Pre-Game Talk: The Probable, The Unlikely, and The Downright Weird: Rangers 2013 Prediction Thread

[I Eat Crow]

Title says it all, instead of a running list of predictions for the 48 game season, let's do it with a twist. Think up a likely to happen, an unlikely, but feasible, and a weird prediction.

Probable: Rick Nash leads the team in goals, but Brad Richards leads the team in points.

Unlikely: Taylor Pyatt sees more top 6 minutes than everyone else thinks.

Weird: Matt Gilroy shines as a 4th line forward option, chipping in a couple of key goals. Eminger is the team's 6th defenseman.



Let's hear yours

Click to read more...

 

[*Bob Richards*]

Probable: Hank places as a Vezina finalist
Unlikely: Rick Nash scores 30 goals
Weird: Stu Bickel becomes the reincarnation of Denis Potvin and leads the team in scoring, hits, fights, and takes us to the cup.

 

[Fitzy]

Probable: Ryan Callahan's offensive production will dip with the addition of Rick Nash.

Unlikely: Matt Gilroy will become, though injury,, an every day defenseman for us.

Downright Weird: J.T. Miller will earn a call up, Tortorella will fall in love with the kid and he'll become an every day player for us as well.

 

[BlueshirtBlitz]

Probable: With the addition of Nash, our power-play improves.

Unlikely: Our powerplay improves to top 5 in the league.

Weird: Because of our great PP, MDZ wins the Norris with a PPG season.

 

[BBKers]

Probable: There will still be a plethora of stupid threads started this year here on HF boards

Unlikely: Henrik gets 30 wins

Weird: Zuccarello returns and scores the GWG in OT in game 6 of the SC finals shorthanded and Torts fumes at the presser saying "That midget should not have been on the ice - I wanted Brian Boyle out there and I said - Hey little guy, get out there and raise hell & before you know it we have a goal with the wrong guy scoring it. Boyle was tying his skates and I really would want to bench that guy for sneaking out on the ice. Accountability, damnit, Cup is nice but..."

 

[Ail]

Probable: A new whipping boy will be elected.

Unlikely: The new whipping boy will be Rick Nash.

Weird: Gomez and Redden are bought out then both signed as depth for league minimum, but end up being the teams best players in the playoffs.

 

[Levitate]

Rangers will have a top 10 power play

Feel free to file this under either unlikely or weird

 

[Boruto]

The defense will have problems much like last year

Callahan will be a PPG player

CK will be demoted to a life of a career AHLer and forever suck with the whale on a line with no talent or playmaking. HF explodes with an "I told you so" chant and results in massive database failure leading to an explosion at the hosting servers and forever terminating this website and we never speak to each other again.

 

[JimmyG89]

Likely: The team finishes in the top 10 in goals scored.

Unlikely: Hagelin becomes the most complete forward on the team

Weird: Tom Pyatt become our most valuable bottom 6 player, passing Boyle and Co.

 

[Punxrocknyc19*]

Probable: Rick Nash leads team in Goals and Powerplay goals

Unlikely: Taylor Pyatt leads team in powerplay goals and gets alot of ice time early


Weird: Stu Bickel scores the game winner in any of the games in the playoffs...

 

[McSauer]

Probably: Brian Boyle sees way too much ice time

Unlikely: Torts doesn't get fined for post-game comments

Weird: Marty Biron's five-hole becomes his biggest strength

 

[*Bob Richards*]

Rangers will have a top 10 power play

Feel free to file this under either unlikely or weird

I'm filing this under grounds for a lawsuit against you.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Probable: We will have 1400 different line combinations by game 3 (this could go for Weird as well).

Unlikely: Anton Stralman repeats last seasons performance.

Downright Weird: Aaron Asham or Mike Rupp winning the Lady Byng

 

[NYR Viper]

Probable - Stepan takes the next step and scores 38 points in the shortened season.

Likely - Ryan McDonagh solidifies himself as an absolute monster and Marc Staal reminds everyone he is still the best pure shut-down defenseman the Rangers have had in a LONG time

Downright Weird - Mashinter plays 10 games and scores 2 goals for the Rangers this season.

 

[Frozen North]

Probable: Marc Staal leads the league in +/-

Unlikely: Hank gets a minor injury forcing him to miss a few weeks, Biron plays out of his mind and puts up Hank-type numbers

Weird: Krieder scores 8 goals in his first 12 games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury while "stepping off the curb getting into his car". Both Daniel Goneau and Christian Dube are seen fleeing the scene of said injury.

 

[Machinehead]

Probable: Lundqvist has another season which makes me question his humanity

Unlikely: Carl Hagelin finishes top 3 on the team in points

Weird: Stu Bickel scores. Yes, a whole entire goal.

Weird: Zuccarello returns and scores the GWG in OT in game 6 of the SC finals shorthanded and Torts fumes at the presser saying "That midget should not have been on the ice - I wanted Brian Boyle out there and I said - Hey little guy, get out there and raise hell & before you know it we have a goal with the wrong guy scoring it. Boyle was tying his skates and I really would want to bench that guy for sneaking out on the ice. Accountability, damnit, Cup is nice but..."

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Probable: With Nash and Gaborik on seperate lines, we will score more goals than than last season

Unlikely: Chris Kreider will win the Calder Memorial Trophy

Downright Weird: After an injury wave hitting our wingers, Shane McColgan gets a call-up and earns a spot on the 2nd line for the play-offs (Still have that mancrush on McColgan ever since he was projected as a 1st overall draft pick years ago).

 

[Jackson Ranger]

Probable: Rangers make the playoffs. Honorable mention - Hank finishes in the Top 5 of goaltenders.

Unlikely: the Rangers will steamroll through the playoffs.

Downright Weird: Hagelin will score more goals than Kreider.

 

[Kokoschka]

Probable: Rangers make the playoffs. Honorable mention - Hank finishes in the Top 5 of goaltenders.

Unlikely: the Rangers will steamroll through the playoffs.

Downright Weird: Hagelin will score more goals than Kreider.

Last point could easily happen IMO.

Anyways:
Probable: Nash scores on the best pace since his PPG season.
Unlikely: McDonagh finishes top 5 in Norris voting. Rangers win the Cup.
Downright Weird: Gilroy and Bickel both earn regular spots on the defense, even though there are no injuries. Alternatively, Gilroy takes regular shifts in the Rangers Top-6 because it doesn't click from the beginning and Tortorella goes nuts.

 

[EpicDing]

Probable: Lundqvist has another season which makes me question his humanity

Unlikely: Carl Hagelin finishes top 3 on the team in points

Weird: Stu Bickel scores. Yes, a whole entire goal.

 

[Frozen North]

Weird: Stu Bickel scores. Yes, a whole entire goal.

However, after review, the goal is taken away from Bickel and credited to Mark Messier.

 

[*Bob Richards*]

However, after review, the goal is taken away from Bickel and credited to Mark Messier.

Stu had some close calls last year. He's my favorite player on the team so I'm just crossing my fingers when (if) the day comes.

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

Probable: Hank finishes as Vezina finalist
Unlikely: Rick Nash was this missing spark that the powerplay needed, which has it ranked top 5 in the NHL by the end of the season.
Weird: Brandon Dubinsky leaves Columbus to become a full-time Ranger fan. By the time the playoffs roll around, he takes over Larry's spot and is named "Dancin' Dubi".

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

P: Lundqvist is going to be well rested and should win games lots.
U: Our bottom 6 will be a bigger factor than we think, especially Haley and Asham.
W: Redden retires and becomes an assistance coach for our young defensemen on the Rangers.

 

[Jackson Ranger]

Last point could easily happen IMO.

Anyways:
Probable: Nash scores on the best pace since his PPG season.
Unlikely: McDonagh finishes top 5 in Norris voting. Rangers win the Cup.
Downright Weird: Gilroy and Bickel both earn regular spots on the defense, even though there are no injuries. Alternatively, Gilroy takes regular shifts in the Rangers Top-6 because it doesn't click from the beginning and Tortorella goes nuts.

I agree, it might happen but it would still be weird. How many people around here would have made that comment after the playoffs last year?