Maybe they wake up and come together on the road like they have in the past. Perhaps now they treat game 6 like their season's on the line.
Yup, and you were right regarding how similar this looked to the games against NJ last year and Tampa the year before.
And BTW, we didn't play well in game 4, but after the 1st period we played 500 times better than we played in this game tonight, we just didn't show tonight. This was NJ, and TB, and others all over again, and it happens often at home as mentioned.
I think there is a much better chance they win game 6 than game 7, especially with an extra day in between. I also hope/expect Wheeler and/or Chytil will be back. I'll say right now, the winner of game 6 wins the series.
For anyone to be all fired up right now is a waste in the sense that by being that way we would show more effort, energy, and passion than the Rangers did tonight, and I refuse to do that. To me it is simple, is this going to be another soft, quiet, lack of energy and passion and pushback, collapse and weak exit, or will they man up and show up with passion on Thursday night. Will they one up their pathetic exits the past 2 years blowing 2-0 series leads, which is 80% + odds to win the series historically and blow a 3-0 series lead, which is 98% odds to win the series historically. Boy would it be epic if they blow it. Rangerland would see a lot of changes one would think. We shall see. 21 shots at home in a potential clinching game...enough said.
Zibanejad line a combined -7 tonight, Trocheck line a combined -6 in game 4, Panarin -5 the past two games combined (he was a +2 in the 7 prior games). Will these guys show in game 6.
Obviously the pp needs to get back in sync, though the Canes certainly have something to do with it. Need some traffic at the net and better entries.
And how many times did they have centering passes intercepted? Just need quicker decisions in general against that team.
Said before the series, the way you beat the Canes is quick decisions and quick puck movement, that has been very lacking the past two games. On the PP, they are just not shooting anymore, caught up in looking for that pretty pass again, and making low % cross ice passes that will not work against this team. Canes have tightened on the PK, but the Rangers are helping them with over passing, trying to be fancy, and lack of conviction.
Let's face it. They let the Canes do long stretch passes all night. Never adjusted. Get through the neutral zone with ease. Their skating sucked. Their passing sucked. Their effort sucked as the game went on. They played east-west again. They were falling down on the ice all night. It almost looked like they were playing hung over. They could use the extra day of rest.
Hopefully everyone calms down with the Rempe stuff. He was absolutely useless last night. Ok, you don’t want penalties but what’s the point if he’s not hitting anyone? If he’s not in front of the net using his size?
To be fair, he should’ve drawn 2 penalties but it is painfully obvious that the NHL has told the refs to officiate him differently. With that being the case, I do agree he is useless with the officiating being how it is on him. But Brodzinski also brings zero to the game. If Chytil can’t go game 6 then what do we do?
I agree on the Rempe thing in that their record with him is/was a bit coincidental. Overall, I think the 12th forward isn't going to be a major difference, especially when it is a choice between Brod and Rempe, neither player is making a big impact or adding real value throughout the game, and as a 12th forward that is not a big or surprising statement. With that said, if they can get Wheeler and/or Chytil back for game 6 that is a big boost I believe. Either one of those guys is a step up from Brod or Rempe and allows them to move Cuylle to the 4th line, or have Wheeler on the 4th line, and that is an advantage. I really think it is something to watch the next couple of days into game 6, will Chytil and/or Wheeler practice and play. I wrote last night, it is absolutely not why they lost, but the way the Chytil thing went down didn't help them. If he had not come back at all it would have been way better than the yo-yo of back, team is excited we get a good player back, only to have him go out again day of game 4, after a very good day between games 3 & 4 from what we have read. That is not a good situation for the team and can be a little deflating for Chytil and the team, it was for all of us, and it wouldn't have been if Chytil never came back in game 3. I believe the winner of game 6 wins this series, we'll see if the Rangers are ready to play a game this time.
Good article by Brooks, which I think is spot on. Comparisons to 2015 ECF, the Devs series, and more. Rangers hardly resembled themselves in listless Game 5 letdown (nypost.com)
