Recalled/Assigned: Raphael Díaz

haveandare

Registered User
Jul 2, 2009
18,889
7,398
New York




Watch him during this entire sequence. Diaz knows how to work the PP, and as Adam mentioned he's a great passer and has a bomb. Him and Yandle could be a great tandem on the PP.

AV wants more speed and agility on the back end. This isn't to say he's a full-time replacement for McIlrath, but he might want some different options.

When did depth become a bad thing? Especially when we're trying to keep Girardi OUT of the lineup?


A guy who knows the PP IMO would have a lot more points than Diaz, who has .24 ppg over 201 games.
 

Thirty One

Safe is safe.
Dec 28, 2003
28,981
24,354
Prediction: If McIlrath plays, the pro-Diaz faction will confirmation bias the piss out of every minor error he might make or not make and vice versa.
 

Amazing Kreiderman

Registered User
Apr 11, 2011
44,816
40,285
Average amount of ice time in those games? Context matters.

P/60 on the PP (Since 2007):

Diaz 3.32
Yandle 4.27
McDonagh 3.20

Others who are close to Diaz in P/60:
Josi 3.33
Ekman-Larsson 3.40
Bouwmeester 3.14
Doughty 3.57
Johnson 3.56
Niskanen 3.44
 

The Mouth

Blueshirt Underground on You Tube
May 20, 2009
1,196
177
www.facebook.com
Killed it in pre season, should have made the team. But Mcilrath beat him out fair and square only to dress for 34 games. AV likes puck movers. He's got playoff and Cup experience with the Rangers.
 

Oscar Lindberg

Registered User
Dec 14, 2015
15,597
14,381
CA
Have they confirmed he's going to play? Also all this freaking out seems a bit much. This is literally a non issue.
 

bhamill

Registered User
Apr 16, 2012
3,597
4,133
Comparing Diaz to Stralman? OK. One spent the second half of his twenties developing into a fine defenseman who excelled at the defensive aspect of his game. A dman who could play in the top 4 on just about any NHL team. The other spent most of that time period out of regular NHL spot, honing his offensive skills to the point of almost mediocre while avoiding throwing a hit whenever possible. This culminated with an injury plagued AHL season after failing to make an NHL roster in 2015.
I actually feel bad saying these things about Diaz, because he seems a nice guy who would love to contribute. Problem is, they are accurate. His play does not warrant a spot on a playoff team's roster. IMO he shouldn't replace Boyle. Why replace Boyle with a dman of similar size but plays three sizes smaller, is worse defensively and worse offensively? This push for Diaz is downright bizzare.
If he plays I too hope he ends up with the Conn Smythe, but quite frankly, if he is the NYR sixth dman, then their defense is too weak for them to go anywhere.
 

cwede

Registered User
Sep 1, 2010
9,726
7,553

weird, the article does not say Diax is probably in

https://www.newsday.com/sports/hock...h-may-return-to-rangers-for-game-3-1.11705584

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Will Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh be back for Game 3? With the best-of-seven playoff series tied at 1-1, that’s the major lineup question for Tuesday night’s swing game against the Penguins.
McDonagh hasn’t played for two weeks since blocking a shot with his right hand and missing five games during his recovery period, which is on the verge of ending. His appearance at Monday’s full practice surprised coach Alain Vigneault, who told reporters Sunday that “if I were a betting man,†he wouldn’t be skating.
Latest Rangers stories
Best: Rangers wary of Penguins’ power play
Lundqvist wants to put eye injury behind him
Vigneault takes shot at officiating
Rangers promote Diaz to aid defense, power play
Best: Eric Staal could be X-factor for Rangers
After practicing on a defense pairing with Raphael Diaz, who was recalled from Hartford, McDonagh was not made available to the media. Vigneault, however, did not rule out the possibility of No. 27 suiting up Tuesday night to bolster the blue line against the Penguins.
VOTE
Rangers vs. Penguins: Who has the edge?
“At this point, I would say I’m doubtful, but stranger things have happened before,†said Vigneault, who was told that McDonagh felt better after a skate on Sunday’s off day and was cleared to practice by the team’s medical staff. “They thought that it would be a good idea to get a practice in and we’ll see how he responds.â€
Vigneault said the feedback was “it went well,†but he would not say which defensemen will start in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden.
If McDonagh plays, he will step in with the other two natural lefthanded defensemen, Marc Staal and Keith Yandle. For Vigneault, the right side will be Kevin Klein and Dan Boyle and either Dylan McIlrath, Diaz or lefthanded rookie Brady Skjei, who filled in during McDonagh’s absence.
“We’ll have some decisions to make,†Vigneault said. “When Skjei was sent back to Hartford and Diaz was hurt, [Skjei] played the right side. So that gives us some scenarios we can use. I think so far in the two games, he’s played well.â€
Predictably, players were cheered by the appearance of McDonagh, who had 34 points in 73 games and was a team-leading plus-26.
Rangers
Photos: Rangers-Penguins Game 2

“He’s the captain, he plays real ly hard out there and he has experience in the playoffs as well, so we’ll see when he plays, but it’s a good sign,†Henrik Lundqvist said. “That’s the best part. We know he’s close.â€
Get Adobe Flash player


With or without McDonagh, the Rangers — who will start the same four lines — will need a big response against a team that beat them twice at the Garden this season. The Penguins will be desperate not to fall behind in a rugged series that will continue with Game 4 here Thursday night.
“I don’t think we made it hard enough on their ‘D’,†Penguins forward Chris Kunitz said after practice in Pittsburgh. “We have to be physical. When you’re a foot away from a guy, don’t veer away.â€
Marc Staal, who had a few run-ins with Kunitz, said players remember the battles. “Long series, long games, you don’t forget them,†he said. “Guys are coming in and playing physical and chippy. Playoff hockey.â€
Lundqvist will start for the Rangers, and based on interviews after the Penguins’ practice, it appears as if goalie Jeff Zatkoff will play his third consecutive game. “My mindset is I’m preparing to play,†Zatkoff said.
Evgeni Malkin, who played his first game in a month Sunday, did not skate with Sidney Crosby at practice but as a center on a line with Eric Fehr and Conor Sheary.
Speaking of the Rangers’ 4-2 win in Game 2, Penguins coach Mike Sulliva said, “The scoring chances were even, but we played more of an east-west game. We’ve got to make sure we put the puck behind them and retrieve it. That’s when this team is at its best.â€
 

Jim Ramsay

Registered User
Jul 1, 2003
845
751
Warwick, NY
I can't even believe there is actually a chance that Diaz is going to suit up these playoffs. Where did this thought come from that he is some kind of Powerplay savior?

Between 2013-2015 he has played for 4 nhl teams in 119 games and has a grand total of 5 powerplay points....

I am in awe of the fact that both AV and some fans think this guy is going to come in and provide some kind of jumpstart to our powerplay, nevermind the fact that this guy is an absolute pushover defensively.

His dismal stats offensively combined with the fact that he is weak defensively makes zero to play him...which is why AV probably will
 

True Blue

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
30,092
8,362
Visit site
I can't even believe there is actually a chance that Diaz is going to suit up these playoffs. Where did this thought come from that he is some kind of Powerplay savior?

Between 2013-2015 he has played for 4 nhl teams in 119 games and has a grand total of 5 powerplay points....

I am in awe of the fact that both AV and some fans think this guy is going to come in and provide some kind of jumpstart to our powerplay, nevermind the fact that this guy is an absolute pushover defensively.

His dismal stats offensively combined with the fact that he is weak defensively makes zero to play him...which is why AV probably will
Unfortunately, if he suits up, I see it more an indictment that AV has no use for MclRath.
 

Don Chytil

Registered User
Jan 14, 2010
2,053
541
Queens
Any chance of 7 D, with Diaz on the powerplay? I think that could work out alright. A bit discouraging if he sits Dylan for him, though.
 

Waivers

Registered User
Sep 27, 2013
1,659
898
NY
The whole idea of Diaz getting brought up is to create more chances on the PP. We have all seen him take ~8 shots on a PP before, and you create chances that way. He is a pretty good puck mover too with some wheels. When he gets a chance in the offensive zone, he's not timid about shooting, if there's a lane or a way to get a quick stick from one of our players in front of the net, he will attack. He has played on this team before and understands the system.

If he plays, I would assume no more than 15 minutes but that's dependent on who is on the lineup.
 

Captain Lindy

Formerly known as Kreider Beast
Apr 1, 2006
14,505
10,340
Virginia
Diaz is fine the only thing that concerns me at this point is the rust factor. He hasn't played an NHL game this year. His timing is likely to be off.
 

True Blue

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
30,092
8,362
Visit site
The whole idea of Diaz getting brought up is to create more chances on the PP. We have all seen him take ~8 shots on a PP before, and you create chances that way. He is a pretty good puck mover too with some wheels. When he gets a chance in the offensive zone, he's not timid about shooting, if there's a lane or a way to get a quick stick from one of our players in front of the net, he will attack. He has played on this team before and understands the system.
That is a rosy way to look at it. The other way is that the Rangers are about to insert a fringe NHL player, one that all other teams have decided he is not a starter, into the starting line up of Game 3 of a playoff series.
 

NikC

Registered User
Oct 7, 2008
5,021
918
I bet it was the Diaz brothers.... they've got beef with us going back to Sunray. ...
 

cwede

Registered User
Sep 1, 2010
9,726
7,553
...a fringe NHL player, one that all other teams have decided he is not a starter

he averaged a hair under 60 games the 2 prior seasons,
his 1 stint on waivers (ie when he coulda been claimed by anyone) was at the tightest time of the year when every team is making decisions to get down to 23,

not saying he's a given, but he is at least an established bottom 3 NHL D

their are a couple dozen of these guys in AHL or Europe every year, who are just as good as many 5-6-7 d-men in NHL
supply outruns demand at the edge of NHL rosters

I don't care if he plays, or not,
i like our kids
but he is just as likely as Skjei or McIlrath to contribute to a win tonight or thursday
 
Last edited:

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->