Confirmed with Link: This is a bad hockey team (22-23 edition)

[Machinehead]

It's a board tradition and always seems to be a positive jinx.

The time feels right.

Discuss.

Click to read more...

 

[Machinehead]

Let me just say this, last night was the most boring 30 minutes in human history. I turned it off, but I imagine it was also the most boring 60 minutes in human history.

That said, we played a game of the year candidate the night before, so I don't think we're the common denominator here.

 

[Raspewtin]

absolutely not letting my wall of text go to waste so here's some hot takes on this season so far that no one asked for (x-posted from the last thread)

1. on the PP teams are defending the Zib one timer well right now and Panarin and Fox haven't figured out that they can't keep playing catch as an alternative. Panarin makes so much room for himself but he keeps looking for that cross ice pass to Zibanejad and passes up a lot of good opportunities because of it. Fox just needs to get pucks on net. This is stupidity. They cost themselves several chances trying to un-super glue the right wall PKer from Zibanejad in the last few games. f***ing give it up and take what you have. Though I think some of this is them being aware that Trochek has not been a reliable shooter in the slot and hasn't recovered pucks well enough to justify these chances.

2. Goodrow sucks. like legit sucks. he is so f***ing slow and talentless. someone can feel free to bring up that he has more points than Kakko and Laf, I don't care. He got a mega contract off the back of being by far the worst player of the 21st century's version of the grind line. Congrats and enjoy it before your buyout.

3. We're running two 4th lines without Chytil. But not just two 4th lines, one of them is a better than average 4th line while the other is probably the worst 4th line in hockey. Carpenter and Reaves on the same line is just hilariously ineffective. Snails laugh at their speed going up the ice. Blais isn't much better because while he's definitely faster and way more talented he can't do anything with it since the other two are about 3 rink lengths away from him when he enters the zone. It doesn't help that 90% of their shifts are with f***ing Schneider and Hajek who are both absolute bozos with and without the puck. I know Reaves has his army of defenders that wax poetic about muh swagger muh culture when we win but it's really telling that the same army is awfully quiet the other 90% of the game where he does absolute f*** all. Where's the swagger now that we need it? Where's the "confidence" he gives them" I'm waiting, they sure could've used it last night.

4. The other line of Vesey-Goodrow-whoever the f*** is fine but that's not a line I want to play more than 7-8 minutes a game. We all said this about Vesey, his game being reinvented is great and he's legitimately a very good defensive forward and grinder now, but he has not a lick of offensive talent or scoring touch to speak of and we have too many players at this point that that title applies to. With Chytil who brought talent and Blais as 3RW, it was better because they were for sure more of a threat, but it still wasn't enough. Blais clearly does not have untapped potential, he's a 3rd line grinder and that's that. He still doesn't have a single RS goal for the Rangers!!! Kravtsov being ballsacks and 10000% useless is another kick in the nuts. we really needed some talent in the bottom 6 and we're seemingly not going to get it. Concur that Krav is very reminiscent of Buch's first year here but Buch flashed talent every game while this dumb f***ing chicken can barely handle a puck without getting mauled. This is a serious problem. We're going to wind up making the exact same trades at the deadline because our bottom 6 is completely useless with the puck. Ironically, they are useless and cost a lot of money. That's usually how it goes here.

5. Kreider has legit not looked good at ES in three years. He is the ultimate floater now. Can't win a battle for shit, no effort in his stride, loses the puck on the boards CONSTANTLY. I wouldn't have such a f***ing issue with this if he PLAYED LESS AT ES. Gallant deploys him like he's a weapon. He's so slow at this point he's actually a liability on 3 on 3 and in other faster situations but he's out there never leaving the ice like he's MacKinnon. I appreciate the billion goals we got out of him last year but we signed him to be a utility, own the boards, own the forecheck type which he decidedly hasn't been since the f***ing thing was signed. He's a third line PP specialist now, so drop him to the f***ing third line and play him like it. So sick of watching him fart over the ice with no tempo and no effort.

6. Schneider could never be a top 4 D and this board will still fellate him because of that time he beat up Sharangovich and sent Boqvist to the shadow realm. He's terrible. He is insanely unreliable defensively and gives entry to the slowest players in the league. I wouldn't have such a problem with this if he got a healthy dose of scratches to watch his mistakes (last year, at least) and WE DIDNT PUT HAJEK ON THE SAME PAIR WHILE HE STRUGGLES!!!!!! Part of why Hajek being the 7D boils my piss so much is that it was telegraphed that Jones would sit a lot. Fine. He probably deserves to. But then you need a 7D that does something. Hajek is utterly useless and makes all of Schneider's many faults even more egregious. We are running the worst bottom pair in the league for the third f***ing year in a row. And I know that everyone's bottom pair sucks but guess what, they still play 10+ minutes at ES. I don't think i'm asking for much to get a bottom pair that brings SOMETHING.

7. Overall though, I think we will be fine. We've definitely tightened up defensively, this team has started slow every year that I can remember, and there's too much talent in the top 6 to be completely feckless. I think this board has a specific look in mind when we're "not getting puck luck". It doesn't look like getting stoned every night on 7-8 A+ chances. It looks like exactly what we're seeing. No bounces going our way, 50/50 pucks going the other way every time, those faceoffs that you win so cleanly your own D aren't ready for it and they leave the zone, goalies not giving rebounds, etc. There are real issues, though, and it feels like these real issues are the same every year and never change. Kinda tired of it.

 

[Kane One]

Last night was more frustrating than boring. We had plenty of shots on goal, enough PPs, and what seemed like the puck for the whole game.

My sheer rage must have been keeping me fully awake through it all, minus the last 5 minutes when I turned it off.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Kreider has legit not looked good at ES in three years. He is the ultimate floater now. Can't win a battle for shit, no effort in his stride, loses the puck on the boards CONSTANTLY. I wouldn't have such a f***ing issue with this if he PLAYED LESS AT ES. Gallant deploys him like he's a weapon. He's so slow at this point he's actually a liability on 3 on 3 and in other faster situations but he's out there never leaving the ice like he's MacKinnon. I appreciate the billion goals we got out of him last year but we signed him to be a utility, own the boards, own the forecheck type which he decidedly hasn't been since the f***ing thing was signed. He's a third line PP specialist now, so drop him to the f***ing third line and play him like it. So sick of watching him fart over the ice with no tempo and no effort.


I have nothing to add, just wanted to copy what @Raspewtin said here.

 

[Machinehead]

absolutely not letting my wall of text go to waste so here's some hot takes on this season so far that no one asked for (x-posted from the last thread)

1. on the PP teams are defending the Zib one timer well right now and Panarin and Fox haven't figured out that they can't keep playing catch as an alternative. Panarin makes so much room for himself but he keeps looking for that cross ice pass to Zibanejad and passes up a lot of good opportunities because of it. Fox just needs to get pucks on net. This is stupidity. They cost themselves several chances trying to un-super glue the right wall PKer from Zibanejad in the last few games. f***ing give it up and take what you have. Though I think some of this is them being aware that Trochek has not been a reliable shooter in the slot and hasn't recovered pucks well enough to justify these chances.

2. Goodrow sucks. like legit sucks. he is so f***ing slow and talentless. someone can feel free to bring up that he has more points than Kakko and Laf, I don't care. He got a mega contract off the back of being by far the worst player of the 21st century's version of the grind line. Congrats and enjoy it before your buyout.

3. We're running two 4th lines without Chytil. But not just two 4th lines, one of them is a better than average 4th line while the other is probably the worst 4th line in hockey. Carpenter and Reaves on the same line is just hilariously ineffective. Snails laugh at their speed going up the ice. Blais isn't much better because while he's definitely faster and way more talented he can't do anything with it since the other two are about 3 rink lengths away from him when he enters the zone. It doesn't help that 90% of their shifts are with f***ing Schneider and Hajek who are both absolute bozos with and without the puck. I know Reaves has his army of defenders that wax poetic about muh swagger muh culture when we win but it's really telling that the same army is awfully quiet the other 90% of the game where he does absolute f*** all. Where's the swagger now that we need it? Where's the "confidence" he gives them" I'm waiting, they sure could've used it last night.

4. The other line of Vesey-Goodrow-whoever the f*** is fine but that's not a line I want to play more than 7-8 minutes a game. We all said this about Vesey, his game being reinvented is great and he's legitimately a very good defensive forward and grinder now, but he has not a lick of offensive talent or scoring touch to speak of and we have too many players at this point that that title applies to. With Chytil who brought talent and Blais as 3RW, it was better because they were for sure more of a threat, but it still wasn't enough. Blais clearly does not have untapped potential, he's a 3rd line grinder and that's that. He still doesn't have a single RS goal for the Rangers!!! Kravtsov being ballsacks and 10000% useless is another kick in the nuts. we really needed some talent in the bottom 6 and we're seemingly not going to get it. Concur that Krav is very reminiscent of Buch's first year here but Buch flashed talent every game while this dumb f***ing chicken can barely handle a puck without getting mauled. This is a serious problem. We're going to wind up making the exact same trades at the deadline because our bottom 6 is completely useless with the puck. Ironically, they are useless and cost a lot of money. That's usually how it goes here.

5. Kreider has legit not looked good at ES in three years. He is the ultimate floater now. Can't win a battle for shit, no effort in his stride, loses the puck on the boards CONSTANTLY. I wouldn't have such a f***ing issue with this if he PLAYED LESS AT ES. Gallant deploys him like he's a weapon. He's so slow at this point he's actually a liability on 3 on 3 and in other faster situations but he's out there never leaving the ice like he's MacKinnon. I appreciate the billion goals we got out of him last year but we signed him to be a utility, own the boards, own the forecheck type which he decidedly hasn't been since the f***ing thing was signed. He's a third line PP specialist now, so drop him to the f***ing third line and play him like it. So sick of watching him fart over the ice with no tempo and no effort.

6. Schneider could never be a top 4 D and this board will still fellate him because of that time he beat up Sharangovich and sent Boqvist to the shadow realm. He's terrible. He is insanely unreliable defensively and gives entry to the slowest players in the league. I wouldn't have such a problem with this if he got a healthy dose of scratches to watch his mistakes (last year, at least) and WE DIDNT PUT HAJEK ON THE SAME PAIR WHILE HE STRUGGLES!!!!!! Part of why Hajek being the 7D boils my piss so much is that it was telegraphed that Jones would sit a lot. Fine. He probably deserves to. But then you need a 7D that does something. Hajek is utterly useless and makes all of Schneider's many faults even more egregious. We are running the worst bottom pair in the league for the third f***ing year in a row. And I know that everyone's bottom pair sucks but guess what, they still play 10+ minutes at ES. I don't think i'm asking for much to get a bottom pair that brings SOMETHING.

7. Overall though, I think we will be fine. We've definitely tightened up defensively, this team has started slow every year that I can remember, and there's too much talent in the top 6 to be completely feckless. I think this board has a specific look in mind when we're "not getting puck luck". It doesn't look like getting stoned every night on 7-8 A+ chances. It looks like exactly what we're seeing. No bounces going our way, 50/50 pucks going the other way every time, those faceoffs that you win so cleanly your own D aren't ready for it and they leave the zone, goalies not giving rebounds, etc. There are real issues, though, and it feels like these real issues are the same every year and never change. Kinda tired of it.

Laugh reacted for the snails comment

 

[irishlaxburger2]

Letting Trotz just sit there on the open market and not coach is organizational malpractice

 

[EdJovanovski]

I will die on the hill that the problem is we play TOO safe and aren't flashy, fast, skilled enough. I don't know WTF games some people are watching who think we look like we're trying to be the globetrotters. We're the furthest thing from that in the NHL, we are playing stationary, position locked, caveman hockey. We stand around flinging the puck around like a game of table hockey.

 

[Machinehead]

Letting Trotz just sit there on the open market and not coach is organizational malpractice

We just hired a coach. Firing a coach that won (for better or worse) after a year because somebody better rolled off the wagon is organizational malpractice.

Nobody would ever wanna work here which is the one massive advantage the Rangers currently have going for them.

 

[Jackson Ranger]

Kreider has legit not looked good at ES in three years. He is the ultimate floater now. Can't win a battle for shit, no effort in his stride, loses the puck on the boards CONSTANTLY. I wouldn't have such a f***ing issue with this if he PLAYED LESS AT ES. Gallant deploys him like he's a weapon. He's so slow at this point he's actually a liability on 3 on 3 and in other faster situations but he's out there never leaving the ice like he's MacKinnon. I appreciate the billion goals we got out of him last year but we signed him to be a utility, own the boards, own the forecheck type which he decidedly hasn't been since the f***ing thing was signed. He's a third line PP specialist now, so drop him to the f***ing third line and play him like it. So sick of watching him fart over the ice with no tempo and no effort.


I have nothing to add, just wanted to copy what @Raspewtin said here.

Agree 100%. GG needs to sit him down and have a talk with him. Pick it up or you're on the 3rd line!

 

[Bob Richards]

I don’t think they’re a bad team.

But I’m not that surprised if they regress either because all summer I’ve thought to myself, “what do they look like if Igor isn’t a .935 goalie and Chris Kreider doesn’t inexplicably score 50 goals” lol

 

[Cmox]

I will die on the hill that the problem is we play TOO safe and aren't flashy, fast, skilled enough. I don't know WTF games some people are watching who think we look like we're trying to be the globetrotters. We're the furthest thing from that in the NHL, we are playing stationary, position locked, caveman hockey. We stand around flinging the puck around like a game of table hockey.

Rangers have a real problem playing hot potato with the puck.

Also the globetrotter reference is more like refusing to shoot and just constantly passing.

 

[rangersfansince08]

Fox and Panarin need to shoot on the PP. And shoot to score not just shoot for a Kreider deflection

 

[Greg02]

We have three regulation losses and all three came with our backup goaltender in net.

 

[Crease]

They look like they don’t want to put in the work because the real season is the playoffs. They came out like gangbusters and said, yep we’re a playoff team. Problem is they have to get there first.

 

[Leonardo87]

They are struggling to score no doubt but it's not from lack of chances. Maybe they need to lift the puck better or have better quality chances. What's good about this team they still have a very solid Top 4D core, and a Vezina caliber goalie. So can still survive those low scoring games.

The bottom 6 continues to be an issue, and when the Top 6 goes silent the odds are not very good for the bottom 6 to pick them up.

The team is far from bad they are still a contender, but right now are not playing on all cylinders.

Some folks need to chill and be patient. Things will work out. This team is too stacked for them to keep this struggle up.

 

[chosen]

From the Atlhletic, today:

Speaking of the power play, the New York Rangers are firing on all cylinders on that front with 13.2 expected goals per 60 through their first eight games. That’s a mark that leads the league by a wide margin, nearly three expected goals per 60 over Calgary to be exact, and nearly five more than their 8.5 per 60 from last season, a mark that ranked fifth in the league.

The only problem is that the Rangers aren’t getting the results for it. The Rangers should have 11 power-play goals on the season, but they only have six. That difference is already enough to be worth nearly one win lost in the standings.

My model was sour on the Rangers to start the season relative to expectations, but their 3-3-2 start is hardly confirmation of that. The team still has the best goalie in the league, an elite power play, and is finally controlling play at five-on-five to the tune of a 54 percent expected goals rate. No time to panic yet.

 

[nyr2k2]

I think they'll be fine. The PP still looks pretty good to me. They're playing pretty well 5v5. It's just, whereas last year it felt like we got a lot of fortuitous bounces, we're not getting any puck luck this year. Hopefully that turns around soon; if they continue to play the way they have all season, I think they'll be right where they want to be at the end of the regular season.

 

[chosen]

We just hired a coach. Firing a coach that won (for better or worse) after a year because somebody better rolled off the wagon is organizational malpractice.

Nobody would ever wanna work here which is the one massive advantage the Rangers currently have going for them.

Imagining Trotz draining the creativity of Rangers like Panarin and Fox is terrifying.

 

[Number 9]

I feel like not having a player or two like copp and vatrano is hurting the team. Those players could jump to 2nd and first lines with no problem while our young players seem too green and aren't there yet. Tons of talent on the top two lines but currently we don't have secondary scorers. I miss last years roster imo it was balanced well.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Fine, I'll move my post over.

Anyways, I'm just going to keep hammering the point that they're fine but are dealing with really bad shooting luck. Everyone complained that they sucked at 5v5 last year and they're finally improving in those areas. I still think their biggest weakness is forward depth, but that's more to injury/training than a roster construction problem. Seems to me they should just keep going and wait for the bounces to fall their way. The only potential changes I'd make are bumping Laf for Kreider at 1LW, but I'm not going to act surprised when Mika and Kreider are glued to each other all year, and never playing Hajek again.

Spoiler: 5v5 offense

Spoiler: 5v5 defense

 

[will1066]

There is a tangibly raised effort on shot volume so far this year. Now consistently out-shooting opponents game after game. However, they are absolutely getting stoned on high-danger sweet chances. What's troubling is that this is occurring consistently against goaltenders who are not considered in the elite class.

 

[Number 9]

There is a tangibly raised effort on shot volume so far this year. Now consistently out-shooting opponents game after game. However, they are absolutely getting stoned on high-danger sweet chances. What's troubling is that this is occurring consistently against goaltenders who are not considered in the elite class.

They are getting shots off, but feel the majority are soft balls where a decent goalie will stop most of the time. 42 shots is great but from bad angles and no screen those shots aren't effective.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

On the one hand, our shooting luck has been horrific, but in the other hand we’re just not executing well, and the players you can tell have low confidence. Add to that Gallant making the worlds worst in-game decisions and that’s why we suck

 

[Machinehead]

Fine, I'll move my post over.

Anyways, I'm just going to keep hammering the point that they're fine but are dealing with really bad shooting luck. Everyone complained that they sucked at 5v5 last year and they're finally improving in those areas. I still think their biggest weakness is forward depth, but that's more to injury/training than a roster construction problem. Seems to me they should just keep going and wait for the bounces to fall their way. The only potential changes I'd make are bumping Laf for Kreider at 1LW, but I'm not going to act surprised when Mika and Kreider are glued to each other all year, and never playing Hajek again.

Spoiler: 5v5 offense

View attachment 599474

Spoiler: 5v5 defense

View attachment 599475

Also, in the Rangers' defense, everyone kinda has depth issues.

The cap is dead frozen in an era where salaries are massively inflating. Every team kind of just has to succeed with what they have now because nobody can add.