Post-Game Talk: Game #3: Home Opener vs. Leafs

[Levitate]

I could be wrong but I think a forward was supposed to pick up the guy in front of the net on that goal where McDonagh was on one side of the net and Girardi was slow getting back because he was hit with a shot.

You often see both of the defenseman flank the net facing the boards when a guy has the puck behind the net, I think this is what McDonagh was TRYING to do, but because Girardi was hobbled by a shot, he couldn't get into position in time and the forward who is supposed to cover the front wasn't there (not sure who that was...Miller was in the area but I don't know if he was playing wing at the time or center)

On the other hand, McDonagh should see that guy open and switch to covering him, but as he said later to the media, there's a lack of communication going on out there at the moment and it's something they have to fix

 

[Ranger Angst]

The sky isn't falling, but this team is extremely frustrating to watch right now. Between them and the Giants last night, I'm surprised I didn't drink myself into a coma.

Actually , they didn't look so bad compared to the Giants

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Actually , they didn't look so bad compared to the Giants

I love both teams, but I definitely get more upset over Rangers losses. Probably because I follow them closer than I do the Giants. I still watch each and every Giants game, but I don't invest nearly as much time researching the team, on message boards, etc.

 

[AHB*]

I love both teams, but I definitely get more upset over Rangers losses. Probably because I follow them closer than I do the Giants. I still watch each and every Giants game, but I don't invest nearly as much time researching the team, on message boards, etc.

A 16 game connection is far different then an 82 one.

 

[TheTakedown]

I wonder why Mueller hasn't been pulled up for a game if our center depth is that bad... stick him on the 4th or 3rd line, jeeze...

 

[trilobyte]

Watching the defensive corps swat and swipe at the puck all night was tough. Slow, chasing around, getting in each other's way, thinking they could do it all with feeble little stick checks and pokes of the puck out of the zone....it was ghastly.
It was like they didn't know how completely awful they were and they just kept doing it. That was the most glaring, #1 eff-up all night for me, though there were others. MSL is a square peg in a round hole at centre, agreed, but gawd, let's start with getting the defense into some kind of coherent structure. As an aside, to read posts slagging Dan Boyle just makes me shake my head and wonder who the eff are these posters cheering for, cannot be the Rangers.

This is not one of those 'forget it and move on' games. They need to look hard at all this bad stuff.
Slow starts? Okay, sure, it happens.
Panic is not in my vocabulary, but disgust makes an entrance now and then.

Every team has a huge stinker now and then. I would be hard pressed to conjure up in my imagination a crappier effort, so it should be upwards from here. The Islanders will be a pretty good test of this, another division rival who really get themselves up for the Rangers.

Stempniak keeps playing the same way he has played all through his career, with a work ethic. I hope it rubs off on his coworkers, because most of the team left it behind in Saint Louis.
Duclair is a blast to watch. He has born-with talent that all the practice and drills in the world could not produce. As he continues to learn more about the timing in the NHL game, he is going to be very dangerous.

 

[alcanalz]

Stempniak is just a solid player. He's always played well and he's versatile. Surprised Pens didn't re-sign him but a good pickup.

 

[chosen]

The only good thing about a loss is reading the complete panic that engulfs this place.

Whenever the Rangers win, it's because they played well.

When they lose, they sucked and/or the refs sucked.

Anyone ever notice there is another team on the ice that affects things?

 

[WVULax22]

The night Callahan's wife gives birth- he scores a goal.

Girardi's kid is born last year- that night Girardi scores a goal.

Nash's wife goes into labor last night- Nash scores a goal.

The solution to this team is simple. They all need to go out and father as many children as possible. If we can have a couple babies born every game night we will be humming along nicely.

 

[pld459666]

very similar to last years start.

Confused with defensive zone coverage. Blown assignments all over the place.

Need more time to "get" the system for some

 

[Gardner McKay]

The night Callahan's wife gives birth- he scores a goal.

Girardi's kid is born last year- that night Girardi scores a goal.

Nash's wife goes into labor last night- Nash scores a goal.

The solution to this team is simple. They all need to go out and father as many children as possible. If we can have a couple babies born every game night we will be humming along nicely.

Unless they pull a Latrell Sprewell and claim how millions of dollars ins't enough to take care of their kids. That would put us in cap hell

 

[NYRCSKA*]

I only come here to read the comments from the doom and gloomers. 3 days in and it's as if the Rangers have no shot at making the playoffs.

 

[RGY]

I still think this team will be fine and a serious contender come playoff time. Stepan, Boyle, and Zucc were all out last night. Those three in the lineup change the look of the team.

I thought Hayes was ok last night. Didnt look overwhelmed.

Nash has 4 goals in 3 games. The team has scored 8 goals in those 3 games. You would think we would be 3-0. Its bad defensive play.

 

[NYR89]

The biggest issue has been defensive zone coverage. Figure that out and the team will be fine.

In reality I think they are feeling the pressure from falling short last season. There's a little bit of a hangover with much higher expectations. They'll settle in and be fine.

 

[Wolfy*]

It's amazing how this team collapsed without Zucc in the lineup

 

[TheTakedown]

The biggest issue has been defensive zone coverage. Figure that out and the team will be fine.

In reality I think they are feeling the pressure from falling short last season. There's a little bit of a hangover with much higher expectations. They'll settle in and be fine.

This. Let's all realize that this wasn't as big a blowout as it seemed... Hank had a bad night, and the defense was piss poor, and yet we still scored 3 goals, nearly coming up with a 4th in the 3rd period, and hitting 1 or 2 posts...

I will also say the 3rd period was mostly Rangers. Toronto hardly had the puck...

It all starts in the defensive end... we have Dan Boyle not playing, with Matt Hunwick taking his spot and still learning the system. We also have 10 cent head John Moore on our 3rd pairing, which isn't doing us any favors.

I wont get into the fact that we're still missing a #1C and #2RW for the next few games at minimum.

 

[Gardner McKay]

It's amazing how this team collapsed without Zucc in the lineup

They score more goals without Zucc in the line up.

 

[AHB*]

They score more goals without Zucc in the line up.

We clearly needed his all world fighting skills to punch us to victory!

 

[Wolfy*]

They score more goals without Zucc in the line up.

Yes that was evident

You could see how they missed him on the bench and in the locker room, it wasn't fun anymore. Even Hank was weeping.

 

[Saitama]

Being a Rangers and a Winnipeg Jets fan, it's been a rough couple of days for me.

 

[TheTakedown]

It's amazing how this team collapsed without Zucc in the lineup

that was not as bad as it seemed... and even then, you have to blame hank for part of that loss. Defense too, but it's those times when your goalie should step up.

If you're really going to blame this loss on Zucc not playing, then i don't know what else to tell you. Zucc doesn't magically make this engine of a team go faster... you're not in the locker room so I doubt you can prove this...

 

[Steve Kournianos]

didnt the 08-09 team start off like 10-2-1? That 09-10 team fell off the face of the earth after their 7 game win streak (well the 08-09 team crashed back down too but I think 10-2-1 is better than what the 09-10 teams record ended up being after their streak)

Well, if you want to get technical, one loss is seven games is a higher winning pct that 10 wins in 13.

Also, Lundqvist started the 2010 season 6-1-0, but was 4-2-1 in 2009.

 

[Wolfy*]

Happy for Nash...excellent start this season, he scores both here and there. Now he's a proud dad of a baby boy

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I could be wrong but I think a forward was supposed to pick up the guy in front of the net on that goal where McDonagh was on one side of the net and Girardi was slow getting back because he was hit with a shot.

You often see both of the defenseman flank the net facing the boards when a guy has the puck behind the net, I think this is what McDonagh was TRYING to do, but because Girardi was hobbled by a shot, he couldn't get into position in time and the forward who is supposed to cover the front wasn't there (not sure who that was...Miller was in the area but I don't know if he was playing wing at the time or center)

On the other hand, McDonagh should see that guy open and switch to covering him, but as he said later to the media, there's a lack of communication going on out there at the moment and it's something they have to fix

On a PK, McDonagh should've stayed with his man in front as his primary concern, maybe an active stick towards the guy behind, but let Girardi take him, which Girardi did. On a PK, there's no center to slide down and pick up the man in front, so McD has to stay with him, he can't do what he did unless G switched off and picked up the guy in front.

McD had a rough game, that play leaving the man in front. Also, the breakaway goal was 100% avoidable, 2 other Rangers were on JVR at the point with the puck in the air, no reason for McD to stand flat footed and try and bat it down, he should've backed up in case JVR came down with it, which is what happened. Also on Franson's goal, McD gave him too much time to tee it up, not saying he should've dived in front of it, but he turned to pick up a guy in front while Franson had all day to walk in and rip it.


What bothers me about these losses as opposed to last years bad start, was last year we lost those bad games to SJ, Anaheim and St Louis. Western powerhouses. These two were against a solid rival in CBJ, but a team we should beat, and Toronto. Not saying the sky is falling, I just don't like the comparison to last year's bad losses.

 

[Killem Dafoe]

I thought it was cool that Nash played as much as he could until it was time for all the grossness. Congrats to him, first kid too, that's a huge moment in life.