Post-Game Talk: New York Rangers at Anaheim Ducks - January 23/24

[Inferno]

AV refusing to bench a player.

OMG how much of a leash can one player get? Fire AV.

AV benches a player for playing like crap.

OMG what is wrong with AV. Fire AV.

Never change HF.

Agreed with this...av was right here..those 2 deserved the bench.

 

[RGY]

AV should have gotten Lettieri more ice time imo.

 

[will1066]

AV should have gotten Lettieri more ice time imo.

He hasn't made much impact, really.

 

[darko]

Agreed with this...av was right here..those 2 deserved the bench.

Absolutely. But it was mindboggling seeing people rip on AV for benching them.

 

[Nopuckluck]

Benching Miller and yanking Hank was absolutely the right move. Even AV couldn’t screw that up. But how he watched ADA confidently zip and skate the puck around all night and still had McD on PP1 is mind boggling

 

[Kovalev27]

Problem with Lettieri is he isn’t doing much lot of shots very few high danger ones.

You know who else has been completely mia bringing nothing is Jesper Fast. He may not be healthy. Guy has shown zero fight out there for weeks.

This team is only in it because the devils jackets isles have all fallen off a cliff as well.

I’ll keep coming back to this 12-14 game stretch against mostly playoff teams on the road and we’re now 0-3 to start it. By the end of that islanders game at Barclays we’ll be total sellers.

However I don’t expect Mcdonagh or zuccarello to be dealt. Although both should. You do need some veterans on a team to show the young guys how to be pros.

You now have to deal grabner and Nash along with Holden. Desharnais won’t get you anything I doubt.

Smith id try and deal as well if he has any value at all. We don’t need him. We should be playing ADA big mins. He’s a big part of the future of this team.

And finally I’d fire the coach. He’s not going to play the kids real mins. Find someone who will.

 

[NCRanger]

That is the best thing for the franchise long term if they play it right.

The problem is that it's just not missing the playoffs this year. It's missing the playoffs for the next three seasons as well.

It's destroying the legacy of Henrik Lundqvist.

I *may* be coming around to the idea that they need to sell some assets. The problem is that even their most marketable assets aren't going to bring back nearly what most here think they will.

Grabner might bring back a late second round pick.
Nash might be worth a third.
Anyone else might be worth a third or a "prospect". Prospect meaning someone who might see a few shifts in the NHL in three years on a fourth line.
The deadline isn't going to be very active because of "parity". There aren't going to be many moves. And, those moves that are made -- nobody is going to overpay for a rental.

None of these picks address any talent gaps unless they get lucky and hit on a later pick.

They won't finish bad enough to have their first rounder amount to anything of major value.

This team's history with signing free agents hasn't been all that good.

I also don't have much faith in people who think Mika Zibanejad and players like him, are high end talent. That has been one of the biggest problems, and one of the hardest things about reading these boards. Zibanejad is a slightly above average player, as are most of the Rangers who are viewed as high end. The Rangers have been somewhat successful over the past decade because they've had a lot of these above average players, as opposed to elite talent (outside of Lundqvist). The Rangers still have a very strong bottom 6, and even if they go into purgatory, the bottom 6 will be extremely good. It's just they have a weak top 6, and have no real way of actually acquiring real high end top 6 talent.

 

[silverfish]

Irish wins.

 

[Irishguy42]

Oh, the Rangers are bad again? Quick, post terrible things about Stepan! Deflect! Deflect!

Meanwhile, he's doing everything he's done in his career, except his 5v5 point totals are down. Which is crazy, except for the fact that he plays for the team that scores the 2nd least 5v5 goals in the league, and yet somehow he has a legit shot at another 50 point season.

5th on the team in relCF%
9th on the team in relxGF% (this is bad)
3rd on the team in relGF%

You know why everywhere Stepan goes people have a problem with him?

Because he's not fast.
He's not flashy.
He doesn't hit.
He's bad at faceoffs.

You know how many of the above four items matter if you're as effective as Stepan has been his entire career? None of them.

No one here was shitting on Stepan except for a few posted quotes from Yotes fans.

You're whacking the beehive a bit.

 

[silverfish]

No one here was ****ting on Stepan except for a few posted quotes from Yotes fans.

You're whacking the beehive a bit.

What was the point of that post? Because I basically read it as: "Yeah, the rangers suck, but check THIS out!" infomercial voice

 

[Roo Returns]

Saying Rangers shouldn't have traded Stepan is sellers remorse. Everyone would be complaining about that contract. He may not hit 50 points this year. Wear and tear of Torts hockey and some long playoff runs with AV.

Lettieri has been fine. His board work could improve a little but that's his summer assignment to get stronger and a little more accurate with his shot. He should be a PKer next year as well. Even strength he needs a center than can actually hold onto the puck and feed him. Deharnais is one of the worst at puck protection in the league. Boo was doing an OK job.

I'm not hating on Zuc but the guy hasn't done much recently. Doesn't look strong on the puck. Maybe he's injured? I appreciate what he's brought but it's time to move on from him. He's peaked. You also can't play him with Dehrnais that makes zero sense.

Vesey is a fine role player but his offense is all based around the net or driving to the net from already being up close. When he starts trying to be Jagr, it's facepalm city.

 

[Irishguy42]

What was the point of that post? Because I basically read it as: "Yeah, the rangers suck, but check THIS out!" infomercial voice

What's the point of adding to that conversation? It's just stirring the pot and will get you nowhere and we'll eventually have another few pages of Stepan discussion that will end up right back where we started.

You've been here long enough to know that.

Let's get back to shitting on things that actually matter to this California trip, like this current Rangers team and AV

 

[silverfish]

What's the point of adding to that conversation? It's just stirring the pot and will get you nowhere and we'll eventually have another few pages of Stepan discussion that will end up right back where we started.

You've been here long enough to know that.

Let's get back to ****ting on things that actually matter to this California trip, like this current Rangers team and AV

 

[Kovalev27]

Nothing is destroying the legacy of Henrik Lundqvist. This team has been good for years he was part of some very good teams that didn’t get it done and there were times in those playoff runs that he was just as much to blame as anyone for not taking them over the hill. But he is a hall of fame goalie that has played for a very successful franchise for 13 years and eventually we were going to fall off. We will make some changes and if he continues to play well next year or the year after we’ll be right in the mix again. We have some good pieces this doesn’t need to be nor will it be a total rebuild.

 

[nevesis]

That's what happens when your goalie is not only playing every game, but facing as many shots as he has been and having to basically be perfect and win games on his own. It's not like AV is riding Hank while he's playing behind a solid defense and having average to low amounts of chances against (think Holtby a couple years ago). Instead he's playing every game and facing 35+ shots a night and endless grade A chances and being basically a .940 goalie to boot.

Hopefully the All Star break gives Hank a chance to recharge his batteries because the team certainly isn't going to do him any favors.

As far as this game, I liked DeAngelo again. I thought he was active and played well in both ends. For that reason, would it surprise anyone is Kampfer were back in for him next game?

I agree with your points, but it also can be attributed to him just being a human being. Some nights you just don't have it. His first since November 15th.

 

[Roo Returns]

This whole need to win one for Lundqvist or destroying his legacy argument makes no sense. He could walk away today and be in the HOF.

Franchises get in trouble when they start trying to be too loyal to a player or era.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Yeah, Hank is literally the least of my concerns. Reload for next season, fire this buffoon, find a style that matches the roster and doesn’t involve bleeding slot chances against ad nauseum, and hit it again next year. I keep remaining adamant that this core isn’t that bad, but they’re severely underperforming.

We have a lot of US kids who grew up playing a fast north-south game, and our Euro crop are all excellent in transition. Seems like it’s obvious, but here we are double pressuring on backchecks, ignoring far side threats, sending three guys below the circles, and trying to play pond hockey. Lateral passing and switches are nice attacks options, but it can’t be your only method.

 

[will1066]

Saying Rangers shouldn't have traded Stepan is sellers remorse. Everyone would be complaining about that contract. He may not hit 50 points this year. Wear and tear of Torts hockey and some long playoff runs with AV.

Lettieri has been fine. His board work could improve a little but that's his summer assignment to get stronger and a little more accurate with his shot. He should be a PKer next year as well. Even strength he needs a center than can actually hold onto the puck and feed him. Deharnais is one of the worst at puck protection in the league. Boo was doing an OK job.

I'm not hating on Zuc but the guy hasn't done much recently. Doesn't look strong on the puck. Maybe he's injured? I appreciate what he's brought but it's time to move on from him. He's peaked. You also can't play him with Dehrnais that makes zero sense.

Vesey is a fine role player but his offense is all based around the net or driving to the net from already being up close. When he starts trying to be Jagr, it's facepalm city.

Winning 50/50 battles to win or protect the puck has become a very visible problem. This hasn't been a problem for years. You're correct with small guys like DD who don't have good board work. DD will always be a step or two slow going to the boards when there's a guy with the puck because he doesn't want to engage physically. There's always some hesitation. Lettieri is more fearless, like Zucc, but he needs to learn how to play bigger, like Zucc had done before this year. That will come when he improves his strength for the NHL game.

 

[Kovalev27]

Hayes
Miller
Kreider
Zibanejad
Buchnevich
Fast
Andersson
Chytil
Vesey

Is a solid 9 to build around 10 if you plan on keeping Zucc who has an A on his shoulder now

Mcdonagh
DeAngelo
Shattenkirk
Skjei

Is a very solid top 4 to build around

Hank in goal maybe shesterkin can lighten his load in the next year or two.

We’ll be fine this will be good for us. If we can get another first to add to this draft maybe another second rounder or 2 will be very happy.

 

[nevesis]

A lot of you guys need to post this shit in the roster building thread. Lot of good content being missed. This thread is to discuss the disaster that was last nights game.

f***, we might as well close this thread. Nothing to discuss about last night.

 

[Deleted member 23124]

Did you not watch Girardi play the last few years? He is a terrible skater and passer who doesn't fit AV's system at all. Stepan signs a big contract and proceeds to look awful most of last year and was terrible in the playoffs. Gorton got rid of him at the right time. This team wasn't winning anything with or without those two.

I'll play devil's advocate here: Name me one d-man who does fit AV's system.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

I don't even need to watch the highlights. I know the other team will almost exclusively score goals in the following fashion:

- beginning of a period
- right after we score
- empty net

I hate almost every single player on this team immensely. Can't wait until we're done with this group.

 

[will1066]

I'll play devil's advocate here: Name me one d-man who does fit AV's system.

DeAngelo. He's got the wheels. He's very mobile and got very quick hands. His decision making with the puck has been really good since his return. And Skjei too, in fact. But all the bad habits you don't want a player to pick up on have been sledgehammered into him by the coaching staff.

 

[will1066]

Agreed with this...av was right here..those 2 deserved the bench.

Miller fluctuates from garbage player to one of the three most-talented players on the team depending on the narrative being pushed--which ironically is the same narrative of fire AV.

 

[Kovalev27]

DeAngelo will put up plenty of points if he gets pucks to the net something he refused to do to start the year. He can move laterally so well that he should be able to open holes to the net. It’s actually what shattenkirk is really good at but couldn’t do with that knee is get pucks thru by changing his angles.

This kid is a much better skater laterally than shatty and I think he’s fine in his end. Coaches need to let him play his game