GDT: New York Rangers vs Boston Bruins on MSG at 5:45 PM Game 1 of Preseason

[RangersFan1994]

Every single fan who watched the game tonight 100% expected to see someone who looks improved after a summer of working out and developing more.

Our first overall draft pick, three seasons in and widely criticized with his development so far, coming off a summer where many hoped he would look different than last season, looked just as every bit elementary in this game as he has the past couple seasons.

Sad and depressing. I am hoping he proves myself and many others wrong, but I still think this kid is at best a career 3rd liner.

Didn't NHL scouts say that his draft year wasn't impressive as a draft and compared it to the 1999 draft? If that is the case then it is what it is.

 

[DanielBrassard]

We're ganging up on Laf not because it's true but because it's fun. It's been a long summer. Gotta let it out on someone.

Also because it’s true

 

[EdJovanovski]

Didn't NHL scouts say that his draft year wasn't impressive as a draft and compared it to the 1999 draft? If that is the case then it is what it is.

Lafreniere was the most hyped 1st overall since McDavid.

 

[will1066]

Imagine the goalie tandem of Jussi Markinen and Brandon Bussi, eh? Imagine?

 

[Rempe73]

Pretty much zero surprises tonight

 

[TheGortonConspiracy]

Every single fan who watched the game tonight 100% expected to see someone who looks improved after a summer of working out and developing more.

Our first overall draft pick, three seasons in and widely criticized with his development so far, coming off a summer where many hoped he would look different than last season, looked just as every bit elementary in this game as he has the past couple seasons.

Sad and depressing. I am hoping he proves myself and many others wrong, but I still think this kid is at best a career 3rd liner.

It is disappointing, he really is as clueless off the ice as he is on. just coasting around. he should have been working out 6 days a week this summer - treat working out as a full time job

 

[007]

Lafreniere was the most hyped 1st overall since McDavid.

Both things can be true. The word at the time was Laf was a legit No. 1 pick in a weak draft year. The hype came from him having been the clear No. 1 for an incredibly long time.

In a way it makes sense - maybe he didn't have the same challenges growing up some of the other kids did. Was he too good too early?

 

[LokiDog]

Laf just doesn’t have “it”. What that “it” is can be different for different players, but you can always tell when they don’t have “it”.

For Laf it just seems like the focus and commitment. If this is the result of 4 summers preparing for NHL hockey and working his butt off in the summer, than his ceiling was just wayyyyy lower than anyone thought. Assuming that it’s more likely that he hasn’t been working his butt off and isn’t that committed to improving, what does that say about him?

Were Dubinsky or Callahan or Hagelin, or even early Avery more talented than the highly touted 1OA? Sure they had better skating and Hagelin’s was elite, but did they actually have more skill or was it 110% work and commitment? I know, I know… Laf is still younger than when Kreider or Cally or whoever even debuted. Sure, but my gut still tells me the reason those guys debuted later wasn’t because they hadn’t developed their work ethic yet. I don’t feel like Laf is just going to “figure it out” in another year or two, maybe when he signs his next contract, and just show up to camp looking two steps quicker and three times more alert and up to the speed of play. I just don’t see it.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Also because it’s true

 

[RangersFan1994]

Lafreniere was the most hyped 1st overall since McDavid.

McDavid is actually good though

 

[WhereO Is Kakko]

Rangers now scoreless over their last 6 periods.

Meanwhile, Lav-you-o-let rumored to be throwing pucks at his garage door, nonstop, at this hour.

 

[ReddestRum]

Classic Rangers though for PS-G1! Chances but couldn't finish. Simply got ran over by a Bussi.

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Fake news
Bussi has had 1 pro season, following his college career, where he went 22-5-4 at AHL level
How is that journeyman?

It’s a joke dude, relax

 

[ajdj10]

McDavid is actually good though

He had the luxury of not missing a preseason due to Covid though...

 

[Circus86]

is this a bad hockey team?

 

[Hug Ben Laf]

I know Laffy will take the heat from fans, but I thought he was the most dangerous forward on the Rangers and created some good chances with his passing. He could had 2 assist if not for 1 goal post and another by an awesome save by the Bruins goaltender

 

[RangerBoy]

Lafreniere was compared to Huberdeau coming out of his draft year. TSN hyped him because he is Canadian. That's their problem. He didn't train hard this summer. How do you know that? He didn't look different. Stop. Just accept the fact that Lafreniere is not one of the Connor's or Matthews.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I know Laffy will take the heat from fans, but I thought he was the most dangerous forward on the Rangers and created some good chances with his passing. He could had 2 assist if not for 1 goal post and another by an awesome save by the Bruins goaltender

Majority here thought he had a good game. It’s just the handful of usual posters who are going to bash him no matter what he does because he is a first overall pick and not a point per game player.

 

[JHS]

Honestly, though, on Lafreniere -

this is the kind of game that concerns me. He should be standing out in a game full of scrubs and he just doesn't. I mean, it's day 4 of training camp but he should've been flying from the gate IMHO.

That was him flying. That’s it- we just saw it. Of course that is until he got winded about 22 seconds into most shifts.

I’m mean the sad truth is, Chytil actually dominated most shifts just because his talent is so much better. Laf was well not doing much because he just is not very good.

 

[JHS]

Majority here thought he had a good game. It’s just the handful of usual posters who are going to bash him no matter what he does because he is a first overall pick and not a point per game player.

Who is this majority? Their keyboards must all be broken or they are typing in invisible ink.

To be honest, Laf was not bad- not even close. He stood out a lot on some shifts— but he should against who else was out there, particularly for the Rangers. He still looked slow, made slow reactions, and looked gassed most shifts.