Post-Game Talk: Rangers @ Capitals - Game 4 - May 6, 2015 (Series 3-1 WSH)

[nyrleetch]

We deserve to be down 3-1 if you break it down:

1. Their D outplayed our D
2. Their Forwards have outscored our forwards
3. Their goalie has outplayed our goalie
4. Their coach has outcoached our coach

We are lucky that that we haven't been swept. So far, most have blamed #1 and #2. Fair but #3 and #4 have to do better. Going into the series, most experts would say we have definite advantage in #3 but it hasn't quite panned out, has it? We need #3 to STEAL at least one of the next three games. .944 SAA means squat. Win 11 more games and you will be truly KING.

It means he's keeping us in every game. Tell them to score more than a goal.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

Lol conference call with who? Dolan?

Is he going to threaten everyone who is a UFA with letting them walk and the RFAs traded to Edmonton if they don't score?

I know this is a different era, but Emile Francis once put the entire team on waivers.

I'm not saying that this is a pure Dolan meeting, but there are a bunch of other managers in the upper echelons who are not hockey fans, they are true businessman, and the bottom lines as well their jobs [the upper management] are on the line too.

 

[Tawnos]

It means he's keeping us in every game. Tell them to score more than a goal.

Yeah. I mean, in game 3, if the Rangers even score 2 goals, we'd be saying that Lundqvist stole a game for us.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Fine.

How is what Lundqvist gets paid a negative on him?

I am not saying it is a negative on him. You made the statement that Sather is to blame for Lundqvists contract (implying that Lundqvists contract is a negative). I didn't make that implication.

You can't blame Hank for his salary. You can blame Sather.

However, salary isn't part of the discussion about his performance, which has been great, which is his norm. What other goalies are consistently better than Hank?

The correct answer is no one.

I was simply saying that IF you are going to blame someone, you cannot just blame Glen Sather. Sather doesn't hand Lundqvist 8.5 million if Lundqvist doesn't ask for much more than that at the start of negotiations. I am not saying Lundqvist is wrong for asking for it. He is an elite goaltender. You also can't blame Sather for giving it to him given the circumstances. We didn't know what we had in Talbot at the time. Lundqvist is biggest reason for our consistent success over the previous 8-9 years. Losing him would piss off 97% of the fan base (where you lose jersey sales, ticket sales, season ticket sales, etc).

You blame Sather for paying a goaltender 8.5 million if you already know you have equally capable person that will cost you less. We didn't have that therefore Sather had no choice. You blame Sather for Wade Redden, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, etc. He didn't have a gun to his head when he made those deals. If Lundqvist walks we are absolutely screwed. You said as much above when you talk about what goaltenders are consistently better than Hank. There aren't any. Therefore you can't solely blame Glen Sather for giving out that contract when he didn't have much of a choice.

Anyway...

Speaking of Hank... He has been unreal in this series. I am not sure how anyone is even entertaining the idea of putting Talbot in net.

 

[nyrleetch]

I know this is a different era, but Emile Francis once put the entire team on waivers.

I'm not saying that this is a pure Dolan meeting, but theer are a bunch of other managers in the upper echelons who are not hockey fans, they are true businessman and the bottom lines as well their jobs are on the line too.

Win it for Jimmy!

 

[nyrleetch]

Yeah. I mean, in game 3, if the Rangers even score 2 goals, we'd be saying that Lundqvist stole a game for us.

We've scored two goals in the three losses. If you include Yandle's own goal that's 1 goal that has truly helped the team in three games, yet blame the goalie.

 

[Raspewtin]

The Rangers have easily, without question, been the better team.

I honestly still can't believe it's US that are down 3-1.

That's my only ray of hope.

 

[Machinehead]

Seriously what a ****ing waste of absolutely elite goaltending.

And most likely, the last 4 left will be Bishop, Holtby, Andersen, and Crawford.

Maybe elite goaltending doesn't win hockey games.

 

[Gardner McKay]

And most likely, the last 4 left will be Bishop, Holtby, Andersen, and Crawford.

Maybe elite goaltending doesn't win hockey games.

Bishop was borderline Vezina worthy last year (he has that level of play in him) and Holtby has played like Hasek in the playoffs so far. AS a matter of fact, considering our inability to score and the fact that Holtby has better numbers than Lundqvist (and Henrik has stellar ****ing numbers), is more proof that elite level goaltending does win you games.

There is more than one way to win hockey games. Elite level goaltending is one. Having Toews & Kane in the same line up with Keith on defense is another.

 

[nyrleetch]

And most likely, the last 4 left will be Bishop, Holtby, Andersen, and Crawford.

Maybe elite goaltending doesn't win hockey games.

No but maybe putting the puck in the net does? Ovechkin,Perry,Kane

Nash :/

 

[Marcus AKA Kluivert]

The Rangers have easily, without question, been the better team.

I honestly still can't believe it's US that are down 3-1.

That's my only ray of hope.

This series reminds me of the one a few years ago when we were up 3-1 against the Caps. If felt we had been outplayed and I had little confidence in us getting that 4th win. Now the situations are reversed and I hope that we, as the better team, will will our way towards 3 straight wins just like that Caps team did.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

And most likely, the last 4 left will be Bishop, Holtby, Andersen, and Crawford.

Maybe elite goaltending doesn't win hockey games.

Given the reality of the set contacts and a hard cap, not just among the Rangers, but throughout the league, what were we going to do with the same relative cap hit as he had before the new contract?

-The first round draft picks are gone for 4 years.

-There weren't any elite players who we could get in terms of availability or without cutting off our nose despite our face [let's not even go there with Stastny]

-There was no certainty that Cam would break through at his age, and it's still conjecture about how he would play in the playoffs considering the Rangers were on their best offensive pace in a decade when they freaked out when Henrik was injured

-The Offense died

-McDonagh is lost

-MSL is toast

-Zucc is out

-Yandle didn't spark the Power Play

-Rick Nash is doing everything but scoring

-The NHL is allowing clutch and grab for the first time since the beginning of 04-05 lockout

-if you placed Lundqvist on the other possible final four teams, they may of just handed that team the cup if that team played in the same manner as they are now without him

I'm as ****ing pissed as you are. But this isn't a fair assessment.

 

[Machinehead]

Bishop was borderline Vezina worthy last year (he has that level of play in him) and Holtby has played like Hasek in the playoffs so far. AS a matter of fact, considering our inability to score and the fact that Holtby has better numbers than Lundqvist (and Henrik has stellar ****ing numbers), is more proof that elite level goaltending does win you games.

There is more than one way to win hockey games. Elite level goaltending is one. Having Toews & Kane in the same line up with Keith on defense is another.

Bishop was Vezina-worthy last year, and now Holtby is playing like Hasek. Devan ****ing Dubnyk is nominated for the Vezina this year. I think all these new faces are telling about the nature of the position, which is, there's only 30 of them. There's not a huge difference from best to worst.

I'm not blaming Hank, he doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that our whole focus has been building from the net out, while we still can't score and still haven't had a franchise defenseman since Leetch, and this is gonna be another year where a team wins the Cup with Charlie Bum**** in net.

 

[Mac n Gs]

The Rangers have easily, without question, been the better team.

I honestly still can't believe it's US that are down 3-1.

That's my only ray of hope.

It's amazing how much we're dominating possession, yet have absolutely nothing to show for it. We've turned into the ****ing Carolina Hurricanes.

 

[Rick Nash 61]

It's amazing how much we're dominating possession, yet have absolutely nothing to show for it. We've turned into the ****ing Carolina Hurricanes.

But when we weren't dominating possession in the regular season we were winning hockey games. This team seems like it's built to be on the rush, not keep the puck in the offensive zone. Especially since NOT ONE of our defenseman can get a shot to the net.

 

[Machinehead]

A fundamental issue I have with advanced stats is the assumption that every team thrives off of them. Maybe some teams like the rush? We do, and the Caps know it. They'd prefer to not give a **** about corsi and take away what we're actually good at.

 

[Doctyl]

So possession and more shot attempts bad. K.

 

[nyrleetch]

If someone was to tell you Lundqvist had a .939 SV% in the postseason...

Where would you predict we would end up? Nobody would say 2nd round exit.

 

[Ail]

If someone was to tell you Lundqvist had a .939 SV% in the postseason...

Where would you predict we would end up? Nobody would say 2nd round exit.

Unless you followed that up with, "but the g/pg for the team is 1.8."

 

[LieutenantLackluster]

AS a matter of fact, considering our inability to score and the fact that Holtby has better numbers than Lundqvist (and Henrik has stellar ****ing numbers), is more proof that elite level goaltending does win you games.

Is that why the Vezina nominee Carey Price and the Habs are down 3-0 in their series?

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Bishop was Vezina-worthy last year, and now Holtby is playing like Hasek. Devan ****ing Dubnyk is nominated for the Vezina this year. I think all these new faces are telling about the nature of the position, which is, there's only 30 of them. There's not a huge difference from best to worst.

I'm not blaming Hank, he doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that our whole focus has been building from the net out, while we still can't score and still haven't had a franchise defenseman since Leetch, and this is gonna be another year where a team wins the Cup with Charlie Bum**** in net.

What it proves is you have little grasp of just how amazing this run for Lundqvist has been the last 10 years.

These stupid posts about rather having flash in the pan guys has got to stop. Its embarrassing, misses the whole point regarding why the Rangers struggle in the playoffs and, quite frankly, shines poorly on the fanbase's collective knowledge of whats going on here.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

If someone was to tell you Lundqvist had a .939 SV% in the postseason...

Where would you predict we would end up? Nobody would say 2nd round exit.

I'd think the pathetic offense could muster more than 16 goals in 9 games.

 

[Raspewtin]

Sometimes I wish we'd get stuck with a goalie like Michal Neuvirth so this ****ing myth that we don't need Lundqvist evaporates.

It'd surely kill the legend that this defense is actually good when Talbot/Hank aren't saving their ***** every might.

 

[Inferno]

The Rangers have easily, without question, been the better team.

I honestly still can't believe it's US that are down 3-1.

That's my only ray of hope.

absolutely 100% agreed.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

No other way around it. If we lose, it will be entirely on lack of offense. I.e guys like Nash, MSL, Stepan, Hagelin, Hayes, Kreider, miller, yandle, Boyle, and McDonagh not performing to their potential.

The only guy who seems to be performing to their potential is brassard.

Need the captain to come out and score about 5-6 goals the next 3 games. Leadership through action. Big help he has been this year.