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

[FOD]

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.

I see what you are saying. They are putrid relative to going to the SCF 2 years ago, making the conference Finals 3 out of 5 years and playing in as many playoff series as any team in the league the last 5 years. The Leafs are in a whole different league of putrid. Makes sense.

 

[nyrage]

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.

I was making a joke in response to the Oilers fan that came "in peace" (whose two posts may have been nuked).

I agree with you. Most fans would rather build things the right way, however the fans aren't the ones making the decisions. Unlike Sather who seemed to have cart blanche, most GMs/Coaches are working in much shorter windows than what it takes for a proper build/rebuild. They often take shortcuts in order to produce now since they may not last until later to reap the rewards of a proper roster/organization build.

Personally, I didn't mind the one more year with this core approach, but to borrow from Breaking Bad, Gorton seemed to have no strategy and went with some half measures approach and wasted this season. We really weren't good enough to win it all this season. Either try to get good enough or rebuild. We seemed to be somewhere in the middle. If we weren't going to be good enough, then we should have thought longer term.

 

[FOD]

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.

Can't take a guy seriously when Yandle is singled out as our best defenseman. Maybe offensive defenseman. The Rangers still have a guy named McDonagh.

 

[TankLarkin]

5 straight home losses in the playoffs.
Fire AV
Get rid of Boyle and Glass ASAP, hopefully a new coach would never play them anyways.
Buy out Nash , what an awful playoff performer.
Time for Girardi to go, maybe Marc Staal too (both Staals, Eric was useless)

and dangle Kreider out there. Maybe we could get a real power forward in return.

 

[CDiablo]

Can't take a guy seriously when Yandle is singled out as our best defenseman. Maybe offensive defenseman. The Rangers still have a guy named McDonagh.

I would add Klein to that list, who I think has been the more consistant D man for the past 2 years over McD. With that said McD is always facing the top lines of the NHL.

 

[Whiplash27]

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.

It's scary to think that another dark age is upon the Rangers. Personally, I'm of the opinion that you trade a way some big contracts (Lundqvist, Nash, Staal, Girardi), try to get as many picks as you can, and start over. Tank a couple years, get some stud players in the first round (that can come in and play immediately), and then try again. In todays' NHL, you need a team with elite forwards and only above average defense and goaltending to win. The systems in use today can easily make up for defensive deficiencies, but if you can't score in the playoffs, you won't get far.

 

[Inferno]

I'd wager no team drops off more in scoring in the playoffs than the rangers...u can't run and gun it in the playoffs...u need a good cycle ga!me, a good PP and a good PK...three things we suck at.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Seems E. Staal may be a scratch if the lines from practice are any indication....

 

[FOD]

I would add Klein to that list, who I think has been the more consistant D man for the past 2 years over McD. With that said McD is always facing the top lines of the NHL.

Yeah I agree with you about Klein. However every time he is put on the top pairing and is facing the top lines his play suffers. He has not been good this playoff and last night he was surprisingly, painfully horrendous. He had an old, injured Girardi type game.

 

[FOD]

Seems E. Staal may be a scratch if the lines from practice are any indication....

Makes sense. 0 points and -6. Unless he is taking a "maintenance day".

 

[FOD]

Seems E. Staal may be a scratch if the lines from practice are any indication....

Maybe Paille gets into the lineup.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

Pre-game talk thread for Game 5 is up.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2068185