Post-Game Talk: Game # 30 Rangers @ Capitals 03/20/2021 - 7pm EST - MSG

[will1066]

I don't like it because they don't play.

Kakko is generating so many turnovers at his own blue line and in the NZ which have led to rushes going the other way, it'd be great if the team could give him line mates who are more likely to take advantage of them than the ones he has right now. Blackwell has kind of run his course on that line but I do think adding in a speedier body next to Chytil and Laf can help them, plus he and Laf played pretty well together in the short stint they had as linemates.

The problem is his cycle game doesn't seem compatible with Strome and Panarin's east-west game in the o-zone. Yes, off the rush, it's different.

Blackwell gives those two some spit of defensive conscience and grit work (mostly covering for Strome because he can't win a board battle).

I think third line is where the trio makes most sense right now.

 

[ohbaby]

I'm kicking myself. Did I not say prior to our game last night,... our superstar is back? Well this is complete confirmation he is back to last years form. Only a superstar can do what he did to win a game. The last two times I saw a Ranger pickpocket a D-man and score was Panarin not long ago and St Louis awhile back. It's a play only superstars can make. LOL

I totally forgot the Caps are playing man to man. And as long as they keep that up, they have no chance of going anywhere in the playoffs. Any team that can create offense will benefit from it. We have now beaten them 3 out of 4 this year with their man on man system. Laviolette is making a big mistake.

We should have won yesterday too. They got lucky.

 

[NoQuitInNewMexico]

No Philly has been legit terrible the entire season. Typical AV start where they PDO themselves up the standings but they've crashed back to earth since they aren't getting the elite goaltending that Alain has gotten for most of his coaching career.

He baffles me tbh. He didn't have a mobile puck moving defense for most of his stay here or really at all in Philly but he insists on implementing a style that relies on it. It crushed them in the playoffs last year and its killing them ever harder this year since Hart has been Fart.

I always found his coaching of players like Yandle, Shatty, DeAngelo and Gostisbehere very interesting. He's an "offensive coach" but it really does seem like he just wants some big bruisers to chip the puck out, get a lucky bounce, forwards get a chance on the rush?

 

[bobbop]

What has happened with Bitteto? Smith needs a game or two off badly. I'm happy this coach has realized Kakko can play defense and gave him a shift next to defensive stalwart Howden towards the end of the game.

He’s been hurt

 

[Levitate]

honestly I feel like a big "problem" is the coaches are just hell bent on sheltering kakko and laf and riding the f*** out of their (admittedly very talented and good vets)

other teams top picks usually play a lot of minutes whether or not they're really ready to handle it, get PP time, etc. Ours are "stuck" behind vets and the coaches won't really let them off their leashes. Spurts of confidence and good play have been ended by line juggling because other players aren't doing well

I dunno I just feel like you can see these guys comfort and confidence plummet as they're moved down the lineup and the coaches work harder to shelter them than to give them opportunities

 

[bobbop]

Did Lemieux get benched at the end? Might we see Gauthier back for him next game?

Several guys got benched or saw their ice time clearly cut. Hajek and Lafreniere both got their ice time cut especially in the third period. Lemieux played under five minutes. Different coaches, same strategy.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

honestly I feel like a big "problem" is the coaches are just hell bent on sheltering kakko and laf and riding the f*** out of their (admittedly very talented and good vets)

other teams top picks usually play a lot of minutes whether or not they're really ready to handle it, get PP time, etc. Ours are "stuck" behind vets and the coaches won't really let them off their leashes. Spurts of confidence and good play have been ended by line juggling because other players aren't doing well

I dunno I just feel like you can see these guys comfort and confidence plummet as they're moved down the lineup and the coaches work harder to shelter them than to give them opportunities

Completely agree for sure.

 

[ohbaby]

The problem is cycle game doesn't seem compatible with Strome and Panarin's east-west game in the o-zone. Yes, off the rush, it's different.

Blackwell gives those two some spit of defensive conscience and grit work (mostly covering for Strome because he can't win a board battle).

I think third line is where the trio makes most sense right now.

The Kids line needs a lot of work. Very sloppy. They hardly ever make a successful tape to tape pass. And it's not just Kakko. All three are having trouble making a simple pass. If Chytil doesn't carry it over the blueline, they would have no O zone time. And it's not just this game, they have been sloppy for a while. This is the only line not producing due to their sloppiness. Hell even the 4th line has been better offensively. The kids are playing well without the puck and defending, but can't seem to make that clean neutral zone pass. More times than not, it's off the mark. It's clearly a mental mistake cause they are all talented enough.

 

[Kovalev27]

I don’t know why hajek got benched he’s been very solid

we’ll pass the flyers if this is the Mika we’re getting the rest of the way and Shesterkin comes back. It’ll be pretty much impossible to catch the bruins I just hope the last 10 to 15 games our coaches turn to the kids to get ready for next year.

Playing pp1 for 2 mins at a time is ridiculous

Creating a kid line so you don’t have to play them is really ridiculous

oh and creating a kid line then being surprised that a 19 20 and 21 year old might struggle together so you can justify not playing them is even more ridiculous

 

[will1066]

The Kids line needs a lot of work. Very sloppy. They hardly ever make a successful tape to tape pass. And it's not just Kakko. All three are having trouble making a simple pass. If Chytil doesn't carry it over the blueline, they would have no O zone time. And it's not just this game, they have been sloppy for a while. This is the only line not producing due to their sloppiness. Hell even the 4th line has been better offensively. The kids are playing well without the puck and defending, but can't seem to make that clean neutral zone pass. More times than not, it's off the mark. It's clearly a mental mistake cause they are all talented enough.

They've had a couple of good looking shifts in the offensive zone. I would bet that they figure things out together. That's my hope. It might look ugly mostly right now, but it'll get better.

 

[will1066]

honestly I feel like a big "problem" is the coaches are just hell bent on sheltering kakko and laf and riding the f*** out of their (admittedly very talented and good vets)

other teams top picks usually play a lot of minutes whether or not they're really ready to handle it, get PP time, etc. Ours are "stuck" behind vets and the coaches won't really let them off their leashes. Spurts of confidence and good play have been ended by line juggling because other players aren't doing well

I dunno I just feel like you can see these guys comfort and confidence plummet as they're moved down the lineup and the coaches work harder to shelter them than to give them opportunities

This is a hybrid rebuild, rebuilding on the fly, and not a textbook classic rebuild.

 

[will1066]

honestly I feel like a big "problem" is the coaches are just hell bent on sheltering kakko and laf and riding the f*** out of their (admittedly very talented and good vets)

other teams top picks usually play a lot of minutes whether or not they're really ready to handle it, get PP time, etc. Ours are "stuck" behind vets and the coaches won't really let them off their leashes. Spurts of confidence and good play have been ended by line juggling because other players aren't doing well

I dunno I just feel like you can see these guys comfort and confidence plummet as they're moved down the lineup and the coaches work harder to shelter them than to give them opportunities

I watched the Caps feed here in DC. If MSG also panned the cameras on them at the buzzer, both Laf and Kakko do not look a bit unhappy. They looked relaxed actually.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

Goat would be playing if he didn't commit 2-3 penalties a game. He needs to stop that.

He's been in 20 games and has 14 PIM.

 

[ohbaby]

They've had a couple of good looking shifts in the offensive zone. I would bet that they figure things out together. That's my hope. It might look ugly mostly right now, but it'll get better.

That seems to be the plan, otherwise they would have broken them up by now. Hardly any team has 4 lines putting up points. So being we have 3 good lines, we could let the kids figure it out. As long as they are responsible defensively, which they are. Their plus minus is horrible, but only because they can't find the back of the net. If they start playing with a little more focus, making sure those passes are on the tape, that would go a long way to getting more scoring opportunities. They're having trouble corralling passes also. Taking your eye off the ball so to speak. It's all mental miscues. They need work I'm sad to say. They are not looking promising. Too sloppy.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

He's been in 20 games and has 14 PIM.

It just seems for the occasional good things he does he counters that with something stupid, including really bad penalties.

 

[AKrangerfan]

Mika
Kinkaid
Fox/Buch

Solid game. Kinkaid made the saves he had to and gave us a chance to win.

 

[Sayba]

It just seems for the occasional good things he does he counters that with something stupid, including really bad penalties.

Define really bad? Intentional or accidental?

The limited chances he has gotten he has shown flashes and drives to the net with his size and speed. He should be stapled to the 3rd line and left alone.

 

[itsPLkielbasa]

That slap pass by Artemi to Strome was a thing of beauty. I really wish Strome took the shot there instead of dropping it to Blackwell. Stromer has a nifty wrister but like most guys on our team, they think pass first. We would have and could have had so many more wins if they just took the shot.

If Strome keeps this up, we may have to trade him next year. So many guys due for raises and new contracts coming up. We can't be giving everyone 7M+. Get rid of the cap!

 

[DudMan28]

Rewatched the ENG and man did Strome jump on the ice early. He was at the blue line before Zib was even off

 

[Machinehead]

Rewatched the ENG and man did Strome jump on the ice early. He was at the blue line before Zib was even off

He smells those assists. I do that in Chel.

We had three centers on the ice at
that point.

 

[Machinehead]

That skate down the right side and pass to the slot is becoming Fox's Mariano Rivera play.

You know it's coming and you still can't do anything.

 

[kovazub94]

Neither has Howden for 3 years but here we are.

Lafreniere to the 4th line?

 

[kovazub94]

As much as Kakko not scoring frustrates us all, it was nice to see he is trusted defensively. Remember last year when sometimes they actually had a winger on his place for own zone FO, and when they cleared he would then come in? Now he is put on after a GWG scored less than 3 minutes to go, and he played a great defensive shift.

Yeah yeah, it's still annoying he's not scoring but have to find some silver linings there too though?

Absolutely not frustrated. Seeing a complete player developing. Points will come.

 

[kovazub94]

Liked the in game coaching
That Zib goal was brutal
Howden scoring puts me on Rapture watch
3 very nice games completed in 4 nights.
THis will be a MONSTER team when the dust settles
Wait and watch

Preach!

P.S. On the in game coaching - what did you see?

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Define really bad? Intentional or accidental?

The limited chances he has gotten he has shown flashes and drives to the net with his size and speed. He should be stapled to the 3rd line and left alone.

Unnecessary penalties and some bad decisions. He committed 3 penalties his last game and 2 were careless high sticking calls. Philly scored on 2 of those penalties which cost us the game. He deserved to sit after that game. I can't name every dumb play or penalty he committed but it just seems that he's a mixed bag of good and bad. I would rather see him play than Howden though.