I was hopeful they could win a round but even if not there's no excuse for getting manhandled by the Penguins.
If the rangers don’t turn this around and at least win game 5 gallant may be left at his 2nd bus stop. So far all he wants to do is throw the pucks on the ice and say go get ‘em boys. The playoffs are different and require adjustments in strategy both in actual play and personnel adjustments. So far, gallant is playing checkers and Sullivan is playing chess. Didn’t expect this team to go far as their still young but I did expect them to beat the pens. Panerin to me is great regular season player but not the type you need to win in the playoffs. Zman I saw the other day on a milk carton. And if fox isn’t hurt I don’t understand what the hell happenned to him. Igor is shellshocked as the pens are being allowed to plant a player on his doorstep with no rangers in the vicinity. And to keep playing a liability like nemeth game after game is a joke. Use Hajek or Jones already.
All I keep doing is looking at Carloina’s D with DeAngelo, Smith and Skjei. They’re good enough there but nope they weren’t good enough here. We should have kept DeAngelo. So what if he was a Trumper
I've been saying for years they need a big guy who can clear people from in front. The Rangers just let guys park in front and bat away at pucks at will. Move somebody.
Trouba was supposed to be that guy. Schneider will be that guy in pretty short order is my guess. Losing Lindgren put the Rangers in a position to have to start Nemeth and Braun. However, the worst Rangers d-man last night was Fox. Maybe an unpopular opinion but he was basically useless. That is more troubling than Nemeth taking a bad penalty. You expect that from Nemeth.
Im with you gravy. Fox has been horrendous and if he's not fighting some kind of injury a scary proposition moving forward.
Schiefele would probably be available via trade but i don't think they can fit him in cap wise if they bring back Copp and Vatrano, even if you include Chytil and Georgiev in the deal. Trouba's contract is the one now that's starting to clog things up a little even though he's been better in the last year or two. Maybe the Jets will be looking to trade Dubois.
Taking care of LD and either saying Chytil is ready to be the # 2 C and we add a FO specialist as a 4th line C OR dealing Chytil for a # 2 C are the last few moves this team needs to be complete. Then all we can do is I guess hope Pan and Z get their playoff acts together, and the kids keep learning and improving. Copp is the guy I make sure I re-sign - assuming $5M per give or take. While I'd like Vatrano and Motte back, if they want too much they go and we let kids take their spots in the bottom 6.
If they dump off Nemeth somewhere with a draft pick then maybe Jones if he's still here could step into the LD F/T, as Robertson is not going to be ready for another year. Maybe they add a Vet like Edler or Ian Cole for a year to get by. I just don't see Chytil ever becoming a #2C, and i don't think C is his best position anyway. They should use him in any bigger deal and his salary is one of the only ones that will make a dent going the other way. Let him get a new start with a rebuilding team.
Agree on Chytil. My only point is enough with him as the # 3 C, it is not the right role for him. He needs to be the # 2 C, or if he is not ready to play that role, he must be dealt for a legit # 2 C. The days of him centering the 3rd line have to stop I believe.
Said it for 2 years. Dvorak is they guy they should add. He's on a 4.5 contract which is OK. He's a 56% draw guy. You can put him out on key defensive draws and on the the PP to win the draw and then take him off. Montreal is going to draft a center and most likely play him a ton. Dvorak is a guy I am confident they will move. Strome has been a good Ranger but he's not what we need going forward. Gallant should have put Lafreniere and Kakko on the first PP unit. However, this series is not his fault. Trouba shockingly has played like a pussy in the playoffs when he didn't do so in the regular season. Zibanejad and Panarin have no clue how to play playoff hockey and they refuse to change. Losing Blais, Goodrow and Motte who play playoff hockey is huge. That's 25% of your forwards who get it this time of year. Fox has no clue on defense without Lindgren. Asking him to adjust now in his first NHL playoffs is a little much. Next year I would try to move Georgiev and Chytil in a deal for Dvorak which I think the Habs would do. I would use Jones or Lundkvist to move Nemeth and get a pick back. There is some work to be done but don't underestimate the devestating losses to a team with little grit and playoff experience of Goodrow, Motte and Blais. That has hurt our forwards a ton. A veteran team can overcome that type of stuff. This team isn't ready for that. I would also play Fox with Miller some next season. He needs to learn to play with another defenseman in case something like this happens again.
The players to a man need to all up their game 30% if they're to even sniff a game 6. If the effort is there and the KISS method is employed maybe they still have a chance. Win and maybe the Pens will start tightening up a little.