Game 3 Devils vs. Rangers

For sure - and it is frustrating with this group. They are SO much better being behind or being the underdog. Once they came home up 2-0 everyone is like wow the Rangers look great, maybe a cup fav now, etc. And they cannot help doing what they do.

In NJ they shot pucks, didn't try to be perfect, got it deep, went North South. They say all the right things into this game, they know what they need to do, cannot get cute, patient game, and yet they cannot help it.

Love them, but man can they be frustrating. Game 4 a huge game. Need 1 of 2 at home to have full control, so still in a great spot, but need to win game 4 or else it is a coin flip again with Devs having MO and home ice. Won't be a fun position to be in.

And BTW - once again Rangers struggle to score in big playoff game. 1 goal is not close to enough against that D and goalie.

 

Hopefully, the usual suspects who are arrogant tool Rangers fans and act like they haven't watched this team the past 20 years learned your lesson. One, don't touch the money. Two, as stated here. It's almost a lock that the Rangers won't shoot enough at home and will make backup goalies look like Hall of Famers. The shot total looked impressive but I counted at leat 7 to 8 high quality shots those dummies passed up. Typical Rangers. Now, they have a must win game. They can't lose both games at home and give them all the momentum.

 

Led by Panarin on the missed shot front. Dude missed the net on 4 or 5 golden opportunities. Didn't even force the goalie to make a save.

As for game 4, it is a must win, but for the Devs. Let's be real. Even if the Rangers lose game 4, the series is 2-2 and the Rangers have road ice advantage. Of course you want to win game 4 and virtually end the series, Devs not coming back from down 3-1, and I expect the Rangers will win game 4, but it isn't a must win IMO.

With who the Rangers are, they can certainly lose game 4 and still win the series. You don't want to be in that position, and it is playing with fire, but they can do it if they lay an egg in game 4.

 

Goodrow used the word sharp - the Rangers weren't sharp in game 3, and the Devs played better. I think that is a good word. They weren't sharp. Made some poor decisions - over passing. Missed the net too much. Just not sharp.

The Rangers had six giveaways in Game 1. They had three — “One, two, three,” said the Count — in Game 2. But on Saturday, pressured all over the ice, the Blueshirts had 17 giveaways through regulation and 19 overall.

With all that said, step back, no one would have said we'd be up 3-0. Now you hate to miss or give up golden opportunities like we had, but that's reality. We go win game 4, and for the most part game 3 is forgotten. Cannot lose sight of the fact the Devs are a good team with talent, and the odds of a sweep were tiny, the NHL doesn't really have sweeps.

So we are in a great spot still, just need to handle our business in game 4 at home. We do that and this series is just about done, and we'll be in a really great spot. So it is all very clearly in front of us with regards to maybe taking the preferred less taxing path for once.

 

Lmfao...arrogant ranger fans...what a tool...no...captain smith..unlike some we believe in our team..we don't jump ship the first sign of distress. Losing a game in overtime doesn't change my attitude about this team and their ability to win the series.

They still are the better team. End of story

 

The frustrating part is this was such winnable game. The devils didn’t play that great. The rangers treated this game like it’s a fucking regular season game. The more games you play the bigger chance for someone to get injured. It’s almost a guarantee they lose games in OT at home unless it’s game 7.

 

Not many teams up 3-0...oh that's right none of them are.. not even I said wr win 4 straight

 

They didn't play well and still should have won the game. The officiating has been suspect in most series but turning a blind eye on player safety happens too often with the Rangers. Not making the easy call on Meier who could have ended Igor's playoffs now encourages the Debs to ramp up the cheap crap. I don't think anyone predicted a sweep, I still think the Rangers are better despite finishing 5 points behind the Debs and their 112 points. 7 hits for Trouba, 5 for the rest of the defensive unit; 4 hits for Trocheck and Goodrow, 3 for the rest of the forwards. The ice did seem soft which is inexcusable for playoffs.

 

Thought rangers got a little too fancy with puck early on with the dipsy doo passes …

first PP was awesome , only thing they didn’t do was score…

after that they pretty much were a different team from the first 2 games..

refs are terrible for both, the call on shesterkin was one of the worst calls I have seen, along with the calls on Fox , prior games, we all know how dirty a player Fox is, lol.

let’s see how we respond next game, will say a lot going forward.

Devs goalie was awesome. Yes we did not shoot enough, but he was so poised , dude didn’t move. Wonder if they bring him back next game ?

let’s go rangers .. ohhh, and panarin, 1-13 on breakaways this year, shake head!

 

Of course, they’re going to bring back that goalie again

 

Yeah, Vanacek will be a spectator the rest of the way unless this guy suddenly gets lit up, which seems unlikely.

 

On a sidenote, how the hell is Chytil winning 69% of his draw so far?

 

Logically, Schmid would be in net next game.

but, vanacek won 33 games this year for team

Ruff , has a tough decision.

 

There is no decision. There is zero chance anyone but Schmid starts. Ruff would be fired on principle for starting anyone else.

 

Crazy fact - Saturday and Sunday the road team won every game - 8 for 8. Shows you once again home ice means nothing in the NHL playoffs, except maybe a little in game 7. The only sport home means something in the playoffs is basketball. You get big swings home and away in the NBA. Role players are much better at home. It is the one sport it matters. Maybe in cases of extreme weather football home field can matter, but it needs to be extreme weather, not just marginal.

Anyway, the Rangers need to break that streak in the first game tonight. First home team to win since Friday night hopefully.

 

I would argue that home field advantage is significant in baseball.

 

The only sport that win/loss records in the playoffs really reflect an advantage is basketball. I do think baseball is more important than hockey, which again I think means almost nothing, but it is not needle moving like basketball is. You can get huge swings in the NBA.