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

[Machinehead]

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.

This defense finally being exposed would be mildly amusing though.

 

[McD27]

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.

SAA means squat. Make more saves than Holtby and we win last night. Squeezed his armpit and no goal 1. Stop the breakaway like Holtby did on the PS and no goal 2. We win 1-0.

Sorry but when you are our best player and we have a hard time scoring, you have to step up.

We score 1 you pitch a shutout. We score 2 you can only give up 1.

Not the other way around: we score 1 Hank gives up 2. We score none he gives up 1. We score 2 he gives up 3.

Elite goaltending is so over rated. Give me Cam and the extra $6 million I bet I find a scorer or two.

 

[silverfish]

SAA means squat. Make more saves than Holtby and we win last night. Squeezed his armpit and no goal 1. Stop the breakaway like Holtby did on the PS and no goal 2. We win 1-0.

Sorry but when you are our best player and we have a hard time scoring, you have to step up.

We score 1 you pitch a shutout. We score 2 you can only give up 1.

Not the other way around: we score 1 Hank gives up 2. We score none he gives up 1. We score 2 he gives up 3.

Elite goaltending is so over rated. Give me Cam and the extra $6 million I bet I find a scorer or two.

This has to be the worst post I've ever seen. Seriously, my eyes are bleeding.

**** you, Hank. You need to shut out the opposition every night because the offense can only score one goal, otherwise when we lose, it's YOUR fault.

 

[TheDirtyH]

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.

Quite the post friend.

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.

Just as a Dubnyk is in the Vezina running, a Jamie Benn just won the Art Ross, and a Rick Nash finished third in goal scoring with less then 10 power play goals.

I get what you're saying, but the most remarkable thing about Henrik, and I'd argue what makes him cream of the crop, is consistency. He's the Crosby of goaltenders. He doesn't have bad seasons. He is always among the elite. ALWAYS. We're all frustrated that Holtby has been as good as he's been, well how do you think every team who ever plays us in the playoffs feels? It's not just one year, or one series. It's not a hype train or a career year. With Henrik you get what you get, and you know what that is. What that does for a team cannot be understated.

Nobody was upset about building from the net out heading into the post-season. And if anything, this all has proved how valuable it is to have a goalie as good and as consistent as Hank. Where are we right now when so many key components of our team are falling apart with Crawford in net? Or Holtby for that matter?

 

[Gardner McKay]

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

Have you watched that series? Tampa is a much better team. Much, much better. Everyone predicted that Tampa would wipe the floor with the Habs. Carey price can't do it all. The same way Lundqvist can't do it all. If you put any other goaltender in net for the Habs and Ottawa wins the first round and if you put another goaltender in for Lundqvist we already would have been swept by Washington.

 

[nevesis]

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.

One thing many people here are missing is that Holtby isn't out playing Lundqvist. Goalies don't play against each other. They play against the opposing team shooting pucks at them.

Shot quality is rarely, if ever the same between both goalies. It can be close, which makes for an entertaining game to see both goalies stopping grade a chances over and over.

This series is a perfect example of the opposite of that, with the exception of a few shots here and there. Lundqvist has faced many more high percentage scoring chances, green zone shots and has made big saves in those spots. His statistics prove this.

Holtby on the other hand, is seeing many shots and having clean looks at them. This helps pad his statistics, and make him look like he's 'outplaying' Henrik. He also has the defense in front of him preventing many of those shots from even getting to the net.

I've said it before, 5 high-percentage, green zone scoring chances own 20 low-percentage red zone scoring chances. You aren't scoring on those shots.

Even when some post the war-on-ice charts showing all the blue dots of our 'chances', this doesn't illustrate the actual quality of the shot itself. Sure it might have been from the face-off circle, but if its a weak wrist shot, aimed right at Holtby's chest's he's going to stop that 100 times out of 100. The distance a shot is taken from increases the percentage of you scoring, but not unless the quality of that shot is there.

Don't take this the wrong way, Holtby is playing good. He's only let it one soft goal so far this series (Brassard game winner in Game 2), but he's not truly being tested.

If we want to beat him, we need to beat the team in front of him. Valiquette made great points last night in how they are way too comfortable in defending against our players. Make them uncomfortable. Start launching HARD, shots HIGH on them. As he put it, "make them smell the vulcanized rubber"

Even on a dump in, fire the puck hard and high toward them and get them thinking twice. That seed of doubt plays dividends when you have sustained pressure and their D is trying to collapse and block shots.

Bottom line, our best players need to play better. All of them, excluding Hank and a select few others. The rest need to ALL step up, and that time is tomorrow night.

 

[Machinehead]

Holtby could certainly be tested a lot more. As I've said many times before, his glove hand is so good I think there's a magnet in there, and we've gone blocker side like twice all series, because Rongos.

 

[nevesis]

Holtby could certainly be tested a lot more. As I've said many times before, his glove hand is so good I think there's a magnet in there, and we've gone blocker side like twice all series, because Rongos.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

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.

100% agreed. I feel a bit more positive than I would if we were outmatched and getting outclassed in each of these games. Instead, we've been unlucky and ran into a hot goalie.

Maybe a bounce or two will go our way. With how tight these have been, 2 or 3 fortunate bounces are all it takes to get us from 3-1 to 3-3.

 

[McD27]

This has to be the worst post I've ever seen. Seriously, my eyes are bleeding.

**** you, Hank. You need to shut out the opposition every night because the offense can only score one goal, otherwise when we lose, it's YOUR fault.

Can stop your love for Hank for one second and actually read? Did I say it was his FAULT? I said STEP UP as A BEST PLAYER ON TEAM AND LEADER.

Take Matt Harvey. I bet he wills his way to a shutout if needed.

STEP UP HANK. Pitch a shutout. No one is BLAMING Hank. I am ROOTING for him to LEAD and challenge him OUTPLAY the other goalie.

 

[Leetch Fan]

Thats just...



Kill me now.

Kill me next.

 

[LieutenantLackluster]

Have you watched that series? Tampa is a much better team. Much, much better. Everyone predicted that Tampa would wipe the floor with the Habs. Carey price can't do it all. The same way Lundqvist can't do it all. If you put any other goaltender in net for the Habs and Ottawa wins the first round and if you put another goaltender in for Lundqvist we already would have been swept by Washington.

Wait what? The original post I was responding to was you saying elite goaltending wins. Now its goalies cant do everything?

I mean, do you know why Tampa is a better team? Thats right. They score goals.

 

[LieutenantLackluster]

And seriously I wish there was a way to block posts with the word "bounce" in it. If you need to rely on a puck bounce here and there to win youre not a good team and should gtfo of the playoffs.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

SAA means squat. Make more saves than Holtby and we win last night. Squeezed his armpit and no goal 1. Stop the breakaway like Holtby did on the PS and no goal 2. We win 1-0.

Sorry but when you are our best player and we have a hard time scoring, you have to step up.

We score 1 you pitch a shutout. We score 2 you can only give up 1.

Not the other way around: we score 1 Hank gives up 2. We score none he gives up 1. We score 2 he gives up 3.

Elite goaltending is so over rated. Give me Cam and the extra $6 million I bet I find a scorer or two.

You do realize by this logic you're saying the goalie is ALWAYS at fault for EVERY loss? It might be the most lazy, short sighted and ignorant mindset I've ever seen.

 

[LieutenantLackluster]

Kill me next.

 

[JimmyG89]

And seriously I wish there was a way to block posts with the word "bounce" in it. If you need to rely on a puck bounce here and there to win youre not a good team and should gtfo of the playoffs.

I don't think people are relying on a bounce, but the team is doing a lot of things right but are not being rewarded for it. That is what keys in the frustration. Getting said bounce could relieve that and have them feeling confident about themselves thus making even better plays. It's a cyclical thing. Many guys are doing the right thing, but not seeing the results.

 

[Doctyl]

Can stop your love for Hank for one second and actually read? Did I say it was his FAULT? I said STEP UP as A BEST PLAYER ON TEAM AND LEADER.

Take Matt Harvey. I bet he wills his way to a shutout if needed.

STEP UP HANK. Pitch a shutout. No one is BLAMING Hank. I am ROOTING for him to LEAD and challenge him OUTPLAY the other goalie.

No silverfish, this is the worst post you've ever read

 

[trilobyte]

The old adage "those who hesitate are lost" rings true to me regarding Game 4.
There were times where I saw visible freeze-frame movement by the Rangers. BAM - the Capitals took advantage.
Those lateral passes in the Caps zone off the rush with a bunch of Capitals just waiting, what kind of success do they expect. BAM the Caps take that gift and turn it back up ice.
Staal, Kreider, McDonagh farting around with the puck - BAM it was on a Capitals player stick

 

[McD27]

You do realize by this logic you're saying the goalie is ALWAYS at fault for EVERY loss? It might be the most lazy, short sighted and ignorant mindset I've ever seen.

And by your logic, everyone on the team is at fault except for Hank. THAT might be the most lazy, short sighted, ignorant and man crush (assuming you are a guy) mindset I have ever seen.

 

[Infinitum Vitae*]

The key is.. is Stepan going to get his game back? He's been awful this POs

 

[Doctyl]

The key is.. is Stepan going to get his game back? He's been awful this POs

Are you sure it's will Hank pull his head out of his ass?

 

[OnlyTruth]

SAA means squat. Make more saves than Holtby and we win last night. Squeezed his armpit and no goal 1. Stop the breakaway like Holtby did on the PS and no goal 2. We win 1-0.

Sorry but when you are our best player and we have a hard time scoring, you have to step up.

We score 1 you pitch a shutout. We score 2 you can only give up 1.

Not the other way around: we score 1 Hank gives up 2. We score none he gives up 1. We score 2 he gives up 3.

Elite goaltending is so over rated. Give me Cam and the extra $6 million I bet I find a scorer or two.

Couldn't say it better myself. Pretty much it. That's what Holtby does who is nobody compare to the King.

 

[poeman]

You know, **** it...I am not losing hope. Rangers will come back from this, they can win and overcome out of this hole.

 

[Niloc1*]

Can stop your love for Hank for one second and actually read? Did I say it was his FAULT? I said STEP UP as A BEST PLAYER ON TEAM AND LEADER.

Take Matt Harvey. I bet he wills his way to a shutout if needed.

STEP UP HANK. Pitch a shutout. No one is BLAMING Hank. I am ROOTING for him to LEAD and challenge him OUTPLAY the other goalie.

Are you real life?

 

[aufheben]

This is mind boggling to me that Lundqvist is even a topic of conversation right now.