Don't really get why some of our fanbase has unrealistic expectations of certain players and their role. Again, the obvious weak link on our defense is not Mark Fraser--who's been injured for weeks and had to deal with the Bruins his first game back. He cannot be blamed for the entire team being hemmed in their own zone...hopefully our fanbase will start to understand the game, and certain players in our line up and what their roles are.
The obvious weak link is Paul Ranger who is simply not an NHL calibre d-man. Will he ever be? I don't think so, maybe some of you want to overrate him but I would say he's weaker than Kostka, Finger, Exelby--and Fingerby had Toskalol in nets, meaning, they would be doing a better job with a Reimer than whatever Ranger is doing right now.
We are going backwards by employing him. The best example of how to sum him up in a nutshell is the second goal boston scored. His hockey IQ had him check a bruin ontop of Reims, hold the bruin player and reims down allowing boston to shoot at an empty net.
I don't know what else could be said other than Ranger either needs to be sent to the Marlies or perhaps the KHL might be a better fit for him. This player makes players around him worse, and is responsible for some of the most disappointing goals scored against us. Plain and simple he needs to go.
Rielly and Liles should be full time with the big club and Ranger should be sent down. I believe our D just needs one really solid, physical dman and everything would even itself out back there.
Maybe there is a team looking for a puck moving dman and willing to exchange a solid, physical reliable dman like a boychuck.