Game 4 Preds vs. Rangers

[kreidertime]

Just keep on playing Igor. Quick good guy, washed up goalie. Team can't afford to give away games this season. Garand needs to be up by game 20.

 

[Ranger71]

Hopefully Wheeler can get going a little and give them 15-20g this year.

 

[kreidertime]

What’s up with those hideous sky blue jerseys people are wearing?

 

[kreidertime]

First incompetent call of the game already

 

[Ranger71]

Zero offense so far.

 

[kreidertime]

Miller is such a stupid fuck he’ll be getting benched soon.

 

[kreidertime]

Zibanejad passing up a shot 15 feet in front of the goal center ice, stupid fuck

 

[faatanqui]

Preds own us

gustavson must use his body to knock that puck down. Kid has been a liability .

 

[kreidertime]

Do you watch games with your eyes closed? Miller, as usual, made a low percentage pass with a high percentage of leading to an odd rush. Gustavsson is also a +4 and that stat is actually reflective that he’s playing well. Miller had a major fuck up last game.

 

[faatanqui]

The puck went over gustavson stick and right to pred player coming out of box.

he must do whatever he can not to let puck get by him

 

[Ranger71]

Gotta get one by the end of the period.

 

[Messiah717]

Terrible night all around for this team. I’ll take it in stride as they’re four games into a new system. Even with that said I don’t know if I see much to be excited about.

 

[Ranger71]

Overpassing, missed nets and Fox not shooting enough. Rinse and repeat.

 

[Stepupstepan]

Nothing will change unless they blow up the core of this team. Top vet players suck 5 on 5. This sack of shit Drury brings in more slow washed up players. He has no plan. He just does things any other shitty GM would do.

 

[Stepupstepan]

Amazing all other teams get their franchise players picking first and second and we get these two duds Kakko and Lafatrerrinier.

 

[Malcom]

Amazing all other teams get their franchise players picking first and second and we get these two duds Kakko and Lafatrerrinier.

This is basically it, those 2 picks not being studs is the difference between decent Ranger teams and a championship level Ranger team. If they played up to where they were picked it would hide some of the other issues the team has.

 

[kreidertime]

It's taken me a long time to admit it but Kakko and Lafreniere are really looking like busts. Don't know if it was their fault or the Rangers idiotic way of not developing them. I agree with Stepan, the move to make which is dangerous with Shesterkin in his prime is to blow this team up somewhat and go in a different direction.

 

[Messiah717]

It's taken me a long time to admit it but Kakko and Lafreniere are really looking like busts. Don't know if it was their fault or the Rangers idiotic way of not developing them. I agree with Stepan, the move to make which is dangerous with Shesterkin in his prime is to blow this team up somewhat and go in a different direction.

We will see how things move along but I’m not sure you can lose a winger like Vlad, replace him with a Wheeler and say you’re a better team. I think we all agreed that if the kids don’t take a major step that this team is in trouble. So far they’re coming off as a worse version of last year’s team. If Igor doesn’t save them they will be in trouble.

 

[Messiah717]

I’ll also still say the Rangers had their usual bad luck in those draft years. Other teams get their Crosby and Mcdavid. The Rangers got two wingers and I always thought they would be lucky if one panned out. The Devils got Hughes. Typical Ranger luck.

 

[kreidertime]

Lafreniere is a fn left wing. Yet, every dickhead we have here won't make a vet move to right wing. Not to mention put Lafreniere and Kakko on the first PP unit. Mind boggling. I've said it forever. All players, especially really young players get their offensive confidence playing a ton on the PP. Yet, every coach we have here sucks off the vets and puts the kids on the second PP unit. So doing a rebuild would be useless unless you get rid of Panarin for starters. To me, Panarin to Chicago makes sense. Bedard has squat to work with over there. Hawks have the cap space. Shouldn't be a problem if the Rangers eat about 30% of his contract. Just need the tool to accept a trade. They might want Kakko or Lafreniere instead. Any trade would be tricky. You have to get back NHL ready prospects or young players that are starting out and some picks. I like Reichel a lot of the Hawks. They have plenty of second round picks for years. So maybe Zac Jones and Panarin for Reichel and a second. They might want Lafreniere or Kakko with Jones for Reichel and a couple of second round picks. Either way, I doubt Drury is the guy to do it.

 

[NYR_94]

I'm not going to make up fantasy trades that have no shot of happening. I think this comes down to two things - the kids need to take a big step up (as 717 wrote we all knew that would be the case if this team were to take a step forward), and the vets on this team simply don't play the way that is needed to win tough hockey games, and they are a mismatched bunch.

I don't think Vlad has anything to do with it, if he were here instead of Wheeler we'd be a very different team? That didn't work last season, and Kakko and Laf need to be playing well in the top 6 for us to have a real shot at big things anyway. I like Vlad a lot, but he isn't moving the needle here with the issues this team has.

We can blame the Rangers for Laf and Kakko not turning into the players you'd expect selected 1 and 2 in the draft, but I think that is a bit faulty. If these guys were as good as they were supposed to be, it would show up. They would rise to the top. We'd see a lot of glimpses at least. Only 4 games, but they are playing in the top 6 now, and how have they played thus far? At best they look like ordinary guys to me. I won't tell you there is no responsibility on the Rangers management/coaches for these guys not performing at the expected level, there is for sure, and the Rangers have to own that, but the larger % no doubt IMO is on Laf and Kakko for not being near the players they were expected to be when drafted 1 and 2.

As far as Drury goes, I hated the move from day 1. What did Chris Drury ever do to be the Pres and GM of the NYR? That is a premiere job in all of the NHL, and Drury gets to it with a few years of assistant GM experience? Come on now, he was not qualified to be in that dual role when he was put there, and I have seen nothing that has shown me he should have been put there. He had a great trade DL 2 years ago, and outside of that I have seen very little from him. Thanks Dolan and Sather for that move. And BTW, where we thought the Rangers were 3 years ago with all these kids ready to blow up, to where we are now with the moves Drury made to finish the team off, is the biggest bummer of all to me at least. I thought we were on the edge of great teams and great runs, and instead we have this.

I'll also add, the flat cap has killed the Rangers, but that is no excuse as all the teams have been hurt by that. Go look at how many teams are in a terrible cap position just like the Rangers. Some teams have already played short this season due to cap issues. It's a joke, and why the NHL is a joke also. The players need to get some balls in the NHL and stop Bettman and a handful of hard-line owners from killing teams. You can never keep a team together for more than a few seasons, so many teams have no wiggle room at all to improve, there is no flexibility at all. It is a broken model that hurts teams and the league. Thankfully at least the cap will go up $4M + next season, but the broken model will still be here until the players man up against the Bettman and the owners.

The Rangers also have two contracts that really hurt them, Goodrow at over $3.6M for a 4th line sort of leader/gritty guy is $2M too much, and Panarin at over $11.6M per is over $3M too much. $5M doesn't seem like a lot, but it is in a cap system that is tight like the NHL's system. You could argue Trouba also makes about $2M too much. With this system and the flat cap, you almost need to be perfect or close to it, and these contracts really hurt the team. With that said, if Laf and Kakko were the players we expected them to be it wouldn't matter nearly as much, which is why I think a big % of the concerns comes right back to that sadly.

With that all said, I am not ready to give up on this season after 4 games. We are 2-2, and outside of the Nashville game I think we have played pretty well. I don't have overly high hopes, but I will stay hopeful none the less that these guys get it together and make a run like 2 years ago - looking at you Laf and Kakko.

 

[PorterPanzer]

Laf is a lazy hump who has done nothing to improve his skating, strength or offense over the years and the Rangers have bent over backwards to try and accommodate Alexi. He's right behind CK, Panarin and Mika on PP time (as he should be) and done nothing. Even after a promising start to the season with a tip in goal against Buffalo, since then 1 SOG in 3 games.

 

[Ranger71]

Wheeler looks like he eats 3 Big Macs before he steps on the ice he's so sluggish. Maybe it will take some time for him to adjust to things but he looks bad so far. Another issue is Trocheck, who really is more of a 3C being forced into a higher slot. We really miss that 1-2 punch the better teams have.

 

[kreidertime]

Carlsson first nhl game. Second overall pick. 19 minutes of icetime. Pay attention Rangers you dumb fucks.

 

[kreidertime]

I read two lines of your long winded post then I’m bored and stopped. You need a hobby.

 

[faatanqui]

Conditioning chemistry cohesion

this team shows none of them.

 

[Messiah717]

Maybe this early west coast trip is what these guys need and it will help them come together. That’s me looking at the bright side. The other side as far as I’m concerned is I feel this team is a worse version of the ECF team two years ago.

 

[PorterPanzer]

Laf has never had the legs to skate 19 minutes per game and if he somehow did it wouldn't change the fact that he won't shoot the puck. I thought we had finally pulled you from the clutches of the Lafatfanboy Cult Dump but it appears your will is faltering.

 

[Stepupstepan]

Actually Dump is going to the other side. He is finally acknowledging that Laf is a bust. Read his post earlier

 

[Ranger71]

And Miller, don't even get me started. Despite decent numbers last year, he's been a turnover factory.