Pre-Game Talk: San Jose @ Rongods

[NYRangers84]

Duclair better not be scratched. He's been solid in every game he's played. Certainly better than some of the veterans.

The lineup SHOULD be:

Kreider Hayes Nash [ all 3 have size: 6'3", 6'4", 6'5"; Nash is the shooter, Hayes is the playmaker, and Kreider is the forechecker/speedster/creating room/net crasher ]

Stempniak D.Moore St. Louis [ all 3 have speed; Stempniak is hot right now, D. Moore plays better with better linemates and is familiar with MSL who will get more touches and better opportunities being back on the wing ]

Duclair Brassard Zuccarello [ Our most successful line last season with Duclair replacing Pouliot. Brassard and Zuccarello want to pass the puck into the net, so put them with a guy who wants to SHOOT the puck! What a concept!

Hagelin Mueller Malone [ Hagelin on the fourth line shows our elite depth on the wings (thanks largely in part to the accelerated development of Duclair and the surprise performance of Stempniak). Mueller gets a chance at center and Malone brings a well-rounded game: net-front-presence, soft hands, physicality, smart two-way play ]

Glass

Those combos look excellent

 

[Raspewtin]

Malone v. Glass has been sorted out. It's Malone.

Yup.

If Glass still has a job here by game 20......I don't even know

 

[LieutenantLackluster]

>Kreider-Hayes-Nash, St. Louis-Brassard-Zuccarello, Hagelin-Moore-Stempniak, Malone-Mueller-Glass Duclair is extra.

Hoooooly mother of butts.

 

[Raspewtin]

Did AV just completely forget what a god awful line MSL-Brass-Zucc was last year? Why is he even giving them a second thought?

 

[Doctyl]

What the **** did Duclair do? Kostka scored 2 goals on us and didn't get benched. AV benched Duke for what?

 

[DieByTheShield]

Glass over Duke?

Ummm...lol?

 

[BroadwayBlues]

Consistently this season, AV has been a complete idiot with these lines. It's really unconscionable...

We all knew Hags-Brass-Zucc wouldn't work, and yet it had to be shown over three games it was a terrible match

We all saw Zucc-Brass-Marty do NOTHING for half a dozen games last year, and here they are again

Kreider-Brass-Zucc was a good combo after a game together in the pre-season, doesn't start the season together and finally last game they do, and get the tying goal (not too mention the chemistry Brass and CK showed a game ago as well)

And Duke does make something happen out there when he's on the ice--even drawing penalties is beneficial to the team. Once he puts it in the net, he'll be off...

And Glass still in the line-up???

Really questioning what the **** he is doing with out lineup? Jesus...

I mentioned this before. I get the same feeling.

 

[BroadwayBlues]

We all knew when Glass was signed, AV would have him in the lineup no matter how bad he looks.

 

[SlingshotVv]

Lines I would really like to see vs SJS:

Stempniak - Hayes - Nash

Kreider - D. Moore - St. Louis

Malone - Brassard - Zuccarello

Hagelin - Mueller - Glass

Current line-up aside, I'd prefer to see a 4th line tonight of Hagelin - Lindberg - Fast, and see what they can do.

With that 4th line being massively sheltered, and Hags eating up chunks of PK time if needed to get him his active minutes.

Stemp seems like he could bring some savvy to Hayes and Nash.

Malone could be the net presence that opens up space for Zucc and Brassard to play east/west

 

[Zuccarello Awesome*]

Lines I would really like to see vs SJS:

Stempniak - Hayes - Nash

Kreider - D. Moore - St. Louis

Malone - Brassard - Zuccarello

Hagelin - Mueller - Glass

With that 4th line being massively sheltered, and Hags eating up chunks of PK time if needed to get him his active minutes.

Stemp seems like he could bring some savvy to Hayes and Nash.

Malone could be the net presence that opens up space for Zucc and Brassard to play east/west

I like your line of thinking.

I'd consider a switch of Stempniak and Kreider, but I'd be fine the way you have it also.

Good stuff.

 

[Raspewtin]

We all knew when Glass was signed, AV would have him in the lineup no matter how bad he looks.

I'm really hoping once Step is back, and AV HAS to make a decision, it's to sit Glass.

 

[Vitto79]

Really don't like being a 3 line team again, like the Tortorella era.

Have to get this sorted out. We need to be a 4 line team.

5 more games and Stepan is back. That will sort things out. Gonna guess Duclair is sent back to juniors at that time

 

[Vitto79]

I'm really hoping once Step is back, and AV HAS to make a decision, it's to sit Glass.

why? he has not been terrible. He can skate , hit and kill penalties. The hate on him is a little overboard. He a 4th liner

 

[SlingshotVv]

5 more games and Stepan is back. That will sort things out. Gonna guess Duclair is sent back to juniors at that time

Kreider - Stepan - St. Louis

Duclair - Hayes - Nash

Malone - Brassard - Zuccarello

Hagelin - Moore - Stempniak

Would be a pretty damn good 4 line team. Return to the SCF team? I'd guess that would more depend on how:

McDonagh - Girardi

Staal - Boyle

Moore - Klein

&

Lundqvist
Talbot

...play

 

[Loff]

Tom Gulitti ‏@TGfireandice 2m2 minutes ago

San Jose's Tomas Hertl on his idol Jaromir Jagr: "I try to play the same style because I have the same big ass."

 

[Zucc36]

Zucc and MSL on the same line. Did not work last year. On the other hand, that was MSLs first games where he was really struggling.

 

[LORENZO]

Its my birthday tomorrow so we will win.

 

[Clown Fiesta]

Duke didn't get much ice in the 3rd IIRC which is weird because I don't remember him making any costly errors. He also drew that penalty and was playing a pretty solid game.

 

[SupersonicMonkey*]

Malone v. Glass has been sorted out. It's Malone.

For as much grief i gave Malone in camp, he hasn't looked as awful. He is slooooooow. But when he gets there, he can actually get involved.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Happy to see MSL away from center. Very happy to see Hayes get a shot between Kreider and Nash. (Oh, Beacon.... what was that you said when I first proposed this?) On the other hand, not so thrilled with MSL on the Brassard line or Duke out of the lineup.

I would play:

Kreider-Hayes-Nash
Duclair-Brassard-Zuccarello
Hagelin-Moore-MSL
Malone-Mueller- Stempniak

Seems painfully obvious to me. I feel like with what they ran in practice today, they're sacrificing a lineup that works best for all the other players (and gives them IMO the best shot to win) simply to make sure that Glass stays on the ice. Does not compute.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Duclair scratched?

 

[DanielBrassard]

I really don't understand AV's line combos and this obsession with Glass. Having 3 big guys, 2 of which are shoot first guys on one line, and having 3 smaller playmakers on the other when it didn't work before. And Glass in still to sit Duke. It's ridiculous man.

 

[SupersonicMonkey*]

I really don't understand AV's line combos and this obsession with Glass. Having 3 big guys, 2 of which are shoot first guys on one line, and having 3 smaller playmakers on the other when it didn't work before. And Glass in still to sit Duke. It's ridiculous man.

Agree.

 

[kovazub94]

Can't say I agree - if we send him back to the Q, we can't recall him for the rest of the year. So say we send him back and then there's a long term injury to a top-9 winger, we would all be sitting here wishing Duke was still available.

If he only plays ~50 games this year, while skating with the team in practice and learning as much as possible from AV, is it really that big of a deal? Plus he would be fresh for (god willing) the playoffs. Could even play in the WJC (I think?) if we wanted to get him some more game action.

Personally I think that's a better plan than sending him back to the Q.

Completely agree and would add that a full 82 game NHL season could overwhelming for many rookies especially who're barely 19.

Regarding lines - I'm not a big fan but these are the only possibility available to AV if he wants to try Kreider and Hayes together AND to keep MSL in top 6. Nash got to stay on RW at least as long as he's on a roll. Hagelin didnt work out at all with Brass / Zuke. I'd try moving Stempniak there but it leaves MSL with Moore and Hags - not the most appropriate linemates generate offensive chemistry with MSL. I think AV will give it a try at some point or switches Kreider and MSL.

 

[NewLife]

What the **** did Duclair do? Kostka scored 2 goals on us and didn't get benched. AV benched Duke for what?

I'm sure it has nothing to do with his game, things just doesn't work for this team right now and some kind of adjustment have to be made and someone got to sit out.