Post-Game Talk: BOS @ NYR | Still Alive

[Thirty One]

It's the price you pay for energy. Hard to find a pulse on this team. Newbury was one of the few that was giving it his all the entire game. Takes stupid penalties, not defensively stellar, but adds grit and energy, which is what the Rangers need.

If that line doesn't get trapped against an offensively superior one (i.e. any line besides the Bruins 4th) they won't be too big of a liability.

Oh goody!

That's setting low expectations (which they will likely fail to meet).

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

A bunch of people were calling Henrik out. If it was just you I would have quoted you. It's an opinion I don't agree with. Nothing personal just a disagreement of where the fault lies. Either way, nothing we can do about the first 4 games. Gotta keep looking ahead.

I was confused you DID sya you weren't calling out an individual but you immediately followed that by saying "Except the one guy." Which I was the one guy in the middle of assigning blame to him at that particular moment

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Still don't know how Hagelin got that goal.

Brassard was laughing after it went in. LOL.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Oh goody!

That's setting low expectations (which they will likely fail to meet).

I mean can we talk about the alternatives? Brad Richards - Similar defensive liabilities to Newbury. No energy.

Darrell Powe - Not 100% healthy, might not be ready to play. If ready, defensively superior, offensively inferior. Useful on PK, but if injured, you'd have to scrap the 4th line altogether and over play some of your other forwards. High injury risk coming off a recent concussion. Energy level - marginal effect.

Ryan Clowe - Not 100 % healthy, might not be ready to play. If ready, defensively superior, offensively superior. Not a center, would have to swap for Haley. Energy level - highly superior to Newbury/Haley, however it will be marginal if unable to be physical. High injury risk coming off a likely recent 1 (maybe even 2) concussions. Similar risks to Powe if rushed back into line up.

Matt Gilroy - Not a forward. Not physical. Lose identity on 4th line that Torts is trying to build. Better offensively, questionably better defensively (as a forward).

Do you have any better suggestions? Like I can sit here and be like... Yo I wish Brad Richards would stop being such a dead beat and earn his pay check and I wish Clowe would miraculously return... maybe that would allow us to move him into the top 9, shift Boyle down, and have a competent 4th line that has a similar identity and is defensively sound... But that's not happening, so what's the use of complaining when there is literally no better option.

 

[aufheben]

Still don't know how Hagelin got that goal.

Brassard was laughing after it went in. LOL.

I;m always surprised at how infrequently gargantuan derps like that happen, considering they're on ice after all.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

I was confused you DID sya you weren't calling out an individual but you immediately followed that by saying "Except the one guy." Which I was the one guy in the middle of assigning blame to him at that particular moment

What I said earlier:

"Hank let up a bad goal in game 1 to send the game into OT. However, the game isn't his fault. Had the offense put away their chances they would have given him a cushion to work with.

Stop harping on what could be if something had happened in the past. It didn't. You can't change that. Enough of the negativity for one ****ing night.

Hank is the only way we win this series. Stop getting on him, support him.

*and yes this is a general message, not directed at one specific person, but whoever is ragging on him for no reason*"

I apologize if you thought it was specifically directed at you. The "you" I am referring to is general.

 

[Thirty One]

I mean can we talk about the alternatives?

I don't think the alternatives are great, but I think Richards and Asham are a lesser evil.

 

[Riche16]

They better play a hell of a lot better if they want to win in Bos.

They won't get that lucky again

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

I don't think the alternatives are great, but I think Richards and Asham are a lesser evil.

Forgot about Asham.

Asham compared to Newbury/Haley: More experience, better shot. Worse defensively, slower, worse at forechecking, similar stupid penalty potential. Clearly you want the more experienced guy cause hypothetically that would reduce some potential for stupid mistakes but at the same time you want a wake up call and fresh legs.


Richards on the 4th line is not doing anyone any good. He's not himself. Again, substituting experience for energy.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

They better play a hell of a lot better if they want to win in Bos.

They won't get that lucky again

Besides game 2, Boston has been lucky against us. They have been more dangerous but luck has gotten them their wins. You never know. Maybe luck can turn in our favor.

 

[eco's bones]

I don't think the alternatives are great, but I think Richards and Asham are a lesser evil.

No problem if Asham plays but I don't think Richards can handle the top two lines--am skeptical he'd be much better on the 3rd and he makes an awful 4th liner. He doesn't have enough, speed, energy, grit, defensive awareness. Rangers kept Campbell, Paille and Thornton off the score sheet--and by far last night was their least effective game. They weren't always matched against our 4th line but they were more or less neutralized. I was happy with what Dorsett, Newbury and Haley provided.

 

[Crease]

I don't foresee Richards being inserted back into the lineup unless we have more injuries. Tortorella said he was scratched because he's not playing well enough to be a part of the offensive lines and his style of play is not compatible with what Torts wants out of the fourth line in the playoffs.

 

[BlueshirtBlitz]

It's the price you pay for energy. Hard to find a pulse on this team. Newbury was one of the few that was giving it his all the entire game. Takes stupid penalties, not defensively stellar, but adds grit and energy, which is what the Rangers need.

If that line doesn't get trapped against an offensively superior one (i.e. any line besides the Bruins 4th) they won't be too big of a liability.

It's not just that. If they were bringing the crowd to their feet and laying dudes out while not being an abomination on the ice, i'd be all for them. However, They didn't bring significantly more grit and energy to make me not want Asham in the lineup over them, and while Richards is suddenly bad at hockey he's still a much better player than Newb.

 

[Bardof425*]

I was confused you DID sya you weren't calling out an individual but you immediately followed that by saying "Except the one guy." Which I was the one guy in the middle of assigning blame to him at that particular moment

you're the guy who calls out the entire Ranger fan base on the main board. Why should anyone listen to you?

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

It's not just that. If they were bringing the crowd to their feet and laying dudes out while not being an abomination on the ice, i'd be all for them. However, They didn't bring significantly more grit and energy to make me not want Asham in the lineup over them, and while Richards is suddenly bad at hockey he's still a much better player than Newb.

Listen. I hear you. I don't have any particular attachment to any of the players you want swapped in/out of the lineup. But Richards is ineffective in that role. He's also ineffective in the top 9 right now as well. He's better than Newb, yes, but he's not what this team needs right now. And again, we have no forecheck on this Bruins team. Haley + Newbury are as physical as Asham but quicker and thus quicker to forecheck. Asham wasn't that good along the boards. You need your top guys to score. It's good to be capable of that as a 4th liner but that's not the role you want them to play. You want strong forechecking, speed, and grit. Asham qualifies for 1/3. Haley/Newb qualify for more.

They're liabilities. However, this is the card we're dealt. We don't have better alternatives.

 

[Bardof425*]

Forgot about Asham.

Asham compared to Newbury/Haley: More experience, better shot. Worse defensively, slower, worse at forechecking, similar stupid penalty potential. Clearly you want the more experienced guy cause hypothetically that would reduce some potential for stupid mistakes but at the same time you want a wake up call and fresh legs.


Richards on the 4th line is not doing anyone any good. He's not himself. Again, substituting experience for energy.

I thought Richards looked good on the PP in game 3. He was moving his feet and made a few good plays in the O zone. We need to score on the PP. I would dress him instead of a 6th D-man and spot him on the top lines depending on who isn't going and use him on the PP. That 6th D-man with Staal and Stralman out is of no use anyway. And if he able to get it going, great. Little downside as Hammer or Gilroy will never see the ice in a tight game in the 3rd period anyway.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

I thought Richards looked good on the PP in game 3. He was moving his feet and made a few good plays in the O zone. We need to score on the PP. I would dress him instead of a 6th D-man and spot him on the top lines depending on who isn't going and use him on the PP. That 6th D-man with Staal and Stralman out is of no use anyway. And if he able to get it going, great. Little downside as Hammer or Gilroy will never see the ice in a tight game in the 3rd period anyway.

Not a bad idea, but Hamr took time off in first 2 periods that otherwise would go to other defensemen (tiring them out in 3rd period more so than if he wasnt playing). I honestly don't think we can afford to make any substitutions on this team unless we're swapping Eminger + Hamrlik for Staal + Stralman. Not at this stage. I'd love Clowe but he needs to worry about his health first.

 

[chosen]

The puck flew straight up in the air off Hanks mask and almost went in then bounced right to a bruin, thats a lucky bounce for the Rangers?

Luckiest bounce I have ever seen for the Rangers. What happened after that is irrelevant to that fact. That bounce almost prevented a goal that appeared inevitable.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Luckiest bounce I have ever seen for the Rangers. What happened after that is irrelevant to that fact. That bounce almost prevented a goal that appeared inevitable.

The puck could have landed on top of the net, gone sideways, gone frontward too.

 

[Thirty One]

Six is the bare minimum acceptable number of defensemen to dress. Period. There is never a good reason to play 13 forwards.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I would love to see Boyle be used as a d-man some time. He played it in college.

 

[Bluenote13]

I would love to see Boyle be used as a d-man some time. He played it in college.

One of the worst ideas I've ever read on here

 

[Kakko]

3 stars seemed really pumped up after the game.

Body language speaks a lot...

 

[Fitzy]

I would love to see Boyle be used as a d-man some time. He played it in college.

He did, and shredded SLU in the 2007 NCAA's playing point on the power play.

Tortorella doesn't know, however. Boyle has tried to express it to him, offered to play when we were down to 3 dmen in overtime once, and is always the first guy to cover the left point. But Torts doesn't know these things.

 

[Crease]

Does Boyle have enough footspeed to recover if he gives up the puck at the blueline on the PP?