GDT: Game # 52 - Rangers @ Islanders - 7pm - MSG

[The New Russian Five]

He did it more often last season if you go back and watch the games. It seems obvious that he's been playing hurt this season, he just isn't skating like he usually does.

He definitely looks a step slower this season in his skating. He was absolutely flying last season. It's amazing how he's still putting up the same numbers. But overall he was a better player last year for sure. Hope he can get back to that next year.

 

[ponytrekker]

I already posted this on the previous page:

"For those of you complaining that the Rangers beat up on the crap teams and smell against the good teams and use that as an indictment of them, you're unaware of the reality of the NHL. That's how it works for almost every team.

This is approximately how the best teams are performing against this years likely playoff teams (I used the same opponents for all of them):

Isles are 7W 14 L against likely playoff teams.
Car 10/6
Fla 5/9
TB 7/7
Pitt 13/9
Wash 11/12
Bos 11/11
Tor 17/8
Edm 12/13
Winn 11/15
Mtl 10/13
LV 10/9
Col 13/10
Minn 8/12
St. 9/11

I don't know if it works this way every season, but this season, the best teams are all feasting on the crap, just like the Rangers do, even though they are not a top team".

You're missing the point that almost the entire NHL can't win consistently against the better teams.

Every good team is feasting on the bad teams. This is not an issue specific to the Rangers, no matter how much some people want it to be.

it’s not so much losing to good teams; it’s not showing up to critical must win games.

 

[chosen]

it’s not so much losing to good teams; it’s not showing up to critical must win games.

They wom a bunch of them but the odds of keeping going was a huge longshot.

The Rangers aren't good enough, yet. It's not any more complex than that.

None of the good teams are winning consistently against other good times.

 

[Maximus]

They wom a bunch of them but the odds of keeping going was a huge longshot.

The Rangers aren't good enough, yet. It's not any more complex than that.

None of the good teams are winning consistently against other good times.

Agreed. I'll go as far as to say and I've said it a bunch of times but the Rangers success late last season was a bit of a mirage and to some it seemed the rebuild had "accelerated".

Well this year there has been a market correction and we are pretty much about where we should be which is poised next year to begin what likely will be a decade long run of playoff success equaling the 2005-2017 run with this time a Cup or two thrown in for good measure.

That's at least the plan and hopefully it will be executed!

 

[chosen]

Agreed. I'll go as far as to say and I've said it a bunch of times but the Rangers success late last season was a bit of a mirage and to some it seemed the rebuild had "accelerated".

Well this year there has been a market correction and we are pretty much about where we should be which is poised next year to begin what likely will be a decade long run of playoff success equaling the 2005-2017 run with this time a Cup or two thrown in for good measure.

That's at least the plan and hopefully it will be executed!

They are on schedule even if some have grown impatient.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

Too few guys that will grind their way to the center of the ice? Every time the Isles entered the Ozone, they cut right to the middle no matter how high. Hockey 1010 here kids.

Yeah, good point. The Rangers instinct is to curl to the side and look for a pass to a trailer or carry down the wall and look for a pass toward the net.

The Isles were very effective cutting to the middle. And the Rangers didn't stop them. No one got hit for that.

 

[chosen]

It's interesting. If you watch Panarin during his time in Chicago or Columbus, he made a lot more moves to get into open space or cut to the meeting. He also tried to beat players one-on-one more and was often successful at it. On the rangers he plays a much more perimeter game and sticks to the half-walls. We all turn a blind eye to it because he has been highly effective from there and has been putting up career numbers.

He's been great for us and is certainly one of the top 5 players in the game right now, but there are certain parts of his mental game that are suspect.

Putting up career numbers and certain parts of his mental game are suspect in one description of a player.

If Gretzky were here in his prime, today, some would find negatives.

 

[The New Russian Five]

Putting up career numbers and certain parts of his mental game are suspect in one description of a player.

If Gretzky were here in his prime, today, some would find negatives.

Every player can find ways to improve and aren't beyond certain criticism. What that being said, I think we are all extremely happy with what we have in Panarin. That was never questioned.

 

[Riche16]

Unrealized talent is the same as none at all... until it isn’t