Is the window closing

They did...okay...LIT UP in the pair of 2-0 games that cost us a shot in the SCF's...LOL.

OV had ONE goal after game 2 of the Caps series...LIT UP.

After a real hot start the triplets weren't as good after game 3.

I know some people don't like to accept this, but there is another team on the ice with the Rangers. And to me when you go up against the best two players in the world, Cindy and OV, and then follow that up by playing against a red hot triplets line, yet end the postseason with the numbers G and McD have, that tells me they played some great hockey. But what do I know...

 

Go look at the numbers strud. Go look at the players they played against. AGAIN I know you think the Rangers are the only team on the ice, but sadly the other team plays to win as well. Facing the players they faced from round 1 on I think they did great.

And NO we did not lose because of D. As a matter of fact we WON because of D in rounds 1 and 2. We won game 1 against TB because of D. We certainly didn't lose game 2 because of D. Game 3...I 1000000000000% agree, our D was AWFUL. And games 5 and 7 had nothing to do with D as we didn't score and lost each game 2-0. Those are the facts.

And we were talking about this years playoffs, not the SCF from last season when clearly G was awful and he said so. We all know that.

 

12 goals in 2 games... On for Killorns back breaker... kucherovs 40 ft wrister... Picked great times to let the oppoisition score.

Rangers aren't the only team that versed good players.. Malkin was playing injured, Crosby won a game for PITT but wasn't playing good at all.. OV put WSH up 1-0 in a g7 in a tight series but other than that didn't do much.. No surprise the Rangers won the first two rounds

 

Okay, so now we blame McD and G for the soft OT goal Hank allowed in game 3...PLEASE STOP you look foolish now. But I just said game 3 yes the D was awful and the co main reason we lost along with Hank who had his one bad playoff game that night. Outside of that game the D was very good overall.

Game 2, which I was at, was not on the D, the whole team didn't show. On the D when we take dumb penalties and allow a ton of special team goals? On the D when MSL turns the puck over for a 2-0 break on a 5 on 3? Stop please.

Game 3 the D was bad and is the biggest reason we lost...agree 100%. Outside of that game the D was very good overall all playoffs.

And looking at their final numbers, and playing against the players they played against from round 1 on, says it all about G and McD. If you want to call out a dman, save it with McD and G and focus on Staal who was terrible the last two rounds. Don't focus on McD and G.

 

Reading Zipay's article was hilarious. It's amazing how dumb and clueless the writers are who cover this team.

 

Excuses much...LOL.

So Malkin was injured, somehow he flew right to Russia and played after the Pens were elminated, but he was injured. I thought he was injured also during the series, but after seeing him play in the World's after they lost maybe he wasn't. But even if he was hurting a little he was still shutdown AND McD and G weren't on against him, so I didn't even mention him, you did.

Crosby I guess wasn't playing good, so no credit to McD and G...LOL. He just wasn't playing good, nothing to do with McD and G.

OV was on FIRE through game 2 against us, and then boom he scored 1 goal in the last 5 games...no credit for McD and G?

I know the results and numbers don't matchup with what your point was, but that doesn't mean you can simply make stuff up...LOL. If these guys played against the 3rd and 4th lines of the other team I wouldn't be defending them as much as I am. But to end up with the numbers they ended up with playing against all these great players kind of speaks for itself. They both played very well, and the D clearly was not the reason we didn't beat TB. Game 3 was a mess, but outside of that the D played well overall.

 

Lol Man... Agree to disagree Chuck, it's ok.. U see it one why, I see it another... I don't think the D was any good against TB. This team is built on Goaltensing and Defense and they couldn't get it done along with the offense

 

The defenseman sucked ass in the Tampa series. You would have to have your head up your ass to think otherwise.

 

Fair enough strud...agree to disagree. I can live with that....

And for the record Staal was bad. The rest of the D I think was solid to very good, and we didn't lose the series because of the D. To me game 3 was on the D, outside of that I don't see it. But I certainly respect your opinion to see it differently.

 

How so dump? We lost games 5 & 7 by 2-0 scores...on the D? We won game 1 by a 2-1 score...on the D? Game 6 we were up 2-1 after two and 5-1 in the 3rd...on the D? Game 2 the whole team didn't show, so don't give me the D in that game...EVERYONE was bad in that game. I believe 4 of the 6 TB goals were on special teams.

Game 3 is the game...100% agree. The D was terrible that game and deserves a ton of blame for that L, I couldn't agree more. But outside of that game I don't see it.

In games 1, 5, and 7 we allowed 5 goals in total...D? In game 6 we were up 5-1 in the 3rd...D?

Come on now.

 

What didn't you like about Zipay's article dump?

I think he is wrong about Boyle, he can be bought out. I also see no shot we think about dealing Klein at 2.9 per, great cap hit for his skills. I also think we will be fine with the cap going up 2.5 mill or so, and MSL coming off at over 5 mill per.

Outside of that what don't you agree with? He mentions moving on from Glass. I think his theme is the main core is here and there will be moves around that, which he is correct about...no?

 

I also think TB is a very good offensive team. I think they will score goals against the Hawks. They scored a lot against the Habs and their great D and goalie. If they get shutdown against the Hawks maybe I will feel differently, but truthfully given their high offensive skills, I think our D played well outside of game 3...I really do.

 

I think what dump is saying is that the dmen were turnover machines in their own end and we're bailed out alot by hank. Just a guess

 

Could be...and I do think there was certainly some of that. But again TB is a very good offensive team, and will get chances and score goals, look at what they did against Montreal and Price.

I also keep pointing back to the two biggest games of the series IMO, and we score 0 goals in either game. When I am writing the final obit on the series I focus on the O way before I focus on the D. Just my take.

It is always the age old question is it the D or is it the goalie. Don't know, but seeing the team not miss a beat after a rocky start for Cam makes me think the D is better than some give it credit for.

So yeah I don't think this was a vintage performance by the D. This wasn't Pitt or Wash. But given the fact that TB is a very good offensive team, I think the D was solid to very good for the most part.

 

Im pretty sure the Rangers used both buyouts... Theyll have to get his consent to buy him out. It isn't automatic like Redden (lol) and Richards... I didn't thjnk Boyle was bad. 10pts in 19 games, played hard. However, in the playoffs this team is missing offense every season

 

They cannot use a compliance buyout and get it off the cap, I believe they can still buy him out and the hit is 1.5 mill per for the next 3 seasons. Pretty sure that's how it works. He may have to consent to it, not sure, but if they say we want to go that route I am sure he will agree.

 

The more I thought about it the more I think you guys are correct on this one. The D wasn't great against the Bolts. I do think McD and G were solid though. I think Staal especially, and Klein weren't great. I also think they were a little sloppy. BUT with that said I do think TB had a lot to do with it as they are a very gifted offensive team.

So I think you guys are correct, but I don't think they were terrible, and I still think G and McD were solid overall in the series given who they were playing against.

 

I just felt it was out of character of the team although they D struggled against the bolts all season... It was ironic that they got beat at their own game

 

Right, at the end of the day while the D wasn't great, we didn't lose because of that though strud. We lost because TB beat us at our own game, 2-0 in the two biggest games on our ice. Well said strud.

 

The D wasn't great in the ECF but we lost because our top offensive players were not good enough. Stepan and Brass were good especially Brass. KREIDER wasn't great. Nash wasn't great other then 1 gm. St Louis was an abortion all playoffs. Zuc was out.

Look at the Hawks. Toews Kane Hossa Keith and Seabrook always produce in playoffs. That's why they are in the Finals again despite getting a very up and down performance from Crawford this year.

Yes the defense could have played much better but we are out because this team couldn't score goals at home vs an above average but hardly great goalie and defense.

Any offseason moves need to be towards scoring playoff goals. Dirty gritty goals that you need to win series and eventually a cup. It starts w a guy like Justin Williams to replace MLS. It doesn't have to be him but he is just what this team needs. Also I am not opposed to swapping Hags for size. This team has plenty of speed. Speed doesn't get you gritty playoff goals. Physical play and size does.