Yes. He got a lot of hype and spotlight leading up to the draft and then got drafted by a huge market team and immediately promoted in a big way. Kakko doesn’t have that kind of personality, but Laf embraces that kind of attention and spotlight. I can definitely see him getting too comfortable too fast. He’s the type of kid who is probably like our third or fourth most popular player (like jersey wise and such) but nowhere near being our fourth best contributing player. But the popularity doesn’t seem to be good for him. I can see him showing up to camp and showing up to each practice and meeting and being way too comfortable joking with Kreider and Trouba and feeling like big man on campus. And our team doesn’t have the type of leadership to sit him down and say “look, little man, you’re welcome here and we love you, but you ain’t one of us yet. You haven’t earned it anymore than Nils or Morgan or Braden. You gotta show you belong in the show before you get to be one of the big boys”. No one is going to deliver that message. No one is going to tell him he’s too comfortable, too familiar, not serious enough. I could see the coach being a bit fed up with it.
Post-Game Talk: #11 - 11/05/21 | RANGERS @ oilers | 9:30 - MSG PLUS
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Yes. He got a lot of hype and spotlight leading up to the draft and then got drafted by a huge market team and immediately promoted in a big way. Kakko doesn’t have that kind of personality, but Laf embraces that kind of attention and spotlight. I can definitely see him getting too comfortable too fast. He’s the type of kid who is probably like our third or fourth most popular player (like jersey wise and such) but nowhere near being our fourth best contributing player. But the popularity doesn’t seem to be good for him. I can see him showing up to camp and showing up to each practice and meeting and being way too comfortable joking with Kreider and Trouba and feeling like big man on campus. And our team doesn’t have the type of leadership to sit him down and say “look, little man, you’re welcome here and we love you, but you ain’t one of us yet. You haven’t earned it anymore than Nils or Morgan or Braden. You gotta show you belong in the show before you get to be one of the big boys”. No one is going to deliver that message. No one is going to tell him he’s too comfortable, too familiar, not serious enough. I could see the coach being a bit fed up with it.
DanielBrassard
It's all so tiresome
What makes you think any of those guys will regress to the mean? Zibanejad is what he is at this point, a poor 5v5 playdriver who goes on a shooting run sometimes. Panarin looks nothing like he did 2 years ago and even worse than last season. Strome has been Strome for the most part and is probably the only one who could get better. Igor will regress because no goalie in NHL history has put up the sv% he has to this point over a full season. Kreider won't score 60 goals either.
If this is the “worst” team you have seen then you haven’t been around long.
They just lost 6-5 in OT against a team that has had a fantastic start due to having 2 of the best players in the world and our backup goalie in net.
Some of you must be 21 years old or younger with the way you act, no offense.
- Feb 17, 2013
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I love what Gallant is doing. That’s real leadership. It takes guts because a lot of outsiders will criticize him. But inside the locker room he’s building trust and any success is built off of that.
Its funny man, its ok when other teams, such as the Islanders, collect loser points and at the end of the year are right there near the top of the league and then considered contenders, but its not ok when we do it…
Because players and teams progress all of the time. Happened in 11-12, 13-14, and 14-15. I remember that 11-12 team beating Vancouver 4-0 in a game that was 0-0 going into the third period and Hank had a top 5 performance in his career. And I remember them losing to a terrible Oilers team 2-0 to open the season. I remember the Rangers losing 9-2 or thereabout to the Sharks in 13-14. The 14-15 team was about .500 in December. I know that there were teams that went the other direction, but hey let's just be miserable and assume THAT will happen instead of hoping it'll be the opposite. Because it's so much better to be miserable.
Chaels Arms
Formerly Lias Andersson
He wasn't like that last season at all though. I think that is probably shiny new toy syndrome with Gallant vs. DQ. I have a feeling he's not going to be so loose if he's still playing the way he has been so far 30 games in.
I’ve always felt that way about Laf. I just also felt really confident he was gonna start producing once he adapted. But from day one I thought he was a bit comfortable and cocky. I just thought it was an asset. Now I’m starting to see it as an impediment to him putting his nose to the grind stone and making the adjustments he needs to make to be successful. He sees himself as one of the big dogs. One of the stars on the team. Everyone has his jersey. Everyone loves him. He sees Strome and Panarin and Mika aren’t making adjustments. I don’t think it’s good for him.
I hope so. That's what's needed to bring this disparate group together to form a real team.
Mandar
The Real Maven
whats confusing the most is that we have no idea what type of player he is supposed to be....playmaker? Sniper? Grinder? In his career up till now, I havent been able to figure that out...I wonder if he even knows.
I think Gallant's seen that and has taken action. Laf looked a bit red coming out for the third period against Vancouver after his lazy penalty. I suspect he got a good chewing out during the pause and he was demoted to the 4th line for this game.
Good morning and Goodnight Europe. MSG Post Game.
egelband
Registered User
- Sep 6, 2008
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n8
WAAAAAAA!!!
The persons I blame for this loss are Allaire and Georgiev. This would have been a 5-2 W with Shesty in net.
I'm not sure why GG is so hesitant on moving Kakko to another line. I understand you need a very defensive minded player to play on that RW since he's essentially the center on that line but we have Goodrow. He's seems tailored made for that spot. If you don't want Kakko on the first line then at least put him back with the only player he's had some chemistry with in the past in Chytil.
Frustrating game. Not sure why all the animus against Laf. He's a kid who needs minutes. Talk to him about doing a stint in the AHL to work on some things, build up his confidence and then come roaring back.
My biggest frustrations:
Trouba--I've been impressed with him all season, but this game was an abomination. On one of their earlier goals (can't remember offhand which one--the double dose of the Covid booster and the flu shot has me feeling pretty miserable right now), Trouba tried to stick check McDavid. McDavid ices him and the result is a goal. On the game tying goal, McDavid is going in on goal with speed. Trouba again tried to stick check rather than take the body. Then in overtime, he got burned AGAIN by trying to stick check McDavid, and the only reason it didn't wind up in the back of the net is dumb luck. Making the same mistake three times in one game is inexcusable. He's been phenomenal all season thus far though, so I chalk this one up to the "everyone plays like crap from time to time" category.
On the game tying goal, Trouba wasn't the only one I had issue with. Nemeth was the other D in position to do something. Two of the guys who are supposed to be able to throw hits and all they could do if flail their sticks around. Yeah, it's McDavid. Yeah, he still had to bring a truckload of skill to make that goal happen. But Trouba/Nemeth made it just a little bit easier.
Finally, on my shit-list for that GTG is whoever it was that looked at the ice, SAW McDavid right outside our blue line with the puck, and staring right at him, and then opted to go for a change anyway. Seriously, McDavid watched him, and the second he started towards the bench, McDavid entered our zone. I couldn't make out who it was, but based on the laziness of the play, I'd guess Panarin or Strome.
On the GWG, I don't know why Kreider sat there and watched the loose puck for five years before deciding maybe he should try and collect it. He had the angle, the space, and he just sat there, not going for the puck until Nurse was clearly going to beat him to it. Same thing with Zib. Yeah, he fell, but if he'd been aware of where Draisaitl was on the ice, he could have been in better position. He didn't try to close him down until AFTER Nurse was cueing up the pass.
Panarin continues to glide around and cherry pick. More than once, I saw him stay by center ice while Edmonton had a controlled zone entry. He was literally not even trying to defend. At least twice, he also tried to pull a cutesy blind pass to Strome that ended up just going right out of the zone, resulting in Edmonton getting sustained zone pressure. That line doesn't even seem to WANT possession. He, Strome, and Kakko, incidentally combined for zero hits in this game.
These were the new-ish things I noticed. The issue of giving the puck away immediately after getting it out of our zone was recurring issue that has plagued the team all season.
It's still early, and it's a good thing that the team is picking up points as they make this adjustment, but at some point--soon--there needs to be some sign that the team is making that adjustment. Right now, they seem to keep making the same mistakes night after night, especially in the top two lines. If they can't turn the corner, then at some point the question has to change from "when will these guys start playing the way their coach wants them to" to "when will Drury replace guys who refuse to adjust their game"?
I'm not usually this harsh, but that double vaccine whammy is knocking me for a loop.
My biggest frustrations:
Trouba--I've been impressed with him all season, but this game was an abomination. On one of their earlier goals (can't remember offhand which one--the double dose of the Covid booster and the flu shot has me feeling pretty miserable right now), Trouba tried to stick check McDavid. McDavid ices him and the result is a goal. On the game tying goal, McDavid is going in on goal with speed. Trouba again tried to stick check rather than take the body. Then in overtime, he got burned AGAIN by trying to stick check McDavid, and the only reason it didn't wind up in the back of the net is dumb luck. Making the same mistake three times in one game is inexcusable. He's been phenomenal all season thus far though, so I chalk this one up to the "everyone plays like crap from time to time" category.
On the game tying goal, Trouba wasn't the only one I had issue with. Nemeth was the other D in position to do something. Two of the guys who are supposed to be able to throw hits and all they could do if flail their sticks around. Yeah, it's McDavid. Yeah, he still had to bring a truckload of skill to make that goal happen. But Trouba/Nemeth made it just a little bit easier.
Finally, on my shit-list for that GTG is whoever it was that looked at the ice, SAW McDavid right outside our blue line with the puck, and staring right at him, and then opted to go for a change anyway. Seriously, McDavid watched him, and the second he started towards the bench, McDavid entered our zone. I couldn't make out who it was, but based on the laziness of the play, I'd guess Panarin or Strome.
On the GWG, I don't know why Kreider sat there and watched the loose puck for five years before deciding maybe he should try and collect it. He had the angle, the space, and he just sat there, not going for the puck until Nurse was clearly going to beat him to it. Same thing with Zib. Yeah, he fell, but if he'd been aware of where Draisaitl was on the ice, he could have been in better position. He didn't try to close him down until AFTER Nurse was cueing up the pass.
Panarin continues to glide around and cherry pick. More than once, I saw him stay by center ice while Edmonton had a controlled zone entry. He was literally not even trying to defend. At least twice, he also tried to pull a cutesy blind pass to Strome that ended up just going right out of the zone, resulting in Edmonton getting sustained zone pressure. That line doesn't even seem to WANT possession. He, Strome, and Kakko, incidentally combined for zero hits in this game.
These were the new-ish things I noticed. The issue of giving the puck away immediately after getting it out of our zone was recurring issue that has plagued the team all season.
It's still early, and it's a good thing that the team is picking up points as they make this adjustment, but at some point--soon--there needs to be some sign that the team is making that adjustment. Right now, they seem to keep making the same mistakes night after night, especially in the top two lines. If they can't turn the corner, then at some point the question has to change from "when will these guys start playing the way their coach wants them to" to "when will Drury replace guys who refuse to adjust their game"?
I'm not usually this harsh, but that double vaccine whammy is knocking me for a loop.
Unpredictable1
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egelband
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Feel better soon. It’s rough. I hope the Rangers give you - and all of us - a ‘boost’ tomorrow too
egelband
Registered User
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I may have mentioned before but I really liked Chytil today. The lack of special teams play in the first half of the game was great for him. He got to take a regular shift for a good long stretch and made things happen. Very good use of speed and side. Also was passing well. Maybe the best I’ve seen him play…ever.
Sockosensei
Registered User
I think he is holding them accountable -- Laf demotion to 4th line being an example.
The key is that he wants to keep the criticism in house. His strategy with the media is to deflect the criticism away from all of his players.
When asked bluntly a few days ago, "Is that a message to Laf?" he gently deflected it with a smile and a kind word. He said something like, "Sure, the kid might take it that way," and the clear implication was positive: because Laf's a good kid and committed to getting better he's going to do all he can.
The next day the reporters started in with "So yesterday you called out Laf, ..." Of course the coach is going to feel frustrated. Hell, I'm frustrated just watching the presser and having to hear them harp and twist.
EdJovanovski
#RempeForCalder
Unpredictable1
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