Game 1 Panthers vs. Rangers

Way too many careless plays and passes to nowhere. Need to do a better job going north/south and peppering Bob with some traffic.

 

Reading articles, and they are saying a lot of what I said. Rangers looked like a team off since last Thursday. Messier said the Rangers played too careful, and they need to get emotional, he thinks they should play Rempe in game 2.

Zibanejad said “I think we feel like we have better in us, and I think first and foremost we look at ourselves and what we have to do better. There’s room for, not improvement, but to raise our level,”

“We have to look at ourselves,’’ Kreider said after producing two quiet shots on net in 19:39 of ice time. “We have to do better, and I think there’s room for improvement to raise our level.’’

Raise their level, get emotional, look like a team off since last Thursday. That was my point, they just seemed flat and not very fired up for a game 1 of the ECF at home. I really believe a lot of it was self-inflicted as the Panthers were good, but they weren't dominant or all over the Rangers. There were times in the Canes series it was way worse with regards to puck control and zone time than anything we saw in game 1, and we overcame that.

I hope they live up to these words:

“I think it boils down to playing north-south hockey,” Kreider said. “Getting pucks behind lines, getting pucks in. That’s the kind of hockey that works this time of year. That’s the kind of hockey they played, and we didn’t.”

I say we'll see a much better Rangers team in game 2, and they get the win to even the series 1-1 as they head to Florida.

As for the lineup, on the one hand Rempe adds excitement and energy, on the other hand he plays 5-7 minutes a game, and that is maybe not a great use of spot. I also think you have to leave Chytil in as the Rangers will need 3rd line scoring in this series, so if you put Rempe in who do you take out, Vesey? It won't be Goodrow as I cannot see Lav doing that. At the very least I swap Wennberg and Cuylle if you aren't going to play Wheeler over Vesey.

Lav has some interesting decisions to make for game 2. You don't want to overreact to one game, but you also need to be ahead of the curve and make the moves you think will best help your team up their game in game 2. This is the "tough side" of having all the players healthy now, you have tough choices on who sits. Good problem to have, but not easy to decide.

 

Panthers are simply better. Doesn’t mean the Rangers can’t win but last night they played timid and that’s not a good sign.

 

Now Brooks saying the same thing:

The Rangers were not quick enough, were not hard enough, were not sharp enough and were not committed enough for a Game 1 of the conference finals.

Look, maybe the Panthers are simply better than the Rangers, but I am not going to draw that conclusion or make that statement after one game, where the Rangers did not really bring anything with them, and played like it was game 54 of the regular season, not game 1 of the ECF. I think they have earned the opportunity to play game 2 with much more energy, passion, and commitment, which I expect they will, and then we'll see what that gets them. If they fall flat on their face again, then I will say yeah, the Panthers are simply better, what can you do. I do not see that happening though, and I believe the Rangers will win game 2.

Brooks also mentioned playing Wheeler over Roslovic. It isn't crazy in this sense; this may be a series that is more suited for Wheeler at 6'5" than the smaller and faster Roslovic. Not sure if that change happens, but it isn't crazy.

In the light of day, I stand by my dropping Wennberg to the 4th line belief. I see this as a series where the Rangers are going to need a 3rd line that can score, not just cycle a puck, and I don't see a line with Wennberg being that line. I would play Chytil and Kakko with Cullye, and if Lav doesn't want that put Wheeler there for Cullye. Either way I think that is the best 3rd line for the Rangers. It also allows you to have a heck of a matchup checking line with Wennberg and Goodrow with Vesey or Rempe or Cuylle depending on how you round out the forwards.

The only two forwards that didn't play 10 minutes last night were Chytil at 9:17 and Cuylle at 7:45. Not sure what that says, but I do think the lineup decisions for game 2 are very intriguing. Do you play Wheeler thinking his size and style are a fit here, do you play Rempe thinking you could use his physical nature and energy, do you move Wennberg down, do you sit Chytil or Roslovic or Cuylle. I think it is really open which way Lav goes, but he has earned the benefit of the doubt right now, so I have faith he'll make the right moves. One thing I will say is Chytil is in my game 2 lineup if I was making the decision. He has the ability to score in the bottom 6, and I think we need that. I also would lean towards having Wheeler in. If they practice that should give us some nuggets you'd think.

It would really help if Panarin gets his game going again, in the past 4 games he is a -7, I know +/- can be a questionable stat, but that is very bad. He needs to raise his level, maybe shave his head before game 2.

At the end of the day, no matter what they do I expect much more compete and battle from the Rangers in game 2.

 

It's one game but it's a perfect example of why I want the Rangers to go all in on Brady Tkachuk to get him out of Ottawa and save his career.

 

The Rangers came in a few levels of intensity lower than the Panthers, this is where hiring Lav should pay off and he'll make the necessary adjustments.. Lav was outcoached last night, he had the ineffective top liners out too long while guys like Cuylle got 7 minutes despite having a breakaway chance and 4 hits. Lav needs to stop being a stubborn dumbass and put Rempe in, he's a better offensive option than Filip or Jonny. I don't think the Rangers could have played much worse than last night, think we'll see a different team tomorrow.

 

Can someone tell me how the difference between Lavy and Gallant cause when the Rangers lose it looks exactly the same. Last night as well as game 5 against the Canes, it didnt look any different than the games lost to the Devils. Same crap where we cant get out of our zone, flipping the puck out of our defensive zone to be able to make a line change... same type of turnovers and reliance on Igor.

 

Fox ineffectiveness is starting to catch up to them. He hasn't had a good postseason.

 

Saying Rempe is a better offensive option than Chytil is of the dumbest fucking comments in the history of chat boards. It is his second game back. You gotta give him another game or two, which is a risk at this time of year, but worth it if he picks it up. Fox could be a very tough situation. Amazingly, there are a lot of teams out there, who have no power-play quarterback, worth crap. Fox also isn’t gonna want to play for anybody else if they ever decide to move him. Tkachuk is the move if it can be done.

 

We are one game into the ECF, and we are talking about offseason moves, if that doesn't tell you all you need to know about Rangers fans, I don't know what does....

With regards to Gallant and Lav, it is the players that need to get the job done. Sure, the coach has impact, and the Rangers are better this year than last year, and they have won games they never won over the past handful plus of years, winning a series in 4 followed by winning a series in 6 is something these Rangers never do. I didn't think Gallant was the right fit and temperament, but as I said when he was fired, at the end of the day the players are going to play and do the right things, or they are not. Game 5 against the Canes, and last night playing a flat game with little emotion in the ECF, is unfortunately who these players are at times it seems. But what happens next will tell you the story IMO. Will they do what they have done most of this season, and against the Canes, and play a big game 2 with energy and passion, or will they fold up like they did last year and have at other times in their somewhat recent past. That will be the litmus test, and I say they step up. But the bottom line is you sink or swim with the players doing the right things regardless of who the coach is, we'll see what these guys do, but this season to me so far, they have earned the benefit of the doubt until they don't get it done.

And I totally agree on Chytil, he needs to be in the lineup if healthy. We need 3rd line scoring, and he is the best chance to give it to us. Maybe it doesn't click as the guy has played two games in over 6 months, but you have to take the chance that after a game or two he gets it going. Also agree on Rempe, he plays hard and adds a physical element, but his impact has been overblown. I think you are spot on Mess, play him if you want, I think that is certainly fine, but he isn't this huge game changer, and if they did play him to me, it would be over Vesey or Goodrow (never happen) before I played him over Chytil, and I may even play Wheeler over him to see if he can make some plays. I am not anti-Rempe at all, if Lav played him that is okay, but with the options the Rangers have now that they are fully healthy, I am just not sure where Rempe fits in, who sits for him, and you also have Wheeler who is healthy and didn't play in game 1. Tough numbers game for Rempe right now IMO. If the Rangers need Rempe to give them a jolt and some energy, they are most likely in a bad place anyway that won't end with them winning this series.

 

I said weeks ago Florida was the best team in the East. That being said, they can be beat by this Rangers team. Getting Tkachuk was something I said before the playoffs started. Tired of missing out on guys that want out, that are a game changer. As far as this series goes it's going to take a lot to beat the Panthers. You can't have your 3rd and 4th line contribute nothing offensively. So far that's been the case for the last few playoff games they have had. There are some of us who despite the Presidents Trophy still realized that this was a flawed team in a couple of major areas. One, defensively they are still inconsistent. Two, they still suck scoring 5 on 5. It's hard to win a cup when that is the case.

 

Agreed 100%, which is why I have been advocating moving Wennberg down to the 4th line, and having Wheeler and Chytil in, you need Chytil on the 3rd line with Kakko and either Cuylle or Wheeler. They need to get some goals out of the 3rd line at least.

As I wrote last night, I expect them to play well with some energy and passion in game 2, and last night was not close to the best from the Rangers, it was like a regular season game in January. If Florida rolls them tomorrow night, I will say yeah Florida is just better, and if they struggle in game 2, then I will be concerned, until then I expect this to be 1-1 going to Florida.

As for ESPN, let's be real they don't care about hockey. It is way down the line of importance for them, and TNT is the same way. It is an unfortunate reality of hockey in the US. ESPN's pre-game show is on ESPN2, never on ESPN leading into the game, instead they think having Sportscenter on ESPN is more important, of course before the NBA games they have a hour long pre-game show on ESPN. It is a shame.

 

You Filip/Jonny lovers can hate on the kid all you like but I'm with Messier, put Rempe in the lineup. Sorry Dumbpy we don't have 2 or 3 games for Filip especially when anyone with room temperature hockey IQ can see him for what he is - an above average puck handler/skater with no self preservation skills bound for another upper body injury. Rempe has a postseason goal with less ice time and is willing to camp out in front of the goal.

 

Speaking for myself, I have zero issue putting Rempe in, I just wouldn't put him in over Chytil, who did score 22 goals and 45 points last season. And to me Brod isn't even in the equation, he is 4 of 4 between Chytil, Rempe, Wheeler and Brod, no shot Brod sees the lineup when we are fully healthy.

 

I remember when I said put Carcillo in against the Flyers in 2014 I was attacked. He ended up scoring and being a spark. I think Rempe can do that too. Bottom 2 lines are doing shit so what’s the big deal… they’re only going to win when the top 2 lines score

 

See if Rempe can take FL off their game. The game was 1-0 into the 3rd last night. Florida was just as flat as the rangers, rangers just didn’t bury the chances they had

 

That little fuckin mouse Lomberg was all over the crease too. Where the fuck is Trouba with those hits