Isles at Rangers

[chuckd3534]

Big game. Rangers win it and to me I think 2nd in the Met is almost assured.

No Hank and no M. Staal (back spasms).


Alain Vigneault said that Henrik Lundqvist is "on the right track" but still day to day with neck pain.


Nash also skated this AM for the 3rd straight day. He is getting closer. Have to think he is back within 2 weeks, and will play the final 3 weeks of the season +/-, which should be more than enough for him to get comfortable with Staal.

Not sure which way this game will go with Hank, Marc, and Nash all out. We'll see...

 

[kreidertime]

It's not that big of a game. At this point the Rangers should worry about just getting in. I doesn't matter who they play in the first round. I'd rather they play the Craps in the first round than round two or three if they get that far and the Craps have momentum.

 

[chuckd3534]

LOL...oh dump...you rock bro. There are no big games to you since this team sucks anyway...right....

 

[Messiah717]

LOL somebody keep Mcd away from Hank before he kills him.

 

[kreidertime]

The Islanders will come out and do what they always do. Play the Rangers like it's game 7 of the finals. Then, go on and lose 5 out of their next 7 games when they have a pro-longed let down.

 

[chuckd3534]

I'm with you there dump. The Isles would sell their soles to beat the Rangers. That is why if we do play in round 1, and right now there's a VERY strong chance that happens, that would be a war of a series and potentially would weaken the winner for the Caps series in round 2.

 

[Rangers94]

Someone get AV more gum to chew on. He clearly needs another excuse as to why Scott Arneil is still on this coaching staff and why he can't adjust or adapt his system against a good forechecking team. Guy just gets out coached. Like I've said all year, want to beat the Rangers? Forecheck and take away the boards. Rangers don't know how to forecheck, and AV continues to coach his forwards to bail on the defensive zone as soon as a dman touched the puck. But hey, we're still in second and we're getting blown out of our building by the team we're likely to face in the first round. Nothing to worry about though.

 

[Ranger71]

Great start. They are probably tired but this will be a very tough 1st round matchup. The Rangers slow defense has big problems with them.

 

[mrmel29]

Bad start only good thing is their 52 minutes left. Unfortunately for the isles also. About as bad a start as I've seen in awhile

 

[Rangers94]

LOL...oh dump...you rock bro. There are no big games to you since this team sucks anyway...right....

That's more of a realistic approach then yours chuck. You remind me of Kevin Bacon in Animal House chuck. "REMAIN CALM!!! ALL IS WELL!!!!" it's all good. That's your approach to life. Wish I could be as blindly optimistic as you and go through life like an ostrich with my head buried in the sand.

 

[Stepupstepan]

94, you only post when the rangers are playing like garbage. Your act is getting old.

 

[mrmel29]

Ok, oscar answers and back in the game at 3-1

 

[Rangers94]

Look at that. Forecheck and goal. It's not fucking rocket science. AV needs to get it through to this team that they're NOT a creative team. They need to play a gritty game and get ugly goals scored off of forechecking.

 

[mrmel29]

And fucking glass yes glasses makes it 3-2. LOL

 

[Rangers94]

Forecheck, goal two.

 

[Ranger71]

Too bad they don't have HL as the normal backup.

 

[chuckd3534]

Welcome back 94. I know we'll see you when the Rangers lose/trail. Love it.... Team has the 2nd most points in the East. HEAD IN THE SAND...LOL.

 

[strudwickisthebest]

Looks like McIlrath blow out his knee.. Hope not ...

 

[chuckd3534]

Awful start. Played better as the period went on. Who knows how this will end up.

This would be a heck of a playoff series. Total coin flip.

Staal looked really good. Hopefully this will be the start of him being a big factor for us down the stretch and in the playoffs. We'll see about that.

 

[Rangers94]

Doesn't look good for Dylan, especially given his past history of injuries.

As for our PK, I think the issue is in the past we've played a passive box kill, whereas this year we are playing a diamond kill and that leaves A LOT more openings in front, which is why we're giving up so many chances to guys wide open in front.

 

[chuckd3534]

We'll see on McIlrath. He came out and skated prior to the 2nd, so maybe it is a knee sprain and out for a few weeks only.

And I agree 100000000000% on the PK. It is a huge issue. The biggest concern I have. We need to improve there or we'll have no shot to make a run this season.

 

[kreidertime]

Great news on McIlrath. I was praying it wasn't the kneecap again. Like I said. This team is all coming down to Nash. If he plays at the top of his game, maybe they can make a run. If not, they are screwed. Nash is also the teams best PK player IMO.

 

[Rangers94]

Great news on McIlrath. I was praying it wasn't the kneecap again. Like I said. This team is all coming down to Nash. If he plays at the top of his game, maybe they can make a run. If not, they are screwed. Nash is also the teams best PK player IMO.

What did they say about Dylan? I must've missed it.

 

[Ranger71]

PP needs to show some life.

 

[Rangers94]

We'll see on McIlrath. He came out and skated prior to the 2nd, so maybe it is a knee sprain and out for a few weeks only.

And I agree 100000000000% on the PK. It is a huge issue. The biggest concern I have. We need to improve there or we'll have no shot to make a run this season.

Special teams period are a huge issue. We cannot continue to be this bad on the PP or the PK. It's embarrassing that Arneil is still here despite how awfuk both those units have been.

 

[Rangers94]

There we go boys!!!! Shooting the puck on the PP actually leads to a goal. No real useless passing there and passing up shots.

 

[Rangers94]

Now get the forecheck going again and get another.
By the way. Staal, 15/17 on face offs. That's a HUGE reason we traded for him too.

 

[Ranger71]

This team loves icing the puck unnecessarily.

 

[Rangers94]

This team loves icing the puck unnecessarily.

And this is why AV is a moron. Let's take Staal off the ice for a defensive zone face off and let Stepan take the face off. Moron. Awful coaching.

 

[kreidertime]

Maybe AV will wake up one day and never play Derek Stepan at center ever again because he's fucking sucked at faceoffs his entire career. I'm so sick of that schmuck losing draws.