This is not a new problem with the Rangers these playoffs. The difference in the finals is the Kings are making them pay just about every time. I saw it plenty of times against Montreal and Pittsburgh as well. Weak attempts up the boards to get the puck out which is just ridiculous.
I've been belaboring this all year. They barely get pucks over line, and flub alot of simple plays. They always hold the puck a second too long.
They have this irrational fear of icing perhaps. Ryan McDonagh for example made an inexcusable play. You don't pull some spin move deep in your own zone right in front of your own goal. When you have a chance to get the puck out then get rid of the damn thing.
But then they needlessly ice the puck when they actually have time to just put it off the boards halfway.
Wing support is one of the biggest differences between the AV system and Torts system. Girardi's misplay to end game 1 is a good example. He gets control, Pouliot immediately looks to exit and take a breakout pass up the ice. But Girardi fumbles it, loses his footing, and next thing he knows all the forwards are gone and he's all alone in the zone. Last few years nobody was going anywhere and they all exit together. If the Dman flubbed it there was still plenty of support. Obviously that style had it's own drawbacks like hardly ever generating rush chances. But when we transitioned to this style we had to take all the good with some of the bad. Unfortunately we're playing a team right now who is good enough to capitalize on all these mistakes. Like we've been saying all year, the dmen are on an island and have to be very smart with the puck or this system will fall apart.
It's still on Girardi for the panic of not recognizing that and weakly throwing the puck to the point from his knees. Put it into the corner, slide it back to Lundy or eat the damn thing. Anything is better than what he did.
Didn't say it wasn't on Girardi for panicking. He obviously made a real bad play. Just saying that this system puts dmen in that position sometimes, and if they arent smart when it happens (aka Girardi on that play) it will create serious trouble.
DOUBLE so when you have a 4-3 lead in the 3rd period in a vitually must win game. Low % to try and create O.
I think the blown lead in game one also subconciously played on them a bit last night, especially when it was 4-3.
Bottom line is FOUR 2 goal leads in two games blown. I don't want to hear about the refs. I don't want to hear about one bad GI call, which we still had the lead after AND we let up 4 other goals in the game. We had plenty of chances and didn't get it done. That is on us, not the refs.
The Rangers miss more open nets than any team I've ever seen. Plus, Richards as someone said was an absolute abortion last night. He's playing like an old man and has made the summer buyout an easy decision for anyone who was on the fence.
I agree regarding Richards. Great guy and leader but he is done. He cannot perform against LA and just does not have it anymore. Nash can compete, Richards can and for 7 M per year we can get that difference maker who could have helped us beat LA. He is gone!
