Navin R Slavin
Fifth line center
I just want to see some hockey. At least we "made the playoffs".
Funny thing is we've never had a "hatred" or the like with the Rangers. In fact many of their fans cheered us on when we played the Devils in the playoffs and even last year sweeping the Islanders in round 2. Even this past decade with all the struggles against them, it was always Pittsburgh and Washington this team was trying to measure up against.
Longtime Ranger fan here and yet due to this "new creation" called fantasy hockey(lol), hatred for teams is really a thing of the past. I'm serious about that shit and any of you Canes fans who do fantasy like I do know exactly what I'm talking about.
I lied tho as there is one team I do have extreme hate for forget fantasy and that is the Islanders because every stinken damn year while I was in college, they beat my beloved Rangers in the playoffs on their way to a friggen Cup which was 4 of them, and so apparently 35-40 years later I'm still not over it...lol . But other than them pukes, I really don't hate anyone and that includes your Canes who I actually like.
As I said, due to my having owned Hamilton and Teravainen the past two years and trading for Aho this past year in my big $ fantasy league, I have watched alot of Canes games over the past two years via NHL Center Ice and I kind of like your team and the way it's been built and the style of play the Canes play.
Oh and by the way, I've known about this little "secret" that all of a sudden the rest of the country is finally finding about called John Forslund for years, as I'm old enough to have actually owned Trevor friggen Kidd(how's that for a blast from the past? haha), when he was your goalie in the late 90's and so no one is better than Forslund in calling a game and I do mean "no one". Heck I've even started to kind of like Tripp Tracey or whatever his name is...lol. And yes that "storm surge" stuff or whatever it is you guys do after games is funny as shit and I think it's great for the game despite what some ass clowns might say to the contrary.
Bottom line fellas is, most of my Ranger fan bro's who know their shit, all have bigtime respect for your squad. Tho we are division rivals, if you think about it, we've never really ever had bad blood between our two teams.
So you know, your not just beating the Islanders last year, but sweeping them SOB's was so glorious and so f'n sweet, you have no idea how awesome it made us Ranger fans feel especially after them misguided cocky ass Isle fans started to get big heads after having just swept the Pens and having thoughts of grandeur. So a year later, I for one sincerely thank you guys for sending them despicable Islanders to the golf course with their tails between their legs...
So IMO, there is much more respect for your Canes than any perceived cockiness from some of my Ranger brothers who frankly should keep their traps shut if you ask me.
You have a bunch of great players and it's going to be tough as shit too pull it off and beat you guys despite our regular season dominance. Do I think my boys can beat you? Yeah I do so long as Bread and Mika continue doing there thing and if our perceived goaltending advantage shines thru.
That said, I've watched Mrazek quite a bit over the past few years and he's no slouch at all. Matter of fact like last year in the playoffs, when he gets into one of his zones, he looks like an elite goaltender out there. He was the major reason you guys swept the Isles IMO in last years playoffs.
Anyways, I think the series very likely goes the full 5 games but withought the home crowd feel, who the hell knows maybe you guys sweep us or we sweep you. It will be fun tho that's for sure to have some hockey back. One thing is for sure if you guys unfortunately beat us, I'll have no probs at all to hop on the Canes bandwagon rooting you guys on as you guys have a very likable team.
Cheers and good luck(not too much tho...lol)
You guys are fine. You let me stay in character on your GDTs.
What ya mean my friend that we "let you stay in character on our GDT's?" If you mean do we welcome our opposing fan base to come to our board and state their cases...absolutely. Heck one of the things I enjoy most here is bantering with opposing fan bases especially classy ones like you guys.
There are some ass clowns out there on some boards but most who come to ours are cool. I also luv to come over to opposing teams board and chat and talk some shit. So long as one is respectful and not trolling...why not...right?
To explain a bit further, under normal circumstances (an NHL season going on instead of a pandemic) I am “in character” as in I act like an absolutely over the top version of myself who uses lot of capital letters, the word Vengeance and such.
Best explained by this example.
Shed of Vengeance
Wow, breaking kayfabe... I didn’t know that wasn’t you!
...Don't we all?It is still very much me. I am very complex individual. I just exaggerate some of my traits.
Am I still nuts?
YES.
But can I be completely unhinged when I am at the hospital? Well... yes in terms of energy, vocal intensity and enthusiasm. But I gotta put down that BLOODTHIRST YOU KNOW.
He’s already sat guys like you’ve mentioned up front. Pretty obvious he’s going to do that again and there’s no need to start doing something completely new in the playoffs like play a D up front. Not his style to try something new like that at a key time. Not to mention no defenseman we have would be better at being a fourth line forward than the guys we could put there.I don't think Rod will play a defenseman as a 12th forward, regardless of our depth. With Geekie's emergence (which admittedly could see regression) and need at the center position, we have 13 NHL-quality forwards, so someone like Martinook/McGinn/Niederreiter/Dzingel is going to sit. Do you think Rod wants to sit an additional one of those guys *in the playoffs* so he can add a 7th defenseman?
It would be different if the top-6 defensemen lacked a particular quality (PP/PK) which required a supplement, but the PP will only require 2/3 (Hamilton, Vatanen, Gardiner, Slavin?, Skjei?) and the PK requires 4 (Hamilton, Slavin, both bottom-pair guys, Skjei?), so I think the bases are covered.
I think it’ll be those guys, maybe shuffled a bit but that’s the likely group. Dzingel has been the odd man out, which is nuts considering how much Cbus gave up to get him last trade deadline. He’s a good player, just a bad fit with the coach.I feel like Geekie is likely but not guaranteed to be centering the 4th line in the first game and Dzingle will be the odd man out. Who knows what happens from there... kinda neat to have these conversations instead of the years we spent with half the roster being spare parts. I imagine they'll start with something like
SAT line
Necas Trocheck Foegele
Nino Staal Williams
Martinook Geekie Mcginn
He’s already sat guys like you’ve mentioned up front. Pretty obvious he’s going to do that again and there’s no need to start doing something completely new in the playoffs like play a D up front. Not his style to try something new like that at a key time. Not to mention no defenseman we have would be better at being a fourth line forward than the guys we could put there.
Im a little worried about Vatanen With Rod. Given time it’s possible he would be our best PP guy maybe even over Hamilton based on puck movement, though we need a big shot from there too so that’s personal preference. He could/should easily be a top four guy for us. Rod is a big “devil you know” guy and I could see him going so far as to sit Vatanen in favor of TVR or Edmunson. That would be a shame because this guy could be a perfect fit for us. Based on the past he’s our best all around offensive dman, obviously he’s had a rough year with injuries and contract issues over his head. No knowing if he’s going to play well for this tournament even if he gets in. I’d just love to see that play out a bit and hope we at least get a good look at the guy.
Even with all the horrible pinches and brain farts Edmundson had at times, he was still more noticeable and effective overall. TVR was invisible for the most part, and I honestly can't think of a single memorable play from him this year. He seemed to be rounding into a good 2nd/3rd pair type of #4/5 d-man last year, this year he's been pretty replacement level. Maybe I'm just not remembering since it has been damn near 3 months since hockey??I can actually see arguments for any of our D-men except TvR. I can't pick a single time this season where I was like - thank goodness TvR is on the Defense.
If you bench anyone for Geekie, bench McGinn, not Dzingel, but then again, we all know what Brindy's going to do. Brindy IMO needs to play Dzingel with actual offensive players like Trocheck. At his best, the offense that he produces way out-balances his defensive issues. Not every player on your top-6 needs to be a 200-footer. Honestly, these are the lines that they should go for:
Svechnikov-Aho-Teravainen
Dzingel-Trocheck-Necas
Niederreiter-Staal-Williams
Foegele-Geekie-Martinook
Slavin-Hamilton
Skjei-Vatanen
Gardiner-Van Riemsdyk
Right shots in all but 1 line, strong-sides on strong-sides on defense ready for when Panarin and Zibanejad go ham, and offensive skill throughout. If Foegele turns into McLovin again, then promote him to the 2nd line and demote the slumping guy to a lower line. If Geekie's start was just a flash in the pan, swap him with McGinn and shift Marty to 4C.
I am not even sure about Skjei over Fleury. Skjei is basically a 25-point per year D-man. That was Fleury's pace this year. Maybe @Maximus can chime in, but there are multiple posts by NYR fans about Skjei's defensive lapses (including a YouTube compilation). Fleury was beginning to look like an above-average defender in Feb/March.LOL at Vatanen over Fleury.
What is TvR supposed to do there? Side or not, Fleury or even Eddy over him any day of this season.
Like... I actually get Gardiner. You like the player and you think that he will be all healed up and ready to roll. Ok.
But seriously I don't get TvR at all. We have been absolutely fine with hands even though we had almost everyone on the left side.
I am not even sure about Skjei over Fleury. Skjei is basically a 25-point per year D-man. That was Fleury's pace this year. Maybe @Maximus can chime in, but there are multiple posts by NYR fans about Skjei's defensive lapses (including a YouTube compilation). Fleury was beginning to look like an above-average defender in Feb/March.
To explain a bit further, under normal circumstances (an NHL season going on instead of a pandemic) I am “in character” as in I act like an absolutely over the top version of myself who uses lot of capital letters, the word Vengeance and such.
Best explained by this example.
Shed of Vengeance
The thing I'm wondering about and I said so on my board, how is the fact that there are going to be no fans going to influence the series...right?
Definitely gonna be weird. But I have seen fair share of “neutral” games in Euro Hockey Tour. (Example - Czech Republic vs Sweden in Russia) I think the announcers will be the ones put to their greatest test yet.
Yeah I hear ya but this is the playoffs tho...the NHL playoffs!!. Nothing in professional sports IMO is as intense as the playoffs in our beloved sport whether it be the opening round or the Cup finals. I know we feel at MSG we have a huge home ice advantage and I'm sure you guys feel at RNC that you guys do.
Now there is no home ice advantage for anyone and that makes having that 7th game or in your case having that 5th game being played in your barn eliminated. It's bizarro world and it's going to be the most unique and odd playoffs any of us have ever seen in our lifetimes.