Team defense (11-12 Comparison)

[SnowblindNYR]

That vaunted 2011-12 defense that had continuity with the coach, that played a super defensive system, that had Lundqvist at his peak, that had a solid veteran in Biron backing him up, that didn't give up more than 5 goals in a game, and at that gave up 5 goals twice in the regular season, was 3rd in the league in goals against at 2.22 GAA. This year's defense that had to adjust to a radically different defensive system, that had Lundqvist have one of the rougher seasons of his career, that had an unknown rookie as the backup, that gave up 20 goals in 3 consecutive games early in the season, that don't play an overly defensive system are 4th in the league in goals against with a 2.33 GAA.

I remember reading how the team needed to play Torts' system because otherwise their D would get exposed.

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[Emptyvoid]

It took a while to adjust, and we are still learning to be more consistent with it, but this group has done a tremendous job with a completely different defensive philosophy. A philosophy that helps generate offense because it puts us in a much better position to break out than Tort's defense ever did.

 

[Fitzy]

This defensive corps can play the Tortorella system with the flick of a switch; they have done it many times this season.

The difference is that our defense can now play two styles according to the situation rather than just one.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Honestly with McDonagh's rise this season and having our probably 9th D-man (Falk) be better than Bickel, makes me think our D is better this season.

What's interesting is that we don't have nearly as many 2 way grinders on the team. I think AV is an underrated defensive coach. The Rangers backcheck very well usually.

 

[Flavius]

That is amazing, especially considering how bad we played during the first month there. I must look up what the defensive stats are like since late December.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

It took a while to adjust, and we are still learning to be more consistent with it, but this group has done a tremendous job with a completely different defensive philosophy. A philosophy that helps generate offense because it puts us in a much better position to break out than Tort's defense ever did.

This team needs to score 8 goals in Montreal to match the '11-12 teams total goals for, so maybe we should put to bed the myth that the new philosophy has generated more offense.

 

[aufheben]

This team needs to score 8 goals in Montreal to match the '11-12 teams total goals for, so maybe we should put to bed the myth that the new philosophy has generated more offense.

You forgot to remove like 2 months of the season.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

That is amazing, especially considering how bad we played during the first month there. I must look up what the defensive stats are like since late December.

People forget that that March and April (before the playoffs) Lundqvist was doing his best impression of Jose Three or More, every ****ing game.

 

[Holocene]

Having Staal not miss significant time like he has the past two seasons certainly helps.

 

[Flavius]

Did a quick calculation at work:

First 36 games: 100 Goals allowed for a 2.77 GAA
The 45 games since: 92 goals allowed for a 2.04 GAA

Numbers are probably wrong since I counted them up manually and because I suck at math.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Having Staal not miss significant time like he has the past two seasons certainly helps.

But he had a ****** start to the season and we still ended up 4th. We played better D without Staal in 11-12 than with Staal the beginning of this season. Hell Staal was back during our worst stretch that season.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Did a quick calculation at work:

First 36 games: 100 Goals allowed for a 2.77 GAA
The 45 games since: 92 goals allowed for a 2.04 GAA

Numbers are probably wrong since I counted them up manually and because I suck at math.

Both are a little lower because this is done per 60 minutes. Though we played more OT games in the last 45.

 

[Kokoschka]

Honestly with McDonagh's rise this season and having our probably 9th D-man (Falk) be better than Bickel, makes me think our D is better this season.

What's interesting is that we don't have nearly as many 2 way grinders on the team. I think AV is an underrated defensive coach. The Rangers backcheck very well usually.

Our defensive depth is something to behold. John Moore is our 7th defender. That's a problem many other teams would love to have.

 

[aufheben]

Our defensive depth is something to behold. John Moore is our 7th defender. That's a problem many other teams would love to have.

This team has ridiculous depth everywhere except LW.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

This team has ridiculous depth everywhere except LW.

Even then, all 3 guys are solid top 9 players. 4 guys possibly with Fast. In previous years we'd have 4th liners playing in the top 9 all season.

 

[aufheben]

Even then, all 3 guys are solid top 9 players. 4 guys possibly with Fast. In previous years we'd have 4th liners playing in the top 9 all season.

Yep, Fast has looked good as well. I'd really, really like to have Kreider back for the playoffs though. His size and speed will be a huge asset in tight-checking games.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Yep, Fast has looked good as well. I'd really, really like to have Kreider back for the playoffs though. His size and speed will be a huge asset in tight-checking games.

I worry that he'll be tentative coming off surgery though, he seems like the type that would be.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

This team has ridiculous depth everywhere except LW.

The LW depth is pretty atrocious.

And while this team has 4 good centers, that group leaves something to be desired.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I don't understand the OP's obsession with the 2011-12 team.

That squad was able to post those numbers while having guys like Stu Bickel and Jeff Woywitka dress for more than just a few games.

Things started to turn after March and I'll always wonder how things would have gone if they had added a defenseman at the deadline or if Florida finished 8th instead of loser pointing their way to third, but they basically willed their way to the conference finals with their only real scoring threat playing with one arm, thats a heck of an accomplishment in and of itself.

You forgot to remove like 2 months of the season.

If you take out the first 10 games (which I think is fair) they're at 2.87 GPG which would place them 8th in the league. A 71 game sample size is pretty significant.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I don't understand the OP's obsession with the 2011-12 team.

That squad was able to post those numbers while having guys like Stu Bickel and Jeff Woywitka dress for more than just a few games.

Things started to turn after March and I'll always wonder how things would have gone if they had added a defenseman at the deadline or if Florida finished 8th instead of loser pointing their way to third, but they basically willed their way to the conference finals with their only real scoring threat playing with one arm, thats a heck of an accomplishment in and of itself.




If you take out the first 10 games (which I think is fair) they're at 2.87 GPG which would place them 8th in the league. A 71 game sample size is pretty significant.

Well I wasn't taking a shot at that team this time so much as praising this team.

 

[aufheben]

You'd then have to remove 10 [bad] games from every other team, no?

 

[Zil]

The LW depth is pretty atrocious.

And while this team has 4 good centers, that group leaves something to be desired.

They don't have an elite, gamebreaking center, but they do have three of the top 47 centers in scoring. If Stepan hadn't missed training camp, we might be talking about his first 65-70 point season too.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

You'd then have to remove 10 [bad] games from every other team, no?

That's a really poor argument. Most teams didn't have to deal with what the Rangers dealt with. The Flyers are probably the best example of a team that did that. It's not like we're taking out that terrible stretch in December. There was a reason for that team's bad start which makes those 10 games borderline statistically insignificant. Do you really think this is the same team as that one? Even fans of other teams seem to recognize that. Seems like our own fans don't.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Atrocious is a ridiculous exaggeration. Below average maybe, but we have 3 top 9 players at LW when Kreider is healthy. That's more than a lot of teams. What a ridiculous exaggeration. The center depth is good, it just has no superstar center. Stepan however has been playing like a 1 C, and with his play recently the center depth looks a lot better.

 

[aufheben]

That's a really poor argument. Most teams didn't have to deal with what the Rangers dealt with. The Flyers are probably the best example of a team that did that. It's not like we're taking out that terrible stretch in December. There was a reason for that team's bad start which makes those 10 games borderline statistically insignificant. Do you really think this is the same team as that one? Even fans of other teams seem to recognize that. Seems like our own fans don't.

No it's not. It's inflating our stats while keeping every other team's the same. Logical fallacy supported by subjective justifications.