Game Thread Toronto at Rangers

[kreidertime]

Watching the Giants it's amazing to me what a bunch of pusssies half the team is who sits out on a regular basis. Can't wait until they cut 10 of them in the off-season.

 

[chuckd3534]

You actually have to give the Giants credit man...they come up with a new impossible way to lose just about every week. Not easy to pull that off.

I will be so happy when the Reese Coughlin era ends this winter.

 

[panzerporter]

I think Staal's pedigree and the notion that his declining play was due to recovering from severe injuries led to the unfortunate resigning. Statistically Marc has been going downhill for years, now that he's locked up here and it's highly unlikely that he can be traded one can only hope for the best. I'm more concerned with that useless hump Dan Boyle, arguably one of the worst dmen in the NHL. Come on AV, give McIlrath a chance!

 

[chuckd3534]

I think I am the only one on this board who doesn't have this hate for Boyle. Is he good...NO. Would I like an upgrade there...YES. But the dude is our 6th dman and he is a +3 (I know that stat doesn't mean a ton but he isn't killing us).

I also don't see this McIlrath thing. This is VERY unfair of me to say, but from what I have seen of his play in the NHL thus far he looks like nothing special to me. Now AGAIN that is unfair of me to say based on the small sample size...and I also want to make this VERY clear, if I were the coach I would play Mac more over Boyle (at least 30% of the time) to see what I really have in Mac. So on the record I would play Mac more over Boyle.

With that said, I really don't see this as an oh my god McIlrath is so good how could AV play Boyle over him kind of deal. I just don't. YES I would give Mac more PT, but I also don't think it is this crazy outrageous thing that Boyle is playing given what I have seen from Mac in small glimpses. But maybe if he played more he would show he is a good dman as he gets more PT and more comfortable playing a couple of games...it is possible.

Overall I am just not a focus so much on the 6th dman kind of guy. Boyle has issues, but he hasn't killed us IMO. I am more focused on CK and Nash scoring some goals than our 6th dman.

That's my take at least.

 

[kreidertime]

Boyle's play has been fine. However, the point is that McIlrath brings something to the team that it badly lacks. An enforcer who can hit a ton and play a quality shift on defense while enabling the team to have 4 scoring lines. Same thing I've said since they drafted.

 

[theProdigy223]

McIlrath is in tomorrow, paired with Yandle.

 

[chuckd3534]

I don't disagree dump...I would play McIlrath more to truly see what we have in him. My breakdown wouldn't be 11-1 Boyle over Mac. I would be worst case 8-4 at this point, and if McIlrath played well maybe even more for him.

 

[chuckd3534]

The Rangers PP units today are (NYR):

• Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan
• Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Oscar Lindberg, Keith Yandle, Kevin Klein

At Rangers practice today the team is using the following lines (NYR):

• Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello
• Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan, Jesper Fast
• Oscar Lindberg, Kevin Hayes, Viktor Stalberg
• Jarret Stoll, Dominic Moore, JT Miller

Emerson Etem is skating as an extra.

Ryan McDonagh is skating with Dan Girardi, Marc Staal is with Kevin Klein and Keith Yandle is with Dylan McIlrath. (NYR)

Dan Boyle is skating as an extra.

 

[SaveLundy]

I like stalberg and what he brings but he should be on the 4th instead of jt Miller on the 4th line, we should be passed this already.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

 

[panzerporter]

From what I've seen McIlrath has 5 professional games under his belt but I guess that's more than enough for an accurate talent determination. I'd prefer at least 20 more just to see if this 1st round 10th pick is worth keeping around or trading off, McIlrath would be a lot easier to move than Boyle or Staal. I certainly don't see him as godlike just want to see the Rangers move forward, there are other prospects waiting in the AHL AV needs to play him in games like tomorrow's against a physical team which Boyle is absolutely useless against. McIlrath has 2 SOG in one game to Boyle's 7 in 10 with 2A and a +3, not a huge offensive gap. I'm just asking for a chance to see the guy play, 1 game this year is no basis for an honest evaluation but similar treatment was given to other prospects in the past so perhaps this is just part of the process. There are few teams in the NHL that would have played a high draft pick so sparsely, that's what is frustrating about the way the Rangers develop youth, usually the only way for a young player to break into a regular lineup spot is via injury. I agree with dump about giving everyone on the defensive unit the occasional rest and that's where McIlrath can be worked in, there is little downside and AV already has his President's Trophy.

 

[chuckd3534]

I couldn't agree with you more as I said panzer. If I were the coach I would also play McIlrath more than 1 game out of 12 as I mentioned. I don't see much downside to playing him here and there to really see what he is, plus we know Boyle is nothing special.

I don't agree with questioning the way Rangers develop youth, I think they have done a real good job of that, but I do agree on giving McIlrath more of a shot. Sounds like he'll get a game tonight against the Caps, let's see how he does.

 

[cagedlion]

^^^^^^let's hope the Rangers do not lose,
so AV will find a reason to bench the kid another
two weeks. ( )

 

[theProdigy223]

AV does not have a problem playing kids. See Kevin Hayes last year. AV's problem (in my opinion) is that he plays favorites, and has whipping boys. Case in point: Miller on the 4th line tonight, while he has (again in my opinion) outplayed Hayes by a wide margin. JT might not be lighting it up, but I didnt see anything that would justify a fourth line day for him.

Tanner Glass was another good example of this...an AV favorite who can do no wrong.

 

[panzerporter]

Nobody knows what kind of player McIlrath is because he's had 5 games of NHL experience 5 years after being drafted which is ridiculous for a 1st round 10th pick even with the injuries. He should be played a minimum of 20 games this year, if he's a bum as some have suggested then deal him and bring up Skjei. AV needs to give Girardi and Klein a day off on some of the back to backs, let McIlrath and Boyle both play. The whipping boy crap is what I was referring to Prod toward home grown guys like CK, Miller & McIlrath. Hayes was picked 24th by Chicago in 2010, stayed at BC instead and had a prolific college career and at 6'5" 225 would have been hard to bury in the minors so AV really didn't go out on the limb there.