Post-Game Talk: NYR @ EDM: RELAX, it's just the preseason

[ponzu4u]

Having now watched a few preseason games, and reading the PGT after (aside from following these boards for years), it becomes pretty clear that certain posters have fairly evident personal investments in several players that help them "see" things that might not really be the case.

In terms of the guys close to/fighting for a roster spot:

Kreider: As a Ranger fan, of course I have incredibly high hopes for the kid, but count me in as officially starting to worry. People saying he played "very well" in the second and third periods? Only if by "very well" you meant not as terrible as he played in the first. The two penalties he took in the first were boneheaded, and cost the team. Then, as he seems to do every time I watch him, he presses way too hard the rest of the game and tries to do things all by himself. He simply doesn't use his teammates very well, and his one move seems to be to try and straight line, bullrush up the ice past the defenders. But for all the talk of his speed, I've yet to see him consistently use it to distinguish himself from the average level players he's playing with. He gave up the puck and killed at least 3 rushes up the ice over the second and third periods, and I'm not particularly sure what people think he actually did well to compensate for that during those periods? On Miller's goal, Kreider actually gets in his way, and there were several other times where he kind of just floats in the offensive zone. I wish I saw more from him, but at this point, I'm getting a sinking feeling that the Kreider experiment might end with him being traded for another team's similarly struggling prospect. There's simply no way this kid is ready for 1st or even second line duties in the NHL at this point.

Allen: Granted he played with Staal, who was probably the best player on the ice, but Allen was impressive. He's big, he's fast, I saw him actually clear guys out from the net front a couple times, and he seems to have some definite offensive potential. He should play top pair in Hartford this year, and could potentially be a solid call-up should we get hit with injuries on D.

Hrvik: Thought he played a pretty solid game, but the truth is there's nothing that screams "This guy should be in the NHL!" about this player. He was probably the best of the Hrvik - Lindberg - Kristo line, but really didn't do anything special, and that line looked pretty scary at times in their own zone. At this point he could probably make an adequate fill in on the Rangers' third line but I just don't see him bringing that much to the varsity squad. He reminds me a lot of a less offensively talented Wolski.

Lindberg: Pretty unnoticeable for the most part. Didn't do anything badly, but didn't stand out. I'd expect him to spend the year in Hartford, unless something clicks once he gets used to the NA rink size and he goes off in the AHL.

Kristo: I like his game, but think he needs at least a season in the A. People are saying his d was bad, but his backchecking turned the puck over at least 2-3 times for the Rangers, not to mention he laid a couple of solid hits and looked pretty strong on the boards. I actually think he has a better chance than Hrvik of being able to play above the 3rd line on an NHL club. I like that he's got a little fire.

Miller: I have a feeling Miller will stick, at least until the Stepan situation gets resolved. He seems to be defensively responsible enough to handle 4th line, maybe 3rd line minutes, as well as being able to pot some goals. But unless he really impresses, when Stepan comes back, there's just not a center spot for him with the big club this year. I have a feeling Miller is going to be a big part of this team's future, hopefully as a very solid, 2-way, 2nd line center. That was a nice looking goal, but I'm not 100% sure he meant for it to work out like it did.

Haley: I don't know why, but I find myself wanting this kid to stick. I think he played pretty well, but again, nothing that really stood out. Obviously it's a huge plus that he can PK, but at even strength his line never really did anything despite having 2 legit NHLers. He can fight and he's got some speed, but he doesn't seem to have any offensive skills. I think it's either him or Asham as our 4th line pugilist/spare forward. (yes I know neither of them should be fighting heavyweights, oh well, we're not icing an HW this year). But I don't really see the point in keeping both.

Hughes: AHL. Maybe can develop into a #6 D at the NHL level but it's going to take at least a year.
Johnson: AHL. Too slow, and there's simply and obviously better D options for the Rangers.


And that's my 2 cents after last night's game. Been a real longtime lurker, thanks for all the reading material over the last I don't know how many years!

 

[Off Sides]

In regards to Kreider, this board will never change. Many of you hyped him up without ever watching him play a single game. You built up expectations on how he should play or what he would do when he played based on... what exactly?

I watched him for 3 years, game in and game out. I don't know how many times i've come on here to try and quell misconceptions about his play or unrealistic expectations that people have but no one ever seems to listen....

Good post,

I'll only disagree slightly,

I think only Brassard, Stepan, Zucc and Miller have the ability to break through the neutral zone, among forwards at least. Maybe Hagelin based on pure speed. I see Nash as more of a player who wants the puck either just breaking into the offensive zone or once in it, but not the guy who wants to take the puck from one blue line to the other.

Stick Nash and Kreider with those players and I think it's possible the lines work better.

Putting Richards with Nash in any case is not working and should be abandoned. However I think Kreider could work with Richards if they put say Zucc on the other wing to transport the puck. I think Kreider could work with Nash if the center were Brassard, Stepan or Miller, but not Richards or Boyle.

 

[NYR Viper]

Kreider is the type of player who excels without the puck. He needs to be the type of player who can get the puck in scoring areas around the net and in the slot, not the player looked at to carry the puck. Richards is too slow, that will not work. Miller excels at carrying the puck. It's no surprise that they work well together.

 

[TheTakedown]

Hrivik looks great in every game so far...
Fast looks solid in most games
Staal looks like he is in insanely good form. So nice to watch
John moore is the Man
Miller surprised me yesterday. Hope he can continue
Zucc is such a play maker, as usual
Brass also a great play maker

Didn't get to catch Kreider with Miller. Did it look good?

 

[Raspewtin]

Hrivik looks great in every game so far...
Fast looks solid in most games
Staal looks like he is in insanely good form. So nice to watch
John moore is the Man
Miller surprised me yesterday. Hope he can continue
Zucc is such a play maker, as usual
Brass also a great play maker

Didn't get to catch Kreider with Miller. Did it look good?

It looked as good as you'd expect two rooks playing on the same line. Kreider looked much more engaged than usual, but he was still far from perfect. He was definitely getting chances though. It is evident that he CAN NOT play on a line without a puck-carrying forward, and Richards being really slow on zone entries is why him and Kreider didn't look good together. Lots of room for improvement however.

 

[Holocene]

Staalsy, my boy, beastin' in the preseason! Leaving no doubts that he has recovered well enough from the injury.

 

[SKS]

Having now watched a few preseason games, and reading the PGT after (aside from following these boards for years), it becomes pretty clear that certain posters have fairly evident personal investments in several players that help them "see" things that might not really be the case.

Unfortunately I agree with this. People seem very emotionally attached to certain players. I am guilty as well. I am a huge fan of Brass and Zuccarello.
Brass, I can voice as often as I'd like - he is accepted. However, when I mention Zucc here, half the board seems to act as though he slept with their sister.
It may have been because he was so hyped coming in, and does not carry the physicality of what people perceive to be an NHLer - but regardless of how well he plays certain posters will not give him a break.
Kreider is another example, but to an opposite degree. I like Kreider, I even think he will be a damn good NHL-player. I am not sure if he is ready just yet though, and it will be interesting to see if he can improve prior to season start. There are those who like him less than I though, and they seem to get their heads chopped off for saying he is not performing as he should.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

It was just nice to see a Ranger's dmen able to cover ice like that. Love our d-corps, but speed is not their strong suit. Exciting to see Allen recover so well like that.

McDonagh and Moore not fast? Probably top 15 (maybe 10 or less) D skaters in the NHL, no?

 

[Trxjw]

And that's my 2 cents after last night's game. Been a real longtime lurker, thanks for all the reading material over the last I don't know how many years!

Good points overall, though I disagree with the Wolski comparison for Hrivik. Wolski had no defensive game whatsoever. Hrivik is light years ahead of W2 in that area of the game already.

Welcome to the madness.

 

[n8]

Kreider's preseason performance is inversely proportional to the amount of time he has lined with Brad Richards.

 

[Trxjw]

Kreider is the type of player who excels without the puck. He needs to be the type of player who can get the puck in scoring areas around the net and in the slot, not the player looked at to carry the puck. Richards is too slow, that will not work. Miller excels at carrying the puck. It's no surprise that they work well together.

I agree, but a big part of being 'that guy' is that you need to know where to go when other people have the puck. Kreider seems to be spending a lot of his time in the wrong places, which is really odd. I think he came into the league with tons of confidence, but right now it looks like there are a million things going on in his head and he's not focused.

I hope he can put it all together, and I think he will, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him wind up in Hartford to start the year.

 

[aufheben]

Staal looks great, and we have some kids who look ready for a cup. Really don't care about anything else. I'm not gonna write vets like Richards off before the season even starts. Gonna be a funny season if that defense stays healthy.

I'm sure AV will find the right center for Kreider (Miller?), if not, back to the A. No biggie. Maybe Kreider-Miller-Callahan down the road...

 

[bernmeister]

Having now watched a few preseason games, and reading the PGT after (aside from following these boards for years), it becomes pretty clear that certain posters have fairly evident personal investments in several players that help them "see" things that might not really be the case.

In terms of the guys close to/fighting for a roster spot:

Kreider: As a Ranger fan, of course I have incredibly high hopes for the kid, but count me in as officially starting to worry. People saying he played "very well" in the second and third periods? Only if by "very well" you meant not as terrible as he played in the first. The two penalties he took in the first were boneheaded, and cost the team. Then, as he seems to do every time I watch him, he presses way too hard the rest of the game and tries to do things all by himself. He simply doesn't use his teammates very well, and his one move seems to be to try and straight line, bullrush up the ice past the defenders. But for all the talk of his speed, I've yet to see him consistently use it to distinguish himself from the average level players he's playing with. He gave up the puck and killed at least 3 rushes up the ice over the second and third periods, and I'm not particularly sure what people think he actually did well to compensate for that during those periods? On Miller's goal, Kreider actually gets in his way, and there were several other times where he kind of just floats in the offensive zone. I wish I saw more from him, but at this point, I'm getting a sinking feeling that the Kreider experiment might end with him being traded for another team's similarly struggling prospect. There's simply no way this kid is ready for 1st or even second line duties in the NHL at this point.

Allen: Granted he played with Staal, who was probably the best player on the ice, but Allen was impressive. He's big, he's fast, I saw him actually clear guys out from the net front a couple times, and he seems to have some definite offensive potential. He should play top pair in Hartford this year, and could potentially be a solid call-up should we get hit with injuries on D.

Hrvik: Thought he played a pretty solid game, but the truth is there's nothing that screams "This guy should be in the NHL!" about this player. He was probably the best of the Hrvik - Lindberg - Kristo line, but really didn't do anything special, and that line looked pretty scary at times in their own zone. At this point he could probably make an adequate fill in on the Rangers' third line but I just don't see him bringing that much to the varsity squad. He reminds me a lot of a less offensively talented Wolski.

Lindberg: Pretty unnoticeable for the most part. Didn't do anything badly, but didn't stand out. I'd expect him to spend the year in Hartford, unless something clicks once he gets used to the NA rink size and he goes off in the AHL.

Kristo: I like his game, but think he needs at least a season in the A. People are saying his d was bad, but his backchecking turned the puck over at least 2-3 times for the Rangers, not to mention he laid a couple of solid hits and looked pretty strong on the boards. I actually think he has a better chance than Hrvik of being able to play above the 3rd line on an NHL club. I like that he's got a little fire.

Miller: I have a feeling Miller will stick, at least until the Stepan situation gets resolved. He seems to be defensively responsible enough to handle 4th line, maybe 3rd line minutes, as well as being able to pot some goals. But unless he really impresses, when Stepan comes back, there's just not a center spot for him with the big club this year. I have a feeling Miller is going to be a big part of this team's future, hopefully as a very solid, 2-way, 2nd line center. That was a nice looking goal, but I'm not 100% sure he meant for it to work out like it did.

Haley: I don't know why, but I find myself wanting this kid to stick. I think he played pretty well, but again, nothing that really stood out. Obviously it's a huge plus that he can PK, but at even strength his line never really did anything despite having 2 legit NHLers. He can fight and he's got some speed, but he doesn't seem to have any offensive skills. I think it's either him or Asham as our 4th line pugilist/spare forward. (yes I know neither of them should be fighting heavyweights, oh well, we're not icing an HW this year). But I don't really see the point in keeping both.

Hughes: AHL. Maybe can develop into a #6 D at the NHL level but it's going to take at least a year.
Johnson: AHL. Too slow, and there's simply and obviously better D options for the Rangers.


And that's my 2 cents after last night's game. Been a real longtime lurker, thanks for all the reading material over the last I don't know how many years!

1. See this is your first post. Welcome to the boards.

2. bold. Don't worry.

What happened last night?

Kreider was basically given 2 assignments:
(a) play typical game w/Miller line
(b) see how you look other combos, but when in those combos, principal responsibility will be to stand in front of the net and distract/deny goalie clear line of shot.

On the first item:
CK did as he was told, looked very good w/Miller. As I said, speed kills.
Want to see
Kreider - Miller - Fast/Callahan as an active line. THAT'S THE TICKET!

I would have loved if those tricky finesse deflections had tipped in. Wanted to see more of him shooting, not so much as a screen. But nothing to worry about.

On the second:
There is a certain amount of --- whatever --- to do the screening job particularly well, like any other given job is best done by those to whom it comes easily. It's fine that they are using this time to learn.

At this point, let Nash do deflections + shot. I am not saying Kreider goes out of his way to avoid a deflection scenario if that is there, but that should not be a featured area of responsibility for him. We have seen him wiz a blur past Brodeur, and others, and we are probably best off with:

1. better percentage chances by using speed w/like Miller to get better area of net to shoot at, and
2. have him use that hard shot for score/create rebounds.

At this point don't worry.


They only big problem they are really stuck with for the moment is Richards.
It was complete stupidity not to compliance him this turn.

 

[eco's bones]

I don't agree with the bolded part.

Some have seen Chris Kreider and noted that Kreider is not Zherdev II, and hence thought that it would be a dance on roses for him since he is a physical monster, skates fast and can shoot the puck. There are many players in this league who just plays a straight forward game. Why can't Kreider do the same even if he isn't a offensive wiz?

But the game in the NHL is never easy. Even to play a simple game, you need to be "smart". There are diffrent kind of smarts. A Hagelin got his smarts. A Fedetenko got his smarts. And so forth. But its not easy and its -- never -- a given that a kid that can skate and shoot is smart enough to get by so to speak. The range here is just as big as the range as it comes to skating for example. Its maybe not a relevant comparision, but Freddy Shoestring was strong, really fast and could shoot too, great on SOs etc. Still never more than a 4th lineer and he couldn't even cut it as in the SHL and hence recently retired.

Kreider is definitely not lazy from my point of view. But when playing a game of hockey against the absolute best players in the game, he is just far behind the avg player when it comes to processing the game.

I don't want to tear Kreider apart, unless things really go south I -- like I have all along -- think he will become a solid 2-3rd lineer for us. But he just needs to learn to play the game at this level and that could take time.

Agree with most of this but putting Chris with Nash and Richards makes for a dysfunctional line and is not going to do him any good. Better off playing with guys his own age. Richards can't keep up and his playmaking has gone missing and when that happens Nash starts doing stuff on his own because well he's good enough that he can. Stepan would definitely be a better fit for Nash. Kreider needs to find the seams but he also needs someone to get him the puck. Richards loses it and Nash keeps it when he gets it. With Miller and Asham last night they were all trying to support each other. He just looks a lot better and a lot more relaxed. Whatever he's not ready to make the jump to first line left wing.

 

[bernmeister]

Kreider's preseason performance is inversely proportional to the amount of time he has lined with Brad Richards.

Agreed.
with BR = poor

with Miller = good with high promise.


Stepan and particularly Brassard are decent options. With some time together, the savvy Lindberg is also.

But Miller and Kreider are like hand in glove.

All you need is glove (no blue meanies).

 

[bernmeister]

I agree, but a big part of being 'that guy' is that you need to know where to go when other people have the puck. Kreider seems to be spending a lot of his time in the wrong places, which is really odd. I think he came into the league with tons of confidence, but right now it looks like there are a million things going on in his head and he's not focused.

I hope he can put it all together, and I think he will, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him wind up in Hartford to start the year.

I don't totally disagree with all this, just disagree as to "not focused".

I don't think the kid has his head up his butt and is just going through motions.
Think it is still a matter of adjustment, not only his own, but to others, some with whom he has had minimal experience/exposure.

He was asked to play an all around game w/Miller, looked good, could easily have been great if a shot or two went in.

Was also asked to do 'screen' work in front. Performance there (w/other linemates, yes, but again, different instruction of key task), not so much good/great.

However, to be fair, don't think he was not focused, just trying to execute a specialized task. No reason to think he won't do so, but for now his principal bread and butter is speed and hard shot.

 

[OverTheCap]

Having now watched a few preseason games, and reading the PGT after (aside from following these boards for years), it becomes pretty clear that certain posters have fairly evident personal investments in several players that help them "see" things that might not really be the case.

Only one post and you've already summed up HFBoards in a nutshell, well done.

This happens a lot here - some players will have praise bestowed upon them for having an average or competent game. Conversely, there are always a handful of players who will get ripped on no matter how well they play. It adds some excitement to the discussion, I suppose. Welcome aboard.

 

[Zuuuuc]

We aren't winning games but its the preseason so thats not the point. AV is playing a lot of our AHLers and younger players to see who can fill in for Hagelin and Callahan while they recover.
I think this preseason is actually a success, we're seeing the D join the rush and maintain pressure, the powerplay looks much better and we're getting shots through, our offensive zone time is looking good with lots of cycling, passing, shooting and much less board play.
There is some spotty play but that can be attributed to rust

Once we start fielding our main unit (hopefully Stepan, Hags and Cally are back soon) this team looks like it can battle for home ice

 

[JCrusher*]

We aren't winning games but its the preseason so thats not the point. AV is playing a lot of our AHLers and younger players to see who can fill in for Hagelin and Callahan while they recover.
I think this preseason is actually a success, we're seeing the D join the rush and maintain pressure, the powerplay looks much better and we're getting shots through, our offensive zone time is looking good with lots of cycling, passing, shooting and much less board play.
There is some spotty play but that can be attributed to rust

Once we start fielding our main unit (hopefully Stepan, Hags and Cally are back soon) this team looks like it can battle for home ice

Winning preseason games doesnt mean much. I mean we are missing 3 of our better forwards plus we are playing a lot of kids. I think when we put the team together and stepan signs we will be fine even without hags cally

 

[JCrusher*]

Agree with most of this but putting Chris with Nash and Richards makes for a dysfunctional line and is not going to do him any good. Better off playing with guys his own age. Richards can't keep up and his playmaking has gone missing and when that happens Nash starts doing stuff on his own because well he's good enough that he can. Stepan would definitely be a better fit for Nash. Kreider needs to find the seams but he also needs someone to get him the puck. Richards loses it and Nash keeps it when he gets it. With Miller and Asham last night they were all trying to support each other. He just looks a lot better and a lot more relaxed. Whatever he's not ready to make the jump to first line left wing.

Excellent points

 

[Ail]

Having now watched a few preseason games, and reading the PGT after (aside from following these boards for years), it becomes pretty clear that certain posters have fairly evident personal investments in several players that help them "see" things that might not really be the case.

In terms of the guys close to/fighting for a roster spot:

Kreider: As a Ranger fan, of course I have incredibly high hopes for the kid, but count me in as officially starting to worry. People saying he played "very well" in the second and third periods? Only if by "very well" you meant not as terrible as he played in the first. The two penalties he took in the first were boneheaded, and cost the team. Then, as he seems to do every time I watch him, he presses way too hard the rest of the game and tries to do things all by himself. He simply doesn't use his teammates very well, and his one move seems to be to try and straight line, bullrush up the ice past the defenders. But for all the talk of his speed, I've yet to see him consistently use it to distinguish himself from the average level players he's playing with. He gave up the puck and killed at least 3 rushes up the ice over the second and third periods, and I'm not particularly sure what people think he actually did well to compensate for that during those periods? On Miller's goal, Kreider actually gets in his way, and there were several other times where he kind of just floats in the offensive zone. I wish I saw more from him, but at this point, I'm getting a sinking feeling that the Kreider experiment might end with him being traded for another team's similarly struggling prospect. There's simply no way this kid is ready for 1st or even second line duties in the NHL at this point.

Allen: Granted he played with Staal, who was probably the best player on the ice, but Allen was impressive. He's big, he's fast, I saw him actually clear guys out from the net front a couple times, and he seems to have some definite offensive potential. He should play top pair in Hartford this year, and could potentially be a solid call-up should we get hit with injuries on D.

Hrvik: Thought he played a pretty solid game, but the truth is there's nothing that screams "This guy should be in the NHL!" about this player. He was probably the best of the Hrvik - Lindberg - Kristo line, but really didn't do anything special, and that line looked pretty scary at times in their own zone. At this point he could probably make an adequate fill in on the Rangers' third line but I just don't see him bringing that much to the varsity squad. He reminds me a lot of a less offensively talented Wolski.

Lindberg: Pretty unnoticeable for the most part. Didn't do anything badly, but didn't stand out. I'd expect him to spend the year in Hartford, unless something clicks once he gets used to the NA rink size and he goes off in the AHL.

Kristo: I like his game, but think he needs at least a season in the A. People are saying his d was bad, but his backchecking turned the puck over at least 2-3 times for the Rangers, not to mention he laid a couple of solid hits and looked pretty strong on the boards. I actually think he has a better chance than Hrvik of being able to play above the 3rd line on an NHL club. I like that he's got a little fire.

Miller: I have a feeling Miller will stick, at least until the Stepan situation gets resolved. He seems to be defensively responsible enough to handle 4th line, maybe 3rd line minutes, as well as being able to pot some goals. But unless he really impresses, when Stepan comes back, there's just not a center spot for him with the big club this year. I have a feeling Miller is going to be a big part of this team's future, hopefully as a very solid, 2-way, 2nd line center. That was a nice looking goal, but I'm not 100% sure he meant for it to work out like it did.

Haley: I don't know why, but I find myself wanting this kid to stick. I think he played pretty well, but again, nothing that really stood out. Obviously it's a huge plus that he can PK, but at even strength his line never really did anything despite having 2 legit NHLers. He can fight and he's got some speed, but he doesn't seem to have any offensive skills. I think it's either him or Asham as our 4th line pugilist/spare forward. (yes I know neither of them should be fighting heavyweights, oh well, we're not icing an HW this year). But I don't really see the point in keeping both.

Hughes: AHL. Maybe can develop into a #6 D at the NHL level but it's going to take at least a year.
Johnson: AHL. Too slow, and there's simply and obviously better D options for the Rangers.


And that's my 2 cents after last night's game. Been a real longtime lurker, thanks for all the reading material over the last I don't know how many years!

Strong first post. Welcome, mate.

 

[Bardof425*]

McDonagh and Moore not fast? Probably top 15 (maybe 10 or less) D skaters in the NHL, no?

And Staal is no slouch going North/South either. Stralman is also a very quick skater.

 

[Callagraves]

Staal looks great, and we have some kids who look ready for a cup. Really don't care about anything else. I'm not gonna write vets like Richards off before the season even starts. Gonna be a funny season if that defense stays healthy.

I'm sure AV will find the right center for Kreider (Miller?), if not, back to the A. No biggie. Maybe Kreider-Miller-Callahan down the road...

I'd love for that line to work. Really.

But with Stepan, Brass, Richards, Moore, and Boyle, It's tough to imagine Miller makes the team as a center.

 

[darko]

Allen: Granted he played with Staal, who was probably the best player on the ice, but Allen was impressive. He's big, he's fast, I saw him actually clear guys out from the net front a couple times, and he seems to have some definite offensive potential. He should play top pair in Hartford this year, and could potentially be a solid call-up should we get hit with injuries on D.

Agree on Allen. He's impressed me the most so far.

 

[SomE*]

Having now watched a few preseason games, and reading the PGT after (aside from following these boards for years), it becomes pretty clear that certain posters have fairly evident personal investments in several players that help them "see" things that might not really be the case.

In terms of the guys close to/fighting for a roster spot:

Kreider: As a Ranger fan, of course I have incredibly high hopes for the kid, but count me in as officially starting to worry. People saying he played "very well" in the second and third periods? Only if by "very well" you meant not as terrible as he played in the first. The two penalties he took in the first were boneheaded, and cost the team. Then, as he seems to do every time I watch him, he presses way too hard the rest of the game and tries to do things all by himself. He simply doesn't use his teammates very well, and his one move seems to be to try and straight line, bullrush up the ice past the defenders. But for all the talk of his speed, I've yet to see him consistently use it to distinguish himself from the average level players he's playing with. He gave up the puck and killed at least 3 rushes up the ice over the second and third periods, and I'm not particularly sure what people think he actually did well to compensate for that during those periods? On Miller's goal, Kreider actually gets in his way, and there were several other times where he kind of just floats in the offensive zone. I wish I saw more from him, but at this point, I'm getting a sinking feeling that the Kreider experiment might end with him being traded for another team's similarly struggling prospect. There's simply no way this kid is ready for 1st or even second line duties in the NHL at this point.

Allen: Granted he played with Staal, who was probably the best player on the ice, but Allen was impressive. He's big, he's fast, I saw him actually clear guys out from the net front a couple times, and he seems to have some definite offensive potential. He should play top pair in Hartford this year, and could potentially be a solid call-up should we get hit with injuries on D.

Hrvik: Thought he played a pretty solid game, but the truth is there's nothing that screams "This guy should be in the NHL!" about this player. He was probably the best of the Hrvik - Lindberg - Kristo line, but really didn't do anything special, and that line looked pretty scary at times in their own zone. At this point he could probably make an adequate fill in on the Rangers' third line but I just don't see him bringing that much to the varsity squad. He reminds me a lot of a less offensively talented Wolski.

Lindberg: Pretty unnoticeable for the most part. Didn't do anything badly, but didn't stand out. I'd expect him to spend the year in Hartford, unless something clicks once he gets used to the NA rink size and he goes off in the AHL.

Kristo: I like his game, but think he needs at least a season in the A. People are saying his d was bad, but his backchecking turned the puck over at least 2-3 times for the Rangers, not to mention he laid a couple of solid hits and looked pretty strong on the boards. I actually think he has a better chance than Hrvik of being able to play above the 3rd line on an NHL club. I like that he's got a little fire.

Miller: I have a feeling Miller will stick, at least until the Stepan situation gets resolved. He seems to be defensively responsible enough to handle 4th line, maybe 3rd line minutes, as well as being able to pot some goals. But unless he really impresses, when Stepan comes back, there's just not a center spot for him with the big club this year. I have a feeling Miller is going to be a big part of this team's future, hopefully as a very solid, 2-way, 2nd line center. That was a nice looking goal, but I'm not 100% sure he meant for it to work out like it did.

Haley: I don't know why, but I find myself wanting this kid to stick. I think he played pretty well, but again, nothing that really stood out. Obviously it's a huge plus that he can PK, but at even strength his line never really did anything despite having 2 legit NHLers. He can fight and he's got some speed, but he doesn't seem to have any offensive skills. I think it's either him or Asham as our 4th line pugilist/spare forward. (yes I know neither of them should be fighting heavyweights, oh well, we're not icing an HW this year). But I don't really see the point in keeping both.

Hughes: AHL. Maybe can develop into a #6 D at the NHL level but it's going to take at least a year.
Johnson: AHL. Too slow, and there's simply and obviously better D options for the Rangers.


And that's my 2 cents after last night's game. Been a real longtime lurker, thanks for all the reading material over the last I don't know how many years!

basically exactly how i feel.. although i am a tad bit higher on Lindberg and Hrivik