Chad got waived today means Mancini and Jones are sticking around. Good to see the organization values their own youngsters than retreats.
Easier said than done but they have to eventually learn you cannot try and skate through Florida into the zone. You have to dump it in and fight for it.
Shut that game off after the second period because I could see that nothing has changed when they play that team.
You cannot get too high or too low during the long marathon NHL season, especially in Oct. The Rangers will have good games and bad games, and overall they are off to a very good start. They will be a good regular season team, maybe win the Met again, maybe finish 2nd or 3rd, but they will be a good team and make the playoffs. I say enjoy that for what it is. With that said, also know the reality, this is not a SC winning team, I am not sure they are even a really legit contender, and when they play the best teams, as they did tonight, they will have ups and downs and sometimes look outclassed. We have seen this core make it very clear who they are many MANY times now, and it isn't good enough. They will not magically get tighter, more structured, more disciplined in their own zone. They will not magically change their style to play tight playoff hockey or play the right way against teams like Florida. This is who they are, and who they will be, and it won't magically change with the same core season after season. It could be way worse, the Rangers are a good team that will give you a lot of fun games, but they will not win a Cup, or even get to a SCF, my guess is 2nd round is their ceiling this season. The undisciplined, lack of structure in their own zone, lack of tighter/tougher play is issue 1A, and there is way too much evidence to think it will change. And at this point I think Zibanejad is issue 1B. This is not close to the same guy from 2 or 3 seasons ago. Since the start of last season, he has been a PP specialist only, and it is a major issue for the team, and again I see no reason, outside of hope, it will change for Mika. Enjoy the season, enjoy the fun games and wins they will surely get, enjoy making the playoffs, but stay grounded about what this teams ceiling really is. That is how I am viewing it.
Agree with all of this but IMO this season ends exactly like last season ends. Why wouldn't it? They didn't make any changes that would make one think they've solved the problems that we seen on the ice last night. Maybe it's more of a tactics issue, but they don't seem to have learned anything about why they got dominated in the playoffs by this team.
That’s why I’ve been trying to tell dumb bastards in our fanbase put fucking Lafreniere on the power-play to give you a one time option on the other side instead of Zibanejad in the same fucking spot every year cause it doesn’t work against teams like Florida.
Well said. Be it 1st round, 2nd round, ECF the underlying theme is not a SCF/SC winning team. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. And it is extremely unlikely that guys like Panarin and Mika, who have struggled and disappeared in the biggest spots their whole careers in the playoffs, are now going to step up in those games/spots and deliver. These results have happened with multiple coaches, over multiple seasons with similar results from this core. Be it want to or understanding of how they need to play to win these playoff games (especially later in the playoffs), or simply put they are not capable of playing the way you need to play to win a Cup, whichever is the driver, maybe a combo of all, the bottom line is this core group has shown they are not built to win a Cup. The Rangers will not have a legit shot to win a Cup until this core is changed, and that unlikely to happen with a goalie making $12M +/-. Unfortunately, that's the Rangers situation. I am aware of that going in and will keep my expectations in check accordingly, while still enjoying a lot of fun games, and a good team that will win a lot of games to make the playoffs. It could be a lot worse as I wrote. BTW - the playoffs every year with Hank and Igor, and games like last night, show you once again the Rangers are crazy if they give Igor what he wants. Even if your goalie is amazing, you cannot win without the right team, depth, and talent around him. The Rangers should say 8-years for $88M, take it or leave it (and I think that is too much already). If Igor thinks he can do better, let him go try, good luck with that. And if he does get more somewhere else, more power to him, that is most important to him it seems. Drury should have balls on this and say this is our offer, we will not increase it, highest paid goalie ever in the history of the game or pass and go somewhere else. Won't happen because Drury doesn't have the balls, but that is what I would do.
If only Lafreniere was on PP1, that will cure Panarin and Mika disappearing in big playoff games, the Rangers soft play in big playoff games, the Rangers lack of toughness and responsible defensive zone play in big playoff games. Let's solve issue # 7 (if it even rates that high) and that will cure issues # 1-6, which are way more important to the team actually winning a Cup.
