1. Even if you don't score on the pp don't give up a breakaway right after 2. Have to find a way to score first 3. Switch Richards with Stepan 4. Stop watching the puck and take out people at the net 5. Dmen stop overthinking and be decisive Lots of things to correct here but scratching out a win could get in the Pens heads and get the ball rolling.
Hit anything wearing a Pens jersey early and often from the drop of the puck until the final buzzer. Kreider needs to be on the ice for 20+ minutes.
as far as balls go, it's time for this team to dig deep and find a bigger pair or they'll be hitting the golf course this weekend.
I really think this team has taken on the personality of Rick Nash. Sad. I was his biggest supporter. I loved the deal. LOVED it. So did Chuck. So did others. I dont even live in NY anymore and I ordered a white NASH jersey. Boy were we wrong. Passive, soft players dont equate to wins in the playoffs. He is the anti Adam Graves. No edge. No snarl. Not clutch. The team has followed suit. The amazing thing is its not just Nash. Stepan has been an abortion. St Louis, a proud vet who has been a stellar post season performer called game 4 his worst performance ever in Stanley Cup playoffs. 13 SOG at home in a pivitol game 4. That is just unacceptable and is on the entire team. Is this team done? Game 5 will tell us alot. It's hard to not give up on this team after watching them, especially the last game. Rick Nash doesnt like being boo'd by the Garden faithful? Let's see how he responds. Let's also see how Stepan, St Louis, Richards, McD and Girardi responds. And Hank. I have a hard time bashing Hank he has been so good with minimal support the past few years. But he was not good the other night. Whatever has happened to this team - and I mean TEAM because as awful as Nash has been its really all the top players - If they can shake this off and play well Friday they have a shot. Does this team want to go out like this???? If they lose this offseason is up in the air. If Nash plays like a scared girl on Friday night he is done in NY. DONE. He knows it too I think. He has a NTC but he will be dead to Ranger fans. St Louis wanted to come here.....Do something other than turn the puck over. This team needs a strong Captain. Maybe they have one on the team. If so step up now and carry the play on Friday. If not see you in October.
I give you guys credit for trying to stay somewhat positive, but after the game I was at the other night I just don't see it at all. I think there is a much better chance we see something like 4-1 Pitt than a Rangers win...much better. The team I saw in game 4 is done. 5 shots in the last 35 minutes of the game. 15 shots all game. 28 giveaways. I just don't see them all of the sudden turning it around because we had a closed door meeting, and now the season is literally on the line (I think it was on the line in game 4 in reality). We'll see, but I just don't see this big effort coming tonight after the crap of game 4, and the inability to score a f'ing goal in games 2 & 3. As for Nash, he has to be here. I just don't see what the Rangers can do with him. Sure it will be 24 Ranger playoff games with 1 goal, but what options do we have? He has a NTC. What team would really offer a decent package for Nash considering his bad regular season, and another awful playoff season. I just don't see it. I said it yesterday, I think we have to hope this season motivates him moving forward. As he sits this summer and reflects he grows some balls and says enough and comes back as a man possessed in Oct. Like I said, this WHOLE season was a failure, not just the playoffs. 15 good games in Jan don't make your regular season a success when you are at best average the remaining games. He has sole searching to do this summer as he's in the middle of his 100% prime years. We'll see if he comes back a different man next Oct. Lastly, I think we hear about a McDonagh injury/surgery by Monday. Have to. No other way he could be playing this poorly after being a top 7 or so dman in the NHL all season. Just no way.
What nash needs is to somehow put the concussions past him. Dont know if that is possible. I think back to the first month he was with the team, be was the big power forward we needed. Now he is brian boyle. It's all head relate in my opinion. Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
McDonagh is definitely hurt, NBC showed video of the play in game 2 of Philly series where his shoulder was reinjured. I think the Pens are better than most have said, they ran away with the Metro despite a slew of injuries. The Pens are especially tough if a team decides not to be physical with them. As far as Nash goes, the Garden crowd will run him out of town if he continues the soft step. I don't think Nash is the kind of guy who will show up every day to be booed and I do think he has trade value. If Nash goes to a team that has size he'll go back to dominating, I think Nash feels that nobody has his back when an opponent takes a run at him like that Anaheim game when he was concussed and part of me doesn't blame him. The Rangers don't have any enforcer so they will always have to put up with the cheap crap. Unless Nash has an epiphany tonight he has to go. If the Rangers truly do lay down then I think Glen has to seriously consider whether he brings back a few players in free agency like Brassard. The ship is definitely taking on water but it hasn't sunk yet. Keep the faith. Let's Go Rangers!
Panzer- you're right on. Whatever you want to call it...chemistry, team toughness, character etc..this team has zero. The one year it was building was 2012, they went to eastern conference finals. Prust, Rupp and Bickel when in lineup made other teams think twice before taking runs at our guys. The old fuq Sather made sure they were not back. Not bringing back Prust was the start. If you're going to remove that factor what do you replace it with....Dorsett ??? C'mon. Hockey down the stretch and into playoffs has always been in your face intimidation. Either your team answers the bell or goes home. Look what happened the last few weeks of season to McDonagh, probably the season team MVP. He basically suffered a season ending shoulder injury with :44 seconds left in a meaningless Vancouver game and almost had his hand broken twice by vicious slashes from Simmonds late in season. Dan Gerardi, his partner, is a f'n tissue box. The same Dan Gerardi that let Gaborik get manhandled by Carcillo a few yrs back and watched. What happened earlier this year when the Bruins took runs at Nash...nothing, just as nothing was done when Gaborik got hammered. You are 100% right, there are few and far between character guys on this team. It has been this way for a long time here. Team toughness, willingness to defend a teammate (think about Adam Graves), is non existant...it's a self preservation attitude. They play on the perimeter and rarely go to the tough area of the ice because of it. It is obvious as the day is long that Sather does not care about adding/building that factor. It's not that tough to see why the most talented guys haven't succeeded here when it counts most. Not sure he even gives any thought. Expect some more soft 3rd/4th liners to be added in the off season as the run of Sather mediocrity continues ad nauseum.
Rangers need to get tougher, I think we all agree on that. Not sure if that needs to be a big goon, but we need to add some toughness. I think we need a physical winger for the top 9 that can score 20 goals +/- and add a physical element. We can also use a dman that has those tough aspects to his game as well. This is the last tweak we need to the roster to be a legit cup team IMO. Physical winger who can score some goals. Big physical dman who can pair with Staal and clear the crease and provide toughness.
The problem is that this organization always seems to need something. Year after year after year its the same story.
I don't know, I think we are real close. Replace Richards with a # 1 C, or someone better. Add a 4th dman to play with Staal, someone who is tough and physical. Add a winger who is bigger and more physical to be in the top 9 and balance out MZA, Hags and MSL. That guy plus Nash and Kreider should put us in a great spot. Swap Brassard out for a more traditional 3rd line C. So I really don't think we are far off. As a matter of fact I think we are right on the edge now. I really feel we could/should go into next season as a clear SC fav.
This FA class just doesnt seem very deep to me in the size/physicality department. Alot of scorers available like Vanek, Moulson, Gaborik, Vrbata but I don't see too many guys with the size and scoring combo we really need. I was intrigued by Dustin Penner...and then he scores 1 goal in 18 games with the Caps after the trade. Eesh. And remember, we're not playing Tortorella hockey here anymore. Guys that can't skate are not going to cut it here. I think the guy to look at is Milan Michalek. I'm honestly really not a huge fan of his. But I think he is the best fit. Good size and can skate, and is decently consistent in throwing the body. If we're really going for it in these next few seasons, I think he could be a big help. Would then like to add a guy on the fourth line with real toughness (not Dorsett fake toughness), and see McIlrath on the team from the get-go.
How this team looks next year up front will depend a lot on what they decide to do with Pouliot and Brassard. Pouliot is the only winger who is a UFA. He's the logical guy to go if we want to upgrade the top 9 (Nash isn't getting traded). If they want to keep Pouliot, somebody is going to have to be traded out. The logical candidate for that would seem to be Hagelin. I dont want to trade Hagelin though. He is probably the fastest skater in the entire league and stretches a defense. I think he's been bottled up a lot this year playing with Brad "Molasses" Richards almost the entire season. Hang on to him next year and give him a new C who can keep up. With Brassard I dont know. I wanted the 3C to be Miller's next year but he doesnt appear to be ready.
Chuck, you just game me the laugh of the day. SC favorites. Do you live in Colorado or Washington? I don't smoke but I want some of whatever your smoking. We can depend on MZA and Kreider. That's freakin it! MSL is showing his age since coming here. Hags is inconsistent and Nash is a waste of 8 million a year. He is a total piece of shit using the same crossover move ever time. Buyout Richards. Trade Brass, Step, and Nash. If they can't perform in the playoffs, I don't want them. I'll take 3 bags of pucks in return. Blow it up and start over with the young guys. Let's see if they have any heart. Any will to win. I would rather lose in the regular season while the young guys show some heart than the garbage we saw in game 2 and 4 and game 6 of the Flyer series. It is totally inexcusable. Let us know when you get your next shipment. Party at Chuck's House! Stanley Cup Favorites 2015! That is really really out there!!!
have to be realistic papadoc...and there is zero percent chance of that happening. Not starting over from scratch with Hank on the wrong side of 30. And Brass's deal is up so no need to trade him. Give MSL a training camp and full season to get acclimated here. He wasnt showing his age at all 2 months ago, he didnt age overnight. He's just not comfortable and it's obvious
I think it is very realistic we can be right up near the top next season papa. I know how we are in here, so the sky is always falling, but as is we are a top 8 or so team in the NHL. So we don't have to climb that far to get into the top 5. I just don't think we have that far to go. We need some toughness/size...no doubt. But we have a lot of other pieces in place. Brassard is a UFA, so we let him walk if need be, not a trade. Nash has a NTC, and we wouldn't get fair value now, so with him we just need to hope the light goes on this summer. Stepan is a solid # 2 C, but I would deal him if we could flip him in a package for a proven # 1 C. Richards will be boughtout, I have little doubt there. As for McIlrath, I would love for him to be in the 3rd pair mix, but we'll see if he is ready or not. So to me we are not far off. Again I know how it goes. We are awful. Start all over. The sky is falling. But that just isn't the case IMO. We need some skilled toughness and I think we'll be okay.
1. Buy out Richards 2. Let Stralman walk 3. Let Boyle walk 4. Sign Pouliot for two years 5. Trade for or sign top 4 d-men who CAN shoot the puck 6. Trade Nash for speed and size down the middle 7. Slip a mickey into Sathers cup of coffee
Prod, I didn't say get rid of MSL. I think his problem is Richards. They thought it was going to be just like old times and it's not. Richards is soft and slow. Get rid of Richards and MSL starts playing again. Then let Brass walk. If you can't play when it means something then go collect your paycheck somewhere else Maybe give Step a chance at #2 but he damn sure is not a #1. What is fair value for Nash? I'd take a bag of pucks! The man collects 8 million a year. He has 1 playoff goal with the Rangers. If you want to push a trade deal, make sure the pucks are frozen. Name another so-called star in the league that hasn't scored a goal this year in the playoffs. There is one. Chuck, you should have been booing louder. The Man sucks! He should give his paycheck back at a news conference where he announces he is going into rehab for being a FAILURE!!! And as far as Hank is concerned. We have heard the same BS from some of you for the last 3 years. Hank's time is running out. And we will be fans long after Hank's time has run out. So let's get players in here that want to play. Want to Win. And will do anything and everything it takes to win. Not some of these pansy asses we have now. And if Hank is gone when we win, so be it. But losing in the 2nd round each year is not cutting it.
