Kakko is Jagr-esque in how difficult it is to get the puck from him. The guy goes into a battle on the boards and more often than not comes out with the puck. He should definitely be in the top 6 next game.
Carolina is good at tightening things up as the game processes I was going to ask what the fuck has Kakko done?
Motte was clearly the best player on the ice for the Rangers tonight. Yet, nobody mentions him but want to beat the same stupid dead horse narrative.
I am blown away by this Kakko stuff. Jesus what has the guy done besides be virtually invisible and miss a wide open net? Not going to kill him or write him off as he's a kid who still has high upside, but seriously that is where we are hanging our hat. Why wasn't invisible Kakko moved up? Come on. And again, no one mentions Lafreniere moving up because he earned it, doesn't meet the Rangers ruined the kids story, so won't go there.
Yup - why I wrote I would have moved Motte up before Kakko. And truthfully I think Vatrano has turned into that pumpkin, I'd switch Motte and Vatrano for game 3.
Panarin has played almost 40 minutes the first 2 games of the series and done absolutely nothing. But yea, let's keep bringing up a miss by a young kid.
Some of you guys focus on the weirdest things after these games. Big stories to me: CK and Pan awful again. Blowing game 1 I think was the killer, even though it was game 1. Lafreniere is coming on, and looks great to me. Stud for sure next season. Motte should be the forward we are asking why wasn't he moved up, not Kakko, who has not earned it.
Nobody for the most part has played well. Just screaming Kakko when he hasn't done a thing makes no sense.
Invisible? You're watching the wrong games apparently. Fine, this board may never let him live off that open net miss apparently, but what has Panarin or Kreider done the first 2 games to say players like Kakko don't deserve their chance at playing more? and yes, Lafreniere is crushing it this series creating something almost every time he's out there. It is about fucking time he gets rewarded.
I think we'd all agree on Pan being story # 1. He has been terrible for many games now outside of 1 huge PPG. He is the # 1 story, and it is very concerning moving forward.
Strome needed to net atleast one early in the game but it shouldn't and can't just come down to that.
Yes, I am watching, and Kakko has done very little in the playoffs. Maybe invisible is a touch strong, but he has not earned moving up. I just commented on Panarin. No doubt he is the biggest story. We have all wrote that OVER and OVER. Motte should be up over Kakko. Why Kakko, because he is a kid? Earn it kid - Lafreniere did.
Strome is another one. Good thing about him is he is now 10000000000000% gone. We won't have to see his face anymore losing every FO and disappearing for long stretches. Maybe we can add the # 2 C who can win a FO we badly need to replace Strome.
BINGO!!! This is the bottom line. I don't know how anyone can watch these games and not clearly see that. Both were "handled the wrong way" according to some, and look at what Lafreniere is doing vs. what Kakko is doing. Kakko needs to stay healthy and look in the mirror. That is not on the coaches.
Step back - give the team credit. Youngest team in the playoffs, came back from a huge 3-1 hole in round 1, made the 2nd round. That is a lot accomplished this year. Losing game 1 against Carolina was the crusher to me, and IMO essentially put an end to their chances unless they came up huge in game 2. That is why I was so upset after game 1, I knew what it represented, and it would be the one we'd regret. We have a few holes - 3rd pair LD, a guy who can win a FO, a legit 2nd line C - we get answers to those things (I'd try and re-sign Copp as the 3rd line C - and deal Chytil in a package for the 2nd line C), and we can beat any team next season with Lafreniere the stud leading the way. I truly believe that.
You said exactly the same shit after game 4 in the last series. Let's see what happens in games 3 and 4 before giving up.
