Boyle has been up and down, that is how I would call his play. Some good moments and some crap moments. Yandle has been terrible 99% of the time, especially this series. And Nash...again I don't know what you do with him. It is clear now he is not a playoff player. At 7.8 mill maybe we can move his cap hit and mix it up.
They definitely need to be quicker on the shot. That extra split second allows the Caps to get back and block to many shots
Give the caps some credit here. They are much better defensive team plus holtby has played his best hockey of his life.
The problem with making big changes to a win now team is you might end up throwing away another year or two.
If the Rangers were getting alot of hq chances and losing i'd say maybe there's a reasonable chance, but the Caps aren't allowing much.
Hayes is learning, but the guy simply refuses to shoot. Last game he played really well late, but what did he truly create? All he did was pass. Someone needs to tell him SHOOT the puck. As for the D, it is hard for me to kill them when we don't score. Staal is a dman...a defensive dman. Girardi same deal. McD, until that awful play, I thought was fine but not special like he should be. Yandle has been by far the biggest disaster. Boyle I think has been what we expected. Up and down, created chances for sure, and made some soft D plays for sure. That's what we should have expected. This is about Nash who cannot score in the playoffs. MSL who is 40. Hayes who doesn't shoot enough. And someone who has flown under the radar, Step who struggles AGAIN in the playoffs. Brass is the # 1 C on this team no questions asked.
Well they're playing the Caps, so who think it is? I admit at times they beat themselves, but the Caps are taking it to them, and they aren't responding.
Boyle hasn't been awful, as a 6th dman, but it's the same thing with Richards last year. He's not paid to do that which is why he gets so much crap. McD, MSL, Nash, Stepan, Yandle, etc. etc. Just a ton of under performing and line combos that aren't inspiring guys to step up nor be creative. Just an all around failure on all levels for the Rangers this post season.
How long has Duguay had the short haircut? Held on to that terrible haircut for a few too many decades.
It is totally unfair to not give the Caps big credit, they have a very good team. But again, the issue with giving the Caps so much credit is the Pens series. Did we score in that series? 2 goals a game. Won every game 2-1. Won two games in OT, which means ONE goal in 60 minutes twice. And 4 of those games were WITH Zucc. So spare me with the Caps are so good on D stuff. BUT I also think it is unfair to not give the Caps big credit, they have a very good team this season.
I agree because the Rangers have had a lot of chances in this series but just don't finish. It's not like the Caps are a wall.
Can you imagine what Hank mutters to himself when his teammates are at the other end of the ice passing up shots from the slot, making dumb passes and getting stonewalled? He's got to be losing his mind.
More than half of the Rangers shot attempts were blocked before they got to Holtby, I'd say they are a wall. Like I said earlier..the Caps are beating the Rangers the exact same way the Rangers beat the Caps in 2013 (or was it 2012?)....selling out to block as many shots as possible.
I don't like the lines right now. I am a big AV fan and think he has done an excellent job here, but these lines aren't working. I hated MSL on line 1 pre game 1, and he won't change. Now we cannot score and he moves Miller down and Moore up? The PP he has MSL out there and no Nash to at least give him a shot to get a goal. Yandle not on the 1st unit either. Just very weird stuff. Put Miller with Brass and Nash. Put MSL back with Hayes and Hags. Cannot score and cosmetic changes only...weird.
I don't have to spare you anything, the Caps are playing very good defensively. Are they Rangers helping them out? Of course. But the Caps defense has come to play. They are physical, they take offense when anybody steps in the crease, and they rarely get caught out of position. If the Rangers want to win this, then they have to be just as physical, or more physical. Can they do it? Will find out Friday
Bring up Lindberg and see if it sparks the team. Cant give up yet. They were in the same position last year except they play game 5 at home. Holtby is due for a stinker. He cant be this good. Remember what the caps did to us a few years back when they were down 3:1
