Series Talk: ECF: New York Rangers vs Florida Panthers *Game 1 Wednesday 5/22 @ 8pm ET*

[Machinehead]

Wheeler sucked most of the year and is coming off a major jnjury. Why on earth do u want to force him in the lineup. His slow ass will actually hurt chytil who uses his speed.

Hell even Kakko is a burner compared to wheeler. Dude is cooked.

Because I'm at the point where I would rather just play 11 forwards than watch that line as currently constructed take another shift. Wheeler isn't Wennberg. That's enough for me to put him in the lineup.

 

[Cuckoo4Kakko]

Because I'm at the point where I would rather just play 11 forwards than watch that line as currently constructed take another shift. Wheeler isn't Wennberg. That's enough for me to put him in the lineup.

I get that you want scoring and that line doesn't score. But they do defend. Why wouldn't you want more of a look with Chytil on that line? Then you may have a 3rd line that can possess the puck, defend, and has a scoring option.

If Cuylle drops to line 4, he makes that line better as well. Chytil to me makes the bottom 6 look so much stronger across the board.

 

[Greg02]

Wennberg seems like an ideal 4C to me. I don't know why you'd want to scratch him.

 

[Ben Grimm]

Rangers see similarities between Panthers, Hurricanes heading into Eastern Final | NHL.com

Will face Florida after eliminating Carolina, each has ‘aggressive mindset’

www.nhl.com

 

[Machinehead]

I get that you want scoring and that line doesn't score. But they do defend. Why wouldn't you want more of a look with Chytil on that line? Then you may have a 3rd line that can possess the puck, defend, and has a scoring option.

If Cuylle drops to line 4, he makes that line better as well. Chytil to me makes the bottom 6 look so much stronger across the board.

We have twice as many shorthanded goals in the playoffs as goals with Cuylle-Wennberg-Kakko on the ice together.

That line has to go. They just have to. We need three lines for whom scoring is a possibility.

If we could play them as a 4th line, that would be ideal, but Goodrow needing to be in for the PK puts the kibosh on that.

Maybe Chytil comes in and they're less useless. I still think that duo has always been overrated but at least Chytil scored some goals in 2022.

I would demote Wennberg before Cuylle. Hell, Wennberg can play play center which Goodrow is kind of weak at. Sounds like a plan on the 4th line.

Wennberg and Kakko can't be on the same line together. It's pouring ice on wet coals.

Vesey has been a complete non-entity like he was last year. I like him but I'm beginning to question if he can handle this level of competition. That's another guy I wouldn't think twice about taking out.

The only guy in the bottom six I would miss is Goodrow (crazy!) so if you can get a veteran with skill a chance to show something, I'm not gonna throw my hands up and say the lineup is set.

 

[Blue Blooded]

We have twice as many shorthanded goals in the playoffs as goals with Cuylle-Wennberg-Kakko on the ice together.

That line has to go. They just have to. We need three lines for whom scoring is a possibility.

If we could play them as a 4th line, that would be ideal, but Goodrow needing to be in for the PK puts the kibosh on that.

Maybe Chytil comes in and they're less useless. I still think that duo has always been overrated but at least Chytil scored some goals in 2022.

I would demote Wennberg before Cuylle. Hell, Wennberg can play play center which Goodrow is kind of weak at. Sounds like a plan on the 4th line.

Wennberg and Kakko can't be on the same line together. It's pouring ice on wet coals.

Vesey has been a complete non-entity like he was last year. I like him but I'm beginning to question if he can handle this level of competition. That's another guy I wouldn't think twice about taking out.

The only guy in the bottom six I would miss is Goodrow (crazy!) so if you can get a veteran with skill a chance to show something, I'm not gonna throw my hands up and say the lineup is set.

Cuylle-Chytil-Wheeler
Goodrow-Wennberg-Kakko

I love Vesey but he's not been himself for months.

 

[romba]

I think our guys are going to be happy to get away from the man to man defense, particularly Panarin who likes to find soft spots in the D and find other guys in space. Felt like we were always smothered in Carolina's defensive zone and were constantly getting punished physically in board battles, full marks to them.

 

[NYRangers16]

Better yet, get Kakko on the 4th line where he can play defense and "get chances" to his heart's content.

Get Chytil and Wheeler together, or put Wheeler back where he was and get Chytil and Roslovic together. I can deal with one line that has no prayer of scoring. We're going to have a really hard time getting through two more series with two of them.

Whatever, just don't tell me the lineup is too tight. I would healthy scratch Wennberg to put Henrik Lundqvist at forward to get him a ring. He's a somehow more worthless Kakko.

Do you remember how useless Wheeler was before the injury? Thankfully Lavi does, because he doesn't seem eager to use him.

 

[Machinehead]

Do you remember how useless Wheeler was before the injury? Thankfully Lavi does, because he doesn't seem eager to use him.

His line scored.

We have guys in the lineup right now whose lines can't even score because they're on them.

 

[Machinehead]

I think our guys are going to be happy to get away from the man to man defense, particularly Panarin who likes to find soft spots in the D and find other guys in space. Felt like we were always smothered in Carolina's defensive zone and were constantly getting punished physically in board battles, full marks to them.

In some ways, yes, but I'm gonna miss all the rush opportunities.

 

[Ruggs225]

His line scored.

We have guys in the lineup right now whose lines can't even score because they're on them.

But other lines arent scoring against our 3rd either. So it is valuable in that respect.

I feel like you are moving pieces to just move pieces. Its isnt going to solve the scoring problem with out bottom 6.

It is what it is, and i just want pur bottom 6 to not pet in goals. I am confident in our top 6.

Plus a healthy Chytil would be huge between cuylee and kakko.

 

[Blue Blooded]

Though I will add that I reckon one of the reasons the team has such a good record with Rempe is that we essentially play 3 lines 5v5 and have two extra forwards who PK, i.e. more minutes to good players. In that context a third line where literally nothing happens is a benefit rather than a detriment.

 

[Machinehead]

But other lines arent scoring against our 3rd either. So it is valuable in that respect.

I feel like you are moving pieces to just move pieces. Its isnt going to solve the scoring problem with out bottom 6.

It is what it is, and i just want pur bottom 6 to not pet in goals. I am confident in our top 6.

Plus a healthy Chytil would be huge between cuylee and kakko.

It's not just moving pieces to move pieces. We have two lines that have a better chance of scoring shorthanded. Everybody has one. I can't think of a team that's won the Cup with two.

It was a legitimate problem. The egg at Madison Square Garden was the one game where our top six did nothing. They're not going to keep scoring at a 1.5 PPG pace.

 

[Larrybiv]

Sharp vs rested lasts maybe a period or two. Either FL or Boston had difficult first rounds also while the good guys will have extra days of rest after both series. These things add up even if we don’t know if ultimately they will be enough to make a difference.

Panthers have only played one more game than we have. For me, the huge difference is.... we had it relatively "easy" in regard to physicality, whereas they played Tampa and Boston. Amazing how that series vs the Caps could have a large influence in all of this. And no wonder I wasn't getting any replies, as I posted many things in the Carolina thread. Damn, now I have to copy and paste, I need some answers to my questions.

 

[Machinehead]

Panthers have only played one more game than we have. For me, the huge difference is.... we had it relatively "easy" in regard to physicality, whereas they played Tampa and Boston. Amazing how that series vs the Caps could have a large influence in all of this. And no wonder I wasn't getting any replies, as I posted many things in the Carolina thread. Damn, now I have to copy and paste, I need some answers to my questions.

Boston is softer than toilet paper.

 

[JimmyG89]

Just get Chytil back on that 3rd line. We may need Wheeler at some point, but I wouldn't go in with him Game 1. Cuylle going back to the 4th line and replacing Brodz. I don't think it is that complicated when it comes to making their lines at this point.

Without Vesey you are adding PK time to someone already doing that. Comes out to about 1 minute per game. I don't see them wanting to mess with that unit because anyone coming into the lineup is not a PKer. Wheeler would be a Cuylle replacement.

 

[Machinehead]

This is another one of those teams that just crosschecks on every play so they don't call it.

 

[Levitate]

This is another one of those teams that just crosschecks on every play so they don't call it.

but do they whine when they are called on it and then complain that it cost them a game?

 

[Machinehead]

but do they whine when they are called on it and then complain that it cost them a game?

Probably lol

 

[Bob Richards]

This is another one of those teams that just crosschecks on every play so they don't call it.

Honestly an amazing tactic lol

Like the Seahawks legion of boom that would just hold on every single snap because they knew the refs were too terrified to call it each time.

 

[LOFIN]

 

[17futurecap]

Chytil in that Rempe/Brod spot is the easy move to make.

He’s not taking out Wennberg, he has him on the pp and pk. If Wheeler goes in, it’s for Kakko, who has played 4.5 minutes of pp time, and doesn’t PK. Or Cuylle, who does neither.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Florida coaches already showing fear. f*** Sam Bennett.

This video is AI generated and is not real.

 

[IDvsEGO]

Chytil in that Rempe/Brod spot is the easy move to make.

He’s not taking out Wennberg, he has him on the pp and pk. If Wheeler goes in, it’s for Kakko, who has played 4.5 minutes of pp time, and doesn’t PK. Or Cuylle, who does neither.

Why is he not taking out wennberg?

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

I don't disagree with anything but the bolded.

Rangers were clearly the better team in 2 of the 3 games they played (including the one down in sunrise where they just got puck luck'd to death and Quick wasn't very good) and the 3rd was pretty much a toss up.

I don't believe in the carry over RS to PS FWIW.

One thing I will point out is that I think that there have been several members of the media who have keyed Trouba as someone who is likely to struggle in this series for a variety of reasons. I think they're Ignoring that Ekblad is just as likely to do the same. He's been horrid.

Maybe my memory is focusing on how Barkov tore us apart on that filthy goal mouth pass when he tipped in mid air to himself.

Ill trust yours on this and happy to hear it.

I like the makeup of their team and their scoring depth.

Ill add to what I wrote earlier, the Rangers must get more production from the bottom 6. I dont know if it was just Carolinas non-stop pressure combined with all of the special teams play earlier on in the series, but they lost a lot of flow from the bottom 6.

The 3rd line was good and can be trusted defensively and thats great, but ideally you'd like to see them turnover 4 lines more regularly, with some sustained zone time for all lines. We need to see that and we can. They dont necessarily need a regular supply of goals, they just need to generate chances, wear down floridas defense and yeah, pop in a few big, unexpected goals here and there.

Vesey, Goodrow, Kakko, Wennberg, Cuylle - are all capable of potting 1 or 2 in the series and theyll need it. Not asking for a ton. Ill ask for ONE goal from Wennberg, thats it. He does a lot of other things so well. Vesey could give us 1 and not an empty netter. We need 1 or 2 from Kakko. It will help if he has 72 with him. He plays a more aggressive attacking cycle.

If Chytil and Wheeler play that changes the dynamic of things. Especially Chytil. Im not counting on it but it would be a huge bonus having him in the lineup and contributing just at a normal, usual Chytil pace. In the one game he played he almost scored. If hes in there for a majority of the series unless hes snakebit youll know hell get at least one and maybe 2 or 3. That would be huge for their chances