Pre-Game Talk: PIT @ NYR, Game 4

[TriFF51]

I'm gonna be bold and say the Rangers get a goal tonight. Not sure why I just have a weird feeling the puck might actually go in the net.

 

[Fitzy]

‏@PLeonardNYDN
Kreider won't say if he's playing but he also says he doesn't remember 2012 or how he got injured. So by that logic, he's playing #NYR

Are they sure he doesn't have a concussion?

 

[5 4 Fighting]

"Like Mario Lemieux told Ulfy yesterday, anything Fleury can catch, he will catch," Vigneault said, clearly also trying to stir the pot by setting up Lemieux to be criticized if the Rangers end up winning Game 4. "So maybe if we stay away from that mitt a little bit, the chances might become a little better."

Lemieux a closet Ranger fan?

 

[poeman]

What is the longest a team has gone in NHL Playoff history without scoring on the powerplay?

We must be at the record

 

[KingWantsCup]

The way I look at it this game is our season on the line. This team has too much difficulty stringing two wins together, let alone the three they would need if they lost tonight.

Win tonight and there's only an outside, but moderately possible chance they can win the series.

Light that garbage goalie up like he should be.

 

[eBoge88]

What is the longest a team has gone in NHL Playoff history without scoring on the powerplay?

We must be at the record

The Bruins were pretty terrible on the PP when they won the cup. I don't know if they were on this team's level of putrid(ness) when it came to playing with the extra man. We have to be close to the record.

 

[Hire Sather]

Its a bit concerning that Chris "doesn't remember" 2012.

 

[NYRANGERAMI*]

Rangers win the next 3.... End the series 4-2...Have no Fear..The Seer has spoken...bow and put money in my lil basket.....

 

[KingWantsCup]

The Rangers shouldn't have ever disclosed Kreider's broken wrist. Expect the Pens to hack at it at every opportunity if he plays.

I think they need Kreider in there almost purely for the positive psychological effect he'd have on the team and the fans.

 

[Fataldogg]

Need to force Fleury to come up with some tough saves. In the last game, the toughest save he had to make was in the first period when he stopped MZA on a shot glove side.

Outside of that, our best chances actually beat him (I think we hit four posts in the game). The rest of our chances were easy perimeter shots.

The last two games have been too easy, for any NHL goaltender. I don't think Fleury has been all that impressive, especially to earn back-to-back shutouts (coincidentally the first time Fleury has done that in his post season career, AGAINST US).

The Blue Jackets were scoring 3-4 goals on him every game with the chances they were getting. And I suspect if the Penguins get past us, Fleury will look all too normal again.

Emery, Mason, and Fleury have all looked fantastic against us. At the end of the day, you can't always give the goaltender credit, you have to look at the shooters failing to do their job and our shooters just can't find a way to beat any goaltender easy.

Can't give up breakaway chances. Last game, Lundqvist faced 2-3 breakaway chances depending on how you looked at it. Way too many. I don't care if one goal was a five hole against Crosby on a mini-breakaway, it's not a bad goal. Last night, Rask let up a five-hole goal on Weise, the "best goaltender in the world."

Breakaway goals will happen. Can't give up three breakaway chances in a game (especially to players the caliber of Kunitz, Crosby, and especially Jokinen). I don't care if the Penguins had only 15 shots, they had 2-3 breakaways (2 of which were right after our PP). I don't remember us having one breakaway on Fleury.

Penguins shutdown big time last game. Forced everything to the perimeter. We need to be smarter to (a) be aware of the man coming out of the box so that they're not sprung for breakaways multiple times a game and (b) capitalize on our PP chances to win.

 

[khalpin]

Its a bit concerning that Chris "doesn't remember" 2012.

Let's not take things out of context.

Asked Wednesday if he recalled how he felt during that wild NHL debut, though, Kreider said only: “Not really. It was kind of a blur.â€

 

[Fataldogg]

I'm gonna be bold and say the Rangers get a goal tonight. Not sure why I just have a weird feeling the puck might actually go in the net.

Have to get it early and have to score first. If the Penguins score first, this team will fold. We play incredibly poorly when playing from behind. And the Penguins will be able to play shutdown defense the remainder of the game, and capitalize on the scoring opportunities they get (the Penguins are a team that only need a few quality chances to score, they have the TALENT to take advantage of the opportunities, we have a multitude of 3rd liners who can't finish plays and "elite" goal scorers who are even worse than our 3rd/4th liners playing).

I wouldn't be shocked at all if the Penguins score first and we are forced playing from behind and may or may not score a goal. Would not be shocked if the Penguins can shutdown our meager offense for a third shutout where Fleury doesn't have to play all that well. We are seeing one of the worst Rangers post season efforts in terms of offensive chances this round.

11-12 3rd in GA/G
12-13 7th in GA/G
13-14 2nd in GA/G

Noticing a trend? We finish in the top half for goals against per game in each of the last three post seasons, top-3 two of the last three years, and can't get out of the second round. GOALS win playoff series. Same **** every year. Team can't score goals. They're routinely top in goals against/game but cannot win series because their offensive is wildly inconsistent.

Let's look at an example.

In the MTL/BOS series, Price has won TWO games, in each game his team scored 4 GOALS. Rask has won ONE game, his team scored 5 GOALS.

You can't win games scoring 0-2 goals per game. People always ***** about Lundqvist, but frankly, the goal support is never there. If the Rangers had better goal support, we might have won a Cup in 11-12. Tired of the same **** every year. GOALS. We need GOALS. Give him a team like the 93-94 Rangers with the offense of Messier, Kovalev, Leetch, Zubov, Graves, etc, and we might be able to do something.

 

[FOD]

The Bruins were pretty terrible on the PP when they won the cup. I don't know if they were on this team's level of putrid(ness) when it came to playing with the extra man. We have to be close to the record.

Our percentage up to this point I believe is better than the Bruins percentage that year. The Bruins did pick it up in the finals. Don't think they went 0 for 35.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

The Rangers shouldn't have ever disclosed Kreider's broken wrist. Expect the Pens to hack at it at every opportunity if he plays.

I think they need Kreider in there almost purely for the positive psychological effect he'd have on the team and the fans.

I mentioned this in the Kreider thread last night. After several pages of responses, I think the point settled well with the fans.

 

[silverfish]

What is the longest a team has gone in NHL Playoff history without scoring on the powerplay?

We must be at the record

It's all part of the plan...

"Last 3 30+ power play droughts in @NHL playoffs: '07 Ducks 0-36, '11 Bruins 0-30, '12 Kings 0-30. All 3 won Cup! (thanks @EliasSports)"

https://twitter.com/KennyAlbert/status/464102993894580225

 

[Cmox]

The Bruins were pretty terrible on the PP when they won the cup. I don't know if they were on this team's level of putrid(ness) when it came to playing with the extra man. We have to be close to the record.

Kenny Albert ‏@KennyAlbert 2m

Last 3 30+ power play droughts in @NHL playoffs: '07 Ducks 0-36, '11 Bruins 0-30, '12 Kings 0-30. All 3 won Cup! (thanks @EliasSports)

one can hope...

 

[eBoge88]

It's all part of the plan...

"Last 3 30+ power play droughts in @NHL playoffs: '07 Ducks 0-36, '11 Bruins 0-30, '12 Kings 0-30. All 3 won Cup! (thanks @EliasSports)"

https://twitter.com/KennyAlbert/status/464102993894580225

Pretty mind blowing if you think about it. Just shows how important defense/goal-tending is in the playoffs.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

It's all part of the plan...

"Last 3 30+ power play droughts in @NHL playoffs: '07 Ducks 0-36, '11 Bruins 0-30, '12 Kings 0-30. All 3 won Cup! (thanks @EliasSports)"

https://twitter.com/KennyAlbert/status/464102993894580225

The Ducks had a worse streak than us...that's just, wow.

 

[Ail]

Kenny Albert ‏@KennyAlbert 2m


one can hope...

Still doesn't make it excusable for the time being. Let's just hope it is an omen.

 

[Clown Fiesta]

The 'importance' of anyone's post is completely subjective. What's not important to you may be important to someone else. But hey, I'll defend your right to have an opinion. It's just a slippery slope to throw up an umbrella statement over the importance of a person's post. Plus, it's combative and will usually stir confrontational dialogue.

My bad they were irrelevant and unnecessary given this thread is for discussing tonight's game. Speaking of slippery slopes I can't imagine one more slippery than trying to justify the importance of OT posts. In which case I digress.

 

[KingWantsCup]

I mentioned this in the Kreider thread last night. After several pages of responses, I think the point settled well with the fans.

I guess in that case I'll play Devil's advocate and say the Rangers never expected him to take this long to recover. Regardless, moving forward at a certain point in the season, literally no injury should be disclosed.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I have read doom and gloom for 2 days. Bleep that. Tonight we will kick some Penguins butt!

 

[Ex Officer Friendly]

I'm gonna be bold and say the Rangers get a goal tonight. Not sure why I just have a weird feeling the puck might actually go in the net.

Dude what are you drinking and can i have some

 

[Clown Fiesta]

I have read doom and gloom for 2 days. Bleep that. Tonight we will kick some Penguins butt!

At the zoo?

 

[aufheben]

At the zoo?

"You squakin' to me? You squakin' to me?"

LGR.