Post-Game Talk: Rangers @ Capitals - January 17

[Off Sides]

To me it looks like the Cap high picks, AO, Backstrom, Alzner along with some late 1sts in Carlson, Johansson, Kuznetsov, Wilson along with some good free agent signing, Williams, Niskanen, Oshie is a pretty well built roster. If they had not traded Forsberg for Erat they'd be even better.

It took a while for it to come together, but they seem to have for the most part taken a longer term building approach. Holby finally developing was huge for them.

17 1st round picks from 04 to last draft. Eventually that sort of thing even when they miss on some of them is going to become a pretty talented group.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Anyone else feel like we have gone back 16 years in time? You know, a great team on paper but a horrible product once they touch the ice?

 

[Anthony5967]

Anyone else feel like we have gone back 16 years in time? You know, a great team on paper but a horrible product once they touch the ice?

I don't think the roster is as a good as it was last year. Look, they lost veterans in MSL and Hagelin and replaced them with more constant uses of Miller, Hayes, Lindberg, Fast. Many increased roles and it has proved that these guys maybe aren't ready this particular year for it. Not to mention a guy like Hayes is centering the swedes in Lindberg and Fast who aren't really offensive players. The whole reason this team is struggling and is playing poorly is because of many guys regressing and too many no move clauses thanks to Sather. Everybody yelling at Gorton to make a move. We have over a month ago. He isn't going to make a move yet until he gets to near deadline. No major roster shakeup or move is coming now. And I am sure he's called teams to shop Girardi or Staal. Maybe he has teams interested and a deal could occur closer to deadline. I will say this, this guy did a real nice job in Boston help building that roster so I definitely trust him more than Sather.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Anyone else feel like we have gone back 16 years in time? You know, a great team on paper but a horrible product once they touch the ice?

No. Maybe if Dan Boyle gets caught with crack in a St. Louis hotel room, or Zuccarello goes to rehab mid-season.

 

[Gardner McKay]

I don't think the roster is as a good as it was last year. Look, they lost veterans in MSL and Hagelin and replaced them with more constant uses of Miller, Hayes, Lindberg, Fast. Many increased roles and it has proved that these guys maybe aren't ready this particular year for it. Not to mention a guy like Hayes is centering the swedes in Lindberg and Fast who aren't really offensive players. The whole reason this team is struggling and is playing poorly is because of many guys regressing and too many no move clauses thanks to Sather. Everybody yelling at Gorton to make a move. We have over a month ago. He isn't going to make a move yet until he gets to near deadline. No major roster shakeup or move is coming now. And I am sure he's called teams to shop Girardi or Staal. Maybe he has teams interested and a deal could occur closer to deadline. I will say this, this guy did a real nice job in Boston help building that roster so I definitely trust him more than Sather.

Sather? The guy that restored this franchise from being the biggest joke in the NHL to a respected, consistent contender?

Inevitably, I know someone will post and say that a lot of Sathers recent successes should be contributed to Gorton. Fair enough. Does Gorton also take responsibility for the failures as well?

I don't believe we are a worse team. Certainly a different team but not a worse team. I think the difference between last year and this year is that last year we were greater than the sum of our parts. This year, we are not. We could be. We are not though. The blame there lies with AV. The man certainly should still command respect as he has a long history of success. Does that make him immune for the obvious follies of how he is handling our roster this year? Absolutely not.

The same man that brilliantly took us to a SCF and presidents trophy by creating a product that was better than the sum of its parts, well, he is doing the exact opposite right now.

I don't pretend to know better than guys like AV, Ulfy, etc. You know, guys with more experience than anyone on these boards. When they do something that I don't understand I usually come to the conclusion that there is more going on than I can be aware of. However, for the first time in a long time, I don't believe that is the case anymore. No, I don't believe I know better than the coaching staff. Some of the choices are so blatantly wrong that I can't even begin to ponder a scenario that would explain what we are seeing.

 

[Chaels Arms]

Anyone else feel like we have gone back 16 years in time? You know, a great team on paper but a horrible product once they touch the ice?

The only real similarity is the lack of enthusiasm on the ice. The entire team just looked dead yesterday. No aggression.

 

[kovazub94]

Patience is a virtue (that I seem to gain more and more as I'm getting older) and so is not jumping from despair to exhilaration on a game by game basis. I'm still not giving up on this team as they've proved in the recent past that they are able to turn things around. The main concern for me compared to when they were successful is leaving opposition uncovered in front of their net. The second area is taking undisciplined penalties and paying price for it.

 

[Captain Lindy]

I agree with post numbers 205 and 206. I've come to the same conclusions. I think this season is lost. Looking back to when this **** show started in early December I figured they'd be passed/past (?) this by now. I don't see them coming out of it any time soon.

 

[Anthony5967]

Sather? The guy that restored this franchise from being the biggest joke in the NHL to a respected, consistent contender?

Inevitably, I know someone will post and say that a lot of Sathers recent successes should be contributed to Gorton. Fair enough. Does Gorton also take responsibility for the failures as well?

I don't believe we are a worse team. Certainly a different team but not a worse team. I think the difference between last year and this year is that last year we were greater than the sum of our parts. This year, we are not. We could be. We are not though. The blame there lies with AV. The man certainly should still command respect as he has a long history of success. Does that make him immune for the obvious follies of how he is handling our roster this year? Absolutely not.

The same man that brilliantly took us to a SCF and presidents trophy by creating a product that was better than the sum of its parts, well, he is doing the exact opposite right now.

I don't pretend to know better than guys like AV, Ulfy, etc. You know, guys with more experience than anyone on these boards. When they do something that I don't understand I usually come to the conclusion that there is more going on than I can be aware of. However, for the first time in a long time, I don't believe that is the case anymore. No, I don't believe I know better than the coaching staff. Some of the choices are so blatantly wrong that I can't even begin to ponder a scenario that would explain what we are seeing.

He did restore them into a contender. I'm mostly talking from the contract standpoint. Bad deals have hamstrung them. No cap flexibility and money going to players not worthy of the money they're receiving. Most nights I watch this team I see no aggression. This is similar to LA last year. It's almost like the Rangers know the regular season means diddly as long as they get in.

 

[Gardner McKay]

The only real similarity is the lack of enthusiasm on the ice. The entire team just looked dead yesterday. No aggression.

That is my point. Yeah, there have been games over the past 11-12 years where we looked absolutely lethargic. We didn't even look this bad the year we missed the playoffs. We haven't look this bad for such an extended period of time since the dark ages (97-04 for you youngins that may not know).

 

[NYRangers3061]

Sather? The guy that restored this franchise from being the biggest joke in the NHL to a respected, consistent contender?

Inevitably, I know someone will post and say that a lot of Sathers recent successes should be contributed to Gorton. Fair enough. Does Gorton also take responsibility for the failures as well?

I don't believe we are a worse team. Certainly a different team but not a worse team. I think the difference between last year and this year is that last year we were greater than the sum of our parts. This year, we are not. We could be. We are not though. The blame there lies with AV. The man certainly should still command respect as he has a long history of success. Does that make him immune for the obvious follies of how he is handling our roster this year? Absolutely not.

The same man that brilliantly took us to a SCF and presidents trophy by creating a product that was better than the sum of its parts, well, he is doing the exact opposite right now.

I don't pretend to know better than guys like AV, Ulfy, etc. You know, guys with more experience than anyone on these boards. When they do something that I don't understand I usually come to the conclusion that there is more going on than I can be aware of. However, for the first time in a long time, I don't believe that is the case anymore. No, I don't believe I know better than the coaching staff. Some of the choices are so blatantly wrong that I can't even begin to ponder a scenario that would explain what we are seeing.

Yeah. For a few years, and then we'll go back to being a joke in a few years because he traded away all of our prospects and we haven't had a 1st round pick since 2012

 

[kovazub94]

I don't think the roster is as a good as it was last year. Look, they lost veterans in MSL and Hagelin and replaced them with more constant uses of Miller, Hayes, Lindberg, Fast. Many increased roles and it has proved that these guys maybe aren't ready this particular year for it. Not to mention a guy like Hayes is centering the swedes in Lindberg and Fast who aren't really offensive players. The whole reason this team is struggling and is playing poorly is because of many guys regressing and too many no move clauses thanks to Sather. Everybody yelling at Gorton to make a move. We have over a month ago. He isn't going to make a move yet until he gets to near deadline. No major roster shakeup or move is coming now. And I am sure he's called teams to shop Girardi or Staal. Maybe he has teams interested and a deal could occur closer to deadline. I will say this, this guy did a real nice job in Boston help building that roster so I definitely trust him more than Sather.

Disagree. The team is not worse because of how MSL or Hagelin replacements performed. Miller has been more than an adequate as a replacement to MSL in top 6 and where Marty was declining as a season progressed I expect the opposite from Miller. Lindberg has done a solid job on the 3rd line in place of Hags. The struggles this season are mostly due to Step, Hayes and Kreider's struggles upfront and G and Staal's on defense.

 

[Captain Lindy]

Disagree. The team is not worse because of how MSL or Hagelin replacements performed. Miller has been more than an adequate as a replacement to MSL in top 6 and where Marty was declining as a season progressed I expect the opposite from Miller. Lindberg has done a solid job on the 3rd line in place of Hags. The struggles this season are mostly due to Step, Hayes and Kreider's struggles upfront and G and Staal's on defense.

I think we're missing leadership-type players like MSL was, also Brad Richards, the chemistry Hags had with the group. Something very deep is missing in this team now.

 

[Ail]

No. Maybe if Dan Boyle gets caught with crack in a St. Louis hotel room, or Zuccarello goes to rehab mid-season.

lmao

That would be more exciting than the product on the ice, that's for sure.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Yeah. For a few years, and then we'll go back to being a joke in a few years because he traded away all of our prospects and we haven't had a 1st round pick since 2012

We have made the playoffs all but one years since 2004. Just my opinion but I believe that qualifies as more than a "few years". We came close to winning a cup. You have to make some of those trades if you want the best chance to win.

 

[Leetch66]

Agitator.....we need one . Get Downie...what can it hurt ? At least the team we play will be watching for him because they know right now they are quite safe when they play us . Playing like a team of Nuns .

 

[The Gloaming]

One of the other basic rules they don't get is not allowing passes through the "box" on the PK. Two straight games teams have made tic-tac passes through the middle against our PK.

They might as well just all take a two minute break on the bench during the PK because they're all totally useless on the ice.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Can Justin Williams retire already?

 

[The Gloaming]

Can Justin Williams retire already?

Only after he embarasses us in the playoffs a few more times.

 

[Loff]

Can Justin Williams retire already?

He'll play until he's 50 just to **** with us.

 

[NYR713]

This team is pretty bad, all around, right now. It's not like they've been playing well and just can't catch a couple breaks. They barely generate chances on offense and look to be in complete disarray on defense and I don't see it getting any better game to game.

Besides personnel decisions being questionable, everything else on the coaching end is less than impressive. Same as Torts... if you don't have the right people to play the exact system that you want to play as a coach, then you have to adapt your system to work with the players you have. The roster isn't going to be completely turned over this season and this staff looks just as resistant to adjustments, on their end, as the last coaching group. And, it looks like AV has lost this team so far. Very few players are giving 100% physical effort out there and those that look motivated have little help.

Dan Boyle is a turnover machine in all zones. Staal and G do nothing but flip the puck blindly around the boards in the defensive zone. Who is telling them to do that? I have to figure it's a coach either telling them to do it or failing to correct that. Yandle has some skill skating out of the zone but the rest of his game has been disastrous too. Even with rookie mistakes, I feel more confident with McIlrath on the ice than any of the veterans listed above and that is crazy. McD and Klein aren't perfect but I'm fine with what they bring in relation to their cap hits.

Offensively, JT Miller and Zucc are currently the best players on the team, IMO. Nash is playing all 200 ft, but he's being paid to score goals and isn't doing it. Nobody on this team seems to be able to create offense on their own outside of Nash(even if he isn't scoring goals), Zucc and JT. Hayes is terrible and should be playing the AHL this season or moved while he still has "potential". Stepan seems void of offensive talent. He's being paid too much now to just be good defensively.

A HUGE shakeup is needed here, but we all know the contract situation the team is in so very little will be done and we'll just suffer, as fans, through gross mediocrity for the rest of this season and probably next season.

 

[rangers1314]

Agitator.....we need one . Get Downie...what can it hurt ? At least the team we play will be watching for him because they know right now they are quite safe when they play us . Playing like a team of Nuns .

Im all for it.

 

[NYR713]

They might as well just all take a two minute break on the bench during the PK because they're all totally useless on the ice.

It's mind blowing that I can sit and watch game after game and see the holes in the PK. This passive diamond on the PK is awful. They used to use an aggressive box and actually get out and challenge while having some defensive coverage on opposition player standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE ****ing NET.

Now they sit in this passive garbage and let teams walk all over them on the PP. Who, on the coaching staff, is going to watch some video and finally say that what they're doing isn't ****ing working?

 

[Ori]

It won`t be easy vs Nucks on Tuesday.

 

[TankLarkin]

Agitator.....we need one . Get Downie...what can it hurt ? At least the team we play will be watching for him because they know right now they are quite safe when they play us . Playing like a team of Nuns .

"A team of nuns" that's good. It's AV's way. It's how he wants them to play.