Post-Game Talk: New York Rangers at Washington Capitals - December 8

[RempireStateBuilding]

The clown who got us to the Finals and back to back ECF for the first time in how many years? When is the last time the Rangers went to back to back ECF?

So because of those achievements, he is the best and only option and we as fans should be kissing the ground he walks on because we're lucky enough to have someone as godlike as him coaching our rag-tag group of mediocre players that he has elevated to unfathomable levels of success.

Hank was once an undisputed top 3 goalie in the world. Nowadays a guy like Bobrovsky, who was once a terrible nobody with the Flyers, is now an annual top 3 Vezina nominee and lauded as one of the best goalies in the league and Hank will probably never sniff a Vezina again. Things change, situations change, people change, time moves forward. Is AV really the best we'll ever be able to do? We're just going to keep AV around until the day he dies because apparently he'll be the only coach we'll allow a chance to get us anywhere because he got us somewhere in the past. There's no desire to even evaluate what he does because he's been our coach during deep playoff runs? Even with the way he distributes ice time, seemingly without any regard to actual on-ice play/results? We should just throw our hands up and say "Oh well, he's what we've got and that's pretty okay! Things are pretty okay sometimes!"

 

[slovakia18]

Grabner has Really to Play in the all star game....
He is on fire.

I think the Rangers beat New Jersey saturday...

 

[darko]

Also love the "AV took us to the finals with THAT roster" as if the 13-15 rosters weren't insanely well rounded, cohesive teams led by a still elite Lundqvist. Most coaches would have had success with those teams. The attempts to downplay the talent on those teams to defend a pumpkin im AV is mind boggling.

AV had a lot to do with taking us to b2b ECFs.

 

[ZiGOODejad]

This was such a let down. Bottom six gets you back into the game and our star forwards/star defense couldn't get it done tonight. We could of really used these two points the metro is so close together

 

[trilobyte]

Grabner has Really to Play in the all star game....
He is on fire.

I think the Rangers beat New Jersey saturday...

Feel so good for Grabner.
Devils had a good chance to win their game tonight too. Even had a legitimate 4 minute PP to use and couldn't get it done. They will want to prove something tomorrow too. Both teams on back-to-back so equal footing in that regard.
Hoping for a good game, with the Rangers declining the full period sabbatical this time.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

He got Vancouver to game 7 of the cup finals and they canned him.

And then won the cup the following season.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

I for one am so happy to not have a Tom Wilson. I love some grit with talent but not that type.
Missing Zibs a lot

We should bring in Marc Crawford. We could play dirty all the way down the sewer in the standings.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

Also love the "AV took us to the finals with THAT roster" as if the 13-15 rosters weren't insanely well rounded, cohesive teams led by a still elite Lundqvist. Most coaches would have had success with those teams. The attempts to downplay the talent on those teams to defend a pumpkin im AV is mind boggling.

I’m confident every coach in the league with that Roster would have lost to the Kings in 2014.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

Been riding the bike and lightly working out. No timetable yet, but making progress.

God speed

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

Realistically I’d say only Nj is vulnerable to knock out of a playoff spot. The others are going to get in and as well as we’ve played we still are on the outside looking in. We cannot lose that game tomorrow.

We can’t keep throwing games away

Jersey is going deep, and it’s going to give me boulder size kidney stones.

 

[Machinehead]

AV had a lot to do with taking us to b2b ECFs.

And now he has a lot to do with us being one of the worst defensive teams since the lockout.

 

[darko]

And now he has a lot to do with us being one of the worst defensive teams since the lockout.

Absolutely.

The guy knows O. His D schemes don't work.

 

[Ori]

We were outmatched so bad in top 6, lol I watched 1st period, 1st shift 1-0, oh well not this again..
AV hockey is as entertaining watching a bear sleeping through the winter.

 

[haohmaru]

Teams that lose make the playoffs. Teams that lose too many consecutive games too many times don't. File this one away and win tonight.

 

[Ori]

We need a new PGT - only 10 hours until our back to back game!

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I understand that the personnel was better but people are mostly blaming the D on system not players, so why is it so much worse than 2014?

 

[Tawnos]

I understand that the personnel was better but people are mostly blaming the D on system not players, so why is it so much worse than 2014?

It isn’t. But Hank isn’t the goalie he was. AVs biggest problem is that he hasn’t adjusted his system to match the current reality.

 

[will1066]

This was such a let down. Bottom six gets you back into the game and our star forwards/star defense couldn't get it done tonight. We could of really used these two points the metro is so close together

This is pretty much my post-game thought. When you don't have your 1C and your other supposed scorers are not scoring, and Fast and Grabner have become your dependable scorers, it is really exposing some lack of depth. The power play is obviously suffering without Zib, but I also think Kreider and Buchnevich are starting to feel the effects of Zib's absence during even-strength play. Holtby was very good, but I saw Zucc shooting into his chest with weaksauce shots a couple of times. Nash does his do-everything-but-score routine game after game. We're still getting the chances but not too many on this team can consistently snipe.

 

[will1066]

Feel so good for Grabner.
Devils had a good chance to win their game tonight too. Even had a legitimate 4 minute PP to use and couldn't get it done. They will want to prove something tomorrow too. Both teams on back-to-back so equal footing in that regard.
Hoping for a good game, with the Rangers declining the full period sabbatical this time.

Grabner pulled the puck back for a split second just before launching the shot. That froze Holtby just enough. That's how you beat today's goalies, especially elite ones. Somewhere along the line, Grabner learned how to snipe to go with his world-class speed.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Grabner is a top forward on this team the last two years and some people still think he's a 4th liner because of his poor output two years ago on a horrible team.

 

[will1066]

It isn’t. But Hank isn’t the goalie he was. AVs biggest problem is that he hasn’t adjusted his system to match the current reality.

We (as in the general pop in here, not you) go round and round in circles. It's Hank, it's the system, it's the D.

It's all three, to me. Everyone is older. Hank is older. People focus on age a lot, especially on Hank, but the core players have had a lot of wear and tear. McD can no longer reach elite levels post-shoulder injury. People seem to forget that Staal plays with 1.15 eyes. McD has had a myriad of injuries. They both have a lot of Torts hockey wear-and-tear. Holden is a downgrade from Stralman. Sh*t on the back end began in earnest when we gave up on Stralman to Tampa. Skjei has yet to hit his peak years. Even with all that, Hank covered up a lot of warts in the earlier years. Then you have a system that plays passive D, hoping for stick checks to spring the rush instead of going directly at people. The system collapses too much and gives the other team a lot of room especially above the circles. Then we have poor net-front defense where we usually don't know which man to pick up when there are scrambles and player switches are quicker in tight.

 

[will1066]

Grabner is a top forward on this team the last two years and some people still think he's a 4th liner because of his poor output two years ago on a horrible team.

He carried that all-bark, no-bite reputation even before Toronto. Even Babcock said things about it. He had that one good 0utput year on Long Island. He's had a career renaissance here. He's figured out how to shoot the puck.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

He carried that all-bark, no-bite reputation even before Toronto. Even Babcock said things about it. He had that one good 0utput year on Long Island. He's had a career renaissance here. He's figured out how to shoot the puck.

One good output year?

2009-10: 5g in 20
2010-11: 34g in 76
2011-12: 20g in 78
2012-13: 16g in 45
2013-14: 12g in 63
2014-15: 8g in 34
2015-16: 9g in 80
2016-17: 27g in 76
The only seasons where he wasn't on pace for 20 goals was 2014-15 (barely) and 2015-16

 

[Mike in Houston]

Grabner has more goals than Rick Nash has points. Woof!

And this is what gets me about the bloggers. Ignore the idea that Kevin Shattenkirk made Barry Trotz look accurate last night with his poor play but be sure to point out Nick Holden's pass to Ovechkin which didn't lead to a goal against.

 

[will1066]

One good output year?

2009-10: 5g in 20
2010-11: 34g in 76
2011-12: 20g in 78
2012-13: 16g in 45
2013-14: 12g in 63
2014-15: 8g in 34
2015-16: 9g in 80
2016-17: 27g in 76
The only seasons where he wasn't on pace for 20 goals was 2014-15 (barely) and 2015-16

I see your point, but you're dealing in what-ifs. Obviously his games were limited due to injury, but it was known widely that he wasn't a finisher. How many legit 20-goal scorers sign a 2-year, $3.2M contract?