Post-Game Talk: #6 - Devils at Rangers

[TheTakedown]

McDonagh's play is the biggest long-term concern with this team. One poor season can happen to anyone. He looks no better this year though. If McD doesn't revert to the #1 D he was 2 years ago, NYR are structurally in trouble.

Hayes is totally fighting it right now. Give him an open net and he'll find a way to miss it. Lindbergh should be getting some of Hayes' PP minutes and Lindbergh should be hitting the ice in OT instead of Hayes now.

AV needs to make quicker adjustments with players. Probably his biggest weakness as a coach.

This. If McDonagh sways from the projected #1 defenseman he was supposed to be 2 years ago into to a permanent #3-4 defensemen, then we are now stuck with FOUR f***ING #4 defensemen --- That's Girardi, Staal, McDonagh, and Boyle, which accounts for $20.4M IN CAP SPACE...

3 of those being long term contracts, which totals out to $15.9M on the cap...

That leaves NYR with one actual top pairing Defenseman in Yandle, and one guy who is either playing on adrenaline/In over his head/Is the real thing in Klein--right now the sample size is too small to tell for sure, but my gut is that Klein is going to be kept over Girardi...

Our defense goes from OK to horrible if this is level that McDonagh is capable of playing from this point on... Because he's been this way for 2 seasons, I am incredibly concerned.

 

[aufheben]

I'm actually encouraged after this game. Yandle-Girardi AV pls leave it

 

[TheTakedown]

Think they'd take Staal?

I would do Staal for Vrbata in a heartbeat at this point. Put Diaz in and let him take #6 D... that's all Staal has been providing at this rate

 

[aufheben]

I would do Staal for Vrbata in a heartbeat at this point. Put Diaz in and let him take #6 D... that's all Staal has been providing at this rate

Hey Hamhuis is a pending UFA IIRC, never know lol

 

[yrrebbor]

What a bunch of crap. The 3 on 3 is also crap. Better get their heads of their asses before tomorrow night.

 

[Wolfy*]

Nash stats after 6 games: 1 point, 0 goals, -3, 6 in the box

Awful from a "star player" with that kind of salary and important role, and I can't even blame it on Zucc.

 

[TheTakedown]

Hey Hamhuis is a pending UFA IIRC, never know lol

Skjei is in line to take that #6... Staal is playing himself off the team... Diaz is a perfect stopgap at this point...

Klein needs to remain on the top pairing... Girardi and Staal are crap. Boyle isn't great, but isn't bad either...

I hate bringimng this up, but we HAD Stralman, which would have fixed a LOT of these problems, even if Girardi was on the decline:

McDonagh-Klein
Yandle-Girardi
Staal-Stralman

woops...

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Nash stats after 6 games: 1 point, 0 goals, -3, 6 in the box

Awful from a "star player" with that kind of salary and important role, and I can't even blame it on Zucc.

I just read through several pages that fixated on he defense in a game where the Rangers gave up 1 goal in regulation. It was refreshing to see the bigger problem beginning to be addressed, which is the majority of the forwards - starting with Nash, Kreider, brassard, Hayes, and Miller.

 

[Captain Lindy]

will we be again as fortunate this year?

You keep going back to the well, sooner or later....

 

[darko]

I need to start watching these games again. Haven't caught a Rangers game since we were 3-0.

 

[Infinitum Vitae*]

I need to start watching these games again. Haven't caught a Rangers game since we were 3-0.

Plllllsss start watching again

 

[offdacrossbar]

lol these stats

rick "lumbering doofus" nash 1 shot on goal. almost 2 mins of pp time. 1 freekin shot. vs the devils. for 8 million bucks ?? um no. refund pls.

ryan "suddenly looks like a #4 guy" mcdonagh with zero shots. zip. with 26 mins of ice. no shots at all. seriously no shots for a guy who never comes off ? what happened to his "2 way" game ??

dan "offensive dman extrordinaire" boyle. 1 shot. ONE !!! 2 mins pp time. if he aint scoring, whys he playing ?

those 3 big time players with almost 6 mins total pp time and almost 60 mins total toi. 2 SHOTS !!!!

2 TOTAL SHOTS AGAINST THAT DEVILS TEAM

they had john freekin moore playing defense..... and i like john moore

and we wonder why we cant score and lost to the lowly devils today.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

And they only gave up one goal in regulation. Perhaps the forwards should do their jobs. Nash, brassard, Hayes, Kreider, and Miller in particular.

Their lack of production is a far bigger problem than not giving huge minutes to a defenseman with issues in his own end.

I didn't see any "issues in his own end" with Yandle today.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

Skjei is in line to take that #6... Staal is playing himself off the team... Diaz is a perfect stopgap at this point...

Klein needs to remain on the top pairing... Girardi and Staal are crap. Boyle isn't great, but isn't bad either...

I hate bringimng this up, but we HAD Stralman, which would have fixed a LOT of these problems, even if Girardi was on the decline:

McDonagh-Klein
Yandle-Girardi
Staal-Stralman

woops...

Would rather have

McDonagh - Stralman
Yandle - Klein
Staal/Skjei - McIlrath

 

[darko]

lol these stats

rick "lumbering doofus" nash 1 shot on goal. almost 2 mins of pp time. 1 freekin shot. vs the devils. for 8 million bucks ?? um no. refund pls.

ryan "suddenly looks like a #4 guy" mcdonagh with zero shots. zip. with 26 mins of ice. no shots at all. seriously no shots for a guy who never comes off ? what happened to his "2 way" game ??

dan "offensive dman extrordinaire" boyle. 1 shot. ONE !!! 2 mins pp time. if he aint scoring, whys he playing ?

those 3 big time players with almost 6 mins total pp time and almost 60 mins total toi. 2 SHOTS !!!!

2 TOTAL SHOTS AGAINST THAT DEVILS TEAM

they had john freekin moore playing defense..... and i like john moore

and we wonder why we cant score and lost to the lowly devils today.

If we had Buchnevich we'd be like 17-0 right now.

 

[RiceCooker]

My observations so far:


Kreider - we all know about his size and speed but my God he has some of the worst hands I have ever seen, absolutely no finish around the net, zero scoring touch.


Hayes - he looks lost out there. He wasn't that good in the playoffs and it's seems to have carried over to start the year. I'm a little worried about him.


Nash - still dipsy-doodling which rarely results in a scoring chance, just a weak wrister or a turnover. I don't know why but it just seems he is playing scared to me.


Brass - I don't even notice him anymore, did he even play in the OT?


Fast - should not be in the top 6 imo.


Stepan - been good, can't really complain.


Outside of Yandle and maybe Klein, the D is having way too many brain farts.


Hank has been great, especially for October.

 

[offdacrossbar]

If we had Buchnevich we'd be like 17-0 right now.

buchnevich has exactly zero to do with today.

its early, i get that.

last year they started slow. get that too.

need our best players to both lead and score. thats just how it is.

what i posted highlights our lack of shooting and thus scoring.

this team, as ive said non stop, will struggle to score. no finishers. no snipers. no shooters.

too many straight ahead, tunnel vision, east west players. too predictable and too atrocious 5on4.

mr buchnevich would be a welcome addition.

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

Would rather have

McDonagh - Stralman
Yandle - Klein
Staal/Skjei - McIlrath

Klein over Staal, really?

Is Staal the whipping boy or something? Because he is better than Klein id think.

 

[poeman]

I'll take 3 on 3 hockey though...At least the game trys to decide the outcome before it goes to a shootout

 

[Ail]

Easily top 5 defense in the league, imo.

I have no real opinion thus far, but that game was garbage. I am glad it was a day game.

 

[Cassano]

I need to start watching these games again. Haven't caught a Rangers game since we were 3-0.

Same here. I watched the season opener and parts of the 2nd CBJ game, that's it. I don't think I missed those many games (parts of them) combined in the past 5 years.

 

[we want cup]

Hayes had a lot of totally invisible minutes, but he also had a couple of shifts where he made awesome plays that just barely got broken up. I don't think he quite has his timing back, which is annoying, but I don't think it's due to either lack of talent or lack of effort.

I do think he has looked better at center than at wing thus far. As someone who really thought having him on the wing with Kreider and Step would be a great fit, I would still like to get another look at it. When Kreider eventually gets going he may be able to get in there and open up space for Hayes and Step to make plays, but for now he just hasn't really done that often enough.

 

[TheTakedown]

Klein over Staal, really?

Is Staal the whipping boy or something? Because he is better than Klein id think.

Have you been WATCHING these games? Klein has been by far our most steady RHD...

Yandle the best on the left....

 

[TheTakedown]

I liked Hayes at center today...

I would like to see this lineup:

Kreider-Brassard-Miller
Nash-Stepan-Zuccarello
Lindberg-Hayes-Fast
Stalberg-Moore-Stoll

Slipping Etem into the top 9 every 3-5 games would do him very well... Hell,. even a conditioning stint in Hartford could be beneficial to him to get him some in-game playing time.

As for the D, McDonagh-Klein needs to stay together, as does Yandle-Girardi.

Staal-Boyle is INCREDIBLY average... Staal needs to be shopped as soon as his play starts elevating which should allow us to grab another top 6 forward, and slide Diaz into the 3rd pair. Run McIlrath as the 7th

 

[TheTakedown]

I'll just leave this here:

Staal is getting less and less time each game. Look at today:

M. Staal: 16:05
D. Boyle: 17:15
K. Yandle: 19:42
K. Klein: 20:43
D. Girardi: 20:25
R. McDonagh: 25:55