Post-Game Talk: New York Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes 3/21/15: The Losing Streak Ends!

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

If people don't see a real issue about how this team generates and sustains offense...honestly...I would love to trade places. I would be a lot happier that way.

I love the Rangers and am confident in them most times. But there is a real flaw in the gameplan right now...to call this a slump is completely disingenuous.

8 games of offensive struggles in which we've gone 6-1-1 vs ~60 games of scoring in bunches.


Which opinion seems more disingenuous?

 

[Draft Guru]

Anyone else think Nash has been "gripping the stick too tight" we saw the move a couple days ago when he had the goalie dead to rights but tried to cut back. I saw similar lack of confidence or trying to be to perfect today on his breakaway move.

Nah, I think tonight he just pushed the puck way too far out in front and then couldn't gather it in time to make a move with full control

 

[IAMREALITY]

WTF Girardi?

I'm watchin the game again in 60 and just rewound Fast's goal 20 times for the heck of it, and something stood out to me that actually bothered me, pissed me off a bit. And it was the fact that Girardi not only showed no reaction at all to Fast scoring, but when Fast is tapping gloves down the bench Girardi is the only Ranger without his fist out and ignores him completely it seems. WTF is up with that?

I dunno, this is a kid that has played his heart out and scored a huge goal that obviously meant a lot to him, and with almost everyone pumped up Girardi just had no reaction and stood back without his glove out as Fast is bumpin gloves down the bench. To me that just seemed completely disrespectful and didn't sit right with me. Am I making too much of that? Is that completely normal? I just want one of those teams where every player roots for one another, where they're all a family. And it seems like that's what we have here. But then seeing girardi basically ignore the goal completely seemed counter intuitive to that ideal. So it ticked me off. Bump his damn glove for chrissakes. Be part of the moment...

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Thought Dan Boyle looked good again but I'm sure people will **** on him anyway and blame the PP on him.

I think he's been generally good all season.


Also, ever since we've go Yandle, he's looked re-born and has looked fantastic.

 

[jniklast]

It's nice that we can win while playing bad, but it's getting a bit too much lately.

Stepan and Nash need to wake up. This team is going nowhere in the playoffs if they keep sucking like they are now. That line was yet again an abomination.

I think I'd put Nash back on the Brass line, Kreider-Hayes-Miller as a 2nd scoring line and then Hagelin-Stepan-Fast as a strong defensive 3rd line.

 

[Esa 10]

I don't think it's a gameplan issue. What it comes down is simply, Stepan is worthless right now and Nash isn't connecting. That's 2/3's of our 1st line. That's a concern yes, but not something they can't fix before the playoffs.

It won't be our 1st line in the play-offs.

Simple reason. MSL is coming back and we have only 2 big forwards in the top 6. They won't play Nash and Kreider on the same line. That would mean MSL and Zucc together. That won't work.

The Nash-Step-MSL line was tried earlier in the season and abondoned. They'll go back to the lines that worked soon. They're probably just trying to spark Stepan and get Nash scoring right now.

If AV was actually thinking of using Nash and Stepan together in the play-offs, Krieder would be getting used to Brassard. I don't see them moving MSL or Zucc to Hayes' line and like I said, those 2 as a pair are too small to flank Brass.

 

[Ola]

Brutal game. This college hockey game that is on now is way better than what I saw earlier.

A lot of talk about our effort the last 3-4 games and how we are not playing well etc, maybe I am missing something but these games look like typical NHL regular season games.

Like I said a few weeks ago, when Hank went down and Talbot came in and started to hand games away we put in another gear and streaked early. Save for that period plus maybe against Florida we have just played normal regular season hockey lately. This is how most of the teams are looking most of the time.

Looking at our record and to large extent play the last 15-20 games, we are a lot better than the second best team in the league. And I mean, I at least don't think we are that. We aren't the best team in the league and we rank around 3-5 as a regular season team maybe IMO, especially the PP is holding us down. This is how teams like us look on avg during a regular season.

 

[Rangers ftw]

Stepan continue to be the 4th best C on the team, but sooo happy to see him back on the ice after he went down.

Hayes is probably the best player to debut as a Ranger since MCD.

Nasty move by Zucc in the SO. He seems to have really found his game, probably getting the contract issue off his mind have helped.

 

[darko]

Played for 20 minutes but still walked away with a W. Hard to complain.

Talbot, Hayes and Fast were my 3 stars. Good games from Zucc and Girardi.

 

[darko]

Thought Dan Boyle looked good again but I'm sure people will **** on him anyway and blame the PP on him.

Yup he had another very solid game.

 

[Larrybiv]

Another road victory for the best road team in the league.

 

[Larrybiv]

I'm watchin the game again in 60 and just rewound Fast's goal 20 times for the heck of it, and something stood out to me that actually bothered me, pissed me off a bit. And it was the fact that Girardi not only showed no reaction at all to Fast scoring, but when Fast is tapping gloves down the bench Girardi is the only Ranger without his fist out and ignores him completely it seems. WTF is up with that?

I dunno, this is a kid that has played his heart out and scored a huge goal that obviously meant a lot to him, and with almost everyone pumped up Girardi just had no reaction and stood back without his glove out as Fast is bumpin gloves down the bench. To me that just seemed completely disrespectful and didn't sit right with me. Am I making too much of that? Is that completely normal? I just want one of those teams where every player roots for one another, where they're all a family. And it seems like that's what we have here. But then seeing girardi basically ignore the goal completely seemed counter intuitive to that ideal. So it ticked me off. Bump his damn glove for chrissakes. Be part of the moment...

Now u made me want to go and see that........ I'll be pissed as well if it's true. What would Dan have a grudge with this kid about? Unless, he pulled a Sharp.

 

[Matt4776]

Didn't get to catch the game. Was in Detroit for the B1G championship instead.

Fast's goal was extremely impressive both by Fast and Hayes. Such good players.

 

[Doctyl]

Now u made me want to go and see that........ I'll be pissed as well if it's true. What would Dan have a grudge with this kid about? Unless, he pulled a Sharp.

Lirl quickie pullin a Sharp

Anyway I only saw the replay on the NHL a highlights, but I didn't see anything unusual at all on the bench when Fast went past it. Like I looked for it and didn't see anything, maybe the Rangers broadcast showed a different angle or something. The only thing noticeable about anything after the goal is Yandle celebrating with Fast. Dude was pumped.

 

[KOVALEV022473]

Didn't get to catch the game. Was in Detroit for the B1G championship instead.

Fast's goal was extremely impressive both by Fast and Hayes. Such good players.

Gotta love Brady Skjei getting a taste of winning.

 

[Wolfy*]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MHsBxZC0Fk

lol...sometimes Zucc can be a real badass, that goalie got owned.

 

[AWall THE CLAW]

Here's where it stands.

Pens and Isles can both max out at 110 pts. We have 97 with 12 games to play. Even if one wins out, we need only a 7-5-0 record to take the Metro.

And again... it is harder and more taxing to press offensively than it is to sit back on defense. The Rangers aren't pressing on offense. They just aren't and there is absolutely no reason to. The most important thing when it comes to "playing well down the stretch" is to continue to keep your defensive structure as it is more intricate. Calm down.

This team is going to be more rested and ready than anybody else.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

#Goalbuster was an absolute statue on that last stop.

Too bad he gave up a cupcake goal to start the game which put us under pressure early on.

 

[AWall THE CLAW]

Oh and in the 1st 10 games in March in 2012 the Rangers were 4-5-1 and gave up 3+ goals EIGHT times.

Win tonight and the Rangers will be 8-1-1 in the first 10 games in March while giving up 3+ goals ZERO times (probably, I doubt we beat Anaheim while giving up 3).

Let's chill with these comparisons to the underwhelming 2011-12 stretch run and playoffs.

 

[AWall THE CLAW]

Let them get their panic out of the way now. It's amazing how no one can see that they are playing defensive hockey from the get-go to conserve for the 16-28 game marathon known as the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ya know... the games that actually matter at this point.

 

[Niloc1*]

Let them get their panic out of the way now. It's amazing how no one can see that they are playing defensive hockey from the get-go to conserve for the 16-28 game marathon known as the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ya know... the games that actually matter at this point.

I just find it hilarious how there is so much concern while we're in the driver seat for the Presidents Trophy currently. Offensive slumps happen, but we're concurrently going through a defensive streak that hasn't been matched in 14 years. They fail to mention that important piece of information all while we're winning most of our games. Poor performances happen.....offensive slumps happen....defensive runs like we're on rarely ever happen. Whether pretty or not, this style of hockey is played come mid-April and this style of hockey wins Stanley Cups.

 

[AWall THE CLAW]

I just find it hilarious how there is so much concern while we're in the driver seat for the Presidents Trophy currently. Offensive slumps happen, but we're concurrently going through a defensive streak that hasn't been matched in 14 years. They fail to mention that important piece of information all while we're winning most of our games. Poor performances happen.....offensive slumps happen....defensive runs like we're on rarely ever happen. Whether pretty or not, this style of hockey is played come mid-April and this style of hockey wins Stanley Cups.

My main point is that if you are watching the games is that the Rangers aren't even TRYING to play up-tempo right now. I can't even call it a slump because it's noticeable that they are sitting back in their defensive structure.

EDIT: Although I will say the power play needs to get fixed in time. They have ~3 weeks.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

You're not going to win consistently with only your depth players scoring. At some point that well will dry up.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

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