Are the rangers the real deal?

Let me start off by saying i have not watched many games this year, Started a new job and have literally only watched about 5 games, But i did catch this past kings game, And let me say by what i saw was probably one of the best games a rangers have played offensively in about 5 years. Seriously it seemed everybody was in the right spot, everybody pinched in at the right time, passes were quick and fast, and i was literally amazed,

i was amazed surely because of how much negativity has been on these forums, all year (yes i don't post much but i do read a lot), I mean first it was dan Boyle, Glass, girardi, then AV. So i assumed the team wasn't doing so well, looks like they just had a rough start as hank always does and the team is in high mojo,

I knew Nash would live up to the hype, as i stated last year (even tho i thought he would step in the playoffs but didn't) He is on a tear and believe it or not he has not averaged over a 1ppg in a season in his career but is on pace to do so.

So as the title says, Are the rangers the real deal, can they contend, they are pretty close in standings and nothing is assured.... I just hope that the all star break doesn't slow them down. your thoughts

 

I have been skeptical all season. Last night was the first time I started to believe they could make another run. Boyle which looked like a terrible signing has gotten going. The PP has looked good for the first time in years. Miller is starting to arrive. That has filled a monumental hole on the team. They were clearly lacking an offensive forward. Still concerning is having both Boyle and Hunwick on defense. They are small and the playoffs are different. They are mean. Big forwards hit like trucks and punish you every game. Not sure if they will hold up. Still think the team needs to add another left defenseman with size.

However, last night was the first statement game of the year to me. Coming from behind 2-0, back to back nights. That said something. So, I wouldn't say the team sucks now. However, the team is small. That could be a big problem in the playoffs.

 

Skeptical? Come on dump you have said MANY times they suck. That is not skeptical. I can't get on you though, 85% of the board has jumped ship this season. Even the game thread the first handful of posts were knocking Girardi. It is what we do as Ranger fans.

I love how we beat the best team in the NHL the prior night and last night was the first statement win of the year. Just stop dump, your negative BS is starting to look foolish now.

As for Boyle, he has been great recently. No coincidence the PP has been on fire and Boyle is playing great. He is the difference on the PP. He shoots and shoots, and that is how the PP should be.

I will say what I have said all season, this is a very good team. Not the best, although right now no doubt they are playing like the best team in the NHL, but they are very good. I still believe they need to add some more size at the trade DL to really be a SC winner, but they are very good and will be a very tough out come playoff time.

I think adding Miller in and getting rid of Glass has clearly taken this team to another level, that cannot be argued. Just happy AV pulled the trigger on that move finally.

We have 3 very good to great (McD) dmen, and a 4th and 5th that are very solid. We have two very good lines. A 3rd line which is getting better. And a 4th line that can add some goals now. PP and PK have been awesome. The Rangers numbers as a team look amazing (top 4 in goal differential now).

This is a very good team, and we'll see where it goes from there. Work to do still. Need to improve a little still IMO. But no doubt a very good team. Now sweep Cali on Saturday night.

 

To be fair, if you had watched the game and saw the incomprehensible play that Girardi "made", you probably would've knocked him too. It really was a terrible, terrible decision and he looked like a complete fool.

 

I did watch the game, and I saw the Girardi play, and no doubt he needs to stay on his skates there and not take himself out of the play, so we agree. BUT with that said the next bunch of posts knocking him up and down, oh he is a fool, oh he always does that, oh he looked terrible yada yada yada that is where it goes too far.

Man that was a low % play by Girardi, stay on your skates bro. Done.

I know this will come as a shock, but the Rangers will lose a couple of more games this season. Players will make a few more bad plays this season. I know we expect them to win out and be perfect as players, but I don't think they will.

That is why we have a TEAM so when one player, or a few payers, have a bad game the others pick up the slack. McD and Girardi didn't have their best games last night, back to back against big tough physical talented players will do that to you sometimes, but the TEAM stepped up. Boyle was great. Klein was great. And Staal was great. That is what a TEAM does.

Let's not live and die with every L or bad play by a player and act as if the sky is falling.

 

BTW...Nash/Brass/Zucc were a combined -4 last night, and we still beat the defending champs in their building, with a backup goalie, after trailing 2-0, on the 2nd night of a back to back. Pretty darn solid.

McD and Girardi were also each -2.

So top line and top D pair -8 combined and we still won.

 

Team is very small on defense with Hunwick and Boyle both out there. They also have 2 very small forwards that are counted on as key offensive players. St. Louis looked dead vs. the Kings last year in a lot of those 3rd periods. The NHL is two seasons. I don't put much into a great regular season. It doesn't mean it will translate into the playoffs. The Kings barely made the playoffs last year.

So, I think a deal for a defenseman is still something that has to be done.

 

The small size of several players is also why Kreider won't be dealt even when he sucks. The Rangers have spent some draft picks on bigger players the past 2 years. Only Graves seems to be the guy with major upside. Tambellini is an overage player in the WHL as is Nejezcheleb. So, neither is doing anything all that impressive.

 

Let's remember this, we are talking about the West teams dump. We only have to face one in the playoffs. For my money as well as the Ducks, Sharks, and Preds have played I still think the Hawks and Kings are the best teams in the West. But no matter how you slice it we only face one. Throw the Blues in the mix as well and the West is a battle zone. That is 6 VERY good teams.

The East doesn't have those types of teams. The East doesn't have that size. So keep that in mind when you talk playoffs. If we are lucky we'll play one big West team.

With that said, I agree we need to add some size. I have said all along a top 9 forward with size and grit to complete the 3rd line is what this team needs. I still feel that way, but if they added a big physical dman instead so be it.

Either way a big physical player is needed to really complete the team and make us 100% legit cup contenders. We agree on that one. And I fully expect Sather to be active and get it done, because I promise you other East teams will be active and improve, so we need to keep up.

 

Look at these team numbers:

3rd in goals per game
7th in goals against per game
8th on the PP
10 on the PK
5th in overall goal differential

Just amazing stuff really. This is the best the O, and especially the PP, have looked in MANY years. We score 3 goals at least pretty much every game. The PP has been great, thank you Dan Boyle. And the D/PK is rounding into usual Ranger form.

AND most importantly we have won 4 straight and 12 of 13 overall.

Wow...

 

Another concern is who can fill in if there is a major player is injured or they need to give an older player a day off in the playoffs who is banged up? There really isn't anybody other than Allen or Moore that I would trust. Lindberg has no NHL experience. It might not be a bad idea to trade a Fogarty or a Kristo for a cheap player who is a UFA next year for some depth.

For example. Booth cost 1.1 and is a UFA next year. I would be OK with him filling in for a hurt role player rather than garbage Glass. Another example is Briere. Yes, adding a very small player at probably 1.6 million for the rest of the year. He's an UFA next year. If they took Glass back and add a marginal prospect. Briere is as good playoff guy. He could surely fill in for for another small player like St. Louis, Hagelin or Zucc if they got hurt better than anybody we have in the minors. At least they have Allen to fill in on defense. They have nobody at forward which is why moving Moore for a good, extra piece at forward makes some sense. Vermette would be perfect but they won't give up enough to get him.

In a dream situation, the Kings don't look like they will make it and they can dump Glass, J. Moore and perhaps a second round pick for King. They get badly needed size and a guy that is built for the playoffs.

 

Which all comes down to us needing another forward, and I agree. To 31's point, it is about the playoffs. And with that being the case I simply cannot see Sather doing nothing. I would be shocked if we don't at least add some forward depth. That is needed, and will be obtained IMO.

Briere was awful in the playoffs last year, and not a guy I would have any interest in, but the point is another forward, with size hopefully, should be added.

BTW dump, you are funny with Glass. Every offer you include him in. Unless we really make it a sweet deal no one wants him. Actually "forcing" a team to take him is a negative in the deal for them and would require us to include more. We can trade him, but the price will be higher in a trade to include Glass than if we tried to make a trade without Glass included.

 

We have pretty much zero cap room, but I agree that we need to add a larger, physical guy that can chip in a few points on the third line.

 

That is why I don't think we can get a dman AND a bigger forward to complete the 3rd line. I have been focused on at least added one, I prefer the forward, due to the cap.

 

all i can say is wow after last night, our PP looked amazing, moving the puck, the flow, the confidence , i was in shock,

also looks like klein is pretty solid another amazing trade.... but yet again people will get on sather....

If we are indeed gonna add somebody, do you guys have any idea's whose out there, the trade deadline is not far away,

 

No.1..... Glass is Hartford material. Why would anybody
want this guy? What was Sather thinking?

When the Rangers lost at Dallas 3-2 and the players
were filing to their dressing room, only #15 was
smiling. That's all a Ranger fan needs to know.
The guy is a tool. Don't want him on my team.

 

TB is the one team they need to somehow avoid in the East. Maybe by they would be better equipped to beat them. Bishop is always a pain for them.

 

I would think Sather would want someone with SC experience.

 

Briere is a proven, playoff performer. He has 116 points in 124 games in the playoffs which is incredibly good. Last year he had 7 points in 16 games. Not what he usual does but hardly awful. He was not terrible in the playoffs. He was bad against the Rangers in that series. Most of that was because he's older and the Rangers are incredibly fast as a team. It wasn't a good matchup for him. He would basically be a backup here, needed if a player got hurt or needed a day off to heal.