Post-Game Talk: Rangers at Islanders - December 6

[Irishguy42]

So in the third period last night, we were technically missing three Top 6 players and our leading goal scorer. And Puempel.

Fun.

Any team missing that much depth won't score a ton of goals. Which is why the D and Hank need to be better. Skjei/Klein/Girardi weren't good tonight, and neither was Hank.

 

[Leetch66]

Spineless/gutless effort . Glad we had that 4 minute PP after the flagrant highstick...we could have done as much in two though and had some sort of payback ....might have made the new guy feel better knowing somebody had his back on this team . When teams do not stand up for one another...every other team will take notice...

The team doctor needs to perform a BALL check....as this team has none . Tanner Glass is not needed....17 guys could have dealt with that at some point . FFS...we let ourselves be manhandled by a cellar dweller and our cross town rivals.

 

[Idlerlee]

Missed the game, how did my spirit animal play?

 

[Roo Returns]

Rangers don't play well vs the Islanders in recent years. Also like 4-5 guys are out now. When the third line is Lindberg centering Pirri and Fast you know you're in trouble. Once guys start getting back this will pass, but it shows that the depth isn't the depth we thought. Gorton needs to add more for the stretch run without gutting the system even more.

 

[Inferno]

Spineless/gutless effort . Glad we had that 4 minute PP after the flagrant highstick...we could have done as much in two though and had some sort of payback ....might have made the new guy feel better knowing somebody had his back on this team . When teams do not stand up for one another...every other team will take notice...

The team doctor needs to perform a BALL check....as this team has none . Tanner Glass is not needed....17 guys could have dealt with that at some point . FFS...we let ourselves be manhandled by a cellar dweller and our cross town rivals.

Gutless? What game were you watching? They dominated the islanders. That sure felt like a lopsided game. The big difference was their goalie was spectacular and ours was atrocious.

 

[NYRFAN218]

Rangers don't play well vs the Islanders in recent years. Also like 4-5 guys are out now. When the third line is Lindberg centering Pirri and Fast you know you're in trouble. Once guys start getting back this will pass, but it shows that the depth isn't the depth we thought. Gorton needs to add more for the stretch run without gutting the system even more.

Any team that gets hit with these injuries is going to have similar lineups. You're not going to be able to have top 9 guys waiting in the wings ready to jump in when guys get hurt. The Rangers forward depth is phenomenal but when your top forward, arguably top center, top 9 winger, another depth forward all get hurt along with your leading goal scorer being away from the team, this will happen. Not to mention who knows if Jooris and Lindberg are 100% healthy themselves.

 

[JanErixon20]

Spineless/gutless effort . Glad we had that 4 minute PP after the flagrant highstick...we could have done as much in two though and had some sort of payback ....might have made the new guy feel better knowing somebody had his back on this team . When teams do not stand up for one another...every other team will take notice...

The team doctor needs to perform a BALL check....as this team has none . Tanner Glass is not needed....17 guys could have dealt with that at some point . FFS...we let ourselves be manhandled by a cellar dweller and our cross town rivals.

Gutless? What game were you watching? They dominated the islanders. That sure felt like a lopsided game. The big difference was their goalie was spectacular and ours was atrocious.

Seriously, what did you want? They had like 10 shots on that 4 minute power play. Halak turned into Patrick Roy. Did you want them to jump Nelson? This isn't 1970s hockey. I get you want to rant but....wrong rant.

 

[Dr. Ogrodnick]

Don't you think that it would be a little too coincidental if his down season comes at age 34 and isn't about his age?

But his issues don't seem to be physical, they are mental. 1st goal his positioning was off. That's a mental mistake. 3rd goal he went for a poke check he never should have gone for in a situation that wasn't dangerous. Another mental mistake. The 1st goal in Buffalo... mental. Etc....

 

[Player big P]

Oh. I guess I'm glad I missed this one.

 

[Siddi]

I'd play Hank vs the Blackhawks on Friday. Raanta on Thursday.

For what its worth Hank did find his game against Chicago a couple of seasons ago after a similar ****** start.

 

[Mac n Gs]

On the bright side, they've been doing better fundamentally in the defensive zone. The forwards have been in better positioning to receive outlet passes from the d with another forward being available to get another touch pass from there. They need to maintain that structure and get healthy again.

We really can't forget how good this team is with its 12 healthy forwards.

 

[True Blue]

We're not far off right now.

A team that is only capable of playing pond hockey is further away than you think. It may not be such a horrid idea that the all skill team that AV has envisioned is not working. Yes there are injuries, but like it or not, the mix may need to be changed. Which means more of the assortment that a faction on this board hates. Players who can be plumbers. Maybe it is not that awful to deliver a hit every now and then. Or win a battle in a corner. Of clear the net.

 

[True Blue]

Also it's comical how after the first period tonight Valiquette again absolved Lundqvist of any blame on either goal. What a clown

Henke should not be absolved, but the issues of this team run FAR deeper than him.

 

[Leetch66]

A team that is only capable of playing pond hockey is further away than you think. It may not be such a horrid idea that the all skill team that AV has envisioned is not working. Yes there are injuries, but like it or not, the mix may need to be changed. Which means more of the assortment that a faction on this board hates. Players who can be plumbers. Maybe it is not that awful to deliver a hit every now and then. Or win a battle in a corner. Of clear the net.

Sarcasm mode on....Oh MY....don't even suggest that True Blue....don't you know how many shots we had on the PP? What game did you watch ? LOL...sarcasm mode off....LOL......yes...the mix needs to be changed very soon . A lot here prefer the Rec hockey though with almost no hitting . We seriously need a Kunitz/Hornqvist duo of sorts .....a lot here just don't get that...and likely never will for that matter .

 

[Inferno]

Henke should not be absolved, but the issues of this team run FAR deeper than him.

In the grand scheme of things i agree....but last night was about henrik...

 

[Irishguy42]

Also...

...if only one person (Pirri) is shooting the puck on a 6-on-3, you're doing something wrong.

Need Zibanejad back on the point, even though he shoots wide half the time. Need Buchnevich out there to not flub the puck and spend 4 seconds settling the puck to play it or shoot it like Miller did last night.

We also need to not spend ~40 seconds holding onto the puck when it's a delayed penalty. Let. Them. Touch. Up. We weren't even in their end taking shots or anything that entire time. We had to leave the zone twice to just get the puck.

 

[kovazub94]

Love reading this stuff, classic.

Agree, but note that your defending of Hank's play as if he were a rookie junior goaltender is on the same level just an opposite side of the spectrum.

 

[silverfish]

Agree, but note that your defending of Hank's play as if he were a rookie junior goaltender is on the same level just an opposite side of the spectrum.

As usual, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle.

 

[Gardner McKay]

In the grand scheme of things i agree....but last night was about henrik...

I also agree. We have issues but Hank was bad last night. Whether the first goal was a deflection or not, he was still really out of position.

Halak saved the Islanders. This was the rare occasion where a goaltender decided a game and for once it wasn't ours. If Halak played as poorly as Hank we would have won this game with 6-7 goals.

 

[Blueshirtforlife*]

We missing Buch, Zib, Grab still? Missing Nash for a lot of the game?

Call me when the injuries are healed and the team's had some time together again and if they still keep losing and looking bad we'll talk.

Hank's not good enough. I'm not very down on him yet though.

I also get to enjoy as nevesis' blind quest to defend any and everything involving Hank goes down in flames. Plenty of folks have gotten into it with me because I thought their posts on hank were ridiculous in how critical they were. Gee whiz Nevesis, too much in the other direction.

How about if the injuries don't stop and the goaltending doesn't improve this team will not be in the playoffs! Look at the standings

 

[xsniper11x]

Fellas let's think things thru here and not be so emotional and let's try and be be realistic here.

From your lips (keys?) to God's ears. When it comes to online posting/tweeting/commenting in general, if there was like a 10 minute rule where you had to think about something before actually posting it, we'd prob all be better off.

Rangers have had several games where they were outplayed and won. Last night the opposite happened. A condensed schedule, key injuries and some team's starting to figure us out means we were due to correct.

I think it's a good thing. Forces the team to learn different ways to win. How awful would it be if we dominated until March, then all of a sudden teams figured us out and we limped into the playoffs w/ a first round exit?

I'll take adversity in Nov/Dec any day. It'll make us a better team.

 

[True Blue]

In the grand scheme of things i agree....but last night was about henrik...

Not denying that. But I also continue to see the same issues. Granted, if any one person deserves the biggest goat horns for last night it is Henke. But the same issues in front of him are recurring whether or not he makes the saves.

 

[True Blue]

I'll take adversity in Nov/Dec any day. It'll make us a better team.

Just look how well it turned out last year.

 

[xsniper11x]

Just look how well it turned out last year.

Apples and oranges. We looked terrible out of the gate last year. Both eye test and stats showed it didn't match our record.

This year, we didn't just have a top record in hockey, we LOOKED like a top team. I thinks its a big difference.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Just look how well it turned out last year.

Apples and oranges in my opinion.