Your Opinion - Fix the Rangers

Zamboner

Juice in his slacks
Feb 7, 2013
2,530
364
NY
I don't understand how are team of grinders gets better by adding another grinder (ROR). If we're gonna move multiple assets, get somebody who can create offense, please.
 

rdhstlr23

Registered User
Feb 21, 2013
880
476
The last thing we need is to package more prospects for one player. We aren't deep to begin with, nor are we one player from getting a cup.

I want to package away vets for picks, youth, and skilled underachievers. Try and ship Boyle. Try and ship Gaborik. Not both, but either or. As great as Gaborik has been for us, and he's changed his game. He's up and down and non-existent come playoff time. If you can deal Rupp, you can deal Boyle. Problem is Torts loves Boyle.

I like Tortorella. The problem is the players. Gaborik, Richards, Stepan, Kreider, Powe, Pyatt, Miller, etc are all struggling to score. You expect the youngsters to struggle, but not your top players.

Lundqvist has been average, other than the solid 5 game stretch he's had. Way too many lapses and easy goals let up.
 

SupersonicMonkey*

Guest
I think he is (albeit a good one). But say he isn't, he's still a guy who does not create offense, thus making it a lateral move.

He has a lot of skill. He does create offense. And yes he works very hard. While being able to shut down opposing top players.

Not a lateral move at all, IMO.
 
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SnowblindNYR

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Nov 16, 2011
52,117
30,701
Brooklyn, NY
Anyone worried that last year's team relied to much on a Lundqvist career season? If you look at the offensive stats, they were nearly identical. Granted there were 2 big differences. 1) We seemed to be more inconsistent 2 years ago with really high highs and really low lows, last year the team would more consistently score a couple but wouldn't pad their stats in 7-0 or 8-2 wins. 2) The league as a whole scored less. So YES the offense was better than the year before. However, how much better? Barely 8th to 2 points away from the PT, better? If you look at the D the difference is pretty significant. Especially if you look at Hank's stats. He's never come close to those stats. This year (though a worse D doesn't help), even though I'd say he's been solid most of the season (today and first 3 games not included), his stats are not anywhere near those stats. Does anyone worry that the real reason for such a huge jump is a career year by Lundqvist that may never be duplicated? Add to that, the fact that Gaborik and Richards are over 30 and playing like scrubs. The picture gets bleaker. Doesn't look like we have the offense to make up for Lundqvist regressing to the mean. I was hoping for a golden age of Rangers hockey where the team is a SC contender for a few years. Now I'm hoping we blow this team up. Gaborik and Richards, their age and their productivity makes me want to get rid of them.
 

RangerBoy

Dolan sucks!!!
Mar 3, 2002
44,965
21,360
New York
www.youtube.com
This is not 1992-93. VBK's brother committed suicide. Richter was a disaster trying to get his game back after the Francis goal and he still had issues with the groin injured in 91-92. Leetch missed a bulk of the season with 2 major injuries. Nerve damage in his shoulder and the broken leg. Messier played with bad ribs. The coach was fired. Besides there is a cap in place today. The Rangers aren't in any position to take on money or make stupid trades.
 

YoSoyLalo

me reading HF
Oct 8, 2010
79,325
16,781
www.gofundme.com
I think he is (albeit a good one). But say he isn't, he's still a guy who does not create offense, thus making it a lateral move.

Absolute rubbish.

O'Reilly absolutley creates offense. Don't know why you just decided that he doesn't. He is great forechecker and a very good playmaker. He's a better version of Stepan.
 

coladin

Registered User
Sep 18, 2009
11,816
4,504
Ride it out.

It is a 48 game season, I don't see any reason to panic but the team has changed quite a bit, give it time. I think first things first we see how good the Rangers are when Henrik is not on his game and not that I am holding the Rangers success against that. Henrik is a member of the team as Hasek was who lifted mediocre Sabres teams into contention. Or the difference goaltending can do in Ottawa's situation.

Stay the course and wait for Henrik to get in a groove and that will mask what many perceive as a sinking ship this year.
 

Bleed Ranger Blue

Registered User
Jul 18, 2006
19,799
1,811
This is not 1992-93. VBK's brother committed suicide. Richter was a disaster trying to get his game back after the Francis goal and he still had issues with the groin injured in 91-92. Leetch missed a bulk of the season with 2 major injuries. Nerve damage in his shoulder and the broken leg. Messier played with bad ribs. The coach was fired. Besides there is a cap in place today. The Rangers aren't in any position to take on money or make stupid trades.

But if this isnt 92-93, it means the Rangers wont win the cup next season. :(
 

pld459666

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
25,854
7,984
Danbury, CT
This is where I disagree. Above all else, Tortorella asks his players to play hard every shift, not be afraid to enter the dirty areas of the ice, forecheck hard, hawk loose pucks, and grind down the opposition.

Im happy with the philosophy of a team that plays hard - that shouldnt be any sort of luxury. I think its on the players to change their philosophy, not vice versa.

Take a guy like Kreider - hes big, strong, and fast. What excuse does he have to play so timid?

If you have talent, you don't ask them to grind.

And if you have a team of grinders, you don't ask them to play pretty hockey.

Right now, the Rangers do not have team of grinders.

Richards, Gaborik, Stepan, Hagelin, Nash are talented players that should be playing a style more suited to them. Those are the most important forwards we have, and we are aksing them to dump and chase and grind the wall, below the goal line.

Asking a pig not to be pig is going to frustrate the hell out of you when he fails at being anything other than a pig.

Even guys like Pyatt and Kreider are more on the skilled side then the grind side. However limited Pyatt's skill may be.

Sorry, but demanding players to curtail who they are to suite the needs of a coach is a recipe for disaster.

We are seeing that now.
 

Dangleberry

Registered User
Feb 21, 2012
1,138
0
Queens, NY
I don't understand how are team of grinders gets better by adding another grinder (ROR). If we're gonna move multiple assets, get somebody who can create offense, please.

Would you rather have grinders play a grinding system or skilled players playing a grinding system? I'll take option A.

Gaborik and Richards are going to be dealt in the next few seasons.
 

Heyoooo*

Guest
Its not like we have Toews, Kesler or Bergeron here. We have Gaborik and Richards. Theyre not strong two-way players, who are not fits.

Adjust.
 

ncmike

Registered User
Aug 5, 2011
620
210
The way to fix the power play is when the team goes a man up, they should put a player like Asham on the ice and he should immediately shoot the puck over the glass. Then play 4v4.
 

rkhum

Registered User
Aug 3, 2011
2,242
55
I don't understand Torts in regards to the Power Play.

He has no problem juggling lines at the first glimpse of trouble.
Yet he continues to have Richards run the PP along with Del Zotto.

WHY doesn't he pull Richards off the top unit and plug in Gaborik?
Richards is not that playmaker, keeping him there is stubborness and is only hurting the Rangers and Richards confidence.

I don't get why the coach who yanks players left and right on even strength won't do it here.
 

aim2win

Registered User
Feb 4, 2013
15
0
I don't understand Torts in regards to the Power Play.

He has no problem juggling lines at the first glimpse of trouble.
Yet he continues to have Richards run the PP along with Del Zotto.

WHY doesn't he pull Richards off the top unit and plug in Gaborik?
Richards is not that playmaker, keeping him there is stubborness and is only hurting the Rangers and Richards confidence.

I don't get why the coach who yanks players left and right on even strength won't do it here.

Interesting.... Richards gets boarded and is too hurt to play on the PP last night and the Rangers score twice.
 

cd211

Registered User
Feb 6, 2010
1,745
26
New York, NY
our system isn't dump and chase, every team in the league does it.. defenses throughout the league dont allow teams to carry the puck in the league, and they take time and space..thats why they dump it.. rangers game is all about puck possession game...grinding it out is just pressure on the puck hard..so can someone tell me what our system is by grinding it out and dump and chase, im trying to figure it out?
 

Blue Blooded

Most people rejected his message
Oct 25, 2010
4,524
2,435
Stockholm
Ride it out. Just ride it out.

We are significantly outplaying the opposition at even strength, which we haven't done in the past few seasons. We are 22nd in the league in ES Sh% after placing 8th last year.

Most of the players taking a significant part of our shots are shooting at levels way below their career average, they will in all likelihood regress upwards. This regression should be enough to take us from where we are to the top of our conference, even with a laughable PP.

This is a good team, and should have home advantage in the playoffs if they manage to stay healthy.
 

Nac Mac Feegle

wee & free
Jun 10, 2011
34,903
9,320
Interesting.... Richards gets boarded and is too hurt to play on the PP last night and the Rangers score twice.

But, was it because Richards was missing, or because the Rangers team actually showed some emotion after that hit? Or is it parts of both?

I have noticed the Rangers have been in zombie mode most of the year...they need to get angry out there on the ice. Get that adrenaline going.
 

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