The East is really interesting to me. You could clearly make the case the Rangers are the 3rd best team in the East. You could also make the case they are the 6th or 7th best team in the East. So that makes things very interesting to me. I think right now it is hard to say the Rangers are a really truly legit SC contender. BUT on the flip side you could say outside of Pitt and Boston they could be as good as anyone in the East. And while I wouldn't expect us to beat Pitt or Boston, anything can happen in hockey in a 7 game series. So as we approach the roster freeze, and then the trade DL not too long after that, it will be very interesting to see how Sather plays it. Really go for it given in the East we could be the 3rd best team OR step back and say we are not as good as Pitt or Boston so I don't want to fool myself into thinking we are a SC contender, so I will not really go for it and risk anything for the future. Interesting decision for Sather.
powerhouses are ducks hawks pitt bost and then there's every one else.. we def. need 1 or 2 more players to take them on in a 7 game series
I'll tell you something else, this new playoff format is funky also. The division winners play the wildcard teams automatically. So right now Pitt (the # 1 division leader) plays Detroit (the lower WC). And Boston (the # 2 division leader) plays Toronto (the higher WC). Then the 2nd and 3rd place teams in each division play each other. So we are the 2nd place team in our division right now. We'd play Carolina, the 3rd place team in our division at the moment. And TB would play Montreal. That playoff system is so stupid it hurts. Right now we would play a team with LESS points than the Pens or Bruins despite them winning their divisions and having many more points than us. We'd also get home ice in round 1, while Montreal and Toronto, two teams with more points than us, would start on the road. VERY stupid. Wouldn't expect anything else from the NHL though.... You can use this format to set the 8 teams, but 1 should still play 8, 2 play 7, 3 play 6, and 4 play 5 based on points. That is MUCH more logical.
I agree pasta, but you can make the case we are the 3rd best team in the East. So with that being said do you take your shot, especially when you can also make the case we are the 6th best team in the East. Interesting discussion since only 2 teams in the East are really very good or better.
I guess you can argue this sort of goes back to the old division format the way it used to be, but I think that format sort of went out of style a while ago. Plus with wildcards it sort of goes against that division format if you really think about it. Just seems funky that the division winners could play teams with more points than 2nd place teams in their divisions. And also seems funky that a non-division winner could get home ice while other non-division winners with more points start on the road. Very weird to me.
yeah i dont like that format but oh well. I dont feel we are better then boston or pitt, but with that being said we should still aim for the sky. Get some reps and see what AV can do in the playoffs. We should make a couple moves to improve out club no doubt. but the bottom line is AV needs to bring the players he wants to fit his system. Theres too many players that are from Torts still and dont mesh will. With that being said in a 7 game series a goalie can steal a series as long as he gets some goals!! so anything can happen. We have seen it before where teams are not that good but goalies can carry them far, i can remember hask with the buffalo sabres going to finals and he carried them. *prays*
The best way to look at this is get 2nd place in our division. That is the best spot in the playoffs you could argue. If we get 2nd place we automatically get home ice AND play the 3rd place team in our division in the 1st round. That is a great place to be. Very possible we could play a worse team than the two division winners. I didn't realize how this all broke down. Now that I do I will be rooting against any team that is close to us in our division against any team in the other division. We want that 2nd place. Great spot to be in based on this new format.
The thing about this team is that they actually try to score goals. If they score 1, they then look for number 2 and so on. We didn't see that in Tort's system, where on a nightly basis we were forced to watch this team dump and chase and go into a defensive shell in hopes that Hank could steal a 1 goal victory. Not only is this team more entertaining to watch, but they are actually getting better under AV's system and in a 7 game series I believe they can beat anybody. The playoffs bring out the best in certain players, and hopefully the Rangers have a few of those certain players ... or can get 1 or 2 at the DL. I know they have a game changer in Hank
They'd probably do better in a series against Boston than last year, but certainly another big banger up front is needed to realistically beat them. If it ends up being Stewart he would help more than Callahan in that regard.
even the panel on hockey nite live looked confused about the east, so many teams so close to a playoff spot, who would play who, they were just starin at one another as to who would take the lead in the conversation
Hank's play has been lights out after the worst start of his career, the Rangers have 2 legit scoring lines and a much stronger PP than previous years. PP isn't always tied to Cup success as other posters have mentioned but what they fail to notice is that the teams that have won the Cup with a weak PP had top scoring offenses to start with. AV has them playing an almost completely opposite style from the Torts score once and sit on the lead method. I think this team is better than the one that lost to the Devils in the Conference Championship.
yup, the EC is nothing special, that's why as a team in the middle of it you don't sell off in January and wait until the deadline to make that decision.
You're assuming Staal and Nash with concussion issues won't get hurt again. The team sucks without them.
Rangers are quickly becoming a team no one is looking forward to playing. And if they could get a big forward that can skate and score for Mr. Overrated they will make some noise in the playoffs this year.
The NHL keeps playing games within their own sport. They keep on dildoing to make themselves happy. It is no wonder they cannot attract new fans.
CBJ concerns me with regards to finishing 2nd in the Met division. They are a solid team, and if Bob is healthy and plays well that is the team we'll battle with for 2nd IMO. The Flyers will be the other team I think, but CBJ concerns me more than Philly does. I like that BJ team. No slip up tonight. We have been off 4 days, and the Avs played in NJ last night, so this is a game we should win at home no doubt IMO.
