Series Talk: Rangers vs. Carolina (Game 1, Sunday May 5th @ 4pm ET, ESPN)

[Machinehead]

And yet won more games than everyone else. hahahaha. Analytics don't tell the whole story nor completely predict the outcome.

The Rangers are obviously capable of winning more hockey games than publically available analytics indicate.

 

[zlev]

Guentzel is a good player. He isn't THAT good. Crosby lured defenders to him and has done so for 15 years. He has 4 points in 4 games in the first round, with 2 assists coming on the PP. I mean he's another weapon for them, for sure, but people calling him the best player in the series are out to lunch

have you peeped Guentzel's numbers since joining Carolina? he put up 25 points in 17 games. he's still good without Crosby. it surprised me too.

 

[Machinehead]

Guentzel is a good player. He isn't THAT good. Crosby lured defenders to him and has done so for 15 years. He has 4 points in 4 games in the first round, with 2 assists coming on the PP. I mean he's another weapon for them, for sure, but people calling him the best player in the series are out to lunch

He's around a 95 point player when he's healthy and has two runs in the playoffs over or close to goal-per-game.

He's not the best forward in the series but he will be if both he and Panarin perform in the playoffs the way they always have.

 

[SA16]

Guentzel is a good player. He isn't THAT good. Crosby lured defenders to him and has done so for 15 years. He has 4 points in 4 games in the first round, with 2 assists coming on the PP. I mean he's another weapon for them, for sure, but people calling him the best player in the series are out to lunch

His "playoff resume" is also a good run 7 years ago. He has 20 points his last 25 games.

 

[JimmyG89]

Of course in the postseason, everyone is desperate, but Carolina and the Rangers would be the two most desperate teams remaining.

We obviously know the Rangers. President's Trophy, collapse from last season, and some aging players. Carolina is trending in that same direction. They've been banging at the door for years now and haven't broken through. Now, they've gone as all in as they ever have. Tons of UFAs, guys like Burns and Staal aren't getting any younger. This might be the best roster they've put together during this iteration of the Canes.

The biggest of the bunch is that Brind'Amour does not have a deal after this season. Can't tell me that isn't a motivating factor as well.

They're going to need Shesterkin to be lights out. You can also frustrate Carolina quite easily. Svechnikov is the primary target of that frustration. Aho can get that way too.

If they have to play DeAngelo, he needs a heaping portion of the Kakko line, whether it is with Cuylle or Chytil. Punish him below the hashmarks.

 

[DanielBrassard]

I agree with @DanielBrassard that their style favors us in a big way. Carolina runs around like crazy and we love the royal road. We should be able to score and the combination of Igor and Fox gives us a magic number of goals.

The biggest thing for me is that we were +1 at 5v5 this season and there is no special teams advantage for us in this series. That is terrifying.

That's based on season play and Carolina isn't facing our PK every night. Maybe our PK can shut them down. If they do, I like our chances, but I'm super nervous about facing the only other team that's top 5 in both special teams categories.

I think it could be a benefit but then again the rangers scored 4 goals against them in 3 games during the regular season.

The x-factor will be the PK. If they can limit Carolina’s PP we have a decent chance to beat them. If not, forget it. Plus we won’t be facing Raanta or Kochetkov in this series most likely. Andersen is a legitimately good goalie.

 

[Machinehead]

I have it on good authority that both teams, are indeed, very ugly

Yeah but one team has Seth Jarvis.

That dude is the Wayne Gretzky of being ugly. Just on another level from anybody else ever.

 

[HolyHagelin]

we were playing against a 3rd string goalie in that series

I forgot, nobody else has
To deal with playoff injuries

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Let them go to game 7.

But i’m fully expecting Isles to shit the bed and lose 5-0 tonight.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Yeah but one team has Seth Jarvis.

That dude is the Wayne Gretzky of being ugly. Just on another level from anybody else ever.

I don't know, Brock Nelson is busted as f***.

He looks like a combo of Big Bird and a bottle of Nyquil.

And then there is Evan Rodrigues who looks like every bad acid trip I've ever had.

 

[HolyHagelin]

Carolina has a better squad on paper for what, a ping pong tournament? They have no answer for a heavy checking game, nobody that can bring the thunder, and a bunch of softer guys. Even if they win game 1, they won’t be able to deal with the punishment the rangers will be dishong out over a long series. NY in 6.

 

[Machinehead]

I think it could be a benefit but then again the rangers scored 4 goals against them in 3 games during the regular season.

The x-factor will be the PK. If they can limit Carolina’s PP we have a decent chance to beat them. If not, forget it. Plus we won’t be facing Raanta or Kochetkov in this series most likely. Andersen is a legitimately good goalie.

Of course that includes that fever dream 6-1 game which didn't feel like a 6-1 game.

 

[Machinehead]

I don't know, Brock Nelson is busted as f***.

He looks like a combo of Big Bird and a bottle of Nyquil.

And then there is Evan Rodrigues who looks like every bad acid trip I've ever had.

See that's the thing, Brock Nelson looks like he's an 85 year old wearing a younger man as a mask, and Evan Rodrigues looks like he can't count to 1.

Jarvis has both covered.

 

[bhamill]

I don't know, Brock Nelson is busted as f***.

He looks like a combo of Big Bird and a bottle of Nyquil.

And then there is Evan Rodrigues who looks like every bad acid trip I've ever had.

I'm very sorry to hear that you have had bad acid trips. Mine have always been very pleasant. Though mushrooms are really the way to go.

 

[GAGLine]

Vegas having us as an underdog in a series that isn't even set in stone yet because the Canes have to beat the islanders, is certifiably insane. Bulletin board material for our guys and I love it.

If the Rangers lose this series it would be a massive disappointment on our end. Canes aren't a special team.

There's nothing insane about it. The odds-makers had Carolina with the best odds to win the cup. Why would they then favor us against them?

 

[McRanger92]

There's nothing insane about it. The odds-makers had Carolina with the best odds to win the cup. Whey would then favor us against them?

Because they got it wrong. Just like they got it wrong with the Devils this summer. Why are the Canes the Cup favorite? I'd love that to be explained to me, because they are the 3rd best team in their own conference and they definitely aren't better than the top of the West. Looks to me like they backed themselves into a corner because people are going to be hammering the Rangers at plus money to win the series. And I will say as a conspiracy theorist if you want to keep an eye on anything this series, pay attention to where the calls go, knowing there is a lot of money for for Draftkings and the like to lose if the Rangers win. This is the bed the Big 4 have made with the rampant gambling.

 

[HolyHagelin]

I'm very sorry to hear that you have had bad acid trips. Mine have always been very pleasant. Though mushrooms are really the way to go.

Hard disagree on mushrooms. The other way is much better.

There's nothing insane about it. The odds-makers had Carolina with the best odds to win the cup. Why would they then favor us against them?

Because each round of the playoffs gives new information. That information now is that the Rangers swept and trailed for 1% of the series time, and Carolina did not sweep and has been behind a lot to an equally bad team as WAS.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Fans here underestimate the Canes roster to their peril. That team is not a joke, and if we have an advantage it's a very slight one.

Nobody is underestimating the Canes roster. On the contrary It is the Rangers roster that is being underestimated by some.

 

[GAGLine]

Because they got it wrong. Just like they got it wrong with the Devils this summer. Why are the Canes the Cup favorite? I'd love that to be explained to me, because they are the 3rd best team in their own conference and they definitely aren't better than the top of the West. Looks to me like they backed themselves into a corner because people are going to be hammering the Rangers at plus money to win the series.

They finished 2nd in the conference, all of 3 points behind us. You're splitting hairs if you think they aren't every bit as good as the Rangers.

 

[Kovalev27]

They have more talent than we do. Look at the lineups. If I have to explain it, then we're just not going to agree.

The book on the Canes has always been "yeah muhanalyticz but they can't actually score." They can score. They're a lot more skilled than previous iterations of the team and they have a working powerplay now.

We can certainly win this series. I also don't think it's unfair that Vegas has us as a slight underdog. I don't really care about 3 regular season points.

Sorry but they have more talent than we do ?

you’ve completely completely lost me there and I don’t think it’s close

 

[Machinehead]

Sorry but they have more talent than we do ?

you’ve completely completely lost me there and I don’t think it’s close

Not high-end talent but they have the best depth in the league. Our bottom six really isn't good.

 

[bhamill]

Hard disagree on mushrooms. The other way is much better.

To each their own, however for me mushrooms are WAY smoother, the trip is like a bell curve the way you go up and come down. Got to say, you are the first person I ever spoke to that likes acid better.
Acid is VERY jagged on the way down. The plateau is similar to mushrooms, but coming off it is always less than pleasant. Every person I've ever tripped with or spoken to about it has agreed. We all have our own body chemistry though.

 

[eco's bones]

If the Isles can somehow beat the Canes tonight they would turn it into a real series. The 6th game would go back to Long Island/Brooklyn. It's not likely but:

A) a bad or mediocre night for Andersen and/or Varmalov standing on his head.
B) a close fought defensive contest where a key Canes player or two gets hurt bad enough where they can't return
C) some Canes player gets tossed on a major and the Isles make them pay on the power play multiple times.

We can always hope. Sometimes better teams do shoot themselves in the foot.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

They have more talent than we do. Look at the lineups. If I have to explain it, then we're just not going to agree.

The book on the Canes has always been "yeah muhanalyticz but they can't actually score." They can score. They're a lot more skilled than previous iterations of the team and they have a working powerplay now.

We can certainly win this series. I also don't think it's unfair that Vegas has us as a slight underdog. I don't really care about 3 regular season points.

Yes, you have to explain it, especially if we get Chytil back for the series.

 

[McRanger92]

They finished 2nd in the conference, all of 3 points behind us. You're splitting hairs if you think they aren't every bit as good as the Rangers.

If they were as good as us they wouldve caught us when we played .500 hockey for 2 months in the middle of the season. And saying they are "every bit as good as us" is not the same as "pre-playoffs Cup favorite".