Post-Game Talk: Pauper

[kovazub94]

I loved everything about that game. Didn’t cheat for offense. Stayed in our structure and waited for our chances to come. Very polished performance

The downside

Wheeler is not an nhler at this point. I mean not at all. He is struggling to keep up badly.

We are missing chytil of course and we’re missing the GOOD kakko. The 40 pt two way kakko. Forget the dream of the jump. Just that solid middle six kakko. Not the fraud we saw this season. Those are three really big holes we need to figure out

Fox is not himself and it may take him some time to get his legs back underneath him. Sure enough lindgren sucks if Fox isn’t carrying him. That should be a major red flag.

Wheeler is the first man out when Chytil is back (or especially both Chytil and Kakko are back).

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

Theyve had Chytil as a C some astronomical amount of his career, they havent tried him at wing for any real period of time.

The question was what to do with Brodz when everyone is healthy because he doesn't deserve to be demoted and I think at his best he'd make a really good speedy tryhard 3C. And then it's "but what about Chytil and there you go.

Brodzinski at 4C should be the kind of depth they’re shooting for

 

[kovazub94]

shesty starts game 1 of the playoffs unless his leg falls off

also you cant trade him, goalies have zero value in trades. not to mention its laughable to think he wont get back to being a top 5 goalie at some point this season

everyone needs to chill out, im happy that quick has played well this year....but to insinuate that he should start playoff games is mind numbing

The only thing to add is that Shesterkin gets both game 1 and game 2, nothing less (as you said unless his leg(s) fall off).

 

[bhamill]

A complete aside, but did anyone else catch the organist playing Fairytale of New York with a couple of minutes left in the game? A nice little tribute to the recently deceased Shane MacGowan of the The Pogues.

 

[NYR Viper]

So what you're saying is you're out. Islanders, Sorokin agree to 8-year extension

Yes, if that's the request

 

[Machinehead]

Honestly, I'm fine with Schneider at this point.

So far this year, he sucks in the way that every #6 defenseman sucks.

Adding Gustafsson to make Schneider very clearly the #6 is a huge difference versus Schneider carrying a pair where his partner is also bad.

 

[Flan the incredible]

Its kind of ironic that the Kings board is complaining about the refs. Wasnt there a rule made because Hank got run over in the finals by them?

Its also amusing that they are killing PLD and his contract. I will say if he he gets going they are going to be scary good. Nhl network on Sirius had them as the best team in the league last week mostly due to that center depth. I would love another center on this team instead of Chytil that could also move to RW if he had to. If this team had 3 lines that could score regularly they are the cup favorites in my opinion. Their 4th line with Vesey has also been surprisingly good. Can't rely too much on Panarin, Tro, Zibs and Kreider.

Huge win but I dont think the Rangers got the best version of the kings. End of a 4 game road trip and on the 2nd game of a back to back. I will still take it.

 

[NYR Viper]

Honestly, I'm fine with Schneider at this point.

So far this year, he sucks in the way that every #6 defenseman sucks.

Adding Gustafsson to make Schneider very clearly the #6 is a huge difference versus Schneider carrying a pair where his partner is also bad.

I also have hope that as the year moves along, he will improve.

 

[Machinehead]

I also have hope that as the year moves along, he will improve.

I could see it. I don't know if he has it in his toolbox to be this big shutdown guy, but he could be an effective NHL player.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Its kind of ironic that the Kings board is complaining about the refs. Wasnt there a rule made because Hank got run over in the finals by them?

Its also amusing that they are killing PLD and his contract. I will say if he he gets going they are going to be scary good. Nhl network on Sirius had them as the best team in the league last week mostly due to that center depth. I would love another center on this team instead of Chytil that could also move to RW if he had to. If this team had 3 lines that could score regularly they are the cup favorites in my opinion. Their 4th line with Vesey has also been surprisingly good. Can't rely too much on Panarin, Tro, Zibs and Kreider.

Huge win but I dont think the Rangers got the best version of the kings. End of a 4 game road trip and on the 2nd game of a back to back. I will still take it.

I've said it on the main boards, LA can't be the best team in the league because while they have a lot of above average players and great depth, they really don't have any truly elite players.

Doughty and Kopitar are not elite anymore.

Fiala, Kempe, Dubois are very good but a level below the elite tier IMO.

They are very similar to Vegas last year but i think Stone and Eichel are closer to elite than anyone on LA, and Vegas had a better d-corps too

 

[bhamill]

I also have hope that as the year moves along, he will improve.

He’s 22. He should continue to improve for the next 3-4 years.

 

[hardnosed]

As big a fan of Troch that I am, when the season started it made "sense" uthat Troch would be on the 3rd line, only because we were hoping that Filip would make major strides on the 2nd line. Troch being part of a shutdown 3rd. With the 4th line providing that, when Filip DOES come back......he needs to be on the 3rd. Troch has earned it in every way possible. Can't minimize his expertise at the dot, priceless!
Force CHYTIL to elevate, if he wants it that badly. Win, win situation.

If Fil's ceiling is Vinny, I would be thrilled when he reaches that ceiling because Vinny is a damn good hockey player.

 

[NYR Viper]

I could see it. I don't know if he has it in his toolbox to be this big shutdown guy, but he could be an effective NHL player.

My hope is that he can learn to pick his spots a bit and be a physical #4/5. Maybe a Kevin Klein type with a bit more offense

 

[Roo Returns]

No, I don’t agree. This is the exact kind of deal Tampa was making at the deadline to win Cups

They had Vas and no true weaknesses. They were adding to depth/bulking up. They didn't have any vacancies at key positions.

 

[hardnosed]

I loved everything about that game. Didn’t cheat for offense. Stayed in our structure and waited for our chances to come. Very polished performance

The downside

Wheeler is not an nhler at this point. I mean not at all. He is struggling to keep up badly.

We are missing chytil of course and we’re missing the GOOD kakko. The 40 pt two way kakko. Forget the dream of the jump. Just that solid middle six kakko. Not the fraud we saw this season. Those are three really big holes we need to figure out

Fox is not himself and it may take him some time to get his legs back underneath him. Sure enough lindgren sucks if Fox isn’t carrying him. That should be a major red flag.

Interesting that we have guys on here claiming that Schneider is making Gus look bad. But yet when Gus was filling in for Fox, everyone was thrilled with Gus. Guys were shouting that he should be resigned immediately. Can't have it both ways.

 

[Machinehead]

My hope is that he can learn to pick his spots a bit and be a physical #4/5. Maybe a Kevin Klein type with a bit more offense

Klein did lack offense in terms of transition and playmaking, but he had an excellent shot and knew how to use it. Schneider comes up with some decent rushes now and then. Just has to work on getting his shot on net.

 

[Fitzy]

When Gus was hot he was being shifted out there with Panarin a lot and they had good chemistry in the offensive zone. The Zib and Trouba pairs shift a lot together.

With Fox’s return, Fox is getting many of those shifts. Gus is out there more with the 3rd and 4th lines. Fox and Panarin have decent chemistry too.

The natural result is that Gus doesn’t look as good. He’s playing more in his own zone which is not his strength.

Gus- Fox should be strongly, strongly considered as an experiment.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

You guys wishing for revenge against the Kings in the finals are really tempting fate.

Let's do what we need to do first and realize Cam and Fee-onyx will not get them through three previous rounds.

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

If Fil's ceiling is Vinny, I would be thrilled when he reaches that ceiling because Vinny is a damn good hockey player.

Chytil is already as good as him

 

[DialUp]

I've said it on the main boards, LA can't be the best team in the league because while they have a lot of above average players and great depth, they really don't have any truly elite players.

Doughty and Kopitar are not elite anymore.

Fiala, Kempe, Dubois are very good but a level below the elite tier IMO.

They are very similar to Vegas last year but i think Stone and Eichel are closer to elite than anyone on LA, and Vegas had a better d-corps too

You don't *need* to have that elite "Athletic.com" formula to be the best playing team or win the cup, considering that Vegas and the Blues both recently don't check all the boxes. The Kings overall game top to bottom has been lights out; they are very trust worthy and their make up isn't prone to meltdowns or key man exposures ala Edmonton or even the Avs. I like them out West competing with a similarly built team Dallas. Vegas will probably prove me wrong regardless.

Rangers beat, with no gimmicks, LA and Boston with contributions every where. Only blemish is our loss to Dallas.

 

[Machinehead]

We've been a good 5v5 team this year when we play a cagey game and just take the chances that come. When we go up and down with teams, even the dreck of the league usually outchance us. That just isn't our game.

I would still like to upgrade the defense. We need that to be our calling card.

 

[Savant]

They had Vas and no true weaknesses. They were adding to depth/bulking up. They didn't have any vacancies at key positions.

I mean we’ve had Igor and Hank recently.

They have “no true weaknesses” because they identify the beside player who helps what they are bad at during the trade deadline and fix it. They find the cost effective doubles hitters instead of trying to hit home runs, and the ones that are a good fit they find a way to keep.

 

[Machinehead]

If you're going to draw a comparison with Tampa, I take issue with seeing them as exceptional because they had Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy had one of the easiest jobs in the league. Those Tampa teams, at their peak, barely gave up any chances.

If you want to argue Tampa is exceptional because they had one of the most unprecedented runs of luck with late draft picks in sports history, that holds more weight.

 

[Savant]

If you're going to draw a comparison with Tampa, I take issue with seeing them as exceptional because they had Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy had one of the easiest jobs in the league. Those Tampa teams, at their peak, barely gave up any chances.

If you want to argue Tampa is exceptional because they had one of the most unprecedented runs of luck with late draft picks in sports history, that holds more weight.

I also think Tampa is a team that annually made all the right moves at the deadline.

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

We've been a good 5v5 team this year when we play a cagey game and just take the chances that come. When we go up and down with teams, even the dreck of the league usually outchance us. That just isn't our game.

I would still like to upgrade the defense. We need that to be our calling card.

Lolll dreck of the league