Mika can stay as our #1 center for lack of better options, but what I’m saying is he needs to be off the PP all together. And it was me and you it seemed like being the loudest yelling at how shitty our deadline was.
At least Kreider and even Panarin to a degree have shown something, but Zibanejad has just been a flat out embarrassment.
My point on Lav is this, even if you want to nitpick and say Mika off PP1, or why dress Rempe, which are legit questions, that still takes away from the main point IMO, at some point it has to be about the players, the same players who year after year don't get it done in big spots. God could have coached them last year and this year, and if Mika and Panarin are doing sh*t in big spots it wouldn't matter. But don't worry, Mika will try something different next time and hopefully it works out for him per his quote post-game 4. What a leader.
The only reason I think they could get blown out is because overall, the stars for this team have not been there and have played like third liners.
Panarin has been ok, but he has gone back to being passive because the Panthers have forced him outside where he has always been way more comfortable. Laf has proven he’s the future of the team. In the offseason there’s only a handful of guys who are untouchables. Everyone else should be shopped around and try to get some guys to waive their NMC. Ask Mika where he wants to go and then trade him for a 7th dman if the other team is willing to eat his contract or most of it.
The only thing I blame Lav for is keeping Mika out on PP1. Everything else is copy paste from the last few years where the big guns turn into water guns when the games get tougher.
I will say right now, I think the Rangers will play a decent game Saturday night. Nothing about what I have seen in this series tells me a whipping is coming. The Rangers may win, or they may lose, but I think it will be a reasonably close game at worst. But I also think if we win, we'll most likely sh*t the bed in game 7.
I would make pretty much every single player available outside of Lafreniere and Trocheck, the rest I at least listen and see what can be done. But I also understand it is going to be very difficult to really reshape a team full of vets making a lot of money with NTC/NMC. Drury has dug himself a hole with a team that is good, but not good enough to be the best. A bad place to be, but hey he kept our 1st round pick # 29 in a weak draft, bully for Christopher.
We will see what happens but I just believe an easy Florida win is quite possible. Crazy that they haven’t been able to beat Florida in regulation in any game this season.
I am going to say this with a preface of saying Igor has been amazing for us and we wouldn't be close to where we are today without him, he is like # 30 on a list of 30 for why we lost, but he does let in some questionable soft goals sometimes. Not sure if it is focus or something else, but he does. One thing about Hank, in his long career here the guy very VERY rarely let in really soft goals. I would argue Igor has let in 3 or 4 this series.
I'll tell you something else, panzer has been saying this for a while, and I have come around, the smart move is to trade Fox this summer before his NMC kicks in. The team has too many NMC's as it is, to add another is no good. I say that while also saying you only do it if you can get a really big return, and can replace him with a 1st pair dman, but if you can I look to do it this summer. I think panzer has been right on that one.
Maybe you will be right, and I wouldn't bet on the Rangers winning even though it wouldn't shock me, but I kind of also feel like it's what the Rangers do. What would be more Rangers like than to win game 6, get you excited, just to no show game 7 at home again late in the playoffs.
Perhaps Igor should’ve had a couple of more saves but he’s the only reason Florida hasn’t blasted the Rangers in these games. Not to mention do the Rangers expect to win every game 1-0?
1000000% agree. You score essentially one goal tonight and you are not winning, we have been saying that for 13 years and more.... It was more an observation that Hank was so special IMO, the guy really never let in bad goals, Igor does seem to lose focus from time to time and let in a soft one, after 10 great saves...lol. My two favorite Rangers goalies in my lifetime are Bieser and Hank. Loved Richter of course, big fan of Igor, but Bieser and Hank were my guys.
BTW, you are so right Mess, a SH goal to take the lead, crowd going crazy you would think would lead to bigger things, nope totally do sh*t after that. Very telling.
The story of the series is the rangers fizzling in the 3rd period. Sadly I see it ending in 6. Florida could have easily swept this series if not for Igor. He’s so much better than the remaining 4 goalies (2 for Edmonton). Another Hank situation where the team isn’t good enough
