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

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

You know me. I bash Hank repeatedly.

This back page is completely unwarranted.

He looked absolutely defeated and visibly upset last night on the bench. Looked like a guy that might be thinking it was his last home game.

What? He looked frustrated like he thought he didn't play well and was upset about that.

Played his last game at MSG? Give me a break. That is projecting to the nth degree.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I said it last night and I'll say it again.

The most infuriating thing about this game was the complete lack of heart and pride. They were skating half speed in the 3rd as if they were the ones up 5-0. Lollygaggging around like it's a puck shoot. No finishing checks. No trying to break the rookie goalie's shutout (and confidence, IDIOTS THERE'S ANOTHER GAME TOMORROW) not caring about the thousands of fans who were clearly more pumped and ready for the game than the players were and were also more upset about the loss.

These guys skating around like they didn't care and had not pride was the most angering thing about the game. Not even the loss or the score. But the fact that almost every single player on the ice (Skjei and Yandle I think aside) looked like "oh well, this game is over so who cares?" How about finishing a check on someone to make it hurt for game 5? Getting in the goalie's head? Showing some emotion and pride? Too much to ask?

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

This was the record I was referring to.

Yup. All 22 of those games with AV as coach as well.

 

[RonGreschner]

Jared Stoll, Emerson Etem, Eric Staal...Gorton had an awful season which ought to have us all very concerned. Got Stalberg right.

Who is Director of Pro Scouting, anyway?

Groton was strapped with $$$ going into the season so you cant totally blame him on the Etem and Stoll. He was trying to catch lightening in a bottle just like the pickup of Moore a couple of years back. The era of the cap is hurting teams with talent, you have to find a perfect balance of young and old veterans, Hagelin is sorely missed but not a $3 mill a year. How is Callahan looking at $6 mill a year? The pick up of Staal was liked by the majority of the fans but this team got away from team D, the forwards didn't back check like in years past and maybe the past few years of going deep in the playoffs hurt this team for this season. They have Nieves Fogarty Jensen Buchnevich and Tambellini to compete for roster spots along with Graves a full year of Skjei and McIlrath.

 

[Ail]

Been a huge Rangers fan my whole life. Watched every game, every period even through the dark years of no playoff hockey. Last night was the first time I ever turned off a playoff game, completely disgusted. How are you not prepared to play a must win game on home ice against a long time division rival is beyond me. There are no excuses. Everyone sucks from Hank on out. Coaches, players, leadership. Completely disgusted.

They don't deserve to come back in this series after that performance. Put us out of our misery on Saturday please, dust off the golf clubs and get us into the summer. And this is coming from someone who is generally positive when it comes to sticking with it and believing. Last night was so disappointing on so many levels it basically ended the season for me. This team isn't that bad and Pitt isn't that great. What a waste.

Yep. I'm actually still wondering today how I made it through the entire game.

I mean, I honestly did not see this team beating Pitt anyway for several reasons before the playoffs started, but games 1 & 2 gave me a glimmer of hope. Last night was beyond what anyone should have expected whether positive or not about this team's chances. A total abomination. One of the most uninspired and pathetic "performances" ever displayed.

Even if Gorton does **** this offseason up somehow, which is likely let's be honest, I am just glad there is chance I may never have to see a good portion of this awful roster, and hopefully management, ever again on the ice together. Putrid.

 

[Ail]

I didn't say a word last night. I was shell shoked. I don't feel much better this morning as I still feel like someone punched me in the gut.

If this team quit on its coach, I can respect that, if they quit on the NHL because they cant get a call, I can respect that too. But if they quit on each other and the fans well thats not acceptable.

But I didn't see that either. Thinking about this the entire time I was watching, I thought it looked like a heavy weight who was asked to throw a fight and he did everything in his power to actually show he was throwing the fight.

Why am I saying this? Well I can talk about this player or that player, but in the end when you throw up a goose egg as a team like that, theres still some fighting spirit in you. You're at least going to get down and dirty and throw some digs, let a few elbows fly, throw a few punches.

We weren't even afforded the entertainment of that, at least to know someone on this team actually had a pulse. I don't care who you are, as a man, you aint letting someone skate all over you like that, especially on your home ice without calling someone out on the ice.

What I saw last night was something much worse than the sum of all it's parts. It was a **** ***** show of epic proportions. And it hurt. I shouldn't have to restrain myself from punching my TV when I watch a hockey game, yet that is exactly what I did last night.

Boy, I can't wait for game 5, it's going to be fun waiting and not knowing whether I get a new TV out of ordeal. FFS someone put me out of my misery.

Good point. Compare last night to the Caps/Flyers game 3. At least the Flyers showed something. It looked like they cared at least a little.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

Worst part is, I actually beleive this team could have been contenders this year if they just went with the correct lineup and let everyone mesh. Coach ruined it.

Kreider-Stepan-Nash
Miller-Brassard-Zucc
Lindberg-Hayes-Stalberg
Hrivik/Etem-Moore-Fast

McD-Klein
Yandle-McIlrath
Skjei- Boyle/Girardi/Deadline acquisition instead of Staal.


I don't know that this team wins the cup, but I think they're much more talented and gelled and experienced.

Constantly investing so much in Staal, Girardi, Glass on the ice was an absurd thing to do all year. We not only wasted a valuable year of Hank, we also wasted a valuable year of development for Skjei and McIlrath when they were so clearly better than at least 2 of our D-Men and arguably 3.

 

[Off Sides]

Jared Stoll, Emerson Etem, Eric Staal...Gorton had an awful season which ought to have us all very concerned. Got Stalberg right.

Who is Director of Pro Scouting, anyway?

No one knows who puts the sting in place to be ultimately pulled, yet cronyism and nepotism should probably not be discounted.

 

[nyrage]

Been a huge Rangers fan my whole life. Watched every game, every period even through the dark years of no playoff hockey. Last night was the first time I ever turned off a playoff game, completely disgusted. How are you not prepared to play a must win game on home ice against a long time division rival is beyond me. There are no excuses. Everyone sucks from Hank on out. Coaches, players, leadership. Completely disgusted.

They don't deserve to come back in this series after that performance. Put us out of our misery on Saturday please, dust off the golf clubs and get us into the summer. And this is coming from someone who is generally positive when it comes to sticking with it and believing. Last night was so disappointing on so many levels it basically ended the season for me. This team isn't that bad and Pitt isn't that great. What a waste.

Same here. I almost never miss a regular season game. I've never turned off a playoff game in my 45 years of following this team until last night. I was totally disgusted by the lack of effort and heart.

 

[Captain Lindy]

Worst part is, I actually beleive this team could have been contenders this year if they just went with the correct lineup and let everyone mesh. Coach ruined it.

Kreider-Stepan-Nash
Miller-Brassard-Zucc
Lindberg-Hayes-Stalberg
Hrivik/Etem-Moore-Fast

McD-Klein
Yandle-McIlrath
Skjei- Boyle/Girardi/Deadline acquisition instead of Staal.


I don't know that this team wins the cup, but I think they're much more talented and gelled and experienced.

Constantly investing so much in Staal, Girardi, Glass on the ice was an absurd thing to do all year. We not only wasted a valuable year of Hank, we also wasted a valuable year of development for Skjei and McIlrath when they were so clearly better than at least 2 of our D-Men and arguably 3.

I agree with this so much...I believed in them as well. The team was mishandled. Let's hope for a miracle but not hold our breaths for it.

 

[nyrage]

It's hard to rebuild in NY. No one has the patience to execute the Oilers 40-year Plan.

 

[Captain Lindy]

It's hard to rebuild in NY. No one has the patience to execute the Oilers 40-year Plan.

We went through the dark ages of the late '90s, early '00s and the team is still here.

LMAO @ Oilers' 40-year plan.

 

[HAPPY HOUR]

Good news is now we've been shown that complaining that the Rangers screwed themselves by landing the Pens over the Panthers in round one has been pretty much proven completely insignificant.

No doubt in my mind that the Panthers would of spanked us too.

 

[FOD]

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...

That gif is more accurate than you might realize. That kid looks like Yandle in game 3 after he ran into Boyle and Cullen made it 2-1. After the goal Yandle went to the corner tried to kick at the puck (or can) missed and fell on his butt. You can't make this stuff up.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

Kreider for Yakupov, that's a laugh. Kreider, in not his greatest year was significantly better than Yakupov, who was horrendous this season. Now, granted, that's probably due a lot to the Oilers dog **** management but hey, he still should be producing more than a whopping 8 goals.

Kreider in less career games played has more goals, assists and points than Yakupov. He also has been one of our best and most consistent players on the playoffs and actually ranks as one of the top goal scorers in the playoffs since entering the league.

Learn hockey.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Been a huge Rangers fan my whole life. Watched every game, every period even through the dark years of no playoff hockey. Last night was the first time I ever turned off a playoff game, completely disgusted. How are you not prepared to play a must win game on home ice against a long time division rival is beyond me. There are no excuses. Everyone sucks from Hank on out. Coaches, players, leadership. Completely disgusted.

They don't deserve to come back in this series after that performance. Put us out of our misery on Saturday please, dust off the golf clubs and get us into the summer. And this is coming from someone who is generally positive when it comes to sticking with it and believing. Last night was so disappointing on so many levels it basically ended the season for me. This team isn't that bad and Pitt isn't that great. What a waste.

Amen. I actually turned on the Wings Tampa game with 10 min left in the 3rd.

I NEVER do that. NEVER. Not in the regular season.

Beyond brutal.

 

[Captain Lindy]

Even mentioning Kane and Nash in the same sentence for the playoffs is criminal. What Kane has done in the playoffs Nash couldn't do in 10000 lifetimes. Softie regressor needs to be gone. Get whatever you can for him.

Unless his wife has another kid, then he'll score 40 goals.

 

[Edge]

It's hard to rebuild in NY. No one has the patience to execute the Oilers 40-year Plan.

I diagree with that and have always felt it's an excuse that corportations use because they don't want to see even a temporary dip in their profits.

I think the majority of fans rally around the home grown guys. They rally around the core fours and the guys who come up through the system. No one moves merchandise like those guys.

In the early 90s, fans rejoiced when Steinbrenner was forced away from the Yankees for a few years and the team was able to restock and move forward.

Look at how Ranger fans have embraced the younger/homegrown talent this team has produced over the past few decade. If they're willing to sit through the dark years without a glimmer of hope, they're willing to sit through a rebuild.

With that said, I don't even think this team needs a rebuild. It needs a re-group.

If nothing else, guys like Kreider, Miller, Zucc, Stepan, Brassard, McD, Hayes, Fast, Lindberg, Skjei, McIlrath look like they have a future, even if some of them are what they are at this point.

This isn't 1997 when the best we could hope for was a Ferraro brother or maybe Jeff Brown stepping. There's some legit talent here and a pretty group of support players.

Frankly, we have some guys who probably don't figure into the future - Girardi, Staal(s), Boyle, Moore, and Glass. I'd probably even include Nash in that group.

For some guys it's timing, for others it is what time has done to them, and for others it is something else.

The team lacks consistency and some sandpaper guys that can play a bigger role. The defense needs an overhaul. Goaltending is solid.

A lot depends on whether certain forwardscan all play up to their potential at the same time.

If everyone is healthy and fairly consistent, these aren't unrealistic expectations:

Brassard is capable of 25 goals and 65 points.
Stepan is capable of 20 goals and 60 points.
Hayes is capable of 20 goals and 55 points.
Zucc is capable of 25 goals and 60 points.
Miller is capable of 20 goals and 50 points.
Kreider is capable of 20 goals and 50 points.
Lindberg is capable of 10 goals and 30 points.
Fast is capable 10 goals and 30 points.

On defense, McD, Klein, McI and Skjei are capable and/or emerging.

If the Rangers can somehow keep Yandle and move a large contract, I don't think that's bad place to start a revamp. Even without Yandle, it's not dire. It certainly has holes, but it's not starting from scratch either.

 

[CDiablo]

Luckily missed last nights game due to playing hockey. So this BHL goaltender the Rangers are facing, did they challenge him at all last night. Do we have a Holtby or a Tokarski on our hands? Pens fans seem to think Holtby.

 

[nevesis]

Luckily missed last nights game due to playing hockey. So this BHL goaltender the Rangers are facing, did they challenge him at all last night. Do we have a Holtby or a Tokarski on our hands? Pens fans seem to think Holtby.

Matt Murray has all the tools to be a legit star in the league.

 

[FOD]

Amen. I actually turned on the Wings Tampa game with 10 min left in the 3rd.

I NEVER do that. NEVER. Not in the regular season.

Beyond brutal.

Let's look on the bright side. Nash is the leading scorer. We have always waited for him to turn it on in the playoffs. Eric Staal on the other hand no points and a minus 6! Ouch!

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Luckily missed last nights game due to playing hockey. So this BHL goaltender the Rangers are facing, did they challenge him at all last night. Do we have a Holtby or a Tokarski on our hands? Pens fans seem to think Holtby.

Murray is the real deal, going to be a very good goalie in this league. So he's definitely more Holtby than Tokarski.

However, I don't think we've challenged him nearly enough. He's probably had to make 5-7 difficult saves TOTAL in the two games he's played.

 

[rdhstlr23]

What makes it so hard is this year was the last year, unless Gorton makes magic this offseason, of our window.

Knowing that it's unlikely that Lundqvist gets a Cup hurts a bunch.

This is particularly depressing from Adam Herman last night.

* Rangers are the 3rd oldest team in the NHL
* The team's most important player, Henrik Lundqvist, will be 34 in March. Goaltenders typically begin a sharp decline at age 35.
* The Rangers are up against the salary cap, with numerous aging players committed to long-term contracts.
* The team's best defenseman, Keith Yandle, is an unrestricted FA
* Hayes, Kreider, Lindberg, Fast, and McIlrath will require raises within the next 2 seasons.
* The prospect pool is barren as a consequence of trading 3 1st round draft picks, 3 2nd round picks, and Anthony Duclair over the last 4.5 years. The team also owes the Coyotes its 2016 1st round draft pick.

 

[NYR713]

I wasn't able to see the game last night and I was pretty upset about it. Now I'm happy I didn't, because I didn't sit through this debacle.

Two years ago, this team looked to be on the verge of having this league by the balls. Then came some terrible management decisions with signings, or lack of offers, and trades and have depleted those chances. On top, you have this coach who refuses to adjust or adapt and is living up to his reputation of good regular season coach and can't get the job done in the playoffs. Now the team's future is set back even more and they aren't improving.

It's heart breaking, it really is. As fans, we have sat through a lot of really ****** years with this organization. There was finally a little hope to actually win something over the last few years and these idiots have ****ed it up. I wish I could stand in a room with the management of this organization and tell them that to their faces.

 

[CDiablo]

Matt Murray has all the tools to be a legit star in the league.

Not the answer I was hoping to hear, especially coming from you. Gotta pressure him. The boys gotta dig deep come Saturday, I haven't given up on them, hope they do the same.