Post-Game Talk: Kings @ Rangers [MOD WARNING POST 1]

[Machinehead]

Brad Richards was a very good possession player...

We also lost two of the best possession players at their respective positions in the NHL.

Brad Richards IMO was one of those guys who was very good at shot attempts, not possession.

 

[Rick Nash 61]

We actually have several big question marks going into the playoffs.

Will Nash find his scoring again, especially after the dog he put in for the playoffs last season?

Will St. Louis show any of the old form he had?

Will Hank come back solid?

Will McDonagh ever start playing like McDonagh before he became captain?

These are HUGE questions for the playoffs - two top-level scorers, our starting goaltender, and top Dman. I think all of this has to click for us to have a realistic chance of going more than one or two rounds. Kevin Hayes, J.T. Miller, and Cam Talbot are not going to carry us to the finals if the top guys don't have it together come April.

Those two are what worry me the most. I think come playoff time Hank is going to play like Hank and Marty will put on his playoff gear and play solid like last postseason.

 

[Cassano]

Of course there's valid concerns. But we were a great possession team last year. We didn't become poor at it over night, especially considering we went from Brad Richards, a possession graveyard, to Kevin Hayes, a possession monster.

The only difference is, our best shot suppressor, best player at zone exits, and best player at moving through the neutral zone, Ryan McDonagh, just has not been there this year. As they say, everyone starts the playoffs 0-0. He gets to wipe the slate clean. If he does, we're right back in business.

I've been saying all year it comes down to McDonagh. The rest is there.

Stralman and Pou were 2 of the best possession players in the league. Their replacements were Stempniak(who was good, but didn't fit apparently) and D.Boyle(Poor man's Stralman). I think it comes down more to those two IMO.

 

[pjr378]

Those two are what worry me the most. I think come playoff time Hank is going to play like Hank and Marty will put on his playoff gear and play solid like last postseason.

I'm fairly confident about Hank but MSL, I just don't see him getting it back and he would be a major handicap if he doesn't. At least when Nash isn't contributing offensively he can work on the penalty kill and do some odd things. MSL doesn't do anything meaningful outside of scoring. We would be stuck with him in the lineup and absolutely no use for him except putting him on and hoping he breaks out of it.

 

[wafflepadsave]

Against 90% of teams who either aren't talented enough and/or don't forecheck aggressively, we're absolutely fine.

Unfortunately, the other 10% of the league (see LA, Tampa, etc) understand our top 3 D aren't very good when pressured deep in their own zone. Plus we don't have a goalie that can play the puck. So they forecheck us hard and give us absolute fits. That's the recipe to beat this team and we've consistently seen it time and again for years now. McD is iffy with the puck when pressured. Staal is below average. Girardi is not very good. Sure, all three are great elsewhere, put playing the puck while pressured is a big weakness for all three.

Tonight's loss wasn't a product of having an off night. It was a product of a talented team taking full advantage of our largest weakness. And that's why tonight's loss is concerning. The blueprint on how to beat this team was on full display.

The good news is very, very few teams can actually do it against us. Just gotta hope we don't face those teams come playoff time.

This for sure. For the older guys around here, it resembled an ranger/islander game from the early eighties! This will help prove to some people the need for strength and toughness that this team still lacks. Hope LA doesn't make it to the playoffs.

 

[Machinehead]

Stralman and Pou were 2 of the best possession players in the league. Their replacements were Stempniak(who was good, but didn't fit apparently) and D.Boyle(Poor man's Stralman). I think it comes down more to those two IMO.

I don't think we miss Pouliot as much as people say we do. His linemates Brassard and Zuccarello still dominate together with seemingly anyone on their LW. Boyle hasn't been a huge downgrade either.

With McDonagh playing well this would be a completely different team.

 

[wafflepadsave]

It's not a matter of "they lost the game"

It's a matter of "they got totally owned by a team that played last night, that is among their competition for the best team in the NHL"

It's also continuing a VERY disturbing trend of god-awful puck possession over the last month.

Agreed. We will see how the coaches handle this lesson.

 

[The Gloaming]

I don't think we miss Pouliot as much as people say we do. His linemates Brassard and Zuccarello still dominate together with seemingly anyone on their LW. Boyle hasn't been a huge downgrade either.

With McDonagh playing well this would be a completely different team.

This right here. The difference between the turd we saw on the ice yesterday with 0 effort and a dominant team is Ryan McDonagh. It's really quite amazing that we've gotten to 1st place with our best defenseman playing worse than in any previous season.

He really needs to pick it up. We are not winning the Cup with McDonagh playing like doodoo. I'd compare his play to some defensemen that have been driven out of this league, but people wouldn't like that.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

This right here. The difference between the turd we saw on the ice yesterday with 0 effort and a dominant team is Ryan McDonagh. It's really quite amazing that we've gotten to 1st place with our best defenseman playing worse than in any previous season.

He really needs to pick it up. We are not winning the Cup with McDonagh playing like doodoo. I'd compare his play to some defensemen that have been driven out of this league, but people wouldn't like that.

He's been better than he was, but still not good enough you're right. He's still forcing the puck, skating it when he should pass it, passing it when he should skate it, blowing coverage, not locking forwards up in front of the net and at times skating around aimlessly like a chicken with no head.


Honestly think Yandle, Staal, Boyle and even yes, Girardi, have all been better than McD.

 

[Machinehead]

And yeah our possession stats suck. So do Shea Weber's. It's not everything.

NYR - Garbage possession
MTL - Rides their goalie
TBL - Cannot win a road game
DET - 700 billion OT losses
PIT - Can't score
WAS- Wilts
NYI - Can't stop anybody from scoring
OTT - Riding a divinely hot AHL goalie
BOS - AHL defense corps
ANA - Garbage possession
VAN- Garbage possession
LA - Can't score
CHI - Can't score
MIN - Only relevant since Dubnyk went Jesus-mode
NSH - No gamebreakers
STL - Wilts like a ****ing dying marigold
CGY - Basically Tanner Glass in possession
WPG - **** show goaltending

That's every potential playoff team in the league and they all have at least one gigantic wart. That's why it's a parity league. That's why they play the games.

 

[Baby Punisher]

Well that sucked.

Looks even worse just because it had to be against the Kings. Oh well. Sack up and look to the next one.

My thoughts exactly. Stings that much more.We lost to a desperate team to boot. Pack up the tent and move on to the next game.

 

[Esa 10]

It's kinda hard to be good or bad at something when no one keeps track of it.

Unlike soccer, there are no stats for possession in the NHL or hockey in general. At least I'm not aware of anywhere to look up a player or team's time of possession.

 

[Cassano]

I don't think we miss Pouliot as much as people say we do. His linemates Brassard and Zuccarello still dominate together with seemingly anyone on their LW. Boyle hasn't been a huge downgrade either.

With McDonagh playing well this would be a completely different team.

I agree McD has disappointed this year, but I think the Rangers are missing the play of Pou as a big, versatile, skilled forward. Staal-Stralman was the best pairing I've seen from the Rangers and they decide to break it up. Two complete opposite playing styles that gelled the pairing together.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

That November effort on March 24 was a nice, moist **** you to the fans who've had this game circled on their calendar for months. Deeply disappointing.

We got hit with a puck in the second period, and the ***** in front of us stole it before I could see where it landed.

That's the kind of game this was.

 

[trueblue9441]

this team misses kevin klein a lot. hunwick hasnt been bad, but they havent been the same since he went down. cant wait til he is healthy.

 

[PromNite]

That November effort on March 24 was a nice, moist **** you to the fans who've had this game circled on their calendar for months. Deeply disappointing.

We got hit with a puck in the second period, and the ***** in front of us stole it before I could see where it landed.

That's the kind of game this was.

Couldn't have said it better.

I mean, I know they're the reigning champs. But did we have to accurately reproduce every single loss we had to them last playoffs? Get the lead, then get pummeled for 50 minutes. I could've watched a tape of last year's Finals and it would've been exactly the same.

 

[Ex Officer Friendly]

You know it was about time for a let down they have been playing some great hockey

 

[Inferno]

You know it was about time for a let down they have been playing some great hockey

they really havent.

they havent clicked on all cylinders in a while. theyve been WINNING...for sure...but playing some great hockey? Not sure i agree with that.

 

[Ex Officer Friendly]

they really havent.

they havent clicked on all cylinders in a while. theyve been WINNING...for sure...but playing some great hockey? Not sure i agree with that.

ok maybe overstated "great hockey" but the team that showed up on Sunday was not the one that showed up tonight that is for sure...

 

[trueblue9441]

they really havent.

they havent clicked on all cylinders in a while. theyve been WINNING...for sure...but playing some great hockey? Not sure i agree with that.

agreed. its been the last 2 weeks since that washington game that theyve been a bit off.

 

[The Gloaming]

they really havent.

they havent clicked on all cylinders in a while. theyve been WINNING...for sure...but playing some great hockey? Not sure i agree with that.

This. AV and some of the players have said the same thing. Florida, Buffalo, Carolina. Games that we won while not giving much of an effort. The Florida third period was the worst period you can have without getting scored on.

 

[Zuuuuc]

Wasnt pretty tonight, but I quote the 1990s poets from Third Eye Blind when they said "I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend"

LA is in full desperation mode and we didnt bring enough to match up. Learn from it and be better. We're gonna have to play the way intensity in the playoffs, but I'm sure the reigning Eastern Conference Champs know that

 

[Esa 10]

Final comment on this game.

I don't see how tonight was anymore or less relevant than our win in LA.

Back then NYR were getting into a great rhythm, on their way to becoming one of the best teams in this year's NHL. Kings were meandering along, still getting into this season after their Cup hangover.

This game had a team who's gotten comfortable, chugging along till the play-offs. Against a team who's become serious about their season and is finally playing with desperation their situation is demanding.

It's hard to draw any far-reaching conclusions from either meeting. That's why regular season results, especially between teams in different divisions aren't indicative of much for the play-offs.

 

[Graves94]

Those two are what worry me the most. I think come playoff time Hank is going to play like Hank and Marty will put on his playoff gear and play solid like last postseason.

Agreed 100% with this!
I've been watching hockey for over 40 years, and all I know, and what many experts have said, in the playoffs your top players need to be your top players to carry you to the cup.
I'm deeply concerned about Nash and McD heading into the playoffs, They have 10 pre season games left before the real season starts, hope they wake the **** up!

 

[aufheben]

That November effort on March 24 was a nice, moist **** you to the fans who've had this game circled on their calendar for months. Deeply disappointing.

We got hit with a puck in the second period, and the ***** in front of us stole it before I could see where it landed.

That's the kind of game this was.

Sorry but that's funny and awful.