Pre-Game Talk: Season opener @ Blues

[AHB*]

and is that so crazy really ?

last season

mcdonagh inc playoffs. total games played 102

total points 60

nash inc playoffs. total games played 90

total points 49

its NOT out of the question.

It's always an incredibly smart thing to take the outlier seasons for a player and present them as fact.

Nash Goal & Point Totals:

02-03 - 17 & 39 in 74
03-04 - 41 & 57 in 80
05-06 - 31 & 54 in 54
06-07 - 27 & 57 in 75
07-08 - 38 & 69 in 80
08-09 - 40 & 79 in 78
09-10 - 33 & 67 in 76
10-11 - 32 & 66 in 75
11-12 - 30 & 59 in 82
12-13 - 21 & 42 in 44
13-14 - 26 & 39 in 65

Take into account most of those seasons he was the only offensive threat for CBJ. He is currently on the deepest and most potent team of his career. You literally took the one outlier season since his early career where he's not near a PPG. Doesn't that seem slightly absurd to you?

 

[offdacrossbar]

It's always an incredibly smart thing to take the outlier seasons for a player and present them as fact.

Nash Goal & Point Totals:

02-03 - 17 & 39 in 74
03-04 - 41 & 57 in 80
05-06 - 31 & 54 in 54
06-07 - 27 & 57 in 75
07-08 - 38 & 69 in 80
08-09 - 40 & 79 in 78
09-10 - 33 & 67 in 76
10-11 - 32 & 66 in 75
11-12 - 30 & 59 in 82
12-13 - 21 & 42 in 44
13-14 - 26 & 39 in 65

Take into account most of those seasons he was the only offensive threat for CBJ. He is currently on the deepest and most potent team of his career. You literally took the one outlier season since his early career where he's not near a PPG. Doesn't that seem slightly absurd to you?

trending downward.

getting older.

not as effective

his shot is ****

team is good around him yes, but his performance last spring, and the sping before that as well, leaves me worried hes lost a step and his shot altogether.

im sorry, to me, he isnt the same player he was. hes not clutch and hes too invisible. i want him to take over shifts, periods, games.... he doesnt. when he does hes awesome. not enough though.

again, hope im wrong.

 

[Jim Ramsay]

I also think we haven't seen the same 'game-changing' Nash that I remember seeing in some of his earlier years with CBJ.

I feel like Nash could be a lot better if he did actually use his linemates more than he does, I know there are a lot of fans that say his 'strength' is that he can carry a line....I agree in the sense that he definitely commands a lot of respect from opposing teams defense when he is out there, but I disagree that he carries a line offensively.

I am not dumping on the guy completely because there are definitely games now and then when I feel like he is the best player on the ice, but I just feel like he should be that more often than he actually is.

I think it was a good idea to not give Nash a letter on his jersey this year, so that maybe he will just focus on his game. I am rooting for the guy big time this year..35 goals while not probably 'worth the price tag' would be acceptable in my eyes

 

[AHB*]

trending downward.

getting older.

not as effective

his shot is ****

team is good around him yes, but his performance last spring, and the sping before that as well, leaves me worried hes lost a step and his shot altogether.

im sorry, to me, he isnt the same player he was. hes not clutch and hes too invisible. i want him to take over shifts, periods, games.... he doesnt. when he does hes awesome. not enough though.

again, hope im wrong.

So you're basing your opinion on one injury riddled season? What did you think of Crosby when he missed half the year with a concussion?

Nash trended downward in a season that he has ADMITTEDLY said he was afraid of physical contact. That's his whole game. To anyone with eyes (and even ears since it was all that was talked about) you could literally see that he was scared of making contact. If he reverts back to his normal style of play, which from everything I have to base on, he plans to do, then why wouldn't he revert back to his career averages? On top of that, even if he doesn't fully play that way, he still had 26 goals last year. So even if he just gets slightly better (I have faith since his physicality was very good int he playoffs) he'll still pot 30-35 goals, assuming he's healthy.

His shot has always been horrible. But you continue to ignore that fact.

You are literally grasping at straws. I'm being generous by calling it a grasp.

 

[ecemleafs]

nash was pretty ****ing good for us in the lockout year regular season

 

[AHB*]

nash was pretty ****ing good for us in the lockout year regular season

That team was not very good. He and Hank pretty much carried us to the playoffs.

I also constantly hear that he hasn't dominated games, etc, since he's been a Ranger. Did people just not watch his first season here? I know it was condensed and short, but a lot of the time he reminded me of Jagr. He just looked like an animal out there.

The playfofs came around and teams focused all their defensive efforts on shutting him down and it worked. Then he made a dumb comment about how he thought he played well and people took it and based assumptions like "he's been garbage since coming here."

Maybe if the rest of the team had showed up that season, Nash would have had some left in the tank.

 

[DanielBrassard]

That team was not very good. He and Hank pretty much carried us to the playoffs.

I also constantly hear that he hasn't dominated games, etc, since he's been a Ranger. Did people just not watch his first season here? I know it was condensed and short, but a lot of the time he reminded me of Jagr. He just looked like an animal out there.

The playfofs came around and teams focused all their defensive efforts on shutting him down and it worked. Then he made a dumb comment about how he thought he played well and people took it and based assumptions like "he's been garbage since coming here."

Maybe if the rest of the team had showed up that season, Nash would have had some left in the tank.

Exactly. Nash was an animal his 1st year here. How anyone can say he hasn't dominated games with us is beyond me. Off the top of my head there was that one game against Tampa after Lucic concussed him he got 12 SOG. There were more but I think that was his best.

 

[Kovalev27]

We're only going to have 4 new faces in the lineup to start the season Duclair stempniak glass and boyle

So basically we replaced 3 4th liners (im counting richards) a third liner and 1 dman

Big deal were still best team in East

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

STL will be a good gauge for us, I like what JD had done there.

 

[Wolfy*]

Players are ready to go

I'm impressed by Hagelin's English, he sounds like an American. Zucc struggles a bit more, but he's getting better.

Btw, nhl.com video page has been changed, certain ad-blockers must be disabled to run videos.

[NHL]638027[/NHL]

 

[Wolfy*]

Wolfy, pls respond

We're wasting 5 million a year if Nash scores less goals than Zucc.

I don't think you wanna bet on points

 

[Algernop Kreider]

We're wasting 5 million a year if Nash scores less goals than Zucc.

I don't think you wanna bet on points

Nash scored 7 more goals than Zucc last season in 12 fewer games.

 

[New York RKY]

Yeah but Zuccc always smiles.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Players are ready to go

I'm impressed by Hagelin's English, he sounds like an American. Zucc struggles a bit more, but he's getting better.

Btw, nhl.com video page has been changed, certain ad-blockers must be disabled to run videos.

[NHL]638027[/NHL]

I know most Scandinavians learn English from a young age, but I've always been particularly impressed with the Swedes' command of the language. Then, throw in the fact that he went to U of M for four years and it's not much of a surprise that Hags almost sounds like a native.

Heck, I'm sure there are parts of Minnesota where that exact accent exists among people born here...

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Every ranking I see has the Habs ahead of us. WHY?? We have a better D corps, better Gs and better Fwds... haters gon' hate

Not even that, they have DETROIT ahead of us! Why??? Because they're the Red Wings and that means they're going to be good? Sorry, I don't even see the Red Wings making the playoffs this season.

 

[Bullseyes]

Every ranking I see has the Habs ahead of us. WHY?? We have a better D corps, better Gs and better Fwds... haters gon' hate

Not just the Habs, but Colorado, Detroit, Minnesota, Dallas, and Tampa.

What makes those teams better than the Rangers?

I'm used to it by now. The Rangers never get enough credit but as long as they perform on the ice like they should, I don't care.

 

[McSauer]

Really not a fan of Hags with Brass and Zucc. Those two need a guy with size and finish, and that's not Hags.

What is AV doing with these lines? I'd hate to throw a game or two away with these ****** line combos...

 

[SupersonicMonkey*]

I am really loving the vibe, the attitute, and the focus of this group so far.

They all, even the new guys, have a chip on their shoulder. For the guys that were here in June, they have that look and the things they say, you can tell that something has been left unfinished, and they are determined to rectify it.

It's one game at a time, sure, and all the cliches, but they are talking like champions, and if you want to be one, you need to carry yourself like one.

Let's do this, Rangers.

 

[Vinny DeAngelo]

Really not a fan of Hags with Brass and Zucc. Those two need a guy with size and finish, and that's not Hags.

What is AV doing with these lines? I'd hate to throw a game or two away with these ****** line combos...

I think it's really a case of no one else better to put in the spot.
Kreider is on the first line to be with nash.
Duclair is going to get sheltered on the 3rd line.
Nash doesn't work on the left side
MSL is busy being our 1C and 3G

The line will focus completely on speed and skill like always except hags won't rely on size to win a puck battle hell just rely on being the first one there

 

[Ola]

Where is RangerBoy? He hasn't posted in like a week.

 

[GAGLine]

Nash trended downward in a season that he has ADMITTEDLY said he was afraid of physical contact.

I think he's still afraid of contact. Watch him throw a hit. He almost never puts himself between the other player and our net, instead hitting the player on the side and bouncing off in the wrong direction, as though he's afraid to make full contact. Maybe that's not it, maybe he's just taking poor angles, but he certainly doesn't look right to me.

 

[pld459666]

Problem with Nash is that he CAN be a physical presence when he wants to be. The issue is that he doesn't want to be one often enough which limits his ability to be an effective net front presence.

Its not his game. And that's fine.

I also think that being the only wing threat (until Kreider can show otherwise) teams will have an easier time negating his effectiveness.

Nash has to do a better job of getting open and incorporating his linemates in the offence.

I know he has the ability to be better in that regard.

 

[Savant]

I think it's really a case of no one else better to put in the spot.
Kreider is on the first line to be with nash.
Duclair is going to get sheltered on the 3rd line.
Nash doesn't work on the left side
MSL is busy being our 1C and 3G

The line will focus completely on speed and skill like always except hags won't rely on size to win a puck battle hell just rely on being the first one there

I think that eventually Kreider will end up on with Brassard and Zuccarello. Those three certainly had a lot of time on the ice together in preseason. I do think that Kreider is temporarily with Nash because AV wants size flanking St Louis while he is filling in at center. It helps protect St Louis a bit and the Blues are not short for size in the middle. I'm pretty sure AV doesn't want David Backes skating into St Louis on the regular up the middle. Kreider and Nash can better deal with Backes to free up St Louis. I imagine you will see Backes' line vs St Louis' line quite a bit tonight.

 

[Miamipuck]

I know most Scandinavians learn English from a young age, but I've always been particularly impressed with the Swedes' command of the language. Then, throw in the fact that he went to U of M for four years and it's not much of a surprise that Hags almost sounds like a native.

Heck, I'm sure there are parts of Minnesota where that exact accent exists among people born here...

Most Swedes have English skills that are fantastic, I am always shocked listening to them, they speak better then a lot of natives. Lidstrom was one guy that I couldn't believe how well he spoke.

 

[Miamipuck]

I think it's really a case of no one else better to put in the spot.
Kreider is on the first line to be with nash.
Duclair is going to get sheltered on the 3rd line.
Nash doesn't work on the left side
MSL is busy being our 1C and 3G

The line will focus completely on speed and skill like always except hags won't rely on size to win a puck battle hell just rely on being the first one there

Brassard requested Hagelin.

http://nypost.com/2014/10/09/kevin-hayes-to-miss-rangers-opener-with-shoulder-injury/

With Benoit Pouliot having left the Rangers to sign a five-year, $20 million free-agent deal with the Oilers, it left Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello looking for another winger to fill out their line, the most offensively consistent for the team last season. That spot is going to temporarily be filled by speedster Carl Hagelin.

“This is a new winger for them, and they’re going to have to sort out what works with him now,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “Hags is not the same type of player that Benny was — not the same type of physical presence, but he brings other qualities, a different skill set. I’m anxious to see [how it works].”

Apparently the choice of Hagelin came at Brassard’s request.

“Brass had talked about the possibility of maybe playing with him, they get along well,” Vigneault said. “I’m anxious to see what that’s going to be.”