GDT: #2 - 10/7/13 | New York Rangers @ Los Angeles Kings | 10:30 PM - MSG

[TheTakedown]

And all of pre-season. And last season where Torts tried to open it up a bit during the reg. season.

McDonagh-Girardi was basically the worst pairing in every pre-season game they played in, and that includes games where half the lineups where filled with AHL journeymen. Constantly stuck in their own zone.

I said this a week ago and was told "they are an elite pairing"...

personally speaking, Staal should be with Girardi, McD with MDZ.

 

[silverfish]

I said this a week ago and was told "they are an elite pairing"...

personally speaking, Staal should be with Girardi, McD with MDZ.

Agreed. We are the heavy minority here though.

 

[aufheben]

Not excepting much, but I thoroughly enjoy these late games, so... LGR.

 

[Bardof425*]

And all of pre-season. And last season where Torts tried to open it up a bit during the reg. season.

McDonagh-Girardi was basically the worst pairing in every pre-season game they played in, and that includes games where half the lineups where filled with AHL journeymen. Constantly stuck in their own zone.

Says the guy with the Stralman mancrush. When do you suggest that Stralman moves up? C'mon. We know it's coming.

 

[Bardof425*]

I'm saying that it is incredibly harmful to have a guy who plays the puck as badly as Girardi does for ~20 5v5 minutes a game regardless of how well he plays defence.

I'd put Strålman on the first pairing with McDonagh as he was by far our best PMD last season, this pre-season and in the game vs Phoenix. He showed this past season that he can handle top matchups as Torts put him with McDonagh after Staal's injury and they were fantastic together.

McD-Strålman
Staal-G
MDZ-Moore

Nash was awful in the pre-season, but he wasn't put into a position to succeed either. When he has been successful he has always been playing with a player that can create space and set up possession in the offensive zone (Vyborny, Huselius, Voracek, Hagelin). AV has yet to realize it as it seems. Just look at Nash's 10-11 vs 11-12 seasons. 10-11 was one of his best seasons in his career and he posted dominant 5v5 scoring numbers. Then Columbus traded Voracek and Nash looked completely lost because they didn't have a proper replacement.

Now Hagelin is currently injured, but the Ranger that has shown the most similar skillset in Mats Zuccarello hasn't been paired with Nash in his absence.

My last post was posted before I read this; I swear. You are so transparent.

 

[offdacrossbar]

tough matchup tonite.

la is a very dangerous team. sadly, we are not.

i still see no finishers on this team.

 

[Bardof425*]

Anyone who wants Miller in this lineup over Boyle right now has their head in the clouds.

This is a Strawman. The majority of Boyle detractors simply want to see him on the 4th line with 7 - 9 minutes of ES time and Pk time; that's it. Any statements to defend him that evoke "get Boyle off the team" is hyperbole.

Personally, if I was looking for a 3rd line center, I would slot Miller in over Boyle assuming that the line is not a checking line cause Miller has alot to learn regarding turning the puck over and defensive assignments. Not because Boyle is some stud defender; cause he's not.

 

[Blue Blooded]

Says the guy with the Stralman mancrush. When do you suggest that Stralman moves up? C'mon. We know it's coming.

I already did. It's my position, I stick by it, and am not the least embarrassed to stand for it. But it doesn't come from a weird "crush" on Strålman, it comes from how successful they were as a pairing last year and how good Strålman has been since the lockout.

I mean, I didn't cherry-pick one stat that said Strålman was awesome and went with it. They ALL say Strålman was awesome. Every, single, one.

I honestly didn't care much at all for Strålman until I really started digging in the stats this summer where they all said he was legit. Where they said that McDonagh-Strålman were at worst a top-5 pairing in the league last year. Where Strålman doubled the production of the Rangers top-7 forwards when he was on the ice. In fact, it is pretty hard to distinguish his on-ice impact 5v5 from the likes of Doughty and Subban. That's how good he was.

I've been keeping a close eye on him throughout the pre-season and vs Phoenix and there is no indication that the past season was a one-off so far.

 

[NYR Viper]

tough matchup tonite.

la is a very dangerous team. sadly, we are not.

i still see no finishers on this team.

The Rangers don't match up in multiple areas unfortunately. Physically, I am betting they will be overmatched as well.

 

[Bardof425*]

I already did. It's my position, I stick by it, and am not the least embarrassed to stand for it. But it doesn't come from a weird "crush" on Strålman, it comes from how successful they were as a pairing last year and how good Strålman has been since the lockout.

I mean, I didn't cherry-pick one stat that said Strålman was awesome and went with it. They ALL say Strålman was awesome. Every, single, one.

I honestly didn't care much at all for Strålman until I really started digging in the stats this summer where they all said he was legit. Where they said that McDonagh-Strålman were at worst a top-5 pairing in the league last year. Where Strålman doubled the production of the Rangers top-7 forwards when he was on the ice. In fact, it is pretty hard to distinguish his on-ice impact 5v5 from the likes of Doughty and Subban. That's how good he was.

I've been keeping a close eye on him throughout the pre-season and vs Phoenix and there is no indication that the past season was a one-off so far.

Stralman has become a nice player and I like him. I am glad he's a Ranger. But he has a long way to go to become a first pairing defenseman. He's not a physical player; he's not great in the corners or in front of the net. He's good in space and he has great quickness which allows him to get pucks out of danger. But, there's a ways to go before we trust him against every other team's best forwards.

Your reliance on stats only tells a part of the story; the part that benefits your argument. He needs to defend better to play with McD as the first pairing.

 

[Blue Blooded]

tough matchup tonite.

la is a very dangerous team. sadly, we are not.

i still see no finishers on this team.

LA also lacks finish so there is always that!

I think the Phoenix game made it clear what we all feared throughout pre-season, AV hasn't figured out the team yet. Now we're facing two of the IMO top 5 teams in the league and we're going to get our ***** handed to us. Maybe not on the scoreboard, but on the ice.

If we can get even one point in the upcoming two games after what we showed against Phoenix, I'll be impressed. Though random chance may see to that even if we are being dominated out there.

 

[Blue Blooded]

Stralman has become a nice player and I like him. I am glad he's a Ranger. But he has a long way to go to become a first pairing defenseman. He's not a physical player; he's not great in the corners or in front of the net. He's good in space and he has great quickness which allows him to get pucks out of danger. But, there's a ways to go before we trust him against every other team's best forwards.

Your reliance on stats only tells a part of the story; the part that benefits your argument. He needs to defend better to play with McD as the first pairing.

My point is that when he is playing with McDonagh we aren't defending nearly as much as we are when McD-Girardi are on. That "defence by offence" by far makes up for the odd defensive breakdown where Girardi's size and strength would've come in handy.

Also, trust him against the other team's top forwards? He already plays against them. The ability to direct matchups in hockey is greatly overstated, if a player gets enough minutes he sees pretty much the same mixture of players as the others on the team. Girardi played/plays tougher minutes than Strålman, but the difference isn't nearly as big as you seem to think.

 

[NYR Viper]

LA also lacks finish so there is always that!

I think the Phoenix game made it clear what we all feared throughout pre-season, AV hasn't figured out the team yet. Now we're facing two of the IMO top 5 teams in the league and we're going to get our ***** handed to us. Maybe not on the scoreboard, but on the ice.

If we can get even one point in the upcoming two games after what we showed against Phoenix, I'll be impressed. Though random chance may see to that even if we are being dominated out there.

I think you meant they lack Finnish as well. Actually, I believe they are Finnless, no?

 

[LieutenantLackluster]

I think you meant they lack Finnish as well. Actually, I believe they are Finnless, no?

Bring back Jokinen!

 

[Blue Blooded]

I think you meant they lack Finnish as well. Actually, I believe they are Finnless, no?

Every sensible NHL team is. *sniff* *nose in the air*

 

[16 To Stanley*]

I want this.

Hagelin--Stepan--Nash
Pouliot--Brassard--Zuccarello
Fast--Miller--Callahan
Boyle--Moore--Dorsett


Richards
Asham

Richards was arguably our best offensive player last game. You're going to sit him.....some of you guys really need to learn to get over your own biases.

Having Miller and Fast on the same line is an absolute mistake.

 

[nevesis]

I want this.

Hagelin--Stepan--Nash
Pouliot--Brassard--Zuccarello
Fast--Miller--Callahan
Boyle--Moore--Dorsett


Richards
Asham

That lineup looks pretty good you have there. Asham is a much better skater/scoring threat than Boyle. I would put Asham on the fourth and sit Boyle.

 

[Colby]

Here are some zone entry numbers from the Phoenix game:

https://twitter.com/ShutdownLine/status/386616210323828736

 

[BroadwayBlues]

Richards was arguably our best offensive player last game. You're going to sit him.....some of you guys really need to learn to get over your own biases.

Having Miller and Fast on the same line is an absolute mistake.

It's one game. I don't have any faith in him over the course of a season.

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

LA also lacks finish so there is always that!

I think the Phoenix game made it clear what we all feared throughout pre-season, AV hasn't figured out the team yet. Now we're facing two of the IMO top 5 teams in the league and we're going to get our ***** handed to us. Maybe not on the scoreboard, but on the ice.

If we can get even one point in the upcoming two games after what we showed against Phoenix, I'll be impressed. Though random chance may see to that even if we are being dominated out there.

What is there to figure out? The team stinks offensively.

 

[16 To Stanley*]

I said this a week ago and was told "they are an elite pairing"...

personally speaking, Staal should be with Girardi, McD with MDZ.

I don't really know what will end up being the right fit, but i think it's pretty clear. We have three offensively minded D; MDZ, Stralman, Moore and then 3 more defensively minded D, MCD, Staal, Girardi.

I wouldn't mind going with something like:

Staal - MDZ
McD - Stralman
Girardi - Moore

I know I'll get reemed for this, but it seems extremely balanced to me.

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

Going to be a nice beating tonight. 4-1 LA.

 

[16 To Stanley*]

It's one game. I don't have any faith in him over the course of a season.

That's great, he was still on pace for a 60 point season last year, even though it was clearly his worst as a pro.

You don't bench a guy like that

 

[Levitate]

I don't really know what will end up being the right fit, but i think it's pretty clear. We have three offensively minded D; MDZ, Stralman, Moore and then 3 more defensively minded D, MCD, Staal, Girardi.

I wouldn't mind going with something like:

Staal - MDZ
McD - Stralman
Girardi - Moore

I know I'll get reemed for this, but it seems extremely balanced to me.

I actually wouldn't mind this at all.

 

[ilovemarkmessier]

i usually don't say this but....

Must win?

oh boy!