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

[Levitate]

McIlrath in for Girardi is the move. However, if AV does anything it will be McIlrath in for Skjei.

Skjei didn't play a ton but he played fine from what I saw. Still frustrating to see AV rotating his D pairings around so he doesn't have to play Skjei. It'd make sense if the rest of the D was good but it's not so why spare the rookie he's not worse than the **** that Girardi pulled last night.

e: I take that back, looks like Skjei played just about as much as Girardi last night, just felt like AV was trying to avoid playing him at times.

 

[bl02]

McIlrath in for Girardi is the move. However, if AV does anything it will be McIlrath in for Skjei.

Exactly lol. Kinda makes it even more infuriating cause skjei played a decent game and kid can even play on pk

 

[Zats Muccarello]

so he's been rusty since training camp? is that what that is?

 

[Miamipuck]

Lol if he say's, "it's rust" does anyone truly believe he's benching Girardi in favor of McI? I don't.

 

[Ail]

Guys calm down, it's just rust. Girardi just needs a good wire brush and some WD40 and we're GTG.

 

[rangers1314]

so he's been rusty since training camp? is that what that is?

This is AV/Girardi thing is beyond anything I've ever seen. It's, in the true sense of the word, an awesome display in non-accountability. I'm legitimately in awe.

 

[Miamipuck]

It's not. That buyout cost doesn't factor in the signing bonuses he's owed. RB posted it recently, but I think the buyout in years 2 and 3 is close to $4M against the cap.

Hmm makes it more difficult but I still do it.

 

[Ori]

Oh boy, did Pat expect anything different answer from a pro. player that have a two years contract worth 16 mil?
Yeah, I guess good old Nasher had a solid point - we can`t surrender now even if Hank is injured.

What if Nash said; no we`ve lost this serie, and we can`t get back from this - our injuries has followed us into the playoffs.. Maybe it`s part truth, but a player will never surrender like that.. And it`s still possible to win vs. Pengs - they have weaknesses too without Malkin for instance.

 

[nevesis]

Guys calm down, it's just rust. Girardi just needs a good wire brush and some WD40 and we're GTG.

 

[Inferno]

Steal a game Saturday. You don't need to be better, just luckier. They were playing better or equivalent to the Pens up until the Hank injury. They played better or equivalent up until the random blocked shot that went right to a pens defender and then a break away. They had all the momentum in the 3rd until the pens player somehow barely got to a puck a second before Boyle would've had an open net, blindly chipping it barely missed clearing the glass for a 2nd 5-3, and somehow the puck redirected to a pens player for a 2 on 1 3rd goal.

Steal game 2.

Even if we don't, did everyone forget the year where the Pens actually had a powerhouse team, the Rangers had a far worse team than they now have, pens went up 2-0 at home and Rangers tied the series the next 2 games?

We aren't out of it.

i appreciate the positivity...i just dont think WE are a good team...has very little to do with the pens. we'll see i guess.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

If we're going by AV's definition, Girardi has had some "rust" the entire season.

I cannot understand his train of thought here

 

[Levitate]

This is AV/Girardi thing is beyond anything I've ever seen. It's, in the true sense of the word, an awesome display in non-accountability. I'm legitimately in awe.

It's nothing new for the NHL, you could see it with how teams played Scuderi as well. There's the over deferential treatment of veteran players with the idea of "well they'll play their way out of it, gotta give them the chance to do it" when if it was a young player playing like that they'd be benched immediately instead of saying "well he's having some growing pains but gotta give them a chance to play their way out of it"

It's something that happens league wide but yeah it's been noticeably bad with AV and the Rangers this year. I kind of think there's a hint of the thought process when we heard him say "we're giving the core group one more kick at the bucket" which could translate to "our guys like Girardi deserve one more shot to go out there and try to win it so I'll give them the chances to do so" which is really dumb since you should be trying to put the best players on the ice not the ones you feel you owe icetime to

 

[419forever]

It's nothing new for the NHL, you could see it with how teams played Scuderi as well. There's the over deferential treatment of veteran players with the idea of "well they'll play their way out of it, gotta give them the chance to do it" when if it was a young player playing like that they'd be benched immediately instead of saying "well he's having some growing pains but gotta give them a chance to play their way out of it"

It's something that happens league wide but yeah it's been noticeably bad with AV and the Rangers this year. I kind of think there's a hint of the thought process when we heard him say "we're giving the core group one more kick at the bucket" which could translate to "our guys like Girardi deserve one more shot to go out there and try to win it so I'll give them the chances to do so" which is really dumb since you should be trying to put the best players on the ice not the ones you feel you owe icetime to

This 100%. It's a fine line to walk too, because the other professionals in that room can surely see the evidence on video that Girardi is no longer an NHL caliber defenseman. AV runs the risk of losing some of these players, and when that happens, he's in trouble.

 

[Raspewtin]

inb4 McIlrath in for Boyle and Girardi stays on top pair

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

That was 1 of the 3 improvements I had for the Rangers.

Bench Girardi.

Staal-Klein
Yandle-Mcilrath
Skjei-Boyle

Enough is enough.

The next 2 things I said:

Shoot the puck more. AND do that only when you're not on the point, BC this team plays torts style block defense.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

inb4 McIlrath in for Boyle and Girardi stays on top pair

I think it'll be worse.

In b4 Mcilrath in for Skjei and Girardi stays on the top pair.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

i appreciate the positivity...i just dont think WE are a good team...has very little to do with the pens. we'll see i guess.

This is my last hurrah on this board. I'll go out spreading some positivity.

 

[Levitate]

This 100%. It's a fine line to walk too, because the other professionals in that room can surely see the evidence on video that Girardi is no longer an NHL caliber defenseman. AV runs the risk of losing some of these players, and when that happens, he's in trouble.

Maybe, I think players also are stuck inside that perspective to some extent, especially guys who have played with Girardi for years. I'd make a random guess they also feel like "he'll be OK he just needs to get his feet back under him" until it goes on for a long long time.

Ultimately I think AV and the team said "these are the guys we're going to go with, they've been steady and reliable in the past and we're going to make our run with them" and now that it has blown up in their face, there's no where else to go with it except to a rookie that the coach doesn't trust yet so the only thing (in their minds) that can be done is just to keep throwing those players out there and hope something changes.

Girardi's big contract is also a huge part of the problem...I mean in theory I guess he becomes much more moveable after next season but another season of aging Hank and everyone else on the team getting older while we watch Girardi continue to decline and take up a ton of cap space is not pleasant.

 

[Levitate]

That was 1 of the 3 improvements I had for the Rangers.

Bench Girardi.

Staal-Klein
Yandle-Mcilrath
Skjei-Boyle

Enough is enough.

The next 2 things I said:

Shoot the puck more. AND do that only when you're not on the point, BC this team plays torts style block defense.

those pairings still aren't pretty but they're better than what we saw last night. The Rangers did shoot the puck a lot last night though, can't get on them for that

 

[JohnC]

I maintain he didn't quit on the play or expect there to be an icing... I honestly think he lost sight of the puck when PIT dumped it in. If he thought it was an icing, he would've turned around and tried to win an icing race. He didn't. I think he had no idea where the puck was.

This doesn't absolve him of anything, just pointing out his ****ty play might have a different explanation.

Ehh, I really don't agree. He pretty much stops skating and puts his arms up before he even gets to the circles.

 

[FLYLine27*]

those pairings still aren't pretty but they're better than what we saw last night. The Rangers did shoot the puck a lot last night though, can't get on them for that

Our corsi rating must have been great

 

[silverfish]

Ehh, I really don't agree. He pretty much stops skating and puts his arms up before he even gets to the circles.

Hm... Maybe. That's even worse then, to be honest. Good effort.

 

[nevesis]

Ehh, I really don't agree. He pretty much stops skating and puts his arms up before he even gets to the circles.

****ing brutal.

 

[bl02]

Our corsi rating must have been great

Must have been cause I didnt see 5000 post game posts about how bad we got owned in corsi. For next game can we get beat in corsi but find a way to score more goals than the other team and win? I'll sign for that

 

[hawthorne*]

has G been suffering from rust all season long?