Blackhawks at MSG

100% right. It cant be any more obvious that guys like Stepan and Girardi are just too slow to be on the PK.

 

I agree on Lundqvist..but he has to be the "King" in games against top teams or this team has no shot. He was not good tonight

 

When teams are in the zone for 1:51 every time thst's kind of a red flag.

 

I don'f know if you can get on Lundqvist too much tonight, except for maybe the 1st goal. Players are wide open on bang bang plays way too often around him.

 

no doubt Chicago is an offensive juggernaut but he didnt make one big save. I get it that he is frustrated at the guys in front of him but he gets paid 11 mil to be on top of his game...he was not tonight.

 

I have to agree with Step on the fourth line. In SC Finals against LA we had Dorsett and Dan Carcillo. Some of you are saying we cannot sign two guys like Carcillo and Dorsett? That was the best Rangers 4th line in years by the way. They did not score too many goals of course but they did not let any goals and sometimes even contributed in huge moments. Yes, it was not Glass' fault at all, but 4th line is energy line and there is absolutely no energy on our 4th line and that is a big problem going into the playoffs. We have a decent 4th line center in Moore which is harder to get than wingers. I think both Carcillo and Dorsett made about 600K each. We don't have cap space for that?

 

I honestly think the culprit behind the weak PK is Samuelson ...just watch McIlrath who is the new student and u can see what Samuelson is preaching - go down to one knee to take away the pass rather than engage the puck handler and force him. Girardi and Staal same shit. It's obviously what they're preaching . The opposition has the puck way too long on the PP in our zone...we are way too passive, too slow and our D rarely have good body position in front

 

This is managements' fault and coaches fault. It is not too hard to get the right players and fix PK and have a decent 4th line. Some 4th liners can score, we just need them to bring energy.

 

Agreed that the 4th line just cant help scoring in any way even though Moore has been playing well. The real problem with this team is the second line that absolutely sucks. It may be a combination of Stepan underperforming or Kreider just sucking but they have been miserable this year. They are often invisible and rarely lift their level of play

 

Only 4th line is in the minus. Glass -5, Paille -2, Moore -2, Megna -1.4th line is the problem and 4th line is important on AVs team, maybe not on Torts system. This is not a hard fix.

On another note did you see article on Eric Stall? Eric Stall for 1st rounder and Linberg? I don't like it.

 

I've said for months that as far as being a cup contender, this team sucks. You can't continue to destroy the 4th line with useless Tanner Glass because this team doesn't have a big, number 1 scoring line or a great PP. They need every line with the ability to chip in. The PK unit also sucks. They have to trade Yandle. Skjei or Graves are ready. At this point, dealing Yandle for a 1st and a good forward who is really good on the PK unit is more important. The PK unit is losing us more games than Yandle is winning them.

 

Sum it up in one word.......PRETENDERS!


Also, I cannot watch AV and his summation of the game.
His body language tells me "things do not look good".
His words may say one thing, but the body language says
it all.

 

AV is obviously a "company man" and has bought into the Sather/Dolan kool aid. When the mgt and coach constantly talk up guys who are supposed to be carrying the team and are failing miserably it is just a big charade. He's not a Tortorella who calls out guys in public and I respect him for that....BUT if I asked any serious watcher of this team who on this team is an elite player or has shown stretches of being one, I'd get back 4-5 names...Lundqvist, McDonagh, Brassard, and maybe Nash or Zuc. How does this coach and organization keep referring to Stepan as an elite player ??? The seceond line is the biggest reason this team has been mediocre this year. He plays is all special teams situations and struggles to skate the 200 feet required of a center when 5 on 5. He's slow as a turtle on the PK and wins few battles to the puck. I'll cut him some slack for playing with cement head on his wing but he is just not a guy that makes others better around him. At best, he's a special teams player and an average one at that!

 

The rangers played a good game against one of the best teams and deserved to win. Unfortunately, an ill timed penalty and the season long problem with the PK reared its ugly head again. AV is either to stubborn or too stupid to change a unit that has stunk all season. Its painfully slow both on top and with the d employed. To me both Kreider and Miller with their length and speed should have already been tried on top and on the nights that Dylan is not banished to the press box he needs to be out there mores than the sparse time he is as none of girardi and klein can clear the crease and/or knock someone off the puck, take it and clear it down ice. It is to the point of stupidity now with AV's use of Dylan. All the other defenseman play 20 minutes plus and Dylan who can't do anymore in my book to show he's more than ready barely gets 10 minutes of ice time. If thats what he believes that he is more lost than I thought and needs to bring up someone that he will play so that come playoff time the whole right side is not dragging their asses around like the last couple of years. At this point since boyle appears more in the offensive zone below the circle than he does defending his own goal (and when he occasionally comes back you wish he didn't) make boyle a forward on the 4th line already and put glass in the press box. That does nothing however if av still doesn't give dylan minutes. As you all know I'm a big Kreider fan. As both myself and others have said the kid is snakesbitten when it comes to finishing. I reject the lazy lable as this kid has at least 2 or 3 great opportunities every game and should have 25 goals by now if he was finishing. His lack of aggressiveness I blame on the coach not having his back as every time he gets a soft call (a lot) his coach just stands there befuddles shoving another couple of pieces of gum in his mouth instead of calling the ref over and ripping them a new asshole to make a point. His lack of aggressiveness I also blame on the coach as he detests fights and takes away playing time for them. Telling was dylans comments on sunday that he "didn't even have to look back to see if it was ok to engage simmonds". Imo AV needs to grow a pair of balls, challenge the officials on these joke calls the rangers have been getting, get rid of both ulf and arneil and tell kreids its ok to go back to hitting everything in sight like he did with torts and if gets an occasional penalty who gives a shit. Really getting worried watching Stepan's lack of progress and getting stuck with another anchoring mmc after this season at 6.5. I hope Gorton makes at least a big deal or 2 noting that we have been fine without nash and trade 2 of the following: nash, or stepan, girardi or staal preferably or Yandle if he can't move them and get back a young asset or 2 including first round picks and more importantly opening up some cap space. I still think we are more than good enough to be in the playoffs and with hank capable of a long run but the personell deployments and strategies of the coach is more than a concern to me now.

 

Kreider is just a dumb hockey player. We just have to accept it at this point and hope for the best. I cant blame AV for this kid being dumb most of the time. He has actually blossomed under AV. Just havent taken a big step forward we all hoped for. Torts just kept banishing him to the minors.