Just not enough instinctiveness

[chuckd3534]

Yeah, but he gets resigned for 5.5 or more per...same situation we're in with Yandle. Me personally I stay away from that unless I know for sure I could deal Staal or G.

Anyway, this is all pointless really. No clue if we would deal Nash, no clue if the Blues would deal Shatt, and we all agree that is a summer deal anyway, so no point in speculating in January.

I still believe in the team this season IF we can add a proven scorer. Miller is playing well. Kreider has to get better. Hayes and Yandle could get us the guy we need, and we add Buch for depth.

 

[theProdigy223]

Yeah, but he gets resigned for 5.5 or more per...same situation we're in with Yandle. Me personally I stay away from that unless I know for sure I could deal Staal or G.

Anyway, this is all pointless really. No clue if we would deal Nash, no clue if the Blues would deal Shatt, and we all agree that is a summer deal anyway, so no point in speculating in January.

Why can't we speculate? It's fun dude. And yeah he gets resigned a full year away. Maybe at that time Staal or G are ready to move on. Or G finally just crumbles into a pile of dust and we can LTIR him a la Pronger. Or maybe the cap shoots up exponentially. Who knows the deal when he needs to be resigned, all I know is we'd have him for a year at 4.2m.

And I think its 95% Shattenkirk gets dealt from reading the reports. I bet the kid would love to come home and play here.

 

[cagedlion]

Hockey is built around knowing how to play the boards.
As Rangers94 mentioned, this team avoids the boards
at all costs. They are not defensively tough. Game in and
game out the forwards are ready to exit the defensive zone.........
that's why it always looks like they have a very tough time
clearing the zone, two D men against 3 forchecking forwards.
Their transition game sucks. It's also another reason they
are dreadful scoring EN goals.

 

[chuckd3534]

Why can't we speculate? It's fun dude. And yeah he gets resigned a full year away. Maybe at that time Staal or G are ready to move on. Or G finally just crumbles into a pile of dust and we can LTIR him a la Pronger. Or maybe the cap shoots up exponentially. Who knows the deal when he needs to be resigned, all I know is we'd have him for a year at 4.2m.

And I think its 95% Shattenkirk gets dealt from reading the reports. I bet the kid would love to come home and play here.

I don't think Shatt is a Blue long term either, but my guess is that's a summer deal also after they go for one more run.

I personally would be concerned about adding another big ticket dman given our current structure and lack of scoring, but I do like Shatt and do think Nash could be dealt this summer if we bow out early in the playoffs. I just think we'd have to move Staal or G for sure AND we'd really need to find a way to add O BIG TIME if we deal Nash, even if Shatt will be 2 mill less long term than Nash is right now long term.

Who knows...

 

[panzerporter]

First Philly goal CK misses the net and the puck ends up at the Rangers blue line. Klein could have ended the play right there with a soft shove but instead opts to skate by and slowly loaf his way to the goal a stride late. Second PP goal Girardi is on top of the face off circle leaving the front of the net wide open for the tap in. No goalie in the history of the NHL could have stopped either Philly goal. I don't blame Hank for venting to the bench, he's more than earned his salary this year while continually getting hung out to dry by poor defense. I agree Yandle will be traded, not moving him and letting him walk this summer with nothing to show makes no business sense.

Some interesting offensive team stats - the Rangers are tied for 4th in the NHL with 2.83 goals per game behind Dallas (3.27), Washington (3.24) and Boston (2.94) but they are 27th in shots per game. Even in today's game I stopped counting after they hit 12 scoring chances that resulted in no shot on goal early in the second period. This falls on AV, he needs to start scratching guys who keep passing up high quality chances for low percentage passes.

 

[chuckd3534]

I'm with you on your last point for sure panzer. You would think a team that struggles to score against good teams would say F it and realize they need to be dirtier and shoot whenever the chance is there, but this team is always looking for the pretty play and it frustrates the fu*k out of me.

With Kreider and Hayes sucking, and a bunch of guys with very little ability to score filling out the lines like Moore, Stalberg, Fast, Glass, and even Lindberg, who has hit the wall hard, it is no surprise we don't score goals in big games against good teams.

Frustrating, but is what it is.

I would expect a deal for a scoring forward, but who knows what will happen.

 

[Stepupstepan]

We all shit on MSL for being old and done but we never replaced him. The guy had over 50 points last year in the regular season. I know hags had to be moved because of the money issue but he also put up 35 points. Thats almost 90 points between the two.

 

[chuckd3534]

In the regular season MSL is a loss. He produced in the regular season. The playoffs he was shot though.

Hags goals were 5 on 5 or on the PK, so he was a loss there. One that had to happen, no shot we could pay him near 4 mill per, so not upset over it, but still a 5 on 5 and PK loss.

With that said we need bigger guys for the playoffs. That's why in theory with Miller, Kreider, Hayes all here we should be better prepared for playoff hockey, but with CK and Hayes sucking we need another forward.

 

[mrmel29]

Kreid's starting his breakout today leaving a d-man in his dust at the blue line for beautiful goal and with any luck could have had 2 or 3 other goals. Kid is about to explode. Interesting to watch our D play and when puck is in the corner and 1 d-man in there the only other D-man on the team that protects the front of the net and doesn't join the other guy in the corner is the guy in the press box. Shame kid took a bad penalty that cost us trying to protect hank and he's banished till easter again. Chuck, because Hank gets paid a ton doesn't mean he's expected to make 20 point blank shot saves a game from forwards that are so open in front of our net they could be arrested for indecent exposure. AV is letting his personal player prejudices get in the way of icing our best team which is Dylan on the ice and glass off the ice. None of girardi, klein or boyle are playing well enough on defense to keep this kid who is more than solid defensively knocks the other player off the puck while starting the outlet pass up ice in the press box. And yes I'm a big dylan fan but anyone who has watched him play has to be scratching their head also at what AV is doing with him.

 

[chuckd3534]

Kreider also missed the net, as he usually does, which directly led to the Flyers first goal.

And McIlrath played against the Isles...how did that work out...oh yeah we scored one goal as usual. But yeah the D is awful...LOL.

As for Hank, when you pay your goalie by far the most of any goalie in the NHL I think you are saying we need you to be great big fella, and usually Hank is. You could argue considering how much we have spent on D when we have a huge cap hit goalie doesn't make sense. Maybe we should add some guys who can score and rely on Hank to be great.

All I know is over the past few years I have read time and time again oh if we could only score goals Hank would have two cups. Or I feel bad for Hank because we don't score for him. I watch us lose to the Kings because we cannot score. Watch us struggle to grind out playoff wins against lesser teams because we cannot score. I watch us get shutout in games 5 & 7 at home in the ECF, again we cannot score.

Now I see us scoring 1 and 2 goals a game when we play better teams and the games get bigger/tighter, and yet I read in here the D the D the D over and over again, or McIlrath over and over and over again, when we have 6 or 7 forwards who don't score. I find it funny...sorry but I really do.

 

[JD30]

Chuck... I think you're missing a big big point with your relentless defending of the D on this team. Every point you make is about them playing well defensively or referencing goals against in games. This roster has been built and paid around this coach's system...quick,mobile puck moving D joining the play. AV's system is puck possession system with the D playing a big part in moving the puck and joining the rush. We all know that this organization has no damned plan and started this season with 6 4th line players. We all know that ! However, Girardi, Staal and Mcd have been miserable moving the puck the past two months. Girardi cant get out of his own way and is always chasing in his own end...his misreads in the offensive zone have also led to the team giving up several breakaways and odd man rushes. He has lost a good two steps this year and has floundered 80% of the time. Mcd has also made very bad reads offensively leading to many turnovers. Staal used to be their very best puck mover- on his stick and out of the zone... Not this year, he is slow to the puck and beaten to it often. These three guys have been a huge reason why the Ranger speed and transition game that worked so well in the past 2-3 years has struggled this season. They are pressing big time leading to many mistakes. That combination of BOTH- the scrambling slow footed D and it's inabililty to move the puck and join the play AND the lack of production from the horseshit forward roster we started the season with. Both are equally responsible in AV's system !

 

[cagedlion]

^^^^^^Amen!

 

[mrmel29]

^^^^^^Amen!

Double amen

 

[theProdigy223]

Well said JD. I've tried to say a few times you can't simply look at goals scored and say the O is to blame, or goals given up and say the D is to blame. But I disagree w you on McDonagh, and Staal has been very good over the past month or so. G..agreed. Disaster.

At the end of the day we've had enough chances and shot attempts that we should be scoring at a better clip, and that part falls on the O.

 

[JD30]

Staal and Mcd have been better the last 2 weeks !

 

[Ranger71]

McDonagh hasn't been bad but he's not making enough of a difference either.

 

[chuckd3534]

You guys are simply way too hard on the D. It's crazy now. McD is on pace for 9 goals, 40 points, and is a +9 playing major minutes against the other teams top guys, what the F do you want from him. The D has played well the past couple of weeks. You guys expect the other team to have no quality chances and never have a shift where we are pinned in our own zone...that is not realistic.

They will have their bad games, wouldn't surprise me if the Caps score a bunch this evening, but overall the D has played well the past couple of weeks.

And again all we have talked about in here the past couple of seasons is if we had some O we would have won cupS with Hank.

AND Hank is our stud and rock. That is why we pay him like we do. I'm okay if we give up a couple of more chances than other teams (which we don't) because we have a stud 8.5 mill cap hit goalie back there. If that wasn't going to be the case and we weren't going to rely on Hank WHY THE F SIGN HIM FOR 8.5 MILL PER...GO GET A GOALIE THAT MAKES 4 MILL PER AND USE THE SAVINGS ELSEWHERE.

I simply disagree with you guys flat out. This jump on the D thing started early this season and it has been a broken record in here, and I just do not agree. AS ALWAYS it is the O with this team that has me WAY more concerned big picture than the D. Doesn't mean the D didn't struggle to start the season and doesn't mean the D doesn't need to continue improving as the season progresses. I would say 75% on O and 25% on D if I were to put numbers on it big picture looking forward level of concern wise.

Overall this is not about the D. I flat out disagree with you guys.

 

[panzerporter]

The Rangers are tied for 4th in the NHL in goals scored per game but I guess you could make the argument that they should be outscoring Dallas, Washington and Boston. The Rangers offense creates plenty of chances, they just don't finish them. A little more selfish play and they will be fine. 94 hit the nail on the head with his analysis of our defensive unit's incompetence during postseason play. NBC even put a clock up during the Tampa series last year to show how many minutes the Rangers couldn't get the puck out of their own zone.

Should be 2-1 against the Caps but as usual the defense failed Hank last game. You've beaten the dead horse about the offense Chuck but are not likely to get many converts to your opinion. To borrow your phrase I don't know what game you're watching if you think the defense is fine. Watch how any other team in the NHL treats opponents who try to camp out in front of the crease or bump their goalie and become enlightened. McIlrath addresses this problem and I think AV needs to go if he continues to be so thick on this basic hockey principle that anyone who laced up a pair of skates learned by time they were 8 years old.

 

[chuckd3534]

I don't think it is that panzer. How has the O looked the past couple of weeks as the games get bigger and tighter and mean WAY more than some game in October does? How has the O looked the past couple of playoffs? How many countless times over the past couple of seasons have we said if only we had O Hank would have cupS? Or I feel bad for Hank because we just do not score for him?

Now the reason is because of the D we struggle to score in big games and the postseason? I just don't buy it at all.

We get chances and don't score because we lack finishers. We pass up WAY too many good chances because we have fancy guys not finishers who look to score first.

But I guess a slow 25-30 game start by the D has flipped that huh?

Again...I respect all of your opinions I simply flat out disagree that the D is the bigger issue or the bigger cause for concern moving forward this season, and frankly I don't think it is close, and it hasn't been the past couple of seasons either.

Agree to disagree.

 

[chuckd3534]

And to be clear...in my opinion that is not to say the D hasn't had issues to start this season, or even in past seasons. Our D is not perfect. I don't love the contracts of Staal and to a lesser extent Girardi. We have a ton of wear and tear on the D. So yeah I get that and I have some concerns about the D as well...I agree for sure.

But when comparing the two I think the O is by far the bigger concern and has been for years.

 

[Ranger71]

Both areas have been pathetic for huge stretches this year. It's because of Lundqvist mostly that they started out with such a great record. The offense has no transition game, players that miss the net a ton and the defense is slow, soft and weak offensively for the most part, save for Yandle and McDonagh to a degree.