Post-Game Talk: Feline

[LionsHeart]

Every line Kakko is put on is better for it. He’s turning into quite the player. Every time he has the puck on his stick in the offensive zone I feel like he’s going to do something with it. His active stick and defensive play speaks for itself too. Just a really good all around player.

 

[mas0764]

A win is a win. Florida is bad. The Panthers have Bobrovsky under contract for three more seasons. They traded away all of their first round picks to win last season. They brought in Maurice. Bad group of defensemen.

They could have had Buch for Lundell. This is karma punishing them.

Every line Kakko is put on is better for it. He’s turning into quite the player. Every time he has the puck on his stick in the offensive zone I feel like he’s going to do something with it. His active stick and defensive play speaks for itself too. Just a really good all around player.

Certainly a nice development but also if you had told me we were drafting a "50 point good all around player," I would have been pissed.

Next he (or, you know, the coaches) need to start getting him to work on his scoring skills instead of stressing his defensive game so that they can sleep tight at night deploying him in the middle six. They need to start treating him like a player with elite offensive ability.

 

[egelband]

Terrific job of cropping and photoshopping by Jay F. Hicks, director of social media. Gallant was standing behind them and beaming.

You saw that bit too? Gallant’s eyes were both of them legit little hearts.
Can I say… it was nothing less than adorable.

 

[2014nyr]

Best moment in the game. First shift of 4v4 GG put out Kakko and Laf. They had a strong shift, very next shift Rangers score. Not only was it an example of GG recognizing he needs to get Kakko out there more but it was a nice gesture to Laffy who I think should take some shifts in the middle.

seems like he winds up taking half fils faceoffs anyway, and despite significant improvement, fil is still a nightmare in his own end at times

 

[egelband]

Schneider was huge on that second goal. That's my boy!

He was a force. He and Miller are turning into legit Top Four or even better defensemen. On top of 55, 23, and 8, the defense is stacked. Next move is to get Jones involved. Maybe he doesn’t become entrenched this year but they need to give Jones another shot. The sooner, the better.

 

[egelband]

I like the lineup the rangers ran out tonight. Only change I’d make is Jones over Harpur. I like Brodz and Harpur too but i think it’s time Jones checks back in. Brodz, Vesey, and Blais can rotate based on the matchup.
All in all, a very satisfying win.

 

[2014nyr]

Good 1st period...outshot 27-12 over the final 2 lol

yea didnt love this but def can chalk a good bit up to them spending a lot of the game down 1-2 and the refs not exactly doing us any favors. we def gave up a couple more mid-high danger looks, but i think by and large we kept a lot to the outside. halak also made a couple saves look far more dangerous than they needed to - he's all over the place compared to igor. but as long as most nights he stops enough to give a chance to win i'm happy.

the only head scratcher for me defensively was there had to be 4-5 plays where a puck was loose in the nz - esp a couple in the 3rd - where we have a 2 goal lead and guys are swinging their sticks at it hoping to poke it by for an odd man rush. instead we'd have numbers overskate the puck to give florida a rush chance. that was tough to see given how many leads this team has already blown late - at some point you'd think those kinda stupid/lazy plays would get cleaned up.

also kinda funny - models have fl near top of the league with gameplay so their record doesn't tell the whole story. they just haven't scored on their chances - join the club - as well as had spotty goaltending all year.

 

[gravey9]

also kinda funny - models have fl near top of the league with gameplay so their record doesn't tell the whole story. they just haven't scored on their chances - join the club - as well as had spotty goaltending all year.

Thing is, like us when we are playing poorly, they leave a lot to be desired in front of their own net. We scored 5, all from 15ft and in. And not one was the rebound, deflection hard hat kind. Goaltending wasn’t great but their team D in the paint is worse than ours right now. 3 goals should win you the game half the time. It’s the D that needs to step up for them, not just cleaning up the front of their own net but transition game was spotty at times. That FL team has very similar issues to us but to a more extreme level right now. The amount of space in this game compared to the Tampa or Caps game was night and day.

 

[McRanger92]

He was a force. He and Miller are turning into legit Top Four or even better defensemen. On top of 55, 23, and 8, the defense is stacked. Next move is to get Jones involved. Maybe he doesn’t become entrenched this year but they need to give Jones another shot. The sooner, the better.

Jones is trade bait. He wont succeed in a situation where he cant run a power play. Harpur has been solid for a few weeks now, if he falters it should be Robertson's chance. Remember, Schneider made his debut in mid-January last year despite underwhelming reports in HFD.

 

[chosen]

I'd LOVE to see Kakko replace Trocheck on the first PP unit for a bit. Trocheck's bread and butter on the PP his whole career has been in front of the net...where Kreider already is. If Kreider goes down with an injury he can take that spot. Kakko would give that first unit a totally different look with someone who can hog the puck and actually skate around with it looking for open men. Aside from Fox, nobody is really moving on our PP.

Though Trocheck did have the goal of the game on that PP goal he scored. What a sequence by him to get back on defense then fly up to score the goal.

Yeah, let's remove from the PP, the guy with 8 PP goals.

Panarin never stops moving on the PP.

Harpur with 109 minutes of ice time. Only 1 goal against in that span. Solid..

I thought he had a game with 2 goals against.

 

[chosen]

Every line Kakko is put on is better for it. He’s turning into quite the player. Every time he has the puck on his stick in the offensive zone I feel like he’s going to do something with it. His active stick and defensive play speaks for itself too. Just a really good all around player.

That sounds an awful lot like a player developing, but that can't be, because lots of folks here have assured me that that's impossible.

 

[mas0764]

Jones is trade bait. He wont succeed in a situation where he cant run a power play. Harpur has been solid for a few weeks now, if he falters it should be Robertson's chance. Remember, Schneider made his debut in mid-January last year despite underwhelming reports in HFD.

If the Rangers have to move out another offensive minded defenseman that they can't find a spot for "because we have Fox already," then it's just another example of organizational failure.

If they trade him it better be for a top-4 caliber young defenseman like he is himself.

 

[cwede]

@EdJovanovski

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

the only head scratcher for me defensively was there had to be 4-5 plays where a puck was loose in the nz - esp a couple in the 3rd - where we have a 2 goal lead and guys are swinging their sticks at it hoping to poke it by for an odd man rush. instead we'd have numbers overskate the puck to give florida a rush chance. that was tough to see given how many leads this team has already blown late - at some point you'd think those kinda stupid/lazy plays would get cleaned up.

Yes! I hate seeing this! They always sell out for the rush and wind up on the wrong side of puck going in the wrong direction. You see it over & over. Also on D-zone clears.

 

[2014nyr]

Thing is, like us when we are playing poorly, they leave a lot to be desired in front of their own net. We scored 5, all from 15ft and in. And not one was the rebound, deflection hard hat kind. Goaltending wasn’t great but their team D in the paint is worse than ours right now. 3 goals should win you the game half the time. It’s the D that needs to step up for them, not just cleaning up the front of their own net but transition game was spotty at times. That FL team has very similar issues to us but to a more extreme level right now. The amount of space in this game compared to the Tampa or Caps game was night and day.

agree with pretty much all that. and tbh i'm not exactly sure what the models actually compile to get to xgf% on like moneypuck. i dont pay for any services or dig much with analytics - just think they're interesting to compare to but they can def tell a story.

their d was very poor, d zone in general was not great for them. def didn't make it difficult to get to the good ice - honestly we shoulda had 8 last night with some of the chances that didn't go. one thing i noticed with us - not sure it was a deliberate adjustment or just worked out that way - but multiple times in their zone we had guys a bit higher up in the middle slot, not crowding the net front or standing to the side or waiting by the boards. kakko had a great look early but bob got him, mika second goal, even kreider goal he had released a few feet above the crease which prevented that jumbled mess in front that can eat shots. also stops us from those hero back door passes at the post constantly or hard pass from behind the net to a guy too tied up to have any chance that springs the other team on an odd man rush when it goes through everyone. thought i saw troch/panarin/krav line also having someone in the middle patrolling a big higher in the slot where there's a lot more ice. hopefully its intentional....would open up the ice if we showed some new looks to generate chances.

tampa can def play the right kinda game and still prob has enough talent for a run, wash though was more about the rangers just sucking out loud. theyve been good lately but this team should boatrace them

 

[Kodiak]

yea didnt love this but def can chalk a good bit up to them spending a lot of the game down 1-2 and the refs not exactly doing us any favors. we def gave up a couple more mid-high danger looks, but i think by and large we kept a lot to the outside. halak also made a couple saves look far more dangerous than they needed to - he's all over the place compared to igor. but as long as most nights he stops enough to give a chance to win i'm happy.

the only head scratcher for me defensively was there had to be 4-5 plays where a puck was loose in the nz - esp a couple in the 3rd - where we have a 2 goal lead and guys are swinging their sticks at it hoping to poke it by for an odd man rush. instead we'd have numbers overskate the puck to give florida a rush chance. that was tough to see given how many leads this team has already blown late - at some point you'd think those kinda stupid/lazy plays would get cleaned up.

also kinda funny - models have fl near top of the league with gameplay so their record doesn't tell the whole story. they just haven't scored on their chances - join the club - as well as had spotty goaltending all year.

The NHL Network had the Florida feed for the game, and one of the things they said was that the Panthers have a habit of making backup goalies look like Vezina contenders. My first thought was, "Well, that sounds familiar." They are a better team than their record shows, but they don't feel like a top team like they had in the past few years.

 

[2014nyr]

The NHL Network had the Florida feed for the game, and one of the things they said was that the Panthers have a habit of making backup goalies look like Vezina contenders. My first thought was, "Well, that sounds familiar." They are a better team than their record shows, but they don't feel like a top team like they had in the past few years.

people acted like last year was a free ride to the finals because pitt and car were down to backups - absolutely not! the only thing scarier for the rangers would be an ebug

agree on fl though, not where they were. ekblad honestly looked bad, i don't see him all that much so could be an off night tho. just wondering if all those leg injuries fairly close together are still making an impact on him. btw him and weeger being gone that defense is pretty meh at defense. and up front huby was a huge piece of making that offense go - rocket science i get it - but roster wise they're just missing that pace they had last year. another similarity to us - they could really use an injection of a waterbug burner to be a chaos creator hounding pucks

 

[Lion Hound]

Big response from the guys that needed to step it up.

Panarin who has 1 pt in last 4 games, and was a minus -4 in that span scored a goal and an assist last night. He was also credited with 5 hits. He didn't cough up the puck all night and was credited with 1 takeaway in 17 mins of ice time.

Zibanejad had 1 goal in the last 9 games. has 2 goals last night. He finished a plus 2 on the night.

Fox had 1 pt in the last 4 games. Last night he responded with a 2pts finished a plus 1 with 4 shots on net. He had blocked 2 shots and was credited with 3 takeways in 23 mins ice time.

Kreider Had 2 pts in the last 7 games. Last night he had a 2 pt night, and came close to a second goal that went off Bob's shoulder. He had 8 shots on net last night.

Trocheck has been producing, and got it done again last night. Goal and an assist with the Game winner against his former team.

Big props for Kakko. He's still a whipping boy here, however he's has elevated his game and deserves the chance to play up top. He finished with 2 points last night. He has 8 points in his last 10 games.

Halak has now won both of his last starts. He is also won 3 of his last 4 games. He still scares me as a backup that might not be able to handle the position, but he is trending in the right direction.

Bad news...
Chytil line needs something. Maybe pull #26 off and try Gauthier up there? Chytil has yet to register a pt since the hit in Chicago game.

Trouba is still playing big minutes (22 last night) )with Schenider only getting 12 mins on the night. Really want to see Gallant pair him with Miller for an extended period of time.

Laf still struggling. Made a couple of good defensive plays last night but would like to see a breakout game specificallly for a confidence booster.

 

[will1066]

Kakko's 18 minutes of ice time has left GenesisPuck speechless.

In a serious note, hopefully it leads by example to show the other kids that TOI will come when Gerard Depardieu thinks it helps win games.

 

[leetch99]

Just another game where Gauthier once again gets us a PP because of his size and speed . Imagine when he starts scoring a few....good bang for the buck versus Sammy Blahs at 1.5 Million . Sign Gautheir for a few years on the cheap !!!!

Drury should just squeeze that Blahs pimple and pop it ....it was simply a bad deal that will NEVER be forgotten . Heck they still talk about Middleton and that was almost 50 years ago....LOL....Drury forever etched in Ranger History . Get rid of Blais and take some looks at Cuylee and and Rydahl and then determine if we need a 4th line pick up for the playoffs . I don't see Sammy being the be all of end all in a trade deadline deal breaker . Deals will be made without him and other GM's are not blind .

 

[leetch99]

Kakko's 18 minutes of ice time has left GenesisPuck speechless.

In a serious note, hopefully it leads by example to show the other kids that TOI will come when Gerard Depardieu thinks it helps win games.

Always was a fav movie of mine.....Andie MacDowell was an 8.5 + !

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Just another game where Gauthier once again gets us a PP because of his size and speed . Imagine when he starts scoring a few....good bang for the buck versus Sammy Blahs at 1.5 Million . Sign Gautheir for a few years on the cheap !!!!

Drury should just squeeze that Blahs pimple and pop it ....it was simply a bad deal that will NEVER be forgotten . Heck they still talk about Middleton and that was almost 50 years ago....LOL....Drury forever etched in Ranger History . Get rid of Blais and take some looks at Cuylee and and Rydahl and then determine if we need a 4th line pick up for the playoffs . I don't see Sammy being the be all of end all in a trade deadline deal breaker . Deals will be made without him and other GM's are not blind .

When he starts scoring a few? I like him on thr 4th line and he's much improved from last year but he's not poised to be a goal scorer.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Just another game where Gauthier once again gets us a PP because of his size and speed . Imagine when he starts scoring a few....good bang for the buck versus Sammy Blahs at 1.5 Million . Sign Gautheir for a few years on the cheap !!!!

Drury should just squeeze that Blahs pimple and pop it ....it was simply a bad deal that will NEVER be forgotten . Heck they still talk about Middleton and that was almost 50 years ago....LOL....Drury forever etched in Ranger History . Get rid of Blais and take some looks at Cuylee and and Rydahl and then determine if we need a 4th line pick up for the playoffs . I don't see Sammy being the be all of end all in a trade deadline deal breaker . Deals will be made without him and other GM's are not blind .

If Gauthier starts scoring at a higher rate, he’s a very valuable player. He’s already got world class speed, he’s strong, and decent along the boards.

He’s been good this year.

 

[cwede]

Just another game where Gauthier once again gets us a PP because of his size and speed . Imagine when he starts scoring a few....good bang for the buck versus Sammy Blahs at 1.5 Million . Sign Gautheir for a few years on the cheap !!!!

Drury should just squeeze that Blahs pimple and pop it ....it was simply a bad deal that will NEVER be forgotten . Heck they still talk about Middleton and that was almost 50 years ago....LOL....Drury forever etched in Ranger History . Get rid of Blais and take some looks at Cuylee and and Rydahl ...

disagree about Blais, he's fine in his proper role,
Cap Hit a bit high, and i do hate it when he's on PP2, but i do expect some goals to come too

the Buch deal nowhere near the disaster that the Middleton trade was, but I get the power of recency bias
can't look at Buch deal without considering Cap, and that Zib/Fox had extensions due, along with summer'22 replacing/extending Strome,
there really wasn't room
off season prices pale next to TDL prices, its just the way it is, once they didn't move him at '21 TDL, the return diminished

also disagree folks wanting to rush Cuylle into a 9 minute/game NHL role,
at 20 (for another month) he is playing all situations for Pack,
and should again next season,
when he'll be in more experienced role among Othmann, Korczak, Grubbe, Edstrom, etc

 

[cwede]

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