They can not make the playoffs without Kreider or Shesterkin. Kids simply aren't ready to step up and provide the kind of play to win enough.
At least they got another first rounder this year. So, the draft will be interesting again. I suspect they will try to acquire some more picks in the off-season.
This week should tell the story with a lot of tough games coming up. Future looks bright though as the kids mature another year. Trouba is a physical defenseman but I don’t remember him being this horrendous defensively. Wonder if the brass take a look at moving him over the summer before that ntc clause kicks in.
I think someone else mentioned this, that is NOT a good look for a franchise to hand out the type of contract the Rangers did and then trade the guy in short order. That is one way to make yourself less attractive to upper level free agents. Stick with him and hope he focuses a little more on his defensive responsibilities.
I think you take the positive approach here. I know fans don't want to accept this, but the playoffs were always a long shot this season. To get in we needed to play unreal hockey, and have almost everything go our way (including injuries). Odds are long things like that happen over a period of time, it's why mathematically our playoff odds were at 30% early week, and over 35% into yesterday. To me I say we got some unexpected meaningful hockey the past few weeks. We have a stud goalie for the future. We added another 1st round pick (could have two lottery picks if the Canes and Leafs both miss the playoffs - unlikely but possible and worst case unless a big upset is pulled off we'll get two top 15-17 picks). We have a loaded system (especially on D). And this season isn't over yet. Sure odds remain long, even more so without Kreider, but who knows what can happen. Next season we should be a playoff team. The following season I believe will be the start of the true open SC window for a handful of years for this team. So it is an exciting time to be a Rangers fan. Very good years ahead starting real soon (next season I think). Be excited and enjoy the last 19 games of this season as well.
Agree. This run was a great experience. Plus, it forced them to keep Kreider which was the right move. Quinn has been getting his ass kissed a lot but he needs to stop fucking up young kids. They went out and got a huge, physical forward who was a prolific goal scorer in the AHL in Gauthier. Don't put him on a shit line with 7 minutes of ice time. Take fucking Fast off the first line and put Gauthier with Panarin and Strome and let him take Kreider's role in front of the net on the PP. Put Kakko on Zibanejad's line the rest of the year and hope he starts chipping in. Put Fast on the 3rd line where he belongs. Quinn doesn't understand how to develop forwards. It's obvious. He puts young, offensive players on checking lines and checking forwards on scoring lines. It's moronic.
The biggest thing for Kakko going into year 2, besides his physical development, is slowing the game down mentally.
I thought Georgiev let in 3 goals that Shesterkin would not have last night. Shesterkin's glove is beyond elite. They were scoring glove side on Georgiev all night. That being said, Quinn is going down the same road with Gauthier that he did with Lias. Gorton and JD need to step in. Quinn needs to stop playing favorites and use common sense. Fast is NOT a top two line player. If Chytil is going to win 37% of his draws, then somebody else needs to start taking the faceoffs. All the more reason I want them to go after Hertl in the off-season. They need a 53+% faceoff center on this team. Kakko's sytle is somewhat like Jagr's. He wants to hold onto the puck a long time and make plays. He's not nearly as strong as Jagr was when he came into the league. It's going to take him at least until 21 before I see him breaking out as a plus offensive player. The Rangers being stacked beyond belief with goalies and defenseman are going to add a dynamic, young forward before next year via trade using their farm. I have little doubt of that. Just don't know who.
I'm not as sold on Chtyil as some. He's only 20. However, if he can't improve on draws, he's not a center. If he's not a center, IMO, he's expendable in the right deal.
Tough loss to a very physical Philly team after this young Rangers team sets a franchise record road win streak - finally a reason to jump ship on this season! 74 points with 18 games left so if the Rangers play 2 games over .500 they're likely in with 96 points. As it stands now there are basically 6 teams in the running for the last 3 playoff spots so the odds for the Rangers to get in are 50% mathematically. I don't think Trouba is going anywhere, he's been exactly what the Rangers have been missing for 20+ years - RH physical accurate shooter who is 26 not 36, too bad his buddy Skjei couldn't pull his head out of his ass, could have been a great pairing for years to come. Please stop treating Lias like a 12 year old dump - he has nobody to blame for where he is. Quinn didn't instruct him to suck look at me Lias did it all to himself. If he had just gone to Hartford and straightened out his game he would have been back in a few weeks. Playoff hockey starts this year, eff this Bad News Bears "wait til next year bs".
Please stop giving Quinn a pass on Lias Panzer. He was a total asshole with him. When a kid outplays another kid badly in pre-season, you don't reward the kid who sucked with more ice time from the first game of the season. There is nothing you could ever say to justify that fucking stupidity. That's terrible coaching and the reason he did it was he still held a grudge from the traverse city tourney 2 years ago where Lias half assed it. A blind man could see that a mile way. Quinn is fucking up Gauthier as well. They acquire him because he's a big, strong, GOAL scorer. You don't put GOAL scorers on the 4th line with 7 minutes of icetime. Much like you don't put the 7th pick in the draft on the 4th line with 7 minutes of icetime.
Quinn has done a lot of good. Especially with the young defenseman. However, he's sucked moose dick with the young forwards. Chytil has not really got much better. Nor has Howden. Nor has Lemieux. Nor did Lias. Nor has Buchnevich. Nor has Kakko. The track record can't be argued. Quinn has been a bumbling idiot with the young forwards on this team. He's been carried all year by Panarin, Zibanejad, Kreider and 3 young defenseman and 2 young kids in goal.
I do think tomorrow will be a very telling game. As usual the Flyers are awesome at home and below average on the road, so it's clearly a winnable game. I think it's important for the Rangers to get back to winning to show the Kreider loss won't be the end of any playoff hopes. Get a win tomorrow to keep the pressure up on the teams above, and keep our confidence high.
I have no idea how Quinn is going to pan out but he has this team in a playoff run for the first time in a few years, that's a good start. Lias had 6 points in 42 games last year, Howden had 23 points in 55 games. There is nothing you can say to justify Lias' behavior regardless of Quinn being mean to him or not. JD is a first rate dude and for Lias to flip him and the Rangers organization the bird is inexcusable. Lookatme was a waste of a 7th pick - that's what you should be mad about. If Lias had simply gone to Hartford and dominated for a week or so he would have been back probably playing in Howden's spot. If Lias went to the medical staff and said his feet were hurt the Rangers would have treated him but instead he quit and whimpered to the press. Even then JD was classy with his statement. Bottom line is the Rangers are playing games that mean something in March.
Maybe somehow going back to Sweden will reset Andersson and he comes back with a new mindset and at least turns into a decent 4th line player which we could really use. If he can't even become that, then that's pretty sad for a #7 overall pick, overdrafted or not(which he was). Not a good look for Clark either.
