red Wings Avalanche in the 90s with Thorne / Clement was an experience in and of itself.

 

[yada]

The Mets had Thorne do some games on TV a couple summers ago and it was a bit of a disappointment. I was too young to really remember him doing the NHL, but I always liked he and Bill Clement on the NHL video games. Now it's McDonough and Ferraro, so i mute the game and listen to music instead haha

Mcdonough and ferraro are terrific to me. Ive been a fan of ferraro when he was covering games for tsn. The only national announcer i hate is olyczk and i get some of the dislike for leah hextall.

Who's sister died in Sandy Hook? I'm so confused as to what just happened

Started talking to the kid getting his jersey
Gave him an autograph on the jersey
Then gave him a scholarship
Then something about Sandy Hook
I have no idea what happened.

Apparently the guy who got troubas jersey had a sister die during the sandy hook shooting. Trouba gave the guy his phone number. It was a really nice moment.

 

[ponzu4u]

What happened?

It was actually pretty awesome.

The young man to whom Trouba was giving his jersey lost his little sister at Sandy Hook. The kid said, "I've been a fan of yours since Winnipeg!" They exchanged the jersey then Trouba said, "come sit on the bench." I think it was a surprise, but they then presented the kid with a scholarship to law school. Then Trouba said, "Let me see your phone." The kid handed it and Trouba put his number in the phone after making the kid promise, "You're not going to give this to anyone, right?" And then Trouba told the kid to call him when he starts school and when he graduates so they can celebrate. It was honestly pretty frickin' cool and touching, and raised my appreciation for Troubs.

 

[McRanger92]

He's getting up there now too, and while he's always been a baseball guy as well, I don't know that baseball lends itself to his strengths.

His calling of the Rangers Devils Conference finals and Rangers Canucks Cup Finals in 1994 is probably the main thing that turned me into a fan at age 11. He was thrilling.



First three minutes of that video, who else today can replicate that? No one.

And it is despite the fact that he got the call entirely wrong by saying "1940 is history!" The Rangers had been TO the Cup finals in that time, they just hadn't won it. They needed to win 1 more round to eliminate that and Thorne got it all wrong.

I wish there was a better version of this game 7 ESPN Broadcast out there. This is the only one floating around the internet. Come on, ESPN, I'll buy it.

That matteau goal got me pumped. Let’s beat the goddam devils on the way to the Cup again

Mcdonough and ferraro are terrific to me. Ive been a fan of ferraro when he was covering games for tsn. The only national announcer i hate is olyczk and i get some of the dislike for leah hextall.



Apparently the guy who got troubas jersey had a sister die during the sandy hook shooting. Trouba gave the guy his phone number. It was a really nice moment.

Trouba seems like a good dude. I was not sold on him as Captain early but he’s lived up to the role.

 

[yada]

That matteau goal got me pumped. Let’s beat the goddam devils on the way to the Cup again



Trouba seems like a good dude. I was not sold on him as Captain early but he’s lived up to the role.

I cant comment on who is or isnt a good captain since im not in the room but trouba is certainly the player that ive had the biggest change in opinion on as a player. From year 1 in ny i thought he was a bust, overpayment, and deficit to the rangers. Now i view him as important and a big positive to the team even with some of his noticeable deficiencies.