.......and the preseason keeps on truckin'. The coach is looking at everyone. Connecticut Whale is going to have new young faces..... McIlrath is not ready for Prime Time(parent team). Kreider is inconsistent and showed some very lazy moves early in this game. I don't think this kid keeps his head in the game. So far ( 3 games ) he disappoints. Like Brassard and Pouliot. Staal is back. I have noticed this preseason....once the opposition is in the Ranger zone, Rangers cannot get the puck out of their zone, and it gives the opponent several chances to score. Tonight's PP reminded me of all of last year! Not good. Players who should not be on this year's team: Bickel, Pyatt....they are too slow and inconsistent.
I disagree. The Rangers have had no problem getting the puck out of their zone. It's the defensive coverage in front which is really not a big deal at all because the guys making most of the mistakes are prospects who will be in the minors. The PP has looked fine. The Rangers haven't gone with a starting lineup at all. They have had kids in every pre-season game. Plus, Stepan isn't here who is the QB on the PP. Kreider has been fine also. Again, it's the worthless pre-season. Kreider is way too fast to play with Richards. Ideally, I would like to see a line of Kreider-Stepan-Nash or Kreider-Brassard-Nash. Richards IMO needs to play with Pouliot and Zuccarello. My lines at full strength would be. Kreider-Stepan-Nash Hagelin-Brassard-Cally Pouliot-Richards-Dorsett Boyle-Lindberg-Moore Staal-Moore McDonagh-Girardi Del Zotto-Stralman I think ultimately they will keep Boyle now that think about it and trade Pyatt and Zuccarello nce Hagelin and Cally are back in the lineup. I would give Dorsett a chance on the third line. I think he has more offensive ability than Prust and might turn into a 15-15 guy if Richards has a good year.
Richards and Kreider doesnt work for me either. Their games don't match. I do like Kreider on the left and Nash on the right, that line would be big and fast. I said toward the middle of last year that Torts should have just put Kreider-Step-Nash together and stayed with them the rest of the way, but we all know the stubborn mule wasn't about to do that.
