Post-Game Talk: Sabres @ Rangers -- 4/27/21

[chosen]

Rangers have a chance to close out the year with multiple 20 goal scorers, a Norris winner, an .800 winning percentage in the last 20 games in a short season, a stud goalie, a lights out PK, and excellent goal differential, and no shot at making the playoffs so the fans can see an aging WASH, LI, PITT, and BOS grind out the first two rounds. Win for Bettman

What makes that a win for Bettman?

 

[chosen]

Cool brag post bro

Thanks!

 

[DialUp]

What makes that a win for Bettman?

Should have used my sarcastic tone of font...

 

[chosen]

Zero likes for that post. I know the response to that will be “I don’t care what people think”, but there’s like three people on this board that are just arrogantly screaming into the void. It’s kinda funny when you take a step back.

Thanks!

 

[chosen]

I don't see it that way. This team has been in win now mode for weeks now. Every game has been important and in April they are 10-3-2. They haven't caved under the pressure. They have come up big at times but you just can't win every game. It's impossible, especially in this division. I'm proud of this team and the way they have played for such a young team. I would give up a kidney to see them pass the Isles but in order to do that they have to win at least 5 of 6 and that will be very difficult considering the teams left to play. I think the team will play hard the next 6 but it won't be enough. At least they will have some meaningful games until the very end which only helps the kids.

Yet, the conventional wisdom here is that the Rangers come up small in big games. They gotta stay on the narrative they're committed to. They're lazy thinkers.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Its really too bad Trouba is out, games vs the bigger more physical teams are where he's needed most.

 

[chosen]

The Islanders are f***ed, f***ed, f***ed. Lamoriello set back the Devils franchise on his way out, did some bizarre things in Toronto and is now dropping a long, endless turd on the luckless Fish. Their roster is loaded with expensive 30+ players with a good chance the over the hill ex-Devils will get new contracts this summer and Lamoriello and Trotz will do absolutely anything to try and win now.

Problem is, they can grind out and win games through sheer boring anti-hockey for awhile, but that's a longshot against the other contenders vying for the Cup over a 7 game series. If they fail and Lamoriello finally f***s off, he'll have left the franchise both short on prospects and picks and in cap trouble.

The Isles lost in the Conference finals last season to the eventual Cup winner, playing the exact same style. Their style is anything but negative in the playoffs.

This season might be tougher for them without Lee and their window might be closing, though.

 

[chosen]

Should have used my sarcastic tone of font...

Oh.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

Islanders cannot score. They've been shutout or held to 1 goal 7 out of past 11 games. ( Of course we had to give up 6 to them during this run.... )

We must simplify our game. We must beat them.

We must but we probably won't. Our guys have too much Globetrotter in their game.

 

[chosen]

We must but we probably won't. Our guys have too much Globetrotter in their game.

Until the Rangers show otherwise, the Isles are the better team, so winning two is unlikely, but we'll see.

 

[bernmeister]

The Islanders are f***ed, f***ed, f***ed. Lamoriello set back the Devils franchise on his way out, did some bizarre things in Toronto and is now dropping a long, endless turd on the luckless Fish. Their roster is loaded with expensive 30+ players with a good chance the over the hill ex-Devils will get new contracts this summer and Lamoriello and Trotz will do absolutely anything to try and win now.

Problem is, they can grind out and win games through sheer boring anti-hockey for awhile, but that's a longshot against the other contenders vying for the Cup over a 7 game series. If they fail and Lamoriello finally f***s off, he'll have left the franchise both short on prospects and picks and in cap trouble.

Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll deal
Dobson + Wahlstrom + for Eichel.

 

[Dr. Ogrodnick]

The Isles lost in the Conference finals last season to the eventual Cup winner, playing the exact same style. Their style is anything but negative in the playoffs.

This season might be tougher for them without Lee and their window might be closing, though.

I think that was the perfect storm though. I think they benefitted from being the most system driven team in the league coming back from a long layoff immediately into playoff hockey. If anything I think that success will bite them in the ass as they will view their window as open longer than it actually is.

 

[GAGLine]

Until the Rangers show otherwise, the Isles are the better team, so winning two is unlikely, but we'll see.

The first one is at MSG, and they haven't been very good on the road. 10-12-2. The second is at Nassau, or wherever the hell they are playing now, where they have been very good. 19-3-3. One of those regulation losses is to us though. We did it once, we can do it again.

Win the first one, put the pressure on them, then try to steal the second one on their ice.

 

[Synergy27]

Thanks!

Exactly!

 

[Cmox]

Whenever I said or thought “Icelanders” I never actually related that with the country. It’s purely a sound thing for me. Maybe I’m off-base.

Steve Sommers the radio guy would call them that and the coliseum the mausoleum ? Anyway that’s what I think of when icelanders is said. Not the people.

 

[chosen]

I think that was the perfect storm though. I think they benefitted from being the most system driven team in the league coming back from a long layoff immediately into playoff hockey. If anything I think that success will bite them in the ass as they will view their window as open longer than it actually is.

You might be right, but you might also be wrong. No way to know, but being disciplined can never be a negative and Trotz teams are always disciplined.

 

[chosen]

Exactly!

Thanks, again!!

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll deal
Dobson + Wahlstrom + for Eichel.

It will have to be a lot more plusses and salary going the other way. Lou has made 1 good move and that was hiring Trots. He gave up a 1st this year for 2 mediocre players and a 1st and 2nd last year in a good draft for Pageau and then signed him to a 5 mil for 5 year contract and their cap situation is precarious. How he won GM of the year is still a head scratcher to me? They got lucky with the covid pause. They were playing like garbage and were in danger of not making the playoffs in a normal year. They finished exactly 1 point ahead of the Rangers. I still don't get it.

 

[egelband]

Steve Sommers the radio guy would call them that and the coliseum the mausoleum ? Anyway that’s what I think of when icelanders is said. Not the people.

Yeah. That must be where it stuck in my head. Back in the day listening to The Shmoozer overnight. So good.

 

[Peltz]

Who should they start against the islanders? Georgiev or Shesterkin?

Shesterkin is looking amazing after this last game, but Georgiev has flat out played better against the Isles in his career.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Who should they start against the islanders? Georgiev or Shesterkin?

Shesterkin is looking amazing after this last game, but Georgiev has flat out played better against the Isles in his career.

I really don't believe that Georgiev has some magic powers against the Islanders. For example, first game of the season the Rangers don't show up and start Shesterkin, the next game it's the opposite but they have Georgiev in net. Same thing the last two games though less extreme.

 

[JimmyG89]

The Isles lost in the Conference finals last season to the eventual Cup winner, playing the exact same style. Their style is anything but negative in the playoffs.

This season might be tougher for them without Lee and their window might be closing, though.

They also had 4 and a half months between the regular season and the playoffs. Of course, so did everyone else, but last season is mimicking this season. Their final games of the 19-20 season were pretty much similar to these games now. 12-14-6 was their record after Christmas last year. That begins at game 36 of last season. I could have gone before that day and there would be more losses, but everyone gets to reset after the holiday, so it seems like a decent time to begin counting.

If we do the same for them this season, from game 36 on, 7-6-1. It's better than last season, but they also ended last regular season on a crazy losing streak. So much that it was thought that the Rangers could catch them and were really close to doing so. If they finish the season, it probably happens. They run out of steam. Playing their brand of hockey over a condensed schedule is going to cause that.

There is a soft landing after their games against the Rangers, but as we just saw, the Sabres actually play now and the Devils just snapped a long losing streak. Nothing to play for and if somehow the Rangers come through and win these two games, the Islanders will have all the pressure on them. Last game vs Boston could be for either of their playoff lives. We'd also still be asking the Rangers to almost run the table against Washington and Boston, and if they do, they'd be finishing the season on a 9 game win streak.

 

[romba]

Go with your number 1 goalie who's playing well. If he's 'eh' in game 1 then you start Georgiev in game 2.

Gotta win the board battles tomorrow, last game against the Islanders we were putrid in all zones along the boards. Let's get some nice 2.5 min shifts in their end, just keep Quinn's big obnoxious brain, and the 4th line, away from that. "They won't see THIS coming!" lol- if the 4th line managed to score after Kakko and Fox setting the table so nicely, he could take 'credit' for the smart move. If Panarin's line came out and scored, well duuuuhhhhhh even I could have done that. So obnoxious.

 

[chosen]

They also had 4 and a half months between the regular season and the playoffs. Of course, so did everyone else, but last season is mimicking this season. Their final games of the 19-20 season were pretty much similar to these games now. 12-14-6 was their record after Christmas last year. That begins at game 36 of last season. I could have gone before that day and there would be more losses, but everyone gets to reset after the holiday, so it seems like a decent time to begin counting.

If we do the same for them this season, from game 36 on, 7-6-1. It's better than last season, but they also ended last regular season on a crazy losing streak. So much that it was thought that the Rangers could catch them and were really close to doing so. If they finish the season, it probably happens. They run out of steam. Playing their brand of hockey over a condensed schedule is going to cause that....

I'm confused.

You said that this season is mimicking last season for the Islanders. Last season, they lost in the semis to the eventual Cup winner.

Are you saying that means they will or won't do well in the playoffs, or are you making a different point?

 

[JimmyG89]

I'm confused.

You said that this season is mimicking last season for the Islanders. Last season, they lost in the semis to the eventual Cup winner.

Are you saying that means they will or won't do well in the playoffs, or are you making a different point?

They are not going to have 4 and a half months off once the regular season ends and then play in the postseason. The time off benefits them the most since they play a style that wears you down over time. The Islanders are not in the ECF if that season continues without a pause and return to play.