Post-Game Talk: Rangers @ Caps

[Marcus AKA Kluivert]

 

[Cobra Jack*]

this is the guy who got his ear blown off and said it was just pain.

 

[Evil Sather]

He's the last guy off the ice during pregame skate too. But you can't tell me with a straight face that he looks good out there. How many times does he turnover the puck as soon as someone comes after him instead of holding onto it or making a quick pass? How many unforced turnovers does he have? How many times have Stepan and Kreider skated their ***** off on the backcheck while Marty is still floating around in the neutral zone? The guy has been the definition of floater this season. Maybe his effort in practice is great, but it sure isn't translating into games.

This is ridiculous, and you're cherry picking (in your head) the things you remember.

If things had worked out (in the examples in your head) you'd be praising him for his hockey sense in knowing where to find seams and how to read plays. Dude is 5 foot nothing and nearing 40 years old, gradually losing strength (when that goes he's gonna be Petr Prucha and relying completely instead of 75% on the fact that no one in the league wants to knock him the **** out with a hit, which is absolutely a thing with how respected he is), and probably pacing himself for his last real playoffs he can take punishment.

Relax.

 

[The Gloaming]

Looking good and looking lazy are not the same. I'm not saying St. Louis has been good. I also think he's been banished to that magical whipping boy land that somehow turns a player into a walking abortion. Everything he does is wrong, detrimental, lazy, old, fearful, soft, slow, whatever narrative you want to put on it. Same thing happened to Nash last year. If you'd like to see my full opinion on St. Louis's season, check his thread, I put up a pretty long and extensive post. Otherwise, I'll just say that I haven't seen him turn the puck over "un-forced" more than most players on the team, certainly not more than his line mates. I have not seen him "dogging it" on the back-check, while Stepan and Kreider skate their ***** off, at all really. Just because results aren't translating, doesn't mean effort isn't. That line needs to be shaken up, it's not working. But St. Louis is far from the reason why. Try 1/3 of the reason.

Actually, the results are masking his play. Like, I can't believe that he has 19 goals this season. Was it that game vs. Boston where he was behind the Rangers net, heard Chara's footsteps, and threw the puck into the slot? I will grant that the entire line has been terrible, but really MSL seems like the worst player of the three by far. Nash was actually trying last year. The goals didn't come and people called him lazy. I have not seen MSL trying for long stretches of the season. He was invisible for 15 games before the 6-5 Isles game, scored a goal, then went right back to being invisible. And when was the last time you saw him win a board battle? 1999? And size is not an excuse here. Zucc and Brass win board battles constantly. With Marty's tree-trunk legs, there's really no excuse for him to be as soft on the puck as he is this year.

 

[The Gloaming]

This is ridiculous, and you're cherry picking (in your head) the things you remember.

If things had worked out (in the examples in your head) you'd be praising him for his hockey sense in knowing where to find seams and how to read plays. Dude is 5 foot nothing and nearing 40 years old, gradually losing strength (when that goes he's gonna be Petr Prucha and relying completely instead of 75% on the fact that no one in the league wants to knock him the **** out with a hit, which is absolutely a thing with how respected he is), and probably pacing himself for his last real playoffs he can take punishment.

Relax.

I don't know why we have a turnover machine in our top 6, but OK. He can't find the seams though. He used to be able to all the time. Have you seen him on the PP recently? Now, granted, everyone sucks on the PP, but he just seems to go for the lowest % plays available to him? Like, YOLO, gonna try to thread a pass through three players. And now he's attempting that at ES. MSL used to play smart, fast hockey. Now I don't see many smart or fast decisions out there.

 

[The Lunatic Fridge]

Stepan has been the worst player by far on that line for awhile now. I don't know what it is, It's like he turned his brain off because he wants to save himself for the playoffs or something.

When stepan is involved i feel like it's almost always cycle cycle someone makes a terrible pass rinse and repeat. I'd almost go as far as to replacing stepan with moore until he gets his act back together. Moore busts his ass with the likes of tanner glass can't be any worse than what stepan has been doing lately.

 

[TheDirtyH]

Actually, the results are masking his play. Like, I can't believe that he has 19 goals this season. Was it that game vs. Boston where he was behind the Rangers net, heard Chara's footsteps, and threw the puck into the slot? I will grant that the entire line has been terrible, but really MSL seems like the worst player of the three by far. Nash was actually trying last year. The goals didn't come and people called him lazy.

Whatever you say I guess. Nash scored at a 30+ goal pace last season and got **** on all year for being lazy and soft. He scored 10 goals in 10 games and was hot and cold all year. It's very similar. If you really don't think you're constructing an alternate narrative about a slumping player who is slumping for a number of actual, quantitative reasons and seeing everything within the scope of this ideaology, then I don't know if I'll convince you otherwise. I'd just say consider it.

I have not seen MSL trying for long stretches of the season. He was invisible for 15 games before the 6-5 Isles game, scored a goal, then went right back to being invisible. And when was the last time you saw him win a board battle? 1999? And size is not an excuse here. Zucc and Brass win board battles constantly. With Marty's tree-trunk legs, there's really no excuse for him to be as soft on the puck as he is this year.

Clearly he has been all but invisible to you if he's stood out so awfully so consistently. He has been no worse on the boards then most of his career. He moves the puck from the half wall in the defensive zone more efficiently and more consistently than any winger on this team not named Zuccarello. I've seen him be very strong on the puck. He single handedly broke up a three and possibly four on one against the Isles last game because he reached out on one knee, put his stick on top of the breaking Isles player and nearly flipped him over before smacking the puck back into the Isles zone.

I bet you missed that play. Probably because you see what you want to see.

And to be clear. He's not having a good season. I won't argue there. Just don't think he's getting a fair shake around here.

 

[Evil Sather]

I don't know why we have a turnover machine in our top 6, but OK. He can't find the seams though. He used to be able to all the time. Have you seen him on the PP recently? Now, granted, everyone sucks on the PP, but he just seems to go for the lowest % plays available to him? Like, YOLO, gonna try to thread a pass through three players. And now he's attempting that at ES. MSL used to play smart, fast hockey. Now I don't see many smart or fast decisions out there.

He's lost half a step, and for a guy like him, that's what made him a top liner.

Maybe it's permanent, maybe it isn't. Guys become 'playoff warriors' for no explicable reason all the time. It's pretty much impossible AV benches or demotes him barring a complete and utter collapse, so he's gonna be around. No sense being concerned about it, it's gonna be a thing.

He does have a certain amount of decoy value at absolute worst though, he's been old and tiny for a while now and still put up points, and players don't forget that. They're dialed in on their own lives day to day and not really up on the league like we might be.

NYR is probably the best team itl now, enjoy it man. Don't let some old midget get you down

 

[Marcus AKA Kluivert]

Since december 8th our record is (41 games)....ready for it?

31-7-3...

No, not a misprint.

31-7-3 in half a damn season worth of games.

Lets go Rangers, and Klein please be OK.

 

[Claxton]

 

[Beacon]

This should be our playoff avatar.

 

[ArPanet]

Even if we won the PT and didn't win the Cup, there's nothing wrong with being the best team for 82 games.

People will say we "choked" but the main boards will make up some BS no matter what we do. Like I said, if we win the Cup, it'll be "the Cup is too tall to eat soup out of." So it doesn't matter.

The Cup is all.

 

[Ola]

Kwary- Is MSL really done?

He isn't as dominating as he could be last year, but two things. He is 43 y/o or whatever and played in June last season. Sometimes I've kinda wished he would break a finger or something to get some rest. Secondly, MSL is scoring as much wih Kreider and Step as Nash was last year. They are not doing a good job in terms of really open things up offensively. AND, like last night they saw a ton of Bäckström and AO. They are on the ice for many shifts during a game where they have different objections than scoring a goal.

I think he has been ok, not more or less.

 

[Open Mind]

Nice.. Rangers win the Cupcake

 

[Ola]

Since december 8th our record is (41 games)....ready for it?

31-7-3...

No, not a misprint.

31-7-3 in half a damn season worth of games.

Lets go Rangers, and Klein please be OK.

Are we peaking early? It seems like we pulled together and picked it up a notch when Hank went down. Will that effect us down the road? Hard to tell.

 

[Vidic15*]

Are we peaking early? It seems like we pulled together and picked it up a notch when Hank went down. Will that effect us down the road? Hard to tell.

Ola, I respect you but you sound like an Isles fan. We didn't peak early, we started playing playoff hockey. Low scoring games will be the norm going forward. I think Hank going down did us a favor. We've been scoring at a rate we've never seen, and probably too dependent on it. This was a wake up call.

 

[SixGoalieSystem]

Are we peaking early? It seems like we pulled together and picked it up a notch when Hank went down. Will that effect us down the road? Hard to tell.

This team just keeps finding ways to win. Rough start for the backup goaltender forced to play a starter role? No problem, offense scores five goals a game. Top goal scorer cools down? No problem, the backup goalie starts playing like a seasoned vet. Offense disappears? No problem, defense steps up. Being outmatched physically? No problem, we kill with speed. They prevent our speed rushes by forechecking and stepping up at the blueline? No problem, we get the puck deep and outwork them at the boards.

This team has its flaws and there are nights where every line doesn't show up, but they cover for their flaws and they cover for each other. If someone goes missing, someone else steps up.

They aren't peaking. That would be a record four month peak. They're just a very good team.

 

[2Leetch_94]

Cupcake schedule deserves cupcakes!

 

[Ola]

Vidic and six- Yeah I actually left the question open on purpose, could be good too. But we have picked it up a bit. I think a team like the Islanders are in PO mode, we aren't. But compared to say Detroit or Anaheim or Nashville, we definitely have the foot a bit more on the gas. Could be good to build a platform going forward, OTOH it could take a toll on us.

 

[Ola]

I don't at all liked the look on Klein after taking that shot.

Hopefully McIlrath gets a look. Don't like to add another left handed D to the lineup while we already are trying to get 3 other LDs to play as much as possible.

 

[Levitate]

Man no one ever gets "beaten" "on hfboards, it's always the other team got lucky,no we really outplayed them but bounces, etc. Caps got outplayed for 2 periods and then locked down in the third but no the Rangers suck and the Caps are so great they just didn't want to play hard tonight no way it was the Rangers possibly just being the better team that night

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Caps don't scare me. Stay out of the box they can't score.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Kwary- Is MSL really done?

He isn't as dominating as he could be last year, but two things. He is 43 y/o or whatever and played in June last season. Sometimes I've kinda wished he would break a finger or something to get some rest. Secondly, MSL is scoring as much wih Kreider and Step as Nash was last year. They are not doing a good job in terms of really open things up offensively. AND, like last night they saw a ton of Bäckström and AO. They are on the ice for many shifts during a game where they have different objections than scoring a goal.

I think he has been ok, not more or less.

To me, MSL is the most over (and poorly) analyzed player on our team. I have stopped even debating this because some of the stuff said hasn't even been worth my time.

Great post, Ola.

 

[RangersOwnNewYork*]

1st in the League? But guyz, Stepan and Brassard would be 4th linerz on that other team in NY. And our third line sucks. Pluz no Lundquist. How is thiz possssiiiiibbbbblllllleeeeee?

I read this too and laughed. One of the dumbest posts ever on HF and that is saying something. Do they even watch the games? Our 3rd line has been playing like our 1st for more than a month now and has been fantastic. There really is no cure for stupid.

 

[yrrebbor]

I'm starting to think they have a chance to get past the first round this year.