Post-Game Talk: #1 - Rangers @ Hawks [Warning #102]

[we want cup]

Agreed on everything.

Team played very well, overall. Hank played very well. This panic mode crap has got to stop, though. It's the first game and it's already a nuthouse.

I had hoped that the absurd behavior that started last year and continued through the summer would cool off, but it sure isn't looking like it will.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

READ THIS POST VERY CAREFULLY.

We are not (NOT NOT NOT) doing this back and forth bickering and flaming 82 or more times in post-game threads this season.

Be civil with each other, or you will pretty soon find yourself permanently banned from the site.

Permanently means forever.

 

[Blueshirt Believer]

Tough win. The 3rd period, 1 goal up collapse seems to still be the plan after last year. Hank was on fire. Miller played well as did Yandle, and Klein. I really hope we don't get rid of Klein, I thought he was our best overall d man last year. Onto game 2!

Honestly, I'd rather try to move and upgrade Dan G than Klein. Also, I'm not saying that because of the bad performance tonight. I've always thought Dan should be a second pairing d man.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

So we came to the defending champs' house on banner night and went up 3-1 and you expect no push back? Look I get on them for the shell as much as anyone, but seems like given the circumstances this was a good win. We're very very spoiled.

I don't expect "no push back". What I don't expect is to get walked all over the last 40 minutes of the game after playing great in the first 20.

 

[Machinehead]

Full post-game thoughts

https://mcdonaghandfries.wordpress.com/2015/10/08/gameday-review-oct-7th-2015/

 

[nevesis]

Lundqvist must've lost 10 pounds

Easily.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Nash, Brass, Zucc, Staal, Boyle, Girardi all sucked. McDonagh, Hayes, Stepan, Klein, Stoll were all mediocre/pretty good, and Lindberg, Stalberg, Yandle, Miller, Kreider, Moore, Fast were all good. Hank was unreal.

Zucc wasn't impressive offensively, but I thought he was very good defensively, he made numerous excellent backchecks to break up rush chances for the Hawks.

They got absolutely dominated in the cycle game in the 3rd and could barely keep it out of their own zone.

If they didn't give up many great chances what does it matter that the Hawks were great on the cycle? Most teams that are down in a game tend to get the better of the chances, especially when it's a team with elite offensive talent like the Hawks. I think the team handled the third very well, all things considered.

 

[Tawnos]

Oh I also think it's absolute ****ing ******** the Blackhawks had no penalties called against them until the refs were forced to call penalties for two guys fighting on the ice

IN fact it's probably BS that there was only 1 penalty all game.

Nah. Both teams are pretty disciplined and it looked like a clean game to me.

 

[*Bob Richards*]

Thought our bottom 6 looked good tonight.

 

[Holocene]

I like how we win the game against the defending champs in their house and all I read is *****ing and moaning.

Yeah.... Looked like a fun game between two good teams at the start of the season. Girardi was a trainwreck though.

 

[Levitate]

I didn't think the Rangers looked off at all until they went into their man-prevent. And despite how off they looked in terms of transition, in terms of D zone coverage they were fine. That's a huge improvement over the early part of the last two years, if it maintains.

Even in the first period they didn't get much going in terms of offensive zone possession, that's my concern. Bad job cycling the puck all night. I also don't think they went into prevent so much as Chicago was throwing out their top players every other shift and attacking hard

Agreed. Like I said, they had some moments but overall just a meh game to me. Miller - Lindberg - Stalberg was by far the most effective line tonight.

Without looking I'd guess they got easier matchups though

Also I forgot the Rangers scored off a delayed penalty so I'm slightly mollified about the reffing

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

Honestly, I'd rather try to move and upgrade Dan G than Klein. Also, I'm not saying that because of the bad performance tonight. I've always thought Dan should be a second pairing d man.

I would rather keep Klein too. Cheaper and had a way better game than G tonight....

 

[RangersOwnNewYork*]

What did you watch? He made tons of very tough saves on very high percentage scoring chances.

Perfect on his edges, intelligent reads on every save...unreal game by him.

32 saves total, 14 in the 3rd period alone.

Yeah ok. I said he played great but I've seen games where he was under siege and had to stand on his head for a win. That wasn't the case tonight.

 

[Machinehead]

Hank probably gained 10 pounds. I think he feeds off of turnovers right in front of him like some kind of beautiful Swedish vampire. It's the only way.

 

[we want cup]

Nah. Both teams are pretty disciplined and it looked like a clean game to me.

There were a couple of calls that could have been made, but nothing too egregious, IMO.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

Zucc wasn't impressive offensively, but I thought he was very good defensively, he made numerous excellent backchecks to break up rush chances for the Hawks.



If they didn't give up many great chances what does it matter that the Hawks were great on the cycle? Most teams that are down in a game tend to get the better of the chances, especially when it's a team with elite offensive talent like the Hawks. I think the team handled the third very well, all things considered.

Zucc had one good offensive shift, and it was only where he was protecting the puck.

Nash - Brass - Zucc NEEDS to wake up next game.

 

[Machinehead]

Thought our bottom 6 looked good tonight.

Corsi concurs

 

[Levitate]

Yeah ok. I said he played great but I've seen games where he was under siege and had to stand on his head for a win. That wasn't the case tonight.

I think he had to make a lot of good positional saves which makes it look like he wasn't standing on his head. Just a good job being square and in position

 

[eco's bones]

A lot of people are going to need to get a better handle on their nerves here or it's going to be a long difficult season for you.

Anyway, I thought the Rangers played pretty well. Lundqvist needed to be good, but I wouldn't call it a stand on his head performance. Lots of clear views and easy saves.

Not too worried about the quick whistle, since the refs basically gifted the Hawks a goal earlier on the blown icing call.

Saw a lot of good things from the forwards and a lot of bad things from the D. Ultimately I'm not concerned. Chicago is (obviously) a very good team and they're going to make plays and force turnovers.

Hilarious that people are going to blame Girardi for that goal. Chicago had all the lanes occupied. Girardi made the only play he could and Toews made a good play to block it. Then again, I'm sure if Yandle were in that position he would have lifted his stick in the air and parted the forecheckers like Moses.

The two best posts in this thread.

We're playing the Stanley Cup Champs in their own barn on opening cup banner raising night. It wasn't a game against a chump or an average team.

It's a big ass ****ing road win against arguably the best team in the world.

And most of what I've seen written here is we sucked. Dan Girardi played so bad that AV and Ulf kept putting him on the ice. Worst player on the ice? For the Rangers he had the most minutes---over 25. Rangers and Blackhawks tied for shots after two periods 20-20. Blackhawks outshot us 14-7 in the third. A lot more often than not a great team down by a goal in their own barn turn it up in the third. The Rangers bent but they didn't break.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Nah. Both teams are pretty disciplined and it looked like a clean game to me.

Generally agreed. The only real change I'd of made was giving Shaw the extra two. Pretty clearly should've been that way.

 

[Blueshirt Believer]

Stoll is a good addition to the 4th line. Obvious upgrade over Glass and an improvement over some of the other players on last year's 4th line like Stempniak and Sheppard.

Lindberg and his linemates were pretty impressive. Kreider was good but I wish he would hit the net more. Nash-Brass-Zucc was lousy, Nash had a few opportunities to put the game away and couldn't do it.

I can't blame Nash. Nash was trying really hard for stretches. Zucc seemed a bit off and needs to settle down. Brassard was invisible.

 

[BlueshirtBlitz]

The defense is dragging this team down and I hope they rectify the Girardi/Staal mistakes sooner rather than later.

Offense was phenomenal in the 1st period, alright in the 2nd and invisible in the 3rd.

 

[KreiderHouseRules*]

Miller was the best skater tonight, IMO.

Lundqvist is Lundqvist.

Really excited about watching the progression of Miller, Hayes, Lindberg.

Kreider is going to have a monster year. He's realizing how physically dominant he can be, especially with his skating.

Very impressed by Miller and Lindberg so far. Miller seems to have turned a corner, and has been showing some truly brilliant playmaking ability.

 

[RangersOwnNewYork*]

Holy ****. It's going to be a long season already when some of you are already complaining after a win in game 1. A game 1 win against the champs in their own barn. Just unbelievable.

 

[*Bob Richards*]

Corsi concurs

I believe it was Stoll who tied up a Hawk on a potential scoring chance. GOAT