Kitchener Rangers 2014-15 Season Thread (Part 2)

[Blind Gardien]

Continued from part 1:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1735659

Click to read more...

 

[IcemanTBI]

If you face my hounds in the playoffs, im seeing an upset

 

[richardn]

If you face my hounds in the playoffs, im seeing an upset

I agree Paterson has had the Hounds number for years now. A 2nd and a 3rd wasn't all that steep of a price for Paterson either. But thankfully he was traded from Saginaw cause that's likely who Hounds will play in 1st round. I could see Kitchener beating London or Guelph in the first round and giving both Errie and The Sault a tough go

 

[Radar9]

I agree Paterson has had the Hounds number for years now. A 2nd and a 3rd wasn't all that steep of a price for Paterson either. But thankfully he was traded from Saginaw cause that's likely who Hounds will play in 1st round. I could see Kitchener beating London or Guelph in the first round and giving both Errie and The Sault a tough go

Keefe also spoke of his disappointment with those among the Rangers fans who hurled abuse at former Kitchener star, and current Greyhounds winger, Justin Bailey.

The veteran agreed to waive the no-trade clause in his contract and was dealt to the Soo just prior to the Jan. 9 trade deadline.

“It was disappointing to see the rough ride he got from the fans,†Keefe said. “He loved his time in Kitchener and I thought he deserved a lot better than that.â€

Classy fans

 

[Radar9]

If you face my hounds in the playoffs, im seeing an upset

I dont see an upset you know the Hounds did not play the way they know how ,and no help for goalie Brandon and the Turnovers led to the Rangers win just a bad game

 

[bobber]

I don't think any team wants the Rangers in the play offs at the moment. Things can change get though. Why fans were booing Bailey is beyond me. For the ones that were doing it they were classless idiots.

 

[BenchedGuy]

Keefe also spoke of his disappointment with those among the Rangers fans who hurled abuse at former Kitchener star, and current Greyhounds winger, Justin Bailey.

The veteran agreed to waive the no-trade clause in his contract and was dealt to the Soo just prior to the Jan. 9 trade deadline.

“It was disappointing to see the rough ride he got from the fans,†Keefe said. “He loved his time in Kitchener and I thought he deserved a lot better than that.â€

Classy fans

I agree that there were alot of morons that booed Bailey upon his return. That was stupid, alot of us in the area I was sitting were shocked.

I dont see an upset you know the Hounds did not play the way they know how ,and no help for goalie Brandon and the Turnovers led to the Rangers win just a bad game

This is where I have a bit of a problem, not talking about a playoff upset. Talking about giving credit where credit is due for last nights game. The Rangers played a great game and for 2 periods stiffled the Soo offense. The second period they were all over us and Paterson stood on his head. Paterson played a great game but was stellar in the 2nd period. But give credit to the work ethic of the Rangers for last nights game and how the made the Greyhounds off their stride.

Nurse was still skating circles around our players. Ganly was in position all night and moved the puck well. Verbeek was a gnat in the Rangers face all night too. For the rest of the players, the Rangers simply worked harder as a group and shutdown the rest of your star players most of the night.

Now, I am not a homer and see that a 7 game series would be a different story.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Nice win by the Rangers last night now hopefully they don't play down to Windsors level on Thursday night and make last nights win meaningless.
As for the booing, I think Bailey was crazy like a fox and set the tone for the fans by throwing Maaskant down in the corner and picking up a roughing penalty.
Kudos for Bailey for doing that and letting the his ex-teammates know that he's now the enemy and it's going to be a battle out there. That's what you expect
a player to do coming into his old barn and shouldn't one of the best players for maybe the best player team in the OHL be booed regardless if he was fan fav here.
I guess the Rangers should have split the Red Sea wide open and let Bailey score for old time sake? As long as there was no cursing, throwing stuff or
insensitive remarks. I had no issues with the booing....and quite frankly neither did Baileys mom when I was talking with her!
If his Mom was ok with it so am i!
Is this political correctness running amok that we can't boo an opposing player? The fans were complaining a while back how the Aud at one time was a place where opposing players hated to play and it became under Spott a place of comfort to play due to the softness of the Rangers now the fans have to be soft also that they can't boo? ( and no, I didn't boo)
I'm 100% positive if Bailey was a star he would would've have gotten a standing O!

BTW....just thoroughly impressed with Darnell Nurse last night...what a GREAT PLAYER!!!

 

[Tim Wallach]

Kitchener has definitely ramped it up since the deadline and I attribute it to three big factors:

1. Goaltending - we all knew Paterson would help a lot, but what a boost it is to get saves.
2. Moving Bailey/Pedersen - this has allowed guys like Mascherin and Davies to blossom with offensive minutes. And with the alpha dogs out of the room, it's a different dynamic where clearly all the kids feel like a bigger part of it. All rowing in the same direction
3. Moving Meighan/Schmidt/Welsh- not to pick on them, but really it wasn't rocket science to me. This is the trio where plays went to die, and the minutes they were logging in place of competent players was deadly. Is anyone surprised that the old Llewwelyn returned after Meighan left? Suddenly puck battles were getting won and passes being made and received. ie. The team is more skilled by subtraction.

For me, this is all positive. And for a guy who has soundly criticized Smith for not developing players, I'll note that a couple are showing signs of taking steps right now. But for me, Smith has a long way to go to prove his ability as a coach. He's starting to clue in to some good lineup decisions, but the playoffs will be the big test for me. In a series where it's all about prep, tactics, adjustments and motivation, can Smith show he has what it takes? I'm still very much a skeptic, but I'll give credit where it's due for the last few weeks.

 

[BenchedGuy]

Ward,
My issue was the pre puck drop boo. I say fans should have shown some appreciation before puck drop.
As for after the puck drop and his competitive actions with Maskaant and others....sure show your disapproval then but dont boo him on his return before the game starts. That is suppose to be left for the Puis Suter's, Rupert twins...etc.

Tim,
Those changes, do you equate them to coaching or to the GM that made the changes?

 

[Tim Wallach]

Tim,
Those changes, do you equate them to coaching or to the GM that made the changes?

Good question Benched Guy. In my humble opinion, I see much more competence in the GM than the coach. I find the team still struggles to find a system and identity and if Smith had a good eye for what works and what doesn't, there's no way he would have given those three so many minutes.

I'm a Hab fan, so the Meighan move to me almost looks like when Bergevin moved Moen so that Therrien would stop playing him so much. Sometimes it's the GM's only recourse. I know there were other factors behind those moves - but that had to be one factor. If I'm a GM watching good talent like Llewwelyn and Kohn and Davies languish, I step in.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Ward,
My issue was the pre puck drop boo. I say fans should have shown some appreciation before puck drop.
As for after the puck drop and his competitive actions with Maskaant and others....sure show your disapproval then but dont boo him on his return before the game starts. That is suppose to be left for the Puis Suter's, Rupert twins...etc.

Too be honest, I just got to the game when the puck was dropping.
So, I do agree with your sentiments that booing Bailey before the game was uncalled for.
Booing a player for on ice stuff is still A-OK with me!

 

[BenchedGuy]

Too be honest, I just got to the game when the puck was dropping.
So, I do agree with your sentiments that booing Bailey before the game was uncalled for.
Booing a player for on ice stuff is still A-OK with me!

After I re-read my post, I didnt specify. It was when Dave Schneider was announcing the starting lineups before puck drop and there were alot of boo's when Bailey was announced. Didnt understand it at all.

As for his antic during the game, I am all for fans booing when he does stuff like he did last night during the game.

 

[JSavoire]

After I re-read my post, I didnt specify. It was when Dave Schneider was announcing the starting lineups before puck drop and there were alot of boo's when Bailey was announced. Didnt understand it at all.

As for his antic during the game, I am all for fans booing when he does stuff like he did last night during the game.

The booing is fine and really amps up the games at the right times but this was not unforeseen though.

 

[bobber]

Ward,
My issue was the pre puck drop boo. I say fans should have shown some appreciation before puck drop.
As for after the puck drop and his competitive actions with Maskaant and others....sure show your disapproval then but dont boo him on his return before the game starts. That is suppose to be left for the Puis Suter's, Rupert twins...etc.

Tim,
Those changes, do you equate them to coaching or to the GM that made the changes?

I agree Bench. Not often you hear Ranger fans boo a former player before the game. Playing tough in your own barn has nothing to do with it. It's the players playing the game not the fans. Bailey is a Hound now and might do things during the game fans will boo him for but fans here usually respect former players when they come back. Fans have the right to boo anybody they want though. Bet Bailey's mom never booed any Rangers last night.

 

[rgrsboom]

Ward,
My issue was the pre puck drop boo. I say fans should have shown some appreciation before puck drop.
As for after the puck drop and his competitive actions with Maskaant and others....sure show your disapproval then but dont boo him on his return before the game starts. That is suppose to be left for the Puis Suter's, Rupert twins...etc.

Tim,
Those changes, do you equate them to coaching or to the GM that made the changes?

I am not one to boo any of the opposition - have always stressed to my kids that the best fans are the fans who are over the top in cheering for their team, and leave the opponents alone. Went to an away game last year where the Rangers were getting beat, and had to listen to some yahoo jeer our players. Finally said to him, so others could hear - "when did it become cool here to mock teenage boys?". He never said a word the rest of the game.
I will say that those that booed Justin may have done so because of the same selfish play he demonstrated with that penalty, that he did game in and game out here. He got knocked down. Get up and chase the puck. Don't take a senseless penalty that hurts your team.
I was real impressed with the Soo in many ways. They move their feet and the puck with an impressive speed, and come at you in waves. If the forwards don't create a chance, the D are jumping in to try to catch you napping. It can be a high risk, high reward approach, and we were able to catch them enough to pull out a win last night, but there is no way I am betting on beating that squad 4 times out of 7.
Good win for the Rangers. I hope the lesson they come out of this past weekend with is that the what the lack of effort on Thursday cost them. If we had played like we can, against a shorthanded Sting lineup, we could now be ahead of Guelph, and only two points behind London. The youngsters in the room need to learn how to bring it every night, and the vets need to lead by example when it is needed.
The way this team is playing, we should have an interesting playoffs, and that is certainly not something we could look forward to prior to January 9th.

 

[battfan888]

That is suppose to be left for the Puis Suter's, Rupert twins...etc.

Did I miss when Pius Suter became a hated player specifically? Or you just bringing up random divisional rival players

 

[BenchedGuy]

Did I miss when Pius Suter became a hated player specifically? Or you just bringing up random divisional rival players

For me it was a game about 2 months ago in Kitchener and Suter went down appeared to be injured and had the training staff of both teams come out to assist him off the ice. And then he was out one shift later on that same PP. It was clearly an embelishment. He was booed the rest of the night and the next game in Kitchener too. Why can't players have the heart and gamesmanship of Tyler Carroll circa 2010
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WedvOdw-eG8

 

[CharlieGirl]

Are you trying to say that the Guelph trainers can't raise people from the dead? They did it several times that game, if I recall correctly.

 

[RoyalCitySlicker]

Are you trying to say that the Guelph trainers can't raise people from the dead? They did it several times that game, if I recall correctly.

Spare me.

As if the Rangers have never embellished a call before. Good lord. I actually defended Ranger fans on a previous topic, and then more of this. Come. On.

How about rewinding the tape to the Playoff series two years ago. Ranger players looked like they could clean sweep the Oscars with all of the acting they did - specifically Alberga and Murphy. Murphy even did the old smile and wave at the opposing bench after faking an arm injury that if not for the Rangers training staff, might have required amputation. I for one was glad when he was able to man the point on the ensuing power-play.

All teams have players who embellish. Let's not pretend as if some are holier than others.

 

[BenchedGuy]

Spare me.

As if the Rangers have never embellished a call before. Good lord. I actually defended Ranger fans on a previous topic, and then more of this. Come. On.

How about rewinding the tape to the Playoff series two years ago. Ranger players looked like they could clean sweep the Oscars with all of the acting they did - specifically Alberga and Murphy. Murphy even did the old smile and wave at the opposing bench after faking an arm injury that if not for the Rangers training staff, might have required amputation. I for one was glad when he was able to man the point on the ensuing power-play.

All teams have players who embellish. Let's not pretend as if some are holier than others.

Royal,
No one was claiming it doesnt happen with every team. Battfan was wondering why I included Suter in players that get booed. I cited an embelishment he did this year and why he got booed. Just because your team was used as an example and you took it out of context.

Over the years I have seen players on the Rangers do quite the acting job at times too. I am not a fan and even get disappointed at times when I see our boys do it in the past.

 

[CharlieGirl]

Royal,
No one was claiming it doesnt happen with every team. Battfan was wondering why I included Suter in players that get booed. I cited an embelishment he did this year and why he got booed. Just because your team was used as an example and you took it out of context.

Over the years I have seen players on the Rangers do quite the acting job at times too. I am not a fan and even get disappointed at times when I see our boys do it in the past.

Thank you. And I agree completely. Duco was the master of the head snap, and I hated when he'd pull that crap.

Royal, don't get your panties in a knot. Most fans can acknowledge that their own teams are just as bad as others. The Zambonis had an easy night of it when Divin' Derek and Fall Down Brown played.

 

[avalanches78]

I think all fans would rather see a performance like the one Carol gave blocking three shots then a player from any team falling down like a leaf. I was at that game when Carol blocked those shots and everyone in our section applauded him cause it was such a great display of heart from a player. We just don't see enough of that and I think that Rangers' fans would do the same today and applaud any players from any team that show that kind of heart. On the other hand I will boo a player who acts like when he is hurt when he is not. I don't boo Rangers players when they do it, but I don't get on the Refs asking for a penalty they should not call, and I do not encourage the player by cheering him on either.

 

[RoyalCitySlicker]

Benched:

I had no issue with your comment. Suter did that, and if you want to boo, be my guest. I'd likely do the same if the tables were reversed. I knew why you mentioned him, but you were asked by Battfan why he was included, and answered accordingly. No problemo!


I took issue with CharlieGirl taking an unnecessary pot-shot afterwards when it wasn't needed. If you know all teams are guily of it (embellishment), why say this:

Are you trying to say that the Guelph trainers can't raise people from the dead? They did it several times that game, if I recall correctly.

That's what I responded to. It singled out the Storm (not Suter in this case) and was a little over the top, IMO. My panties weren't in a knot - I just suggest looking in the mirror a little before taking a pot-shot at another team for actions which yours is equally guilty of.

I'd much rather all the players play the way Carroll did, too. Reality is, with the new rules severely punishing hits from behind - especially when players appear to be hurt - it gives players motivation to sell calls a little more than they used to.

Just thought it was a silly comment considering the circumstances. Like I said, after defending Ranger fans before when they have been singled out in a similar manner, I was disappointed to see it not reciprocated.

Anyway, Storm are a bunch of divers.....carry on.

 

[gr8idea]

Nice win by the Rangers last night now hopefully they don't play down to Windsors level on Thursday night and make last nights win meaningless.
As for the booing, I think Bailey was crazy like a fox and set the tone for the fans by throwing Maaskant down in the corner and picking up a roughing penalty.
Kudos for Bailey for doing that and letting the his ex-teammates know that he's now the enemy and it's going to be a battle out there. That's what you expect
a player to do coming into his old barn and shouldn't one of the best players for maybe the best player team in the OHL be booed regardless if he was fan fav here.
I guess the Rangers should have split the Red Sea wide open and let Bailey score for old time sake? As long as there was no cursing, throwing stuff or
insensitive remarks. I had no issues with the booing....and quite frankly neither did Baileys mom when I was talking with her!
If his Mom was ok with it so am i!
Is this political correctness running amok that we can't boo an opposing player? The fans were complaining a while back how the Aud at one time was a place where opposing players hated to play and it became under Spott a place of comfort to play due to the softness of the Rangers now the fans have to be soft also that they can't boo? ( and no, I didn't boo)
I'm 100% positive if Bailey was a star he would would've have gotten a standing O!

BTW....just thoroughly impressed with Darnell Nurse last night...what a GREAT PLAYER!!!

I too saw baileys mom after a period, and our chat was different, she said this is the business he is in; the boos on the ice are one thing, but the pregame stuff was shocking and disrespectful. Very uncharacteristic of the fans her family and she have loved for being so classy an organization over the past few years. I would not say she was ok with it, but did handle with class IMO. As far the game went Kudos to the boys they outworked in every area of the ice. Goal tending is a difference maker and will take this team into the playoffs with high confidence. enjoyed the game, and style the rangers seem to be playing lately.