What have we learned this season about the NYR, Your thoughts count

I feel everybody that posts here even if so rarely should put there 2 cents about there opinion about the rangers this season i will go first, you guys can agree or disagree.

We realized, how much easier it is to score goals and win some games with a decent Power Play, The dreaded PP of the past 2 seasons definitely affected the players and probably carried over to there regular lines, it was terrible it is decent, there are games where we don't deserve to win and our PP Bails us out.

Zucc since his first game i always said in my head he is a mini Martin St louis, And as AV showed us this year, this kid has talent and heart, he may not be the biggest but he is a goal scorer that i hope continues to get better, thank god we didn't get rid of him.

During a stretch a lot of you guys said you would trade nash and im glad you guys aren't GM's, The truth is he had a down year but still played pretty good almost 30 goals, and 9 GWG,s some shortys and he missed some games, I dont know about you guys but i want him here,

We also learned that it is much more succesful if we have more then one line that can score, i feel some lines played better then others but there were times that we got goals from all 4 lines, that great and means great things in playoffs, Look at how boston scores.

we also learned that boyle is a 4th line player, not third not second, it is what it is, he is good for 4th liner that barely plays, he plays hard but just isn't that good.

We also learned that Ryan M, is our Stud D he is very good, and has a offense side that has creeped up on some of us, scarey how torts was holding some things back from these players,

and lastly how fortunate we are having 2 SOLID goalies, serioulsy, i feel some teams stuggle to find one goalie and our backup talbot is nice, i feel like some teams will be interested in him this off season, i hope he stays as he is good as a backup. and of course Hank on a down year still being hank better then most people goalies.

Go Rangers go playoffs, its the best time of year for me as playoff hockey is best sport on earth,. !!!

how do you guys feel?

 

I feel we got better as the season went on, which is always a good thing. The fact that we got up to 2nd in the Met is awesome. It was nice to see a more open system while still having very good D by the numbers.

Seeing McDonagh become a stud was great.
Seeing MZA become a real weapon was great.

Excited for the playoffs. Be ready for an all out physcial war. We cannot back down. Should be a great long series.

 

At times, they can make mediocre goalies look like Hall of Famers

 

OK, so my mentality after Torts was canned and AV was hired is that this entire season is a bonus. With the drastic change of coaches and shift in playing style and philosophy i cant help but think making the playoffs and anything that transpires from it is a bonus. next year should be interesting after this offseason

 

I was up and down on this team all year but I really think they are better positioned for a ECF run than most Rangers teams of late, even the one that won the Presidents trophy....Primarily because they have a ton of scoring depth. St Louis, Nash and Hank will carry this team as far as they can go. If those guys have great playoffs this team can win the East. Believe it

 

i dont know about winning the east, but i always said a hot goalie can steal series, its easy so say boston is best team in east right now and there going to be difficult to beat on any given night, that being said we got one team to deal with first before ANYTHING is said, we need to take care of business against philly

 

The winner of the Rangers Flyers series will beat the Pens in round 2 (assuming they survive the BJ's).

The Rangers Flyers series is going to be a LONG hard fought tossup battle. Very difficult to flat out predict a winner with any strong conviction. I say Rangers in 7, but it is a tossup I believe.

 

I think my final opinion of this team will be shaped by how these next few weeks shake out. But there are some things that can be said now.

I think an argument can be made that the MVP (most valuable person) of this team was AV. The squad AV inherited was not really built for AV hockey. We started the year with only one pure finisher in Nash, and he missed a huge chunk of time. But look how the season has evolved. Despite lacking finishers, this team has actual scoring depth for the first time in years. Three lines that can score, and an effective fourth line. The system AV has installed creates chances and emphasizes break outs. Even if they dont finish as much as they should, the chances are there. He sticks with players and puts them in situations where they can succeed.

I also agree with a lot of the personnel decisions AV made. He got Asham and Pyatt out of here. He stuck with Pouliot and got him to play the best hockey of his career. Pouliot has been hugely important to this team. Like I said, there was a real lack of finishers on this team. Getting Pouliot to be an effective top 9 player is one of the reasons this season has turned around. Huge props to Pouliot for not getting frustrated and working hard. AV also stuck with Zucc who has turned out to be one of our best offensive weapons. He even got Carcillo to go from azzhole goon to effective fourth line player.

2 other guys who deserve huge props are Girardi and Staal. These guys are defensive defenseman through and through. They have each only played for two coaches in their career, Renney and Torts. Imagine how tough it was for two vets like that to suddenly have to make such a drastic shift in style of play? They started out slow, as expected, and people were all over them for it. But both have played great hockey since about the quarter mark of the season and are huge factors in the season's turn around. Girardi is a true Ranger, as his contract situation demonstrated. Hopefully we'll see something similar with Staal this summer.

I still think there will be changes this offseason. Have to get bigger and tougher up front, and need a finisher to go with all these playmakers. But for now let's see how these playoffs go because this team has already demonstrated it can at least hang with just about anybody.

 

what we have learned or figured out?

torts was a dictator

zuccarello is as good a player on a smaller rink

kreider has earned the respect from the league

a good PP is imperative

blocking shots is not what defense is all about

 

Well said Prod. Agree with your comments on AV, and especially agree with your comments on Girardi and Staal.

This team has 3 top dmen IMO. McDonagh is a stud # 1. Girardi is a 1st pair guy. Staal is a 1st/2nd pair guy. After that our D is made up of 3rd pair guys. So we need all 3 of our top guys playing at a high level to have a solid D. Then you decide between Moore, Klein, Diaz, and Stralman who plays with Staal, and which two make up the 3rd pair. It will be interesting to see which dman is the odd man out against Philly. Diaz or Moore???

Two other comments about the D. The MDZ Klein trade has been very good for us. Klein is the kind of guy we need. A very solid 3rd pair guy. Not flashy. Just gets the job done and plays a solid quiet game. And is signed at a very good number for the next few seasons. Very good deal for us. Second comment is what we need this summer. If we can get a physical banger to round out the top 4 and play with Staal, our D could be great. Then you let Klein and Moore/McIlrath round out the 3rd pair. That should be a big focus this summer.

On O, yes we need another finisher, but we are close up there. Add another finisher to go with MSL and Nash this summer. Then buy Richards out and add another quality C to pair with Stepan, and away we go. Brassard, I can go either way on. To me it truly depends on what he asks for. If he wants big money we must let him walk.

I guess what I am saying is I do still truly believe this team can be special next season. MSL for a full season. Paired with Nash. Step could take another stride. Kreider will take another stride. The hope that we can add another finisher to the top 9. And we can upgrade a little with the Richards buyout and bringing in another C to replace him. And then adding a physical dman to pair with Staal in the top 4. These are all things we can clearly do this summer, and when we do I think next season could be very special.

As for the playoffs this season, I think we have a chance at a run. For a while it has been clear the East is Boston...and everyone else. Pitt is very beatable, which is why I think the winner of the Rangers Flyers series will make the ECF (especially if it is Philly since they own the Pens). While it is wide open outside of Boston, and I do believe we can beat anyone, I also believe we can lose to anyone, so we'll see which way it goes. But the winner of the total tossup series between us and the Flyers has a great chance at a long run IMO.

 

i too agree prod, good post! AV def. the diff. maker this year in many ways, it was a quiet year for ranger coach bashing on here!

how bout stepan not missing a game in 4 years, who knew?

chuck, would not put to much stake in MSL needing a full year, with the exception of a few good assists, his play around net, looks like the 40 year old to be, if he doesn't have a good PS, he will not want to come back for another... lets keep our fingers crossed!

imo, the way the matchups are set up i feel this is the rangers best chance, detroit plays boston well, tampa bay malone issue, pitt is not same fluery ended off on very bad note, montreal we coud beat. columbus i'm more afraid of and they will prob get beat.. whoever wins rangers flyers seres could.... go...... all.... the..... way


* boston still fav!

 

MSL led the league in scoring last season. Scored 30 goals and had 70 points this season. I think he will be fine big picture, so we'll agree to disagree pasta. I don't think he all of the sudden lost it the second he became a Ranger.

Now will he get it back in these playoffs...that remains to be seen, but I feel pretty confident that with a full training camp he will be ready to go with the Rangers next season.

I am also a little confused by your comment that he will not want to come back. Do you think he will retire after forcing his way here with a year remaining on his contract?

And yes Boston is the clear fav in the East, and maybe the whole NHL. We'll see if that gets them to the SCF.

 

The team outgrew Callahan

 

I learned not to jump the gun predicting after 2 weeks, but I honestly thought with the roster they started with they'd miss the cut with Toronto and Ottawa getting in. I wasn't sure if Pouliot would score enough and I didn't think the 4th line was very good, but they've held their own. The in-season trades for Klein, Diaz, Carcillo and MSL really helped and I give Sather credit there. They obviously need some upgrades this summer but it's been a nice surprise to see them do well this year.

 

good posts, didn't know stepan didnt miss a game in 4 years, wow thats reliable.

stepan is what it is a great 2nd center that is young that you hope is still improving, some players done shine untill there 25-26 IDK.

About the richards buyout, IDK about this one either, i would only buy him out if there is somebody to replace him (not sure about free agent centers this off season maybe you guys can fill me on this one), but whats the point if buying him out unless you expect brassard to carry the tortch sort of speak.

speaking of brassard, i honestly would keep him, i think he is a decent player and very good on the power play, he has great vision and hands, he is not very good at finishing, but who knows maybe some training camp with msl or a specific coach will help him, i wouldn't run him out of town yet.

also the flyers series is definitiely going to be tough but i say rangers in 5 or 6 because i feel the philly Goalie will collapse as usual, i hope im right on this one

 

Here is the deal with Richards, based on play alone I would agree we maybe could keep him (he did score 20 goals). But to me when you look at his contract and cap hit for 5 or 6 more years, I just don't see how we can afford to keep him. The cap recapture clause would be a crusher when he retires. And this summer is the last shot to use a buyout, so if we don't do it this summer he stays for the length of his contract. So I think we have no choice but to buy him out this summer.

The bigger point to me is Richards was solid this season, not great but solid. So buying him out and adding another C in his place won't be a huge upgrade unless someone we don't know about right now becomes that guy. Stastny is not that much better than Richards. Better, but not a huge upgrade. And Stastny will get maybe more per season, and for as many years as Richards has right now.

Slippery spot with Richards, but I think he has to go due to his age and the rules.

 

Sather and AV had good seasons.

Klein deal was a very good one. Carcillo deal was solid. Adding Diaz was a good quiet move. Getting MSL was still a good deal IMO. Pouliot was a strong signing (thought he could score 15).

We are really close IMO. Size and a finsher needed upfront. A C to replace Richards. On D a physical banger for the top 4. That is all we need. Not a lot really. We are real close. And we can make a run this season given the wide open East, and the fact that the Pens are very beatable IMO.

 

It's a tough call but i think I'd actually re-sign Diaz over Stralman and use the 2m difference on a different #3/4. Moore might be ready to move up the chain by next year. I think Niskanen would be a solid addition though he dosen't add much physically. Who knows with McIlrath, i think he needs at least another year in the minors.

 

This team is a lot like previous Rangers teams in that they have stretches of strong play and stretches of poor play. They do battle though...being down a goal or two doesn't seem to be insurmountable.