The Rangers didn't spend two substantial draft picks on goalies last year because they think Lundqvist has another 8 years left. You can't stop time. I give Hank another 2-3 years tops playing at a starter level. Then, you'll see a kid take over if he has the talent.
The facts are simple. HE WILL BE 33 YEARS OLD IN MARCH. This is his 10th year as a Ranger. Ten years with the premier goalie in the sport and the Rangers have not won the cup. Sather who has gotten a ton better but still has fell short. Would be a damn shame to see a kid come in a win a cup and Hank ends up with nothing. That could very well happen. This team still doesn't have a second finisher.
Problem with our fans is they never look at things on the flip side. If Cam was our starter, we had our 2015 first and another team was offering Hank. They wanted that first, Kreider and a 2016 second. There isn't a fan on this board that would do that deal. All you would hear is that Lundqvist is old, makes too much money and has maybe 3-4 years left. The thought of Hank not being the goalie is too painful for most Rangers fans to think about but it's going to happen sooner than later. The most hilarious thing is that some of the clowns in this post supporting Lundqvist are the same clowns that were ripping him apart in previous playoff series vs. the Devils and Craps. Stating that he was no Richter.
Here is what I don't get dump...since 4 years ago he won a Vezina, came in 2nd for the Veniza, took us to the SCF last season, and was the 3rd star in the NHL last week (oh and he has allowed 5 goals in his last 4 games combined). So just stop. Now if your point is at 32 we need to start looking for the goalie after Hank in 3 years or so...of course. That's just logical no one will argue with you there. He is on the backside of his career playing years left wise. I think we'd all agree on that. He doesn't have 5/6 years left, he has maybe 3 years left at a very high level. But I disagree that he isn't elite anymore. I disagree that he isn't a top 3 goalie anymore. He clearly is IMO, and shuld be there for a few more years. The time is now though. We need to win a cup I'd say within the next 2 seasons, so Sather should be focused on that.
Ya think the fact he is now on a more offensive minded team doesnt reflect in this demise dump preaching about? One reason Martha played for the amount of seasons with the devils is because of the defensive minded system the debbies use.
I don't even buy that Al. The guy ALWAYS gets off to a slow start, he was awful early last season and then came on. He is 2nd in the league in shutouts. Has his save % climbing and back up to .912. His GAA is coming down. He is rounding into form as he always does around the New Year (remember last season he started to turn it around late Dec/early Jan as well). This is what Hank does every season pretty much.
I agree with you there, we certainly play a way different more open style. I am just saying I don't even think that is why Hank hasn't played as well. I think he always starts slowly, and this season is no different. He certainly has rounded into form in the past, and last season carried us through 3 playoff rounds. Carried us to the ECF two years before that. Single handedly got us to the 2nd round 2 years ago. He always gets better as the season moves on and he gets his legs under him. What he does. I don't expect this season to be any different.
He's starting to show slight cracks but i think it's more he just has brain cramps occasionally and as stated dosen't get mentally revved up until Jan onward.
I agree with that. When you get older, and especially coming off an SCF run, it does take a little time to get up to full speed. That's the way he shows age. Early in the season he isn't on his A game and it takes more time to get the motor going now. But when it goes on around the new year, he is still elite top of the game.
He might be rounding into form...LOL. Lundqvist has won five straight games and has a GAA of 1.56 in that time with a save percentage of .939.
Hank has given up bad angle goals since he started here, opponents would throw the puck at the goal from all angles because they knew Hank often failed to be in the fundamentally correct position to make a save. Hank still ranks in the bottom third among goaltenders regarding GAA and save% but those numbers are improving. The second goal he allowed last night was brutal, thankfully Klein got the clutch goal to get the OT win. Usually as a player's physical ability starts declining with age his mental abilities sharpen to compensate, this doesn't seem to be the case for Hank as a significant number of the goals he's allowed this year should have been saved and came as the result of Hank not hugging the post or closing the 5 hole, simple mental errors. I agree Fatso benefited from great defensive personnel but what made Marty so tough was that he was never out of position so he rarely gave up the soft goal. I agree the defense adds to Hank's woes, they need a crease clearer or two in the lineup. If Boyle had 15-20 points I'd have no problem with his inept play defensively but that's beginning to look like where his season total might end up. I think there are better options than Boyle or the equally soft Hunwick in the AHL.
Thought I'd bump this thread from pretty much exactly a year ago when the same exact things were said as are being said today. Hank is getting old. The everything is alright crap is getting old. I told you this team sucked and it still does. Sound familiar...LOL...at least this year there is no Hank is getting old part added to the we suck posts.... Look...maybe we do not turn it around this season and we end up sucking all year long and don't even make the playoffs...anything is possible...BUT what I do know is this is the same theme every year on these boards. So far we have made the posters eat their doubting words. Maybe we don't this year, but I know I'm not jumping ship after 30 games in mid December. We have been through this before...let's hope we bounce back as usual. We'll see.
Lundqvist is old. He no longer can handle a huge workload like he used to. He also isn't great on breakaways any longer. He has stretches where he plays insane but he's not the goalie he was 5-6 years ago where he stopped almost every breakaway. He has games now where he lets up 4-5 goals when the defense breaks down. Not sure why you're a typical Chuck moron trying to argue that a 33 year old goalie isn't getting old and bring up some old post. The number next to his birth certificate doesn't lie. Perhaps you're just trying to cover up the fact your go for it all now strategy was moronic. Old goalies still have hot stretches. They can't carry teams like they used to. Lundqvist has been getting lit up lately because he isn't 25 covering up a season of his teams stupidity.
Not going to get into a back and forth with you on this dump. Again FACTS speak for themselves. You have started we suck threads YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR...and this thread from just about exactly a year ago is no different. DUMP QUOTE from last December...I told you this team sucked and it still does. Yet we ended up winning the Pres trophy and made the ECF AGAIN. So enough with your nonsense of the sky is falling EVERY SINGLE SEASON when we struggle in the first 30-40 games or so. It is old now and utter nonsense. Now at some point you will be right, maybe that year will be this year, but that doesn't change the point that you whine and cry about the team every year at this time of the season...so enough already.
As for Hank...yeah just like I said in this nonsense thread last year sure he is getting older. I will quote my exact words from last year and they still hold true one year later. My exact words from December 2014: Now if your point is at 32 we need to start looking for the goalie after Hank in 3 years or so...of course. That's just logical no one will argue with you there. He is on the backside of his career playing years left wise. I think we'd all agree on that. He doesn't have 5/6 years left, he has maybe 3 years left at a very high level. But I disagree that he isn't elite anymore. I disagree that he isn't a top 3 goalie anymore. He clearly is IMO, and should be there for a few more years. The time is now though. We need to win a cup I'd say within the next 2 seasons, so Sather should be focused on that.
When you find a way to explain to the board that a 33 year old player is still young in the NHL, let us know moron.
When you explain to the board how you can type but can't read apparently, let us know moron. Because I actually wrote the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you just wrote...LOL.
He's 33 and methinks there a lot left in the tank for Hank! My God.......there used to be a goalie named Gump Worsley.... he played in the Stanley Cup finals at the ages 36, 37, 39 and 40 for the Montreal Canadians after being traded from the New York Rangers. Many Ranger fans here would have lynched the Ranger management back in the '60s. Talk about a losing organization! This will make you laugh: Gump after facing over 50 SOG at MSG for a bad Ranger team, a reporter asked him, "Which team gives you the most trouble?" Gump replied without missing a beat, "The New York Rangers". LOL
