Post-Game Talk: #1 - 10/05/17 | avalanche @ RANGERS | 7:00 - MSG

[Gardner McKay]

Regarding last nights game... disappointing for sure. I thought we outplayed Colorado, the powerplay is the best I can recall seeing in the last 15 years, Varly had a tremendous game, and Chytil...

He proved my concerns valid. I was worried that he looked good in preseason because the game is a bit slower and against lesser players. He looked absolutely lost last night. Give the kid a few more games and barring anything major, send him back. He has all the makings of a star player though.

 

[Gardner McKay]

DD over Chytil on the PP seems like AV up to his old tricks. If you're going to have Chytil playing in the NHL at 18, you might as well give him every chance to succeed. He's going to make mistakes, sure... but that's part of the learning process. If you're just going to give him sheltered time, then he should just go and play for Czech team and log important minutes.

Throwing a rookie out there in every situation is flat out stupid. Did Chytil even practice on the PP? DD ran the PP in Montreal. He has experience.

With how Chytil looked during the game, it was the right call to not give him PP time. Let him get adjusted.

 

[SnowFort]

I know that Hank uses a stiffer glove than most, which is harder to close. Does anyone know why he does that?

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I think last night is a microcosm of what you'll see all season. Some really exciting stuff offensively, especially on the PP and some really abhorrent stuff on the defensive side of the puck. Shattenkirk, in many ways, personifies this team. He was great on the PP, but his body positioning on the 1st goal was brutal.

 

[True Blue]

Regarding last nights game... disappointing for sure. I thought we outplayed Colorado, the powerplay is the best I can recall seeing in the last 15 years,

More of the same aside from PP. Over passing the puck to the other team, lack of hustle on back check, absolutely no such thing as having a crease presence on the defensive end. Can't sound an alarm after one game, but looks like the issues from last year exist this year. Some faces are different, but the song remains the same.....

 

[haveandare]

I really don't get all the worry. Feel like I watched a different game than everyone else. Yeah, they lost, but they outplayed and outchanced Colorado significantly. Varlamov stood on his head. It's not fun to have happen, but it happens many times every year - an opposing goalie gets into a groove and has a great game, otherwise solid scoring chances die on the vine.

PP looked good in some ways, but I still don't like everyone standing around so much. That's a huge difference between NYR's PP, even when it's going well, and a team like PIT's PP. Feel like I'm taking crazy pills when year after year after year we have a stationary PP. Cycle, move around, pull the killers out of position. Doing it the way we did last night won't be sustainable Imo, teams will catch on and shadow Zbad.

Speaking of Zbad, great offensive game from him last night. If we were up against a league average goalie he could have scored 4 or 5 imo.

Overall, Colorado is a bad team but they can have hot nights, they have a lot of individual talent compared to a team like Vegas for example. MacKinnon, Duchene, Barrie, Rantanen and Varlamov are all extremely talented players.

 

[Irishguy42]

Defense on all teams in the league will tighten up and get better as the season progresses. Happens every year.

Offense looks great for most teams, and then the D catches up.

 

[nevesis]

I know that Hank uses a stiffer glove than most, which is harder to close. Does anyone know why he does that?

A few different reasons. Most pro style gloves have what is called a 'pro palm' which is a beefed up palm area to prevent stingers when hard shots hit the palm. He has this extra padded because stock pro palms don't really prevent stingers from pro level shots. This does make it much harder to actually close the glove.

The other reason is that his glove is custom made to be as open and flat as possible because when he is in his stance he likes to create as much blocking area as possible. He was never a 'catch first' goaltender when it came to his glove hand, only when he can ensure the puck is going to go into the t-trap (webbing) of his glove.

It's one of the reasons he isn't a good puck handler, or a goaltender who is very efficient at making glove saves unless he has the time and positioning to ensure he can follow the puck into the t.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

DD over Chytil on the PP seems like AV up to his old tricks. If you're going to have Chytil playing in the NHL at 18, you might as well give him every chance to succeed. He's going to make mistakes, sure... but that's part of the learning process. If you're just going to give him sheltered time, then he should just go and play for Czech team and log important minutes.

The PP was pretty awesome and its pretty stupid to throw an 18 year old into the special teams mix.

 

[Ori]

Oh, I'm a dick. This is why I don't post anymore LOL

We are all aware that Rangers dominated that game in chances and SOG & FO% - we had more hits too. And we don`t need advance stats to understand that if you watch the game. My brief point; it was not a coincidence that both Ryan & Kevin had -3 last night - they need time to build chemistry.

AV said Avalanche goalie best player this game, but our finishing was not good, and traffic was so so, and we were too passive at times, 5 v 5 need to improve.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

We are all aware that Rangers dominated that game in chances and SOG & FO% - we had more hits too. And we don`t need advance stats to understand that if you watch the game. My brief point; it was not a concidence that both Ryan & Kevin had -3 last night - they need time to build chemistry.

AV said Avalanche goalie best player this game, but our finishing was not good, and traffic was so so, and we were too passive at times, 5 v 5 need to improve.

Yes we are aware.

Some people are also aware that poor defensive play and sloppiness in the neutral zone actually lost them a game.

 

[Thordic]

If you watched the game last night, you shouldn't be worried. Overall, we looked good. Some valid points about the team defense being sub-par, but it wasn't atrocious. Colorado may have a bad team but they have some good players, and they were hungry and opportunistic. When we made a mistake, they took advantage. It happens, even against bad teams.

Overall though, the team looked good. Puck movement, forechecking, scoring chances, powerplay. All looked really good.

Based on last night, despite the fact the loss was disappointing, I'm optimistic about this year.

Also, Chytil was in his first NHL game. Most rookies in their first game look lost and confused, even really good ones. Remember when Stamkos looked like hot garbage? He'll either adapt in the next 8 games, or he'll go back home and develop there. Calm your knees down and stop jerking them.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I didn't feel we were outplayed but we didn't play well. Throw out those minus 3s. They didn't play at a minus 3 level besides I hate any empty net minus. We had some good and bad moments. The 3 bads for me.
1. Lundy got outplayed

2. Shatty not locking up his man on rebound goal.

3. Buch with lazy backcheck on Barrie goal.

 

[Ori]

Ryan Mc. mention that in the interview after game - Avalanche is a very good transition team.

 

[True Blue]

I really don't get all the worry. Feel like I watched a different game than everyone else.

For me it is not so much the worry, but rather the same lapses defensively as happened last year. The same hanging the goalie out to dry as happened last year. The same over passing to the opposing team as happened last year.

 

[Levitate]

More of the same aside from PP. Over passing the puck to the other team, lack of hustle on back check, absolutely no such thing as having a crease presence on the defensive end. Can't sound an alarm after one game, but looks like the issues from last year exist this year. Some faces are different, but the song remains the same.....

Eh, some of that stuff isn't a huge deal, or at least isn't really the big problems that have brought down this team in the past few years. Over passing the puck is just part of how this offense works and it's been a good (regular season at least) offense. It's what these players specifically do, sometimes it's frustrating, but it often works well enough. Ultimately they generated enough high quality chance that they normally score a lot more than 2 goals, but Varlamov was hot.

The weak backchecking is certainly a concern and something that's irritated me for years now but the coaching staff is at least aware that they need to tighten up and have better numbers getting back. Same with the crease clearing...it's pretty much always been mediocre and so it continues.

These are weaknesses but not fatal ones. To me I think a difference was they really didn't spend as much time in their own zone defending and transitioned with speed better. That's what you're going to get with this defense and what could make a difference compared to last year.

I really don't get all the worry. Feel like I watched a different game than everyone else. Yeah, they lost, but they outplayed and outchanced Colorado significantly. Varlamov stood on his head. It's not fun to have happen, but it happens many times every year - an opposing goalie gets into a groove and has a great game, otherwise solid scoring chances die on the vine.

PP looked good in some ways, but I still don't like everyone standing around so much. That's a huge difference between NYR's PP, even when it's going well, and a team like PIT's PP. Feel like I'm taking crazy pills when year after year after year we have a stationary PP. Cycle, move around, pull the killers out of position. Doing it the way we did last night won't be sustainable Imo, teams will catch on and shadow Zbad.

Speaking of Zbad, great offensive game from him last night. If we were up against a league average goalie he could have scored 4 or 5 imo.

Overall, Colorado is a bad team but they can have hot nights, they have a lot of individual talent compared to a team like Vegas for example. MacKinnon, Duchene, Barrie, Rantanen and Varlamov are all extremely talented players.

I feel like the Rangers PP tends to stand around a bit until they start getting the puck moving and then guys start moving and then things start coming together but it too often starts with everyone standing still. Go figure.

And yeah there are no easy games in the NHL. No game is a gimme even if the team you're playing is objectively bad.

Hopefully the forwards will provide a lot more support against Toronto because they'll need to not keep getting caught and giving up odd man rushes and open late trailers

 

[Mike in Houston]

It could've been worse. We could've lost 10-1.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

It could've been worse. We could've lost 10-1.

I'll take a whole season of losing 82 games 10-1 if it means the Rangers won the prior 2 cups.

 

[Griffinbw]

It could've been worse. We could've lost 10-1.

Or in OT to STL after getting outplayed the whole game

 

[Griffinbw]

I'll take a whole season of losing 82 games 10-1 if it means the Rangers won the prior 2 cups.

You say that now, but midway through that tanking season you'd have some doubts. No one likes watching a team that doesn't compete

 

[Thordic]

You say that now, but midway through that tanking season you'd have some doubts. No one likes watching a team that doesn't compete

I would absolutely take 2 cups and then a top 3 draft pick in return for watching the worst season of hockey ever played. Where do I sign up?

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I get the sense of not being "worried" after one game where the Rangers largely dictated play (although that was a lot through the PP and less so at even strength).

But this game does potentially provide a glimpse of what could become a hallmark of the rest of the season -- carrying play offensively, but 1 or 2 defensive breakdowns that prove to be the difference between a W and a L.

 

[Thordic]

But this game does potentially provide a glimpse of what could become a hallmark of the rest of the season -- carrying play offensively, but 1 or 2 defensive breakdowns that prove to be the difference between a W and a L.

I don't think our defense is built for shutouts. Outside of Staal, all our d-men can skate and generate offense. We are built to play a fast run-and-gun game. We aren't competing for the Jennings this year, but hopefully out offense can more than make up for our GAA.

 

[GordonGecko]

I'm not confident that Hank is still elite.

It's like clockwork every single October with these people

 

[Levitate]

re: Chytil, I don't think he looked lost...he didn't get to control the puck the way he did in preseason but he was around the net for some chances and generally looked alright for his first game with few minutes. Can't expect a guy to step out and look amazing in his first NHL game and like 5 minutes of icetime even if they were more skilled than he is.