Game Thread Game #5 May 6 :Sens vs Rangers

Staal gets rolled around like an electronic parking sign.

 

Yea fuck Sutter. They barely made it into the playoffs when they won

 

I'd be shocked if Vig isn't here at least through next year. If they don't get too far next year then I'd say start considering a change. We're 2 min and a few bounces from the ECF though i get some of the frustration with some moves.

 

That TB would have swept this Ottawa team. I'm sorry but the Sens are not that good.

 

You won't get any debate from me, I agree. We have totally controlled every statistical aspect of this series...except the one that matters most...3-2 Ottawa series lead.

I didn't mean the teams rival each other in talent, I meant the pain of the loss as a Ranger fan rival each other. This is worse because Ottawa is a worse team and we are simply the better team. That was worse because it was the ECF, and we were the best team all season that year. Plus expectations were higher in 2015.

Both are/were major downers for sure.

 

I agree 71. It won't happen, but I now believe AV should be fired if we lose to this Ottawa team. There is now no doubt in my mind his decisions late, and utter refusal to play the right guys, has killed the team in this series. I have always been in the layoff of AV camp. Team has performed well under him. But now I am fed up with it.

His decision to not play Skjei late in close games is baffling.
In game 2 he shortens the bench, and loses track of Smith as he said. Benches Buch and Lindberg in the late 2nd/3rd/and all of OT.
In game 5 he has Glass on with 1:30 left protecting the lead.
Staal is constantly on ice late when his play simply has not been deserving of that time.

Look at some of the comments today:

It’s clear that Vigneault is at least hesitant — if not downright averse — to giving crucial time to rookie defenseman Brady Skjei while protecting a lead. Skjei didn’t play for the final 5:04 of regulation in Game 5, that after he logged the second-most minutes of any defensemen behind only captain Ryan McDonagh in a huge 4-1 win in Game 3 that turned the tide of this series back in favor of the Blueshirts.

Then from AV himself:

On the defense pairs and Smith and Skjei playing less on Saturday, "last night, we are pretty much rolling four lines and rolling 6 D and when it got down to the end we had Marc Staal, who has a lot of experience, and Smytty who has good experience and Dan and Mac, those are the guys that toward the end we were leaning on more. They were able to make a play that led to a rebound opportunity that went off a couple of bodies and sticks and ended it up in the back of our net and that is the way it is."


To me it is clear the guy doesn't get it late. If we lose to this team we 10000000000000000% should have beaten, I think he needs to go. Won't happen, but I would support it.

His late game decisions have been terrible. From Holden and Staal on late in game 2 at Montreal. To benching players and refusing to play Skjei late in game 2 against Ottawa. To Staal and Glass on late in game 5. To no Skjei late in any of these close games. AV has cost us this series I think.

 

100% agree with there Chuck

 

Can't really argue too much, as these are awful losses that you should be learning from. If he can't see Staal is the weak link on D then that's extremely shocking.

 

What I wonder about is what the F does experience have to do with it if they keep failing in those situations. How many times does Staal need to be on late where we allow a goal before AV says forget the experience...I need results. Never mentions results, but mentions experience a few times...really AV. AV sounds stupid when he says that.

Again, maybe Skjei will fail and isn't ready for that role yet, but I can tell you I'd darn sure give him a shot over Staal at this point. What is the downside considering we have blown THREE late 3rd period leads in 11 playoff games. Come on now AV...F experience.

At this point it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the top 4 dmen should be McDonagh/Girardi and Skjei/Smith. He did it in game 3, and then decided it worked too well, so need to change it up. Wake up AV.

 

Heck even Klein would probably be doing better than Staal right now.

 

Hank postseason - 61W-64L 2.27 GAA .922 Save %. Too many softies this year. AV's Rangers have given up late period goals since he got here. I've been down on AV since last year, think he's going in the wrong direction. Losing to Ottawa is unacceptable.

 

Must keep the faith till they actually lose to Ottawa. I Still have confidence they win games 6 and 7 and move on. If they do lose however wholesale changes are coming.

 

This couldn't be a more spot on article from Brooks. Goes exactly to the point above about playing Staal, no Skjei, and AV's ridiculous comments about experience (while never mentioning actual results).

http://nypost.com/2017/05/08/ive-had-it-with-the-rangers-experience-edge/


AV either gets it tonight or we go home, and so should he, as we'd lose to a team we are better than. F experience...play the guys who deserve to play and are actually producing results now...not 3 years ago against Montreal or the Caps.

 

And AV says this yesterday, and it makes my head spin:

“I believe in this group, and we’re going to rely on our experience,” he said. “With experience you can see things evolving a little bit quicker, and you can focus on the right things. You can play with confidence because you’ve been through it before. So very confident that our leadership is going to be ready. They’re going to bring it.”

Vigneault also looked toward his goalie, saying, “We need Hank to be Hank.”

“I think Brady is a real good young player. But I also believe that on the left side, Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh have a lot of experience and they’re good players, too,” Vigneault said. “Brady is, without a doubt, a good young defenseman that is only going to get better.”


F experience as Brooks said. Jesus this drives me nuts.

 

Puckdaddy had a great article yesterday about AV's personnel choices during these late game lapses. I'm not giving up on the Rangers, they should win his series, now that they're backed into a corner we'll see how they respond.