Pre-Game Talk: Tampa Bay Lightning @ New York Rangers Game 7

[trilobyte]

The Rangers didn't play in Game 5. I don't recall seeing them.
I could have got a shutout, though of course I cannot prove that

 

[broadwayblue]

Great, so TB is gonna go all biological warfare on us? Even if we win, that means we'd get sick for the Finals! This could be very no bueno :-/

There's 4 days off to recover. lol

 

[Cassano]

Out of the 545 shots he's faced, and the 39 total goals he's given up throughout the entire playoffs, he's only let in two 'soft goals' this series. The Kucherov game winner from Game 3 OT, and the Kucherov goal to make it 5-2 in the 3rd of Game 6.

To use the term 'quite a bit' just seems completely ridiculous.

I disagree about allowing only 2 soft goals this series. His rebound control has been suspect IMO and his puck handling is atrocious.

Lundqvist was stellar in the first 2 rounds, playing at a level you can't ask for anymore from a goalie. This round is a bit different IMO.

 

[broadwayblue]

I wish we had been playing better at home in this series...I'd be less nervous about tomorrow night. I know Game 7 is our thing. But games 2 and 5 were not good nights at MSG.

 

[Wolfy*]

Erhm so bad he got a SO in Game 5...

Their D should get most of the credits for that game.

Question is where Bishop's self-confidence level is after getting pulled in front of his fans in such an important game. Not sure it was a smart move by Cooper.

 

[broadwayblue]

Question is where Bishop's self-confidence level is after getting pulled in front of his fans in such an important game. Not sure it was a smart move by Cooper.

We were all thinking that after he gave up like 10 goals in games 3 and 4...but he seemed to do ok in game 5 at MSG, no? So while I'd like to think he's in a bad place after giving up 5 again in game 6, that might not be the case. He's only given up 4 goals in the three road games.

 

[trilobyte]

This series does so much see-sawing it makes a person second-guess things.
I'm not sure what it is, but it seems I am now conditioned to expect the best from them when winning the game means survival.
I might as well stick with that, because after the putrid Game 5, once I stopped fuming I realized what was next....a Rangers win.
Go figger.

 

[2Leetch_94]

Bishop didn't give up any goals in Game 5 because he was barely tested. If the Rangers overpass and look for the perfect play tomorrow night it'll end with the same result.

 

[Captain Lindy]

Bishop didn't give up any goals in Game 5 because he was barely tested. If the Rangers overpass and look for the perfect play tomorrow night it'll end with the same result.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Their D should get most of the credits for that game.

Question is where Bishop's self-confidence level is after getting pulled in front of his fans in such an important game. Not sure it was a smart move by Cooper.

He pulled him so he wouldn't get lit up more.

Hank got pulled in Game 6 vs Philly last year and bounced back and won Game 7.

Hank also go pulled last year in Game 5 vs Montreal and bounced back and won Game 6.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Bishop didn't give up any goals in Game 5 because he was barely tested. If the Rangers overpass and look for the perfect play tomorrow night it'll end with the same result.

Basically this.

Game 5 had more to do with what the Rangers didn't do than what Tampa did do. I expect that if Tampa comes out with the same game plan the Rangers will be be better prepared to play against it.


Really it doesn't matter how Tampa plays, pucks and bodies have to get to the net, they've been really successful when they've done this and while we all know Bishop is toast if you get him moving laterally, he and the rest of his team haven't done too well with handling second chance opportunities either.

 

[trilobyte]

Basically this.

Game 5 had more to do with what the Rangers didn't do than what Tampa did do. I expect that if Tampa comes out with the same game plan the Rangers will be be better prepared to play against it.


Really it doesn't matter how Tampa plays, pucks and bodies have to get to the net, they've been really successful when they've done this and while we all know Bishop is toast if you get him moving laterally, he and the rest of his team haven't done too well with handling second chance opportunities either.

Yes. The Lightning don't really have enough on the back end to stop a determined team as skilled as the Rangers are. IMO, determination and execution are the key, one follows the other. If the Rangers want to get to the net and Bishop, they will get there, and the Lightning will not stop that. We know that.

Scoring first and continuing to play a strong forecheck is important. Game 6 was very encouraging because, although the Rangers did not break the game wide open until the 3rd period, they employed a good hard forecheck throughout the game. Even at that slim 1 goal lead, I was fine with that, that is the type of patience that makes sense, which is doing what you do best and believing that you just keep doing it and it will pay rewards. Had they stopped the forecheck in the 3rd because they were ahead, it may have not worked out so well at all.

I still think that having Henrik between the pipes is the telling advantage that you know you will need. We know there is a real skills advantage with the hard record that backs up that argument, and of course it should be a psychological lift to the team knowing they have him.
Defence is what it is against a very talented group of Lightning forwards. Rangers offence is the key to this game.
Hank will look after the flotsam and jetsam.

I thought I wouldn't be nervous, but I think there is a bit of that going on for me now.

 

[Open Mind]

A major thing to note, which much of the fanbase doesn't seem to grasp, is that if you don't score in a period, it doesn't matter how much you dominated the play in those 20 minutes. It doesn't matter how many posts you hit after totally beating the goalie, odd man rushes you had, or minute long shifts in the o-zone. If you don't score, all of that is meaningless. In game 5, despite the fact we dominated the first period, we didn't score and we ended up losing momentum and TB ended up scoring. If we can't score and we had a dominant period, mark that period as a failure. All that matters is getting more goals than the opposition, that's how you win hockey games. This isn't boxing, there's no judgement on how good you looked to determine victory. I'd rather look like trash in a period and be up by 1 than look overwhelmingly dominant in a period and the score's tied. We have to put the puck in the net It doesn't matter how easy it looked in the previous game, put the puck to the net, force rebounds and make Bishop uncomfortable. We couldn't do that in game 5, which is why we lost. We have to do a better job in game 7 of getting Bishop and the rest of the Lightning out of rhythm and pounce on it.

I'd honestly be more disappointed if we lost this game than if we had lost game 6. Please don't let us down, Rangers!

Thanks for clarifying that. I've been playing hockey for 43 years. Until you made this post I was completely unaware that you win by scoring more goals than the other team. All those years I wasted ... so lost ... so confused

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Yes. The Lightning don't really have enough on the back end to stop a determined team as skilled as the Rangers are. IMO, determination and execution are the key, one follows the other. If the Rangers want to get to the net and Bishop, they will get there, and the Lightning will not stop that. We know that.

Scoring first and continuing to play a strong forecheck is important. Game 6 was very encouraging because, although the Rangers did not break the game wide open until the 3rd period, they employed a good hard forecheck throughout the game. Even at that slim 1 goal lead, I was fine with that, that is the type of patience that makes sense, which is doing what you do best and believing that you just keep doing it and it will pay rewards. Had they stopped the forecheck in the 3rd because they were ahead, it may have not worked out so well at all.

I still think that having Henrik between the pipes is the advantage that you know you will need. Real, psychological, whatever. The two are the same.

This is why us scoring first and not Tampa, is such a big deal. We score an early goal, maybe they start getting frustrated and grip their sticks a little tighter and Hank is in their head. If they score first that all goes out the window.


I'm not confident at all, i don't know why. Maybe it's because Tampa seems to be the only team in the whole NHL that can effectively score on our defense and Hank at will, at times. I have faith in Hank, but I'm not sure at all. I'm scared frankly.

 

[zarao]

No way the Lightning win 3 in a row at the Garden. No road team has ever won 3 in a row on the road to take game 7 in a conference final. They had 2 shots to put this series away at home {gm4, gm6}. They got crushed.
No way in hell we lose to a small market team who hasn't paid their dues. They will feel nerves they didn't know existed. Friday night , The Garden game 7, Conference Final, the whole hockey world watching, The King 10-0. No *** way are we losing.

 

[broadwayblue]

No way the Lightning win 3 in a row at the Garden. No road team has ever won 3 in a row on the road to take game 7 in a conference final. They had 2 shots to put this series away at home {gm4, gm6}. They got crushed.
No way in hell we lose to a small market team who hasn't paid their dues. They will feel nerves they didn't know existed. Friday night , The Garden game 7, Conference Final, the whole hockey world watching, The King 10-0. No *** way are we losing.

I like this post.

 

[trilobyte]

This is why us scoring first and not Tampa, is such a big deal. We score an early goal, maybe they start getting frustrated and grip their sticks a little tighter and Hank is in their head. If they score first that all goes out the window.


I'm not confident at all, i don't know why. Maybe it's because Tampa seems to be the only team in the whole NHL that can effectively score on our defense and Hank at will, at times. I have faith in Hank, but I'm not sure at all. I'm scared frankly.

It may not take all that much to throw the Lightning off their game. Look at Game 6. Stamkos decided to go semi-goon (he has been elbowing all series but I don't classify that as all that horrible but funny he never got called even once on clear transgressions). He made a major blunder on one of the Rangers goals, forget which now, and I only point it out because it meant that Stamkos was thinking of things other than what he is normally thinking of which is a middle of the road defensive game with the huge emphasis on scoring.
I still think he targetted McDonagh with intent to see if McDonagh's shoulder could handle it.
Can't stop that kind of stuff, but definitely the Rangers can use the Lightning's nervousness and lack of experience at this level to their advantage.

 

[zarao]

Nerves and failure go hand in hand. That's why teams on the brink of success seek proven vets. Ever tried public speaking. Not so easy the first time around.
An early mistake by a nervous nelly could cost you the game and series at this point. Tampa is about to hit the podium at the Garden with the whole world watching. I like our chances.

 

[DudMan28]

Nerves and failure go hand in hand. That's why teams on the brink of success seek proven vets. Ever tried public speaking. Not so easy the first time around.
An early mistake by a nervous nelly could cost you the game and series at this point. Tampa is about to hit the podium at the Garden with the whole world watching. I like our chances.

Your two posts are exactly what I have been thinking. This Rangers team has paid their dues. They have taken the bumps and bruises through the years to get to this point. This isn't just about one season. This is about the past 4 years. This team has been through the highs and lows. The better than expected year(11-12). The letdown year(12-13). The surprise cup run(13-14). This is the year we take it. They know what it takes to win now.

Game 7. Winner take all. This is our year. This is the 2014-15 Rangers ****ing year.

 

[aufheben]

This would ruin my weekends ad infinitum, to claw back all the way to this point, just to bow out. No way, José!

 

[JRinNYC]

This would ruin my weekends ad infinitum, to claw back all the way to this point, just to bow out. No way, José!

My bday is Sunday, a big one no less. Going to the game later tonight. Losing tonight would ruin my weekend/summer till Oct. All I want for my bday, is the Rangers to win the Cup! LGR!

 

[Machinehead]

New team motto

New York Rongos: We watch Yandle play.

 

[Holocene]

Just like last year... I feel like it's been years since opening night of the playoffs. I can't ever remember the regular season really. It may as well happened 5 years ago.

 

[MysticLeviathan]

Thanks for clarifying that. I've been playing hockey for 43 years. Until you made this post I was completely unaware that you win by scoring more goals than the other team. All those years I wasted ... so lost ... so confused

Well the attitude of everyone during the 1st intermission of game 5 might make you question that. Dominating a period means nothing if you can't put any in the back of the net. I don't care how good or bad we look, I just want us to score some freaking goals. Unfortunately, we haven't been great at home and TB has been quite good on the road. Hopefully we end up playing better.

 

[Vinny DeAngelo]

New team motto

New York Rongos: We watch Yandle play.

Well its like watching car racing. They either do something amazing that ud never be able to do or it ends in a massive wreck where everyone loses so u gotta watch