GDT: #17 - 11/18/21 | RANGERS @ leafs | 7:00 - MSG

[gravey9]

Difference being, imo they are firing on all cylinders. We’re not.

I innately know they’re beatable.

Of course. But we have so many players on our roster who have limited experience in NHL games like this. It's one thing to play a team that's firing on all cylinders and just get steamrolled. It's another thing to play up to their level. The third period showed them that if they play the right way, fight through checks, win puck battles, get to the net front they can keep up with the best teams. That style of play may not be sustainable for us given our youth and I'm a bit worried that two of three best players are smaller guys like Panarin and Fox. And that the third guy - Zibby - doesn't always look great in games like this. But, for guys like Chytil, Kakko, Gauths, Laf, Miller and really, even Fox, it's a good lesson. It's not enough to be talented. You need to adopt a playing style that makes it hard for the opposition to beat you.

 

[gravey9]

The young guys were their best last night. Kakko looked good, the 3rd line was fantastic, and Miller was their best on defense. That is promising in the sense that they might be finally getting the style and system Gallant wants them to employ.

That is the continued growth that the team needs from those players. The effort put forth by those players is how this team grows from a playoff team to a contending team. People said Lafreniere was invisible last night, but that's not what I saw. He was good on the forecheck and had a strong game. That 3rd line gets rolling like this game after game and they'll be winning a bunch more than losing.

If this effort is put up against Buffalo on Sunday, it's an easy win.

It's an encouraging sign that in games like this that our bigger/stronger young kids are able to step up and make an impact. Bodes well for their prime years (If we are able to keep them together).

 

[romba]

to many pucks bounce on guys at the bluelines, to many fumbles and turnovers, and generally just not committing 100% to the play you're making whether it's pinching, checking a Leaf, or making/receiving a pass.

I noticed this too. Also lots of low speed in the NZ and passing to other stationary players instead of turning up the speed to push the D back or taking the simple play and getting it deep to live another day. We caused a bunch of turnovers that way in the 3rd period, and Tor started playing on their heels a bit. Tor used our tentative play to gets lots of rush chances that we defended pretty well and Shesty stopped, but you can't score while playing D.

 

[bigdog16]

Yeah but Toronto doesn't control GG starting them in the offensive zone like 10 times.

That line should never start there. They are not going to score.

You would rather start them in the offensive zone than the defensive zone

 

[gravey9]

Miller had a very noticeable game last night. Mostly good. It was noticeable that in a tough game like last night, that he was able to assert his size, skating and talent to the point where he became a real factor.

As someone whose watched quite a bit of AHL games in the past few years, K'Andre's skillset and physical gifts really stand out from every other defensemen in our system and really, amongst most pro D.

Generally speaking, VERY generally speaking, there are 2 kinds of defenseman that get developed. Big D that play physical and hopefully make a good outlet pass. Average/smaller D who are above average at the first pass and can also chip in offensively. There are lots of other variables and hybrids of the two, but by and large the majority of D prospects are in one of these two categories.

What K'Andre offers is this rare combo of size, reach and strength mixed with a decent first pass, dynamite skating and fairly soft hands (even if stickhandling at times looks clunky or a bit forced). He's just incredibly rare even by NHL standards. And last night is a perfect example why extreme patience is required with K'Andre. Because if he can do what he did last night on a regular basis and once we start entering the playoffs he could quite easily become our most versatile defenseman in 2-3 years.

He may not get there. We've seen too many defensemen show flashes and settle back in to mediocrity. But I can't even remember the last time the Rangers had a D in K'Andre's mix of skill/raw talent. Maybe a very young Marc Staal (but Staal was perfection in his own zone from a young age and less talented offensively.)

 

[TheDirtyH]

The irony of it all is that had David Quinn just rolled with what he had put out last year in training camp and just stuck to it, we probably would've made the playoffs. We've got the same lines now--swapping Buch with Blais/Goodrow--and Gallant gives our #1 a #1 workload. All the hand wringing about the kids, all the minutes in the top 6 for Blackwell, and all the starts for Georgiev...

 

[Lion Hound]

Solid effort that fell short against one of the Leagues best clubs on paper. Is Toronto finally putting it all together?


9 Times out of 10 Igor is stopping that first goal. It seemed to take wind out of their sails. Felt like the Leafs were playing Barry Trotz hockey after the first goal. Not a lot of room out there. Still though the Rangers managed to sustain pressure and get some really good chances in the 3rd. Puckluck wasn't on their side when it mattered.

 

[SA16]

I'm counting all points, on pace for exactly 35 points. BTW he may score 10 ENG because he is trusted to protect a lead in the last minutes.

Sure. If you don’t understand math you could say that.

 

[leetch99]

Geesh.....is Campbells glove the biggest ever ???? LOL.....HUGE !

 

[Kocur26]

I come away from last nights game highly impressed with both hockey teams… The Rangers were outstanding except for face-offs which are a huge problem that neither of the last two GM’s has addressed.
K’Andre Miller has a chance to be a real one he needs to work on his stick handling hi at the blue line as well as his decision making with the puck he’s outstanding without the puck.
I need a lot more for Mika Z .

The leafs are for real - They are loaded in every aspect of the game And now have taken a defense first approach.

 

[LOFIN]

The leafs are for real - They are loaded in every aspect of the game And now have taken a defense first approach.

I don't think the Leafs are playing that much differently from the last RS. They were good defensively last year as well.

Their problems are between their ears when it comes to the playoffs. They had a good roster last year, and they have a good roster this season as well (obviously losing Hyman hurts a bit). It's just a matter of their star players delivering in the playoffs.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I come away from last nights game highly impressed with both hockey teams… The Rangers were outstanding except for face-offs which are a huge problem that neither of the last two GM’s has addressed.
K’Andre Miller has a chance to be a real one he needs to work on his stick handling hi at the blue line as well as his decision making with the puck he’s outstanding without the puck.
I need a lot more for Mika Z .

The leafs are for real - They are loaded in every aspect of the game And now have taken a defense first approach.

An HFBoards first Kocur26 with a positive post!

 

[Machinehead]

The Leafs are a good team and we played ok.

Kaapo Kakko is happening.

 

[FoxysExpensiveNYDigs]

Miller was a beast last night. If he continues this development path, he's going to be a monster.

 

[duhmetreE]

Everyone keeps saying solid effort... I just didn't see that. We had a solid effort in the 3rd...

In the 1st and 2nd the majority were sleep walking. Kid Line and KAM... that's it.

It wasn't our best effort but we finished strong. I guess that's what people remember

 

[will1066]

An HFBoards first Kocur26 with a positive post!

I'm still waiting for yours!






I kid, I kid

 

[will1066]

The irony of it all is that had David Quinn just rolled with what he had put out last year in training camp and just stuck to it, we probably would've made the playoffs. We've got the same lines now--swapping Buch with Blais/Goodrow--and Gallant gives our #1 a #1 workload. All the hand wringing about the kids, all the minutes in the top 6 for Blackwell, and all the starts for Georgiev...

I miss Colin Bla... am I on? Oops. I disagree with you. Last year, I didn't have Reaves, who I would've given 25 minutes a night. Kakko was still teething and not the finished product you see now. #Quinnvelopment I had Brendan f***ing Smith play fourth-line forward. Now you also have two-time Cup champ Barclay VeryGoodrow. Compare to Phil DiGiuseppe. The lines were definitely not the same. I was thisclose to dressing Libor f***ing Hajek as a forward, ok?

And, I did not micromanage! @Machinehead, the grammar in your posts is slipping a bit. But that's NOT micromanaging! That's being helpful!

 

[Machinehead]

I miss Colin Bla... am I on? Oops. I disagree with you. Last year, I didn't have Reaves, who I would've given 25 minutes a night. Kakko was still teething and not the finished product you see now. #Quinnvelopment I had Brendan f***ing Smith play fourth-line forward. Now you also have two-time Cup champ Barclay VeryGoodrow. The lines were definitely not the same. I was thisclose to dressing Libor f***ing Hajek as a forward, ok?

And, I did not micromanage! @Machinehead, the grammar in your posts is slipping a bit. But that's NOT micromanaging! That's being helpful!

Quinny should see me writing a thesis. I turn that shit on like a light switch.

 

[Kocur26]

I don't think the Leafs are playing that much differently from the last RS. They were good defensively last year as well.

Their problems are between their ears when it comes to the playoffs. They had a good roster last year, and they have a good roster this season as well (obviously losing Hyman hurts a bit). It's just a matter of their star players delivering in the playoffs.

They lost their captain and they lost the series .

 

[duhmetreE]

Miller was a beast last night. If he continues this development path, he's going to be a monster.

Might have been his best game as a professional.

He looked like a legit all around #1.

 

[will1066]

Permission to create a game thread for Saturday against Ottawa where we just pretend post and shit post, including the PGT, where we fake anger at each other.

 

[McRanger]

I was very happy with this effort overall but I must call out the bottom pair again. They are extraordinarily ineffective right now.

Nils is trying to get it. He doesn't, but he's trying. I see him improving in certain areas.

Nemeth is just a disaster, slow, hands of stone.

We had only 6 negative players in relCF and it was the 4th line (who were awful last night), the bottom pair, and Goodrow (albeit, Goodrow was only like -0.6 or something, so kinda negligible). Consider that, the entire team pushed the play with the screeching exception of the bottom 5.

Which brings me to another point that sometimes as much as I like that 4th line they see WAY too much ice time. They should've gotten 2-3 shifts at most that last period. They had their worst game of the year and Toronto ran all over them.

The 4th line has been low key awful for a few games now.

They need to play less and they should probably not play much with that 3rd pair.

 

[Fitzy]

This is the most stable response to a loss I’ve seen from this board in literal years.

Did NYC finally put that calming conspiracy drug in the water supply?

 

[Chytilmania]

Live look at Mika’s wife feeding him before a big game:
View attachment 481654

Kreider watching Mika eat his soy burger

 

[LokiDog]

Kreider watching Mika eat his soy burger

Mika watching the rest of the team eat normal meals: