Pre-Game Talk: Rangers @ Pittsburgh 4/16/16 3:00 PM EST

[ArPanet]

Hoping Dylan wrecks Kuhnhakl early for the lolz then obliterates Malkin. Rangers owe him for all the cheapshots the refs have let him get away with over the years. Of course the cleanest hit ever will still be a penalty, Pierre will claim refs made right call, and NBCSN will not show a replay.

 

[New York RKY]

Lundqvist in, Girardi out:

 

[ponytrekker]

Hoping Dylan wrecks Kuhnhakl early for the lolz then obliterates Malkin. Rangers owe him for all the cheapshots the refs have let him get away with over the years. Of course the cleanest hit ever will still be a penalty, Pierre will claim refs made right call, and NBCSN will not show a replay.

I think I am going to have to drive around and listen on the radio.

 

[Captain Lindy]

Lundqvist in, Girardi out:

AV says he's hurt. Yeah, right.

 

[chosen]

Alright boys, I have a confession to make. Legitimate true story. Still haunts me to this day.

Last year, May 28th 2015 (one day before Game 7 vs TB), I was at public hockey with a buddy of mine. He's a goalie and you guys know how goalies are. His initials are PK (this will be important later). He knows I'm a big Rangers fan.

Well, at the end of the session, he asks me if I wanted to come again tomorrow. Says he wanted to show me some hockey related things he's been experimenting with. I sort of had prior obligations for the 29th, but I probably could have made it. I'm telling him I can't, I might be busy tomorrow, etc. He keeps on pushing me to come on the 29th. I tell him I just don't feel like it.

He then says, "If you don't come tomorrow, I'm putting a curse on the Rangers for Game 7." I'm thinking, "This is BS. I just don't feel like going. Have some things to do. Just don't know if I can make it."

So I end up not going to public hockey on the 29th. All day, I'm thinking about when he said "I'm putting a curse on the Rangers for Game 7." What the hell does that even mean? At the same time, my mind is on the game all day. Barely accomplished anything. Just waiting for that puck to drop, but in the back of my mind, that curse thing was bothering me. I was thinking, "Should I have gone for the hell of it? Bah, this curse thing is a bunch of BS anyway. Rangers are going to win."

Well, as we know the Rangers did not go on to win. They lost 2-0. The creepy part: The two goal scorers for TB in that game: Killorn and Palat. PK. The goalies initials are also PK. The "curse" was real.

Legitimate true story.

Yup, you're the reason they lost.

Superstitious people are odd.

 

[aufheben]

I hope McIlrath doesn't have a bad game, AV will exile him.

 

[chosen]

Anybody ever wonder what is going through a guy's head who hides behind his computer and calls a professional athlete who is playing at the top level of his sport who has battled a career threatening concussion and a slapshot to the eye a "clown".? Staal does more charity work in a year than most of us will ever even consider doing in a lifetime. "Clown" just doesn't seem to fit. Sorry for the rant. That just really bothered me. Carry on.

Thank you for this post.

It is sickening to read similar crap so often.

 

[Inferno]

I hope McIlrath doesn't have a bad game, AV will exile him.

i seriously do wonder what McIlrath did to cause AV to hate him so much.

 

[aufheben]

i seriously do wonder what McIlrath did to cause AV to hate him so much.

I love him paired with Yandle but I also hope it doesn't negatively effect Yandle's icetime.

 

[chosen]

Andrew Gross ‏@AGrossRecord 4m4 minutes ago
Lundqvist says eyesight was blurry and couldn't focus after hit by stick in Game 1.

Lundqvist he was feeling better by the time he went to bed on Wednesday night.

If that quote by Hank is accurate, he is a total **** for going back into the game.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I wouldn't be surprised if Girardi had a concussion and wasn't ready to return but was trying to come back for the playoffs.

As for shutdown pairings, I think when you're talking about going against superstar players like Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, etc, you want guys who are at least decent at defense. You'll never ever be able to contain someone like Crosby solely based on puck possession, you need players who can play defense against him, BUT the key thing being they also need to be able to disrupt the attack and gain the puck back and turn things the other way. Not disrupt the attack...then the next one, then the next, and another, can't get the puck, annnnnnd finally a goal against because they couldn't regain the puck even though they were doing well defending until that point

Agreed, I think people are forgetting that he was basically knocked out cold on the ice, smacking his head violently against the boards, and that was only 10 days ago.

It's entirely possible he wasn't 100% and was just trying to gut it out and get back ASAP because it is the playoffs. After how poorly he played, maybe AV told him we need you to sit out and to get fully healthy.


However, if he is healthy and it is a healthy scratch, I'd rather them do it this way. For as much as I don't want him on the blueline anymore, Dan Girardi has given a lot to this team and franchise and I'd rather them avoid publicly embarrassing him.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Lundqvist in, Girardi out:

 

[StepansLabyrinth]

If that quote by Hank is accurate, he is a total **** for going back into the game.

Sometimes it takes a few moments for the swelling to really get bad. His vision could have been way better moments after he got hit than it was after sitting around in the locker room. If he was a "total ****", he would have stayed in when his vision was the worst. This was not the case.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

This is why:

https://streamable.com/0g9z

Oh yeah, forgot about that. Amazing hit.

 

[chosen]

Sometimes it takes a few moments for the swelling to really get bad. His vision could have been way better moments after he got hit than it was after sitting around in the locker room. If he was a "total ****", he would have stayed in when his vision was the worst. This was not the case.

He said his vision was blurry and he couldn't focus. AV and the trainer asked him if he was okay. He lied and said he was fine, putting idiotic pride ahead of his teammates and the ultimate goal of winning.

I have said many times before that he might be the second best goaltender I have ever seen, so I clearly appreciate his abilities, but what he did was a selfish and stupid act.

If for example, one of the fans' regular whipping boys (Girardi etc.) had done the same thing, he would be justifiably roasted for it here. Selfish and terrible decision on his part, that could have had far worse consequences.

 

[FLYLine27*]

This is why:

https://streamable.com/0g9z

lol all the players on the bench go flying back.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Whole body injury? Yikes G

Anyways, let's hope they rally after playing well but losing game 1

LGR

 

[Traderalways]

Call diaz up and dress 7 on D... That takes glass out and I'm thrilled!! Lol.

 

[Leetch66]

I would love to see DM just CREAM Hags with a thundering CLEAN open ice hit . Him or Kessel be good targets . Not worth hitting Cindy because it is going to cost us 2 minutes even if the hit is clean . I could handle a smash or two on Hornqvist/Kunitz too....and to make it really exciting...put the kid in the crease on a PP and wreak a little havoc with Letang or Mattta . Time to get physical....simple game plan to follow and force the Penguins to pay for every inch of ice at each end .

 

[nevesis]

If that quote by Hank is accurate, he is a total **** for going back into the game.

Watch the full q/a with him, he said his eye felt better after the initial treatment at the bench and he felt good enough to finish the period. It only started getting bad during intermission when the swelling increased and he couldn't focus well.

 

[silverfish]

Love that McIlrath is going into the lineup. Feel for G, but it's been time. A lot of people around these parts are going to take a very microscopic look at McIlrath during the game tomorrow (assuming it is him who plays and not Diaz). It will be interesting to see the things McIlrath gets shredded for around here by those who wouldn't do the same for Girardi.

Still have confidence in this team to take this series... for some reason.

 

[BoWmEn]

You guys think Hank will change the cage on the mask? You know Don Cherry is gloating with the "I told you so" over this.

 

[InwoodBlueNYC]

He said his vision was blurry and he couldn't focus. AV and the trainer asked him if he was okay. He lied and said he was fine, putting idiotic pride ahead of his teammates and the ultimate goal of winning.

I have said many times before that he might be the second best goaltender I have ever seen, so I clearly appreciate his abilities, but what he did was a selfish and stupid act.

If for example, one of the fans' regular whipping boys (Girardi etc.) had done the same thing, he would be justifiably roasted for it here. Selfish and terrible decision on his part, that could have had far worse consequences.

I have never ever played goalie in the NHL. I am not one of the best goalies to have ever played for the NY Rangers. So I will not assume weather he was able to play or not. But I can tell you this: I would never ever have the guts to call Lundqvist a "****" or "selfish" for any reason. NONE! NEVER!

 

[GordonGecko]

If that quote by Hank is accurate, he is a total **** for going back into the game.

probably thought he would shake it off - blame the coach more than him

 

[Hire Sather]

Call diaz up and dress 7 on D... That takes glass out and I'm thrilled!! Lol.

Never want to see the Rangers roll 7 D in the playoffs ever again after G7 against TB.