Stupidity that must be changed to beat the Panthers.

1. As always. Mika off the first PP unit, Lafreniere on RW to give them a one time option. You have to move the puck quick and shoot quick, driving the net to score on the PP against them. You can't do that with four righty shots and only Kreider your lefty in front. Grow a brain Lava.
2. I like Brodzinsky as a role player but he's not what you need against a Florida team. You need Othmann's. Somebody to lay a player out with a big hit and get under the skin of a Tkachuk. It's obvious that Kreider has never had the balls to do it. One of the few big hits all night was thrown by Carrick. A guy that wasn't even on the fucking team last year losing to the Panthers. Telling.
3. Start laying the law down to Miller. You're 6'5. Stop playing like a pussy, start hitting people or you are going to start losing ice time. Or send him packing. He's soft as butter. Love Schneider's game but he needs to be told to hit more against a team like Florida as well. He's capable of it.
4. Would love to send Zibanejad packing but we are probably stuck with the dipshit. That being said, he needs to start being scratched after games like this. There is ZERO accountability from this coach after his pussy performances. Thus, why he keeps doing it. He continues to not get scratched and get first PP time when he plays like a bitch.

 

Their record 5-1-1 is masking all of the above issues. This coach won’t change anything significantly besides moving some guys around. Unless Drury steps in nothing will change

 

Drury is dumb as dog shit as well. He won't do jack shit.

 

If he wasn’t a pussy he would. Would’ve been nice if they grew Mess into gm role. He would kick the shit out of this coach. Don’t see Mess allowing this pussy ass soft shit

 

Nope

 

Notice all bitches in our fan base who stuck off the veterans on this team, especially Zibanejad are nowhere to be found today after they got fucked by the Panthers again.

 

It's not rocket science. I explained it. Have one time options on either side of the PP. Build your team around the one guy who actually scores against them in Lafreniere. Have the players over 6'2 on your team actually throw body checks when you play them.

 

The PP is not the issue, the issue is the softness, the lack of discipline and structure in their own zone, the struggles at even strength (Zibanejad has become average at best even-strength - which only exasperates the issue). None of that gets solved by Lafreniere playing on PP1. I don't think it gets solved with the current core, as we have seen season after season. I think reality is what it is, and the Rangers are who they are.

I don't think it is just a Florida issue; I think that's a convenient and easy way to make oneself feel better. Was it a Florida issue when they lost in round 1 in 2023? Was it a Florida issue when they lost in the ECF in 2022? The answer to both those questions is no. The answer is within, and it's the core of the team isn't good enough and do not play the style you need to play to win a Cup, not just win a round or two.

We can keep our heads in the sand, or we can acknowledge what is very clear over years, the team isn't good enough, the core isn't good enough, and changes need to be made otherwise it will simply be an exercise in insanity, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

 

If Zibanejad starts to suck even on the pp, which he's started to show some signs of with weak plays, they probably will try 13 there. I could see that happening fairly soon. We are stuck with that contract at least another 2-3y so hopefully he can get it together some.

 

Agree 100% on moving Lafreniere to PP1. With that said, the point I continue to make is that doesn't matter, it won't solve the issues on this team, and it isn't close to the biggest concern the Rangers have. It's like rearraigning chairs on the deck of the Titanic, go ahead and move Lafreniere to PP1, I am 100% fine with that, and actually think it should happen. I also think it is 1000000% true it is irrelevant to solving the issues and elevating the Rangers to SC winner level.

 

Actually you’re somewhat missing the point with Laf moving to PP1. It will send a message to Mika and the vets that enough is enough and there is some accountability in place. Yes it won’t solve all of their issues but at least it’s a start. There’s not much you can do about the core this year.

 

On the flip side, PP2 will suck even worse if you take Laf off it. They already only score once every 30 games.

 

It might be better if put Zibanejad on it since he’s a righty shot. Either way, Lafreniere must be on the first PP unit.

 

As I have been saying, I have zero issue moving Lafreniere to PP1. I also think it is clear Zibanejad has become an issue for this team and is essentially a PP specialist. But I disagree that taking him off of PP1 is going to send some major message to him, especially when his major issues are at even strength. If you want to send Zibanejad a message, scratch his lazy a**, bench him for a period, those are much better and more appropriate ways to send a message then moving him off PP1.

Once again though, all of this is irrelevant to the Rangers taking the next step and becoming a Cup winning type team. None of their main issues get solved by switching Zibanejad and Lafreniere on the PP units. I do agree that cannot be fixed because it is a core personnel issue, and that is what it is unfortunately.

I have been a fan of Lav, but on this Zibanejad thing he is missing the boat, I think. He should be scratched for a couple of games, maybe then he'll get the message he's a shadow of the guy he was just two seasons ago. It really isn't very different than when he sat Igor and started Quick for a few games in a row last season, and it got Igor going. That is what Lav should do, not just flip Lafreniere and Zibanejad on the PP units. And for the record, I would make that change on the PP also, I just don't think it should be treated as some major savior move that changes all the Rangers fortunes as continues to be posted in here over and over. Do that, but it won't solve anything. You need much more than a PP unit mix-up to get Zibanejad going, and sadly the answers don't exist with the current team to elevate them to the next level IMO.

 

This team has pretty much no chance of winning a cup until they build the team around Lafreniere starting by replacing worthless Zibanejad with him on the first PP unit. Berard is showing a lot in the AHL. Othmann is certainly capable of being on the 4th line as is Berard. It would be in the organizations best interest to have Othmann or Berard to start playing center as it's probably only a matter of time until Chytil is out.

 

When Drury ran GG out of town I was skeptical that Lav was the answer, he was simply another driver trying to win a race with the same shitty, underperforming car. I'm sure the screaming match Drury had with GG had to do with the softness of this roster and the necessity to break it up. I've said since the loss to Tampa 3 years ago the Rangers should trade Fox for a haul, years later Fox still has value and is the type of shock that needs to be instilled into these pampered princesses.

 

It's the roster/players, not the coaches, agree 100% Panzer.

They should build around Lafreniere, Trocheck, Cuylle, Othmann, Perrault, Mancini, Miller, Schneider, and I would put Chytil in there with a huge health caveat (if not for that caveat he'd be a lock on this list). I would also add Igor to this list, if he takes $11M tops. Be open to trading Fox and the others for a good return (if you can work around NMC's). Long way off, but unless it is absolutely crystal clear the Rangers are a legit Cup threat, not just a playoff team, but a legit Cup threat, I would sell at the trade DL.

Until the core is changed, this team will not win.

 

The top players on the Rangers have become complacent and accustomed to coming up short, the only way to snap them back to reality is breaking up the band. On the plus side Cuylle may be the most underappreciated player on the roster, what he does with the limited minutes Lav gives him is impressive. Also, Reilly Smith looks like a good get, Quick making me think long and hard about Igor's demands and Kappo looks like he figured out a few things.

 

For the first time, I’m starting to think about what we could get for Fox. Maybe putting Panarin on the point.