There has to be a partial house cleaning in the off-season

Kreider's game took a huge nose dive after he was thrown out of the Wild game for sending that guy into the boards from the redline. Games 2 and 3 of this series were the first games the real Kreider had shown up since. It's so frustrating because you see what the kid can do almost at will, he just doesnt seem to want to do it very often.

 

Agree 100% on Glass. Glass is a Vigneault man from his Vancouver run. The guy provides no spark, hardly forechecks with grit and rarely ever fights when necessary. He has sucked all year and taken a roster spot away from a younger, more hungry player

 

Chuck it's not size as much as it's style. Lot of finesse, and some of the guys that try to play in a playoff style arent big enough to be as effective as we need them to be.

 

The team is soft in front of the net and in the corners. Guys with size are often the guys that get garbage goals which you need in the playoffs. Pouliot had 5 goals, 5 assists in the playoffs In other words, he did in the playoffs what he did in the regular season. Kreider was great last year in the playoffs and has had a lot of big plays in the playoffs. He's being dragged down by the incompetence of Nash and Stepan IMO.

 

On the Yandle front...it's obvious we need more from him. Big disappointment os far. But we've had numerous discussions on this board about how difficult AV's system is for defenseman, how much it leaves them on an island and how long it takes them to pick it up. They start out brutally every season. Yandle didnt have a training camp. He came in at a time when the schedule picked up and there were games almost every day. I think he has a big year next year after a training camp and full season playing AV hockey. This system is built for players like him.

Sather wanted him for years and gave up a lot to get him. They arent gonna give up on him after 30 something games.

 

I said from day one that putting Glass on the 4th line would kill any offense on that line and that is exactly what has happened. The 4th line won games last year with some offense. To me, there will be major changes next year if they lose this series. There is no freakin way Sather isn't going to kick some ass after being embarrassed by a second round loss to the Craps. Too many guys have sucked it in the playoffs this year.

 

This is a very fair point. If the top guys are going, the bottom guys arent even discussed. But at the same time, when the top guys arent going, you NEED bottom guys that can pick up the slack, bang in a couple of dirty goals and get the team going. We dont have that this year at all, and Glass is a big reason why. We're dead in the water if the top guys arent going.

 

I just saw a stat that 50% of the Ranger goals these playoffs have come with Rick Nash on the ice, and he's been a part of 38% of them.

For comparison purposes, Kane has been a part of 39% of the Hawks goals. Toews 32%. Getzlaf 42% of the Ducks goals.

That's very interesting to me.

 

We saw Renney and Torts fall in love with unproductive players. AV didn't do it his first year here. Now, he's doing it. That's where Sather needs to step in, see this and get rid of the guy without even discussing it with AV. I would if I was the GM. AV would show up and Glass would be in another city

 

That I agree with. Not just size period. When people say that I laugh because I don't think it's about size...I think it is about attitude. That is why Brass performs in the playoffs and Hags does as well...AND why Nash does not. He is soft and we all know it. Nash does have 6 points to lead the team, and is a + 3, but he doesn't score goals. 5 assists and 1 meaningless goal.

Zucc was real good in the playoffs last year...because of attitude. So was MSL, but now he is out of gas.

I do think with a core of Kreider, Hayes, and Miller we'll have some good size upfront as a base to add to the guys like Brass and Hags and Zucc.

I simply think playoff time = attitude time, and if you don't have that attitude you don't perform well. I think it is that simple.

 

Not a surprise to me Prod, he is playing okay and getting assists, dude just cannot score goals. He is tied for the team lead with 6 points. But we need some goals from him, lifts the whole team when he scores. And as we get 1.7 goals per game and he has virtually 0 of them, it hurts.

 

Zucc and Hagelin play 6'3. However, there is a big difference screening a goalie when you are 6'3 and 5'7. Those screens lead to a ton of playoff goals.

 

Right, and that is where you need to combine guys like Hags and Zucc and Brass with guys like Kreider and Nash and Hayes and Miller...issue is the last 4 are doing nothing pretty much. That's the issue to me, not going out and getting size, our size needs to grow balls and produce.

 

Absolutely. Like I said, he's paid like a superstar. But you look at these other rosters...Kane and Toews (Hossa Sharp). Getzlaf and Perry (Kesler). Stamkos and Johnson (Kucherov). Ovi and Backstrom. Who is the compliment to Rick Nash? We dont have one.

Stamkos also only has one goal all playoffs. And he just got it the other day. Yet Tampa is rolling.

 

When your top guys are going (like blackhawks now) you end series early and move on. When they are being held in check, which happens a lot in playoffs, your gritty players step up to make a difference (Andrew Shaw, Bickell, old days : Matteau, Tikanen,Nystrom,Tonelli, Claude Lemiuex etc). The grit is just not there from the first line on down. When these type players step up it makes everyone else feel bolder and ignites the team. We have a finesse crew with a few large bodies sprinkled in who have not answered the bell of a tough playoff series...as we all knew they wouldnt from the way the Isles smaked em around early this season. It was a tell tale sign that was never addressed...

 

It's not going to. You can't make big players play big, They either do it or they don't. Hayes won't do that. That's not his game. Neiter is it for Nash. You can't make a player have a playoff mentality. Nash and Stepan IMO don't have it. Brassard has shown he does. Kreider has shown he does. He's just having a rough stretch now. Hagelin does. Staal and Girardi do. McDonagh has had a dreadful year. I think he'll rebound. He was incredible in the playoffs last year. Zucc has that playoff attitude. St. Louis had it. He's just too old now. Non playoff guys on our roster

Nash
Stepan
Glass(No talent)
Boyle(soft)

So as I said before. Four of your top scorers are Nash, Stepan, St. Louis and Zucc. Zucc is hurt. St. Louis is done. Stepan and Nash have no clue how to play playoff hockey. One of those 2 has to go. Nash is the logical choice.

 

Tampa would have been out of the playoffs vs. Detroit if Johnson wasn't playing out of his mind for them. Because Stamkos sucked, they looked like garbage vs. Detroit. One forward saved their season.

 

Face it. Team was built for the regular season. I said months ago this team didn't match up with big teams. Especially bigger teams with size. Then certain people here kissed their ass the final 2 months. They looked like garbage vs. Tampa. Many times vs. the Islanders. Looked lie crap against Boston. They are built for the regular season. It's obvious watching them now.