Game 1

Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Right step. Rangers have them this game. The depth isn't as good as last year. MSL cannot be in the first line
 
The count continues. Nash played his 43rd playoff game as a Ranger and only has five goals. At some point you're just tired of it.
 
Well, Nash is no Mark Messier. Thats for sure. We've seen enough. I kinda have given up on waiting for Nash to score in the playoffs.
 
The Rangers hadn't played a game in 6 days, no shocker they came out a little flat missing one golden opportunity after another or that the refs are going to let them play. Plenty of finger pointing to go around on the last play but Miller should have never iced the puck in the first place. I agree with you about Miller Al, just a little off tonight. Boyle is hot garbage, never want to see a guy hurt but the Rangers certainly wouldn't miss him, perhaps a healthy scratch to make sure his head's healthy. I liked AV sending the crash line out to end the game (very unAV-like), the Caps are a dirty team but none of them wanted to fight Tanner Glass even after he poked Holtby. That's who the Caps are - cheap shot artists that won't drop the gloves. Think with the rust shaken off the Rangers could easily roll off 4 in a row, worst case they win in 5, going on the road means nothing to this team.
 
panzer I agree which is why I'm not going to jump off a bridge about this one. Look there's no doubt Ovechkin is the best player on the ice. Overall though the Rangers are the better team.
 
Well, Nash is no Mark Messier. Thats for sure. We've seen enough. I kinda have given up on waiting for Nash to score in the playoffs.

I saw it in the regular season. Towards the end he started playing that same lazy playoff style he's known for. He was a beast for most of the season and then fell asleep again.
 
Same crap. Everytime time in the playoffs the teams offense dries up.
 
Yea dump it does seem like that. With the exception of Nash's last second garbage goal the team hasnt scored more than 2 goals in a game

I think he should juggle the lines
 
Juggle nothing. They need to stop playing like they don't know what the playoffs are like.
 
Same crap. Everytime time in the playoffs the teams offense dries up.
Mostly because in the playoffs you score more ugly goals and you need to crash the net. This team is allergic to that. They stay outside, shoot from far out and have no one down low screening or looking for the ugly goal. Everyone wants the pretty goal, and that's where AV's system hurts. It's not a gritty, ugly goal scoring system. It's a stretch pass, use your speed and get pretty goals type of system. There's a reason he didn't win a Cup in Vancouver. He's a great coach, but his system needs a few tweaks to be a great playoff system. Look at the Ducks. They're up 5-0 and they've scored ugly goals and have attacked the net and been aggressive.
 
Boyle needs to be in the stands. This team is in serious trouble. Zucc is out. They have 2 guys in St. Louis and Boyle who are relics and are pretty much washed up where the playoffs are concerned, getting significant minutes. This team looked poor against Pitt. Now, they are playing a much better team. If Nash doesn't start scoring goals, they will lose. Nash needs to be dealt in the off-season if he doesn't score in this years playoffs. You can't get paid 7+ million a year and be what is equivalent to a 10 goal scorer in the playoffs. It's embarrassing. Rangers have been unimpressive in pretty much 5 of 6 playoff games this season.
 
This team has been in trouble since early in the season to you dump.

On top of that this team has done a ton of winning the past 4 seasons. ECF, SCF, only team to make round 2 at least the past four seasons. I think they know what they're doing.

AV has made two SCF's, I think he knows what he is doing.

My comments are pretty simple:

1. You cannot have MSL on the 1st line. He's just not that guy anymore. Not sure what he adds right now. He gets pounded in the corner and never wins a puck battle anymore. Put Fast there or Sheppard there, they are better options in that spot.

2. I would take it a step further and mix up the lines a little. We are not scoring. 2 goals max in 6 playoff games (I throw out Nash's 100% meaningless goal in game 2 Pitt).

3. It is a mystery to me as well why Boyle was out there. He's on the PK for OV's goal (McD/G and Staal/Klein should be the PK pairs...cannot kill Boyle there but still curious why he was even on). Then late I ask the same question. Why Boyle and not Klein or G? Seems odd to me.

4. The Caps are who they are. To me no doubt we are the better team. I think we saw that last night. Really think how many times were we in trouble in our own zone, not many at all. As much as they talk about other lines on the Caps, which I still don't think they do much against good teams, it is still OV/Backstrom or bust. And PPG's or bust. Now with that said, they are a very dangerous team. OV/PP can win games every night. And Holtby does what he needs to do making a few big saves here and there and not allowing bad goals.

5. What concerns me, aside from the way we lost, is I thought we played well. We all assume us, but the Caps can play better as well. They might come out on fire tomorrow instead of us if we have any hangover from last night and are a little flat. We say rust and off our game due to 5 days off, well I say we started great and had many chances but couldn't score. I truly didn't see rust, I saw a lack of finish. Now you want to say we didn't finish because we were a hair off due to rust, okay say that, but this team always struggles to finish, so I don't think it was rust I think it was business as usual. And we came out playing well.

6. Look forward to game 2. We all know we must win it. The team pretty much knows it as well, cannot afford to be down 2-0 to DC. So you have got to figure they come out fired up and ready to play. We are the better team, and I still feel good about us in 7, figured it was always going to be 1-1 to DC. Only thing that makes me a little nervous is are we flat to start off a crushing L last night, which give the Caps a lead early. That would be playing with fire. Short of that we know what needs to be done, must win game 2, and we'll go from there.
 
AV knows what he is doing? As Boomer pointed out. He had Miller out in the last few seconds who was an incompetent moron in this game and a relic in Boyle who flat out sucks defensively. Not saying this team can't figure out a way to win this series. However, I'm getting more and more disinterested in this team each year. It's the same crap, year after year after year. Team doesn't score goals for Lundqvist in the playoffs. Period. It's been going on for a decade. A main reason why I watched the draft last night and very little of the game. I've seen this show 70+ times over the last 10 years. No goals for Lundqvist. I didn't need to watch. I basically knew the outcome after the first period.
 
Sorry but I get kidder about the draft during intermission and here you admitting not watching the game. Sorry but for all the fucking great info you repeat on prospects you suck as a true fan. You knew the outcome get the fuck out. Yeah we tie the score your sitting there watching who the cardinals are drafting saying.. Oh I dont need to watch I know exactly how this ends. Please just stop stop with the bullshit
 
You are hot stuff dump. You talk as if this team has been a failure every season. No ECF or SCF or 2nd round at least four straight seasons. Give me a break man. If this was pre-2012 you would be spot on, now it just sounds ridiculous to be honest.

You are getting more and more disinterested as the team gets better and better and makes it further and further. Same crap year after year...yeah winning playoff series.

You are a negative fan, and that is 100% cool and your right to feel that way, but please don't act as if this franchise has been anything but a success the past 3 seasons. No doubt the ultimate goal is winning the cup or bust this season, but don't take away all the good wins we have had the past few seasons, those all happened.

As for last night, I AGREE that AV didn't have his best game. Why Boyle on the PK and on the last shift? Miller was a little sloppy last night, after a great game 5, nervous I would guess, and he is on for the last shift? I knew MSL was a bad idea on the 1st line, so that I don't get either. BUT don't go larger than that and act as if AV, 2 SCF and 3 Pres trophies, doesn't know how to coach, that is just wrong.

I am over last night, I knew this was a long series at the start, that's why I said NYR in 7. I figured 1-1 to DC at the start. So to me just win game 2 and we are right where we were always going to be. It is a 99.9% must win IMO. Cannot go down 2-0. I am confident we'll play well, but like I said nervous because of how we lost game 1. I didn't like some of the players comments after the game last night. Took the L hard, which I get for sure, but that's one that could linger, and we simply cannot afford for that to happen.

Mix up the lines, MSL off the 1st line, Boyle not on the PK or on late in our own zone. Don't be an a** AV and bench Miller or move him down because of one bad game, we need him to score. Then we go from there.
 
How comical is this one. OV has never been past the 2nd round and here is what Trotz says:


“He’s very similar to Mark Messier,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said after Washington’s stunning 2-1 victory. “That rare talent that can play a very heavy game, intimidate you with his speed, intimidate you with his skill and his physicality.”


I mean come on, make a playoff run and then say that. We have to beat these idiots. I want to roll them 4-1 or 4-2 tomorrow.
 
The Rangers need to finally play a 60 minute playoff game. They haven't done that in six games so far. I'm tired of their same rhetoric that they need to shoot more. Stepan said it again last night. Then they get into the games and never do it. Refusing to take dead on shots and instead throwing it to the wings. Shoot and go to the net all game. Enough of this effort in spurts from guys like Kreider. Enough of the whiffs and pucks going off sticks unforced. It's sloppy play game in and game out.
 
How comical is this one. OV has never been past the 2nd round and here is what Trotz says:


“He’s very similar to Mark Messier,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said after Washington’s stunning 2-1 victory. “That rare talent that can play a very heavy game, intimidate you with his speed, intimidate you with his skill and his physicality.”


I mean come on, make a playoff run and then say that. We have to beat these idiots. I want to roll them 4-1 or 4-2 tomorrow.
I totally disagree with you chuck, nothing trots said was off base. Messier had hall of gamers playing with him helping make those great playoff runs. OV plays with a mean dirty streak just like our beloved captain. There is a huge fear everyone that dude touches the puck.
 
Mess = 6 cups. OV = never making it past the 2nd round.

Agree to disagree Al.

Make ONE long playoff run...ONE...before we start comparing him to Messier.

You don't hear Ranger fans or coaches saying Hank is Brodeur or Roy do you?
 
Agree Mess. It is annoying now to hear and read they say we have to shoot the puck more. It angers me since they say it and never do it. Next game Yandle will be right back in the slot and pass from right in front wide open. Or MSL won't even look at the net. And Hayes and Stepan do it as well.

Enough BS talk about getting shots and dirty goals. Do it and stop saying you will do it.
 
Ok, so after having a night to absorb I honestly feel like MSL needs to go back to the third line, move Miller or Kreider to line one. D pairings need to be McD/Girardi (EVERYTIME OV IS ON THE ICE, NOT LIKE LAST NIGHT) Staal/Hunwick, Klein/Yandle. I don't let Boyle near the ice, and if we had someone to replace MSL out there he wouldn't see the ice either. They're good for their locker room leadership, but on the ice they are both huge liabilities.
 
Agree with Al. Their styles are not that dissimilar. OV is a tank. I saw a play against the Isles where an Islander made a run at him trying to bowl him over and it was the Islander that fell to the ground, lol. OV is a beast.

To diminish his style/quality because he hasn't had the supporting cast is not fair.
 
Mess = 6 cups. OV = never making it past the 2nd round.

Agree to disagree Al.

Make ONE long playoff run...ONE...before we start comparing him to Messier.

You don't hear Ranger fans or coaches saying Hank is Brodeur or Roy do you?
Umm...Ranger fans call Hank King don't they....King of What?

Again...Messier won a two cups without The Great One...yes he deserves tons of credit, but can you honestly say that any of the Cap teams have the same talent that those Edmonton Teams did or the Ranger ones?

Messier won 1 cup in NY and it was Graves, Leetch, Richter just as much as Messier.
I think you are underestimating Ovie

But we can leave it at that and as you say agree to disagree
 
Wait, no one ever said he wasn't a beast or a great player. He 100% is a tank and led the NHL by a MILE in hits by a forward. So yeah he is all those things.

With that said, I think it is crazy to compare a guy who has never been past round 2 to an all-time great with 6 cups. And I also think it is BS to say oh the supporting cast. That is BS for sure. Last I checked the Caps have won the Pres trophy with OV...and wnt nowhere. Had home ice in series many times...and lost. Won their division many times...and lost early. So stop with the oh the supporting cast BS.

Now were his teams as good as Mess' teams, HELL NO, but no team is nearly as talented or loaded as teams in the 80's and 90's pre cap. The NHL is way different now.

So yeah awesome player. A tank and a beast on the ice. But I cannot compare a guy who has never played in the 3rd round to an all-time great with 6 cups. Can't do it.
 
King is his nickname. You have never seen me say he is Brodeur or Roy, and you never will until he wins a cup. That's just reality.

Just like I cannot say OV is Messier until he makes it past the 2nd round even once.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top