Jackets and my boy during vs our rangers

Chickens are the defensemen who don't like to hit anybody.

 

Yeah, like Girardi who is 6th overall in hits among defenseman. A chicken who never hits anyone.

Did these guys stiff you on an autograph or something? Your hatred and bias against them is becoming unbearable.

 

what I was getting at is the conversation lately over here...

chicken or egg, which is coming first...is Talbot playing that bad or has the defense been playing lax compared to his spot starts in the past year and half? we are scoring a lot more than years past and that can lead to more breakdowns on the d end as well as forwards not playing deeper in their own zone as in years past....

so which is it...chicken or egg

 

I think it's a combination of a few things. Obviously in AV's system, with the emphasis on breakouts and speed transition, the defenseman are on an island more often and have less forward suppport. I think for the most part they've done a great job adjusting, especially guys like Girardi and Staal who played defensive-minded hockey for years under Torts and Renney.

When Talbot was a spot-starter, it seemed like the gameplan was slightly changed. There was more emphasis on the defensive zone. More forward support. The transition game wasn't as fast. That's why he was a spot-starter: AV carefully chose matchups where they could play that way yet still have a chance to win the game.

Now that Talbot is a full-time starter, AV can't play the defensive-minded game against every team we play. He doesnt have a roster that's built to play it against the better teams. It seems like he thinks we have a better chance to out-score the other team than we do to win a 2-1 game with Talbot in net. And I agree.

Look, when you play the system AV plays, the defenseman are always going to get exposed now and then. It's the tradeoff you make when you play an offensive game. But we have a solid group of defenseman who make the play more often than not, and when they don't we have Hank back there to come up big. Talbot doesn't come up big in these fast, offensive games, and that's why the d play all of a sudden seems shaky. I honestly don't think they're playing worse, I think it just seems like it because Talbot isn't making the stops he needs to.

 

Well said Prod. That was my point as well. When you are a spot starter that means the spots are picked that best fit you playing. That is how Cam has been used. Now that cannot happen with him as THE starter. So playing game after game he gets exposed. The Rangers are playing their normal game, not a pack it in game once every 8 or 10 games for Cam. We are seeing Cam for what he is now.

And oh BTW...this shows you just how great Hank is. I think with him out right now you are seeing how just great he is and what he truly means to this team. It also to me pushes the win now focus even more. This is why we need to add to win a cup NOW. The next 2 or 3 seasons should be the focus, because once Hank is done who knows where we will be.

 

would love to hear from Stealth on this lmfao

 

For sure. The time is now man. I don't care about 2018. 15, 16, 17 we need a cup in 1 of these years. Hank will be 35 after that (turns 33 on Monday believe it or not).