Post-Game Talk: #64: Rangers 2 at FLYERS 5, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, 7:00 pm ET

[GapToothedWonder]

So good

 

[GapToothedWonder]

Konecny's stick smash over the net reminded me of the conclusion of the 1988 playoffs series against Washington when one of our players demolished his stick. In a way, Konecny's smash was emblematic of something good through crisis considering the game's outcome was decided.

I loved it. Seeing that fire at the end of a game that's over is an awesome sign for the mental make up of this team. That was a garbage shift, they knew it and were pissed they did it. That's the accountability I want to see.

 

[Starat327]

Victory beer?

 

[win88ice2004]

Philly media strikes again...

 

[GapToothedWonder]

I have a game tonight at 10:30. I'm already tired.

 

[Nizzle]

5:11 am here but can’t sleep after a game like this.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

I loved it. Seeing that fire at the end of a game that's over is an awesome sign for the mental make up of this team. That was a garbage shift, they knew it and were pissed they did it. That's the accountability I want to see.

Yup. And the one key narrative through much of the recent interviews has been team defense and buying into the system. Hayes said something a few weeks ago in a post-game radio broadcast, and I put it in that game's thread, was a certain phrase "when everyone is on the same page." I interpreted it at that time as "we are making progress but we aren't where we need to be." Tonight, Giroux said something representative of that thought but in a more concrete manner. In between, there have been echoes of team play and team defense cited in transcript. I sense Konecny felt he contributed to a misstep but it was a burp, a pimple perhaps, but something more personal to him.

 

[Amorgus]

Does your dog get a cookie?

Oops wrong post. Lol

 

[flyershockey]

This the first stretch in a decade where I just expect them to find a way to win games. That's the most positive thing I take away from this team.

 

[Le Oranje]

Is this good? Do we want this?

 

[FlyerFaithful17]

This the first stretch in a decade where I just expect them to find a way to win games. That's the most positive thing I take away from this team.

Brings back the feeling of youth for me. Loving it.

 

[DancingPanther]

We get by with a little Hart and our studs. Giroux and Jake shined.

Pitlick- first shift he kept a puck pinned for about 15 seconds waiting for the second line to change, then kicked it free and wrapped it around the boards to the opposite point. He is a monster along the boards

Grant- I can't say I'm warming up, but he seems to be settling in a little bit

• Excellent defense to break up a 4-2. You can tell the Rangers were attacking his side and he was up to the challenge.
• Spending more time in the Ozone, won 2 puck battles to keep that big time shift by his line and Bruan/Hagg going
• Had that near miss in the 3rd after his line dug the puck free from the boards and centered it

Myers- another excellent game, though his first period was forgettable

• Didn’t have his head on a swivel quite as well as he should have for that first goal. That being said, his speed got him back in the play has he closed on Fast quickly, making him rush a shot. Unfortunately he couldn’t tie him up thereafter and he knocks in the fluky rebound. One Myers could have played better.
• Swallowed up DiGiusseppe on a rush. Absolutely eviscerated him.
• The Fast play in the 3rd where he knocked the puck away as he was trying to protect the puck and drive to the net? Three strides and you’re out. Absolutely nuts
• Hustled off the bench to keep a puck in at full sprint

Nater Thomps- horrendous. I noticed him 3 times this game: 2 bad passes and being out of position on the last PK of the 2nd. Banish him. As you’ll see soon, he was a passenger on a line that dominated.

NAK- picked a pocket at the opposing blue line and came in for a shot. He’s always going 100mph out there just like his shot. Shot for the rebound on the JVR goal, love to see it.

Sanhero- his best play tonight was when he drew that penalty. Absolutely erased a Ranger on the rush at our blue line and won body position along the boards which forced him to try to lift Travo's stick. Lifted his helmet in stead.

Scooty Loots- I cannot stress enough how f***ing fantastic that play was when he had a 2 on 2 in front of him and the penalty counting down but still on the board. Instead of sending it down and changing after a long shift as the penalty expired, he SKATED IT 100 FEET INTO THE OFFENSIVE ZONE. Goal. I don't know if he had the wherewithal to jump into transition/attack mode because he knew Raffl was coming out of the box or what, but it was excellent. Seriously one of the best plays of the entire game.

Hart- there were 3…literally only 3….offensive flurries by the Rangers. The first 5 mins of each period, basically, and the Panarin chance. Hart was there for them all. If something gets by it could be a different game. ESPECIALLY if the Rangers had scored early in the 3rd to make it 3-2. On the PK after that meh Myers call, he made 2 great saves in the first 30 seconds of that PK to keep it 1-1. Carter deserves a 3rd star nomination in this game, he was absolutely key.

Folks, this was a bitch slapping against a dirty cockroach of a franchise. It is tasty. Each forward line turned in a positive xGF%. G-Coots-Jake churned out a 72% CF and a 60% xGF. Scooty Loots-Hayes-TK (55% CF, 69% [nice] xGF) rounded out the top 6. JVR-Grant-Pitlick fared the worst (46% CF, 55% xGF). The 4th line of Raffl-Nater Thomps-NAK absolutely wrecked (82% CF, 79 xGF%). Everyone on the team except Grant had a CF% over 50 (he turned in a 48% over 14 mins), many of them in the 60s. The LOWEST xGF% on the team was 58%. Dudes, this was a DRUBBING.

The Sanheim-Myers pairing was paired up against mostly Zibanejad, but it's tough to nail down any specific matchups with so much line shuffling because of the "trying to start something" and Kreider going down, but Mika saw 7 minutes against Sanheim-Myers and limped away with a 17 CF% and an 18 xGF%.

Despite such strong advanced stats I still believe it's plain that Nater Thomps is a problem. He was invisible despite his line performing very well. He was on the ice for that poor start to the PK and was out of position allowing a seam pass and a good chance to the point. He was missing multiple passes per period. Grant was involved today at least and if he continues to show competence I'd like to see him on the 4th line.

Hardly anything to pick out that was negative tonight boys. Hagg made 2 Hagg plays that I can remember and shot the puck hilariously wide at least 3 times, but other than that....man. What a freaking game by the bois. They defended fantastically as evidenced by Striiker's heatmap. They were diligent and anticipating the Rangers' cross ice passes on their creative zone entries and were breaking them up left and right. The PP is humming again since it's not getting screwed with anymore. The PK was strong against a deadly PP. Great f***in game. Roll it over into NYC.

 

[Striiker]

So true.



He's still an absolute monster. Just think where he'd be if he didn't have such terrible luck with assists and the PP wasn't screwed with for so long...

 

[Striiker]

This is pretty cool too.

 

[DancingPanther]

Yup. And the one key narrative through much of the recent interviews has been team defense and buying into the system. Hayes said something a few weeks ago in a post-game radio broadcast, and I put it in that game's thread, was a certain phrase "when everyone is on the same page." I interpreted it at that time as "we are making progress but we aren't where we need to be." Tonight, Giroux said something representative of that thought but in a more concrete manner. In between, there have been echoes of team play and team defense cited in transcript. I sense Konecny felt he contributed to a misstep but it was a burp, a pimple perhaps, but something more personal to him.

He swung and missed at the puck as it was lifted at the goal line by the Ranger. It bounced back to the Ranger who centered it for the assist.

 

[Magua]

So true.



He's still an absolute monster. Just think where he'd be if he didn't have such terrible luck with assists and the PP wasn't screwed with for so long...

He’s cooked. And I’ll let you do the carving, bud.

 

[trostol]

 

[trostol]

Game highlights:

who are the announcers..they aint half bad

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

who are the announcers..they aint half bad

NYR crew: Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti.

 

[trostol]

NYR crew: Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti.

impressive for an opponent's announcers..course i am only watching the highlights but they didn't sound overly homerish

 

[Striiker]

He’s cooked. And I’ll let you do the carving, bud.

 

[PDX Flyer]

I love muttly

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

impressive for an opponent's announcers..course i am only watching the highlights but they didn't sound overly homerish

Sam Rosen has been at it going back to the 80s. He did (perhaps is active) NFL as an announcer on one of the national networks, too. The color man did NHL games on Fox when they had the national contract.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

At a 95.2% chance of making the playoffs now at the moment according to this.

NHL Playoff Odds -MoneyPuck 2020 Playoff & Cup Odds

Pittsburgh game is obviously still going on.

 

[PDX Flyer]

Solid game. Love how Hart rebounded from the first goal. Killer saves. Can’t wait till Sunday