Game Analysis: EC Round 1: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (PIT wins 4-1) Part II

[Hi ImHFNYR]

depressing...isn't it?

that this organization is known for having no sense of itself and no leadership for much of it's existence? that it takes primarliy getting Mark Messier then many of his ex oiler stanley cup dynasty teamates along with 2 great Ranger products ( Leetch / Richter ) plus some key Russian draft picks ( Zubov/Kovalev/Nemchinov) and some other key players from Chicago's 1992 SC runner up team to FINALLY bring a cup here after...I don't know....54 years

I know what you were going for but by the 4th "and" your point has officially been neutered. Unless your point is it takes smart drafting, trading and FA signings to win a cup. But I know that's not what you were going for. I do not have faith that Gorton will start making smart trades, picks and FA signings for another year or two if ever

 

[OverTheCap]

22 consecutive home playoff games scoring three goals or fewer... the longest such record since the Montreal Maroons in 1935.

That is pathetic and the most Rangers distinction ever.

It's a huge reason why Henrik has no Stanley Cups to show for all the playoff starts he's gotten.

Agreed, this has been a major problem for the postseason Rangers for some time.

It's well past time for the Rangers front office to address the issue of the offense drying up every postseason, especially at home, as well as the PP struggles.

This is a team that thrives off the rush, and opponents come into the Garden and neutralize the Rangers by playing a tight-checking road game that eliminates all time and space. But in addition to that, when the Rangers do get quality chances at home, they tend to miss the net and are totally incapable of scoring. Mind-boggling and extremely frustrating to watch.

 

[Maineice11]

AV has had an off year and so has the rest of the team. But you said to fire the coach today and the series is not over.

If they fire AV without a better option out there then that is an awful move. These same layers just can't get it done anymore and that's not his fault.

I really do believe the personnel in the locker room could get it done, but they need to be properly used and AV has not done it all year, especially in this series. Boyle has been an absolute disaster and the 1 defenseman that can play physical, the only defenseman that always seems to be able to his shot through traffic and on net, has played all of 9 minutes all series, no surprise the one game he played they won.

AV has not held anybody accountable all season, he keeps putting Boyle out there after bonehead plays, same with other players. And AV shows zero emotions, sometimes it is good, but this season it hasn't been.

 

[Petey Pucks]

I know what you were going for but by the 4th "and" your point has officially been neutered. Unless your point is it takes smart drafting, trading and FA signings to win a cup. But I know that's not what you were going for. I do not have faith that Gorton will start making smart trades, picks and FA signings for another year or two if ever

you'll have to clarify where my point was neutered....because I had multiple arguments in that post

but yes part of my point is that management has not done the proper job...for a top franchise...in god knows how long

it seemed we were on the right path developing and making key signings years ago

then again in typical ranger fashion they think they have a winner, when really it's premature , and give up potential pieces for basically older players nearing their ends and it amounts to nothing

that's just one aspect

not hiring the right and necessary personnel is another aspect

the organization being content with the dollars and cents and not enough with winning and a future/current strategy for success is another

I don't work in sports management....but it doesn't take a genius to see that this organization really needs an overhaul and change in mentality

 

[Mac n Gs]

What were AV's comments in his press conference? More about non executing and making plays with the puck?

How about he talks about how Pittsburgh outskated us all night, beat us to every loose puck, and won every board battle. Maybe he can throw in how they were breaking out of their zone no problem, clogging up shooting lanes, and slicing through the neutral zone like a hot knife through butter.

 

[LieutenantLackluster]

depressing...isn't it?

that this organization is known for having no sense of itself and no leadership for much of it's existence? that it takes primarliy getting Mark Messier then many of his ex oiler stanley cup dynasty teamates along with 2 great Ranger products ( Leetch / Richter ) plus some key Russian draft picks ( Zubov/Kovalev/Nemchinov) and some other key players from Chicago's 1992 SC runner up team to FINALLY bring a cup here after...I don't know....54 years

that this organization has been run poorly for much of it's existence despite technically being one of the biggest market teams in the nhl. in any other sport if you are one of the biggest market teams then usually what is expected , and usually achieved are championships from time to time. The Canadiens get a a pass because they have managed to win 24 cups out of 34 finals.....the Rangers have won 4 out of 11 finals and they have been around almost the same amount of time...sad

Now I am fully aware that during the original 6 era that both Montreal and Toronto had a very unfair advantage being that there was no draft and that they could scout , stash and stockpile away all the youngest and best upcoming talents and since the best talent at the time came from Quebec and Ontario it is easy to see why the Habs and the Leafs won the majority of the cups during the original 6 era. Detroit primarily because they had Gordie Howe won most of their cups in the early 50's and made the finals a few more times until the 60's then not much success for many years.....but Detroit had a Renaissance and won again in the 97, 98 , 02, 08 and 09 runner up

Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita were the reason the Hawks won in 61 and made numerous finals after that until the early 70's ...again not much success for many years ...then like Detroit the Hawks are enjoying a revival winning SC's in 2010, 2013 , 2015

Boston last won in 72 with Orr and Espo...made the finals many times again 74, 77, 78, 88 , 90...then finally winning again in 2011 and making the finals in 2013

And finally with our beloved Rangers...we won in 1940...missed the playoffs 6 out of 10 seasons until we made it to the finals in 1950 again and lost...then missed 12 out of 22 playoffs after until we made the finals again in 72 and lost ...made the finals again in 79 and lost...didn;t make the finals again until we won in 94 ...missed the playoffs from 98 - 2004...made the finals again in 2014 and lost

I'm just wondering when we will have our time in the sun again?...ya know being a big franchise and all ...I'm not greedy...we don't have to be as successful as Detroit during their golden years or like the blackhawks . Being a Rangers fan after all these years has made me appreciative of even just one SC....but I don't want to wait another 54 years since 1994 before seeing another one. Nor do I think it should take that long being a NY franchise

hey...I guess Cubs fans have it worse...who knows

Welcome to Rangers fandom. Heres a shot of whiskey and a revolver.

 

[yrrebbor]

I've been watching this team since 1990, and that was the most pathetic game I have ever seen. I wish I spent that $250 buying something nice for my wife instead.

I will not be surprised if Hank asks for a trade. He deserves a chance, and is not getting it here. AV MUST go. You're dead to me and your team dude. Boyle and Glass must go. Nash should retire in shame. See ya Girardi. Adios E. Staal!

 

[offdacrossbar]

disgusting.

that effort last night was beyond bad. it was unforgivable. this team quit. lets be reality here, this team just isn't that good. but the effort was again, like last years final game at home. same. sad.

henrik was bad. its starts with him, if he stinks- and he did, the team is toast. period.

the entire team was awful and that starts with mcdonagh and ends with tanner glass. but the all world goalie has been outplayed frequently and lost his mojo more the season than all of his previous seasons combined. he made too many mistakes. his game has slipped and he's as much to blame as anyone.

no excuses and no more talking about having to do better and work harder. enough. last night was, and very well should be, the end of this group of underperformers who managed, again !!!! to absolutely stink up msg in the playoffs. that crowd deserved better. they deserved and spirited victory at home driven by effort, hustle, heart and execution. they um..... got none of that.

unforgivable effort.

i do not care for av but he's really not the main issue. the players play or not depending on their mood ??. av deserves his share of blame for his stupid decisions on whom to play and not pay and the special teams but its not just him.what he did to dylan mcilrath all season was unprofessional and damaging. the more he played boyle and girardi, the more they themselves proved how much mcilrath should have been given a real chance.

and I'm sorry but mcdonagh is an awful captain. quiet. stoic. expressionless. emotionless. he leads in whispers and sports cliches. he's chis drury all over again. he is the personality of this team. and this team sucks ass.

nash gone.
staal prob gone- though i would keep him and let him play the 3c.
girardi must be gone.
mstaal stays with his brother and keeps his job.
dan boyle gone
dom moore gone.

make changes, but add some talent to this otherwise bland group of forwards who cant shoot, cant finish and cant seem to create anything other than turnovers and fumbled passes.

i would keep av but i would fire someone. the special teams was abysmal again. more than anything, the pk and pp killed this team. start there. fire someone, anyone with their fingerprints on the abortion that was the nyr special teams.

and lastly- again, add some talent. add some forwards who are not just mechanical robot like players who either skate too slow to make stuff happen or skate like the wind and have hands of granite. add some offensive talent please.

last night was rock bottom. this group should be ashamed by both the final score and more importantly, the way they layed down at home again.

 

[OrbitalDynamics]

To quote the dearly departed Chris Dreary,"They won't let it ruin their weekend".

Nothing will ruin their weekend,not even losing Saturday.

Teams take their personality from the coach.This coach is a dead fish behind the bench,in the pressers, it can't be surprising this team is collectively dead fish.

#FireAV

 

[Petey Pucks]

Welcome to Rangers fandom. Heres a shot of whiskey and a revolver.

is it that manly tin cup whiskey you're giving me a shot of?

you know the commercial played during rangers game alot....the one where manly mountain/cliff climbing has something to do with guys drinking whiskey at the top?

if that's the whiskey you are talking about I'll pass

 

[alkurtz]

My overriding emotion this morning is sadness. A great era of Ranger hockey is coming to an end. Last night felt like a funeral.

I am not angry with AV or any of the players. What we have witnessed this year is, more than anything, the deterioration of talent.

The sadness comes from the fact that we built a legitimate and elite Stanley Cup contender not for one run at the Cup, as we did in 1994, but for a multiple year run at the cup.

And we came so close. Last year was our year. We had the best team in hockey. We traded for that one, last, missing piece (Yandle) to put us over the top. All the pieces were in place only to be derailed by injury.

And now, it is all over. Face it, Lundqvist is showing the first signs of aging. Nash, our elite, high end talent winger, is a shell of himself. Staal and Girardi, once legit (and I defend my right to say this over and over) first pair D, have aged quickly. I have rarely seen a player deteriorate so fast as Girardi.

This team simply is not as talented as it once was.

It feels so much, and Ranger fans of long, long, standing, will certainly understand this, like the end of the Emile Francis era. Great, elite teams that came so close to winning the Cup but never did. Last night felt so much like watching the Rangers beaten into the ground by the Flyers in the last years of the Francis era, when the team had slipped from their elite status, but before the total collapse of 75-76 when we missed the playoffs altogether and Francis was fired, Giacomin banished, and Ratelle traded. That too, was a sad year.

Doubly sad, is the fact that the next few years appear bleak with few if any young players (aside from Skjei and hopefully Buch.) to plug in. It took a long time to build this current team. It took many years to build the powerhouse Francis era teams.

And now we have to start again. Building a team can be fascinating for us serious fans. It is hard to make the transition from rooting for an elite team to rooting for a rebuilding or retooling team. But I, and all of us, must change our mindset. It is going to be a scramble just to make the playoffs next near.

So this morning I don't feel anger, only sadness. The only thought that tempers my sadness is knowing that, in the future, I will look back with great fondness at this era and all the success we had and all the happiness the teams of this era brought me. It has been a great era of Ranger hockey. I may be overly pessimistic but I don't think so.

So it is sadness now. A few years from now, the anger and sadness will be somewhat forgotten and the good memories will be what I remember.

 

[Petey Pucks]

My overriding emotion this morning is sadness. A great era of Ranger hockey is coming to an end. Last night felt like a funeral.

I am not angry with AV or any of the players. What we have witnessed this year is, more than anything, the deterioration of talent.

The sadness comes from the fact that we built a legitimate and elite Stanley Cup contender not for one run at the Cup, as we did in 1994, but for a multiple year run at the cup.

And we came so close. Last year was our year. We had the best team in hockey. We traded for that one, last, missing piece (Yandle) to put us over the top. All the pieces were in place only to be derailed by injury.

And now, it is all over. Face it, Lundqvist is showing the first signs of aging. Nash, our elite, high end talent winger, is a shell of himself. Staal and Girardi, once legit (and I defend my right to say this over and over) first pair D, have aged quickly. I have rarely seen a player deteriorate so fast as Girardi.

This team simply is not as talented as it once was.

It feels so much, and Ranger fans of long, long, standing, will certainly understand this, like the end of the Emile Francis era. Great, elite teams that came so close to winning the Cup but never did. Last night felt so much like watching the Rangers beaten into the ground by the Flyers in the last years of the Francis era, when the team had slipped from their elite status, but before the total collapse of 75-76 when we missed the playoffs altogether and Francis was fired, Giacomin banished, and Ratelle traded. That too, was a sad year.

Doubly sad, is the fact that the next few years appear bleak with few if any young players (aside from Skjei and hopefully Buch.) to plug in. It took a long time to build this current team. It took many years to build the powerhouse Francis era teams.

And now we have to start again. Building a team can be fascinating for us serious fans. It is hard to make the transition from rooting for an elite team to rooting for a rebuilding or retooling team. But I, and all of us, must change our mindset. It is going to be a scramble just to make the playoffs next near.

So this morning I don't feel anger, only sadness. The only thought that tempers my sadness is knowing that, in the future, I will look back with great fondness at this era and all the success we had and all the happiness the teams of this era brought me. It has been a great era of Ranger hockey. I may be overly pessimistic but I don't think so.

So it is sadness now. A few years from now, the anger and sadness will be somewhat forgotten and the good memories will be what I remember.

amen bro...amen

 

[nevesis]

Win Game 5 and bring it back home.

All we need to do. Enough of the doom and gloom. Save that **** for when we lose a 4th game.

Go out and win one road game, and bring it back to MSG on Monday. Take it from there.

I don't ever ****ing give up until it's over.

 

[silverfish]

Is this the worst Rangers team since the lockout?

I really think you can make that case. Even worse than the Ollie Jokinen Rangers, IMO.

This team is just bad. We knew it all year. Even when they were on fire in the beginning of the season, a lot of people knew it was just Hank and Raanta. How did we see it, but management did it? Or did they, and they just ignored it?

One more kick at the can... and what a kick it was...

 

[Petey Pucks]

All we need to do. Enough of the doom and gloom. Save that **** for when we lose a 4th game.

Go out and win one road game, and bring it back to MSG on Monday. Take it from there.

I don't ever ****ing give up until it's over.

Nev I wish I had your optimism...too many years being a fan of this team has killed it

but I will tell you this...if we come back to win...props to you and I'll buy you a new goalie stick ...goalie sticks are still decently priced being made out of wood and all right?

 

[nevesis]

Is this the worst Rangers team since the lockout?

I really think you can make that case. Even worse than the Ollie Jokinen Rangers, IMO.

This team is just bad. We knew it all year. Even when they were on fire in the beginning of the season, a lot of people knew it was just Hank and Raanta. How did we see it, but management did it? Or did they, and they just ignored it?

One more kick at the can... and what a kick it was...

Haha, what? We had 87 points that season.

This season we had 101.

It's safe to say, this isn't the 'worst Rangers team since the lockout', nor is it worse than the Olli Jokinen 2009-10 Rangers team.

What a spoiled fanbase we are when the Toronto Maple Leafs just finished a 69 point season, and we're coming off a 101 point season claiming its the worst in the past 15 years.

 

[I Eat Crow]

22 consecutive home playoff games scoring three goals or fewer... the longest such record since the Montreal Maroons in 1935.

That is pathetic and the most Rangers distinction ever.

It's a huge reason why Henrik has no Stanley Cups to show for all the playoff starts he's gotten.

Holy hell.

Another testament to how amazing Lundqvist has been to bring the team as far as he has with that little stat.

 

[silverfish]

Haha, what? We had 87 points that season.

This season we had 101.

It's safe to say, this isn't the 'worst Rangers team since the lockout', nor is it worse than the Olli Jokinen 2009-10 Rangers team.

What a spoiled fanbase we are when the Toronto Maple Leafs just finished a 69 point season, and we're coming off a 101 point season claiming its the worst in the past 15 years.

I hold the Rangers to a much higher standard than I hold the Leafs. This team is putrid. I hope they prove me wrong and win the next 15 straight games, but I have my doubts.

 

[silverfish]

22 consecutive home playoff games scoring three goals or fewer... the longest such record since the Montreal Maroons in 1935.

That is pathetic and the most Rangers distinction ever.

It's a huge reason why Henrik has no Stanley Cups to show for all the playoff starts he's gotten.

Over the last ten home playoff games, here are the goals the Rangers have scored:

0, 1, 0, 0, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 1

Lundqvist's record? 4-6.

...I don't think it's Hank.

 

[nevesis]

Nev I wish I had your optimism...too many years being a fan of this team has killed it

but I will tell you this...if we come back to win...props to you and I'll buy you a new goalie stick ...goalie sticks are still decently priced being made out of wood and all right?

I have no issue taking you up on that offer. Coming back from 3-1 isn't as hard as most people make it seem. I take the 7th game out of it. Don't even think about it yet. Thats a toss up. Anything can happen.

Just go out and win ONE road game. Come back to MSG and have a special night. After that, you're playing with house money. Anything can happen.

Two years in a row they have done it and I was preaching the same **** here while everyone else whined and cried. It would be historic if they did it again, but part of being a fan is to never stop believing while you still technically have a chance.

 

[offdacrossbar]

I have no issue taking you up on that offer. Coming back from 3-1 isn't as hard as most people make it seem. I take the 7th game out of it. Don't even think about it yet. Thats a toss up. Anything can happen.

Just go out and win ONE road game. Come back to MSG and have a special night. After that, you're playing with house money. Anything can happen.

Two years in a row they have done it and I was preaching the same **** here while everyone else whined and cried. It would be historic if they did it again, but part of being a fan is to never stop believing while you still technically have a chance.

sounds good but.....

hank hasn't been hank and we cant score. thats bad. cant have both of those and expect a miracle.

and this pittsburgh team is pretty good- they've been the hottest team in the league prior to the playoffs starting.

i love the optimism but my gut tells me this team is toast.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Wow this is some headline. Anyone blaming this series on Hank should get themselves some help

 

[nevesis]

Wow this is some headline. Anyone blaming this series on Hank should get themselves some help

Sensationalist newspaper sells paper with sensationalized backpage headline. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

 

[Irishguy42]

Wow this is some headline. Anyone blaming this series on Hank should get themselves some help

Sensationalist newspaper sells paper with sensationalized backpage headline. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Cyrgalis didn't write the headline.

Whoever did can go **** themselves. That's not how you treat someone who as done everything for this franchise in the past decade and couldn't achieve all-time greatness because the team around him was too weak.

 

[ArPanet]

We need the spinning flamenco back.

Waiting for Saturday...

Flamingo seems slower somehow, and older.