Post-Game Talk: #24 - 03/09/21 | Rangers @ Penguins | 6:00 PM - NBCSN, MSG

[SnowblindNYR]

He's been in the middle of more positive stuff than he was earlier, that can't be denied. He should have had 3 goals the other night but it's been that kind of year for him. I thought he sucked tonight until late in the 3rd where he fell victim to the Buchnevich beef party.

He still isn't close to what he normally is. The shanks and whiffs and inability to catch passes are still a thing. Thats whats most concerning. I can excuse Covid for wrecking his game early in the season, but I don't think any lingering effects still exist and as far as I know, the virus doesn't take your hands.

I think the same thing ails him as does Georgiev. He's not mentally as strong as most NHLers.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I think the same thing ails him as does Georgiev. He's not mentally as strong as most NHLers.

I actually don't think this is true for either player. You don't do what Zibanejad has done for most of his tenure here by being mentally weak. His game is just off. Hes not playing hot potato with the puck like he was a few weeks ago, but the hands/timing haven't come around for what ever reason. Maybe a bit of that is upstairs, but he isn't shying away from at least trying to do the right things.

I think Geo's only real strength is his mental toughness. He doesn't really gets rattled, he just isn't good.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I actually don't think this is true for either player. You don't do what Zibanejad has done for most of his tenure here by being mentally weak. His game is just off. Hes not playing hot potato with the puck like he was a few weeks ago, but the hands/timing haven't come around for what ever reason. Maybe a bit of that is upstairs, but he isn't shying away from at least trying to do the right things.

I think Geo's only real strength is his mental toughness. He doesn't really gets rattled, he just isn't good.

Did you not watch the previous game against the Pens (re: Geo)?

 

[Boris Zubov]

I am so glad I didn't watch this game.

 

[Unpredictable1]

Jarry stole that game in the final minutes. Clutch goaltending defined.

I know he has been the basis of criticism, but Buchnevich works his ass off every game and is consistently their best forward. He produces, does the PP, does the PK, and he deserves a lot more respect from the fan base.

Strome is the other one who gets a lot of flack. I myself have criticized him. But he is consistently producing without Panarin at this point. He has 9g and 9a on the season. That is legitimate 2C production. He should be given more slack.

Zibenejad needs to work on getting his shot off in practice. If he was hitting the net, and shooting it as hard as he could, our PP would look completely different.

Kinkaid was fine. Not as good as Jarry, but came up with some big saves and played well enough. No noticeably soft goals. I'd give him another chance next game.

Its a loss, but they played a good defensive game and a heck of a 3rd period. That's a game they win if Panarin is in the line up.

Couldn't have wrote it better myself...

 

[MysticLeviathan]

the issue is we aren’t creating a whole lot and we aren’t finishing what we’re making. good teams clog up the middle against us and we don’t do a good job of finding ways to get pucks through their sticks and bodies. We’re in between being a good skill team and a grinder team, and we’re not particularly good at being either. We can hold possession decently well at times, but we’ll make that one bad pass that kills the play.

There’s a lot to like about this team, but so much to dislike. The system, or lack thereof, is a huge part of it. We need to find a way to at the very least consistently get good chances. There have been way too many period ls where we aren’t able to do anything offensively. Our defense overall hasn’t been bad, but it will break, especially when we’re playing backup goalies. We need to find a way to get consistent offense. Unlike the Canadian teams, we can’t feast on Sabre/Devil calibre teams every game. And it’s going to get bad.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

To me I keep coming back to, what is Dave Quinn hockey?

This season just about every team we’ve played has had a distinct “flavor”. You know when you play the Isles they are gonna trap, the Devils are going to play loose and trade chances, the Pens are gonna play tight as hell defensively in the neutral zone and slot and counterattack, the Bruins are going to play chippy and try to interfere as much as possible.

What is the Rangers “flavor”? Pure vanilla at best. I have no idea what type of structure and pace Quinn is trying to have these guys play to.

 

[gravey9]

To me I keep coming back to, what is Dave Quinn hockey?

This season just about every team we’ve played has had a distinct “flavor”. You know when you play the Isles they are gonna trap, the Devils are going to play loose and trade chances, the Pens are gonna play tight as hell defensively in the neutral zone and slot and counterattack, the Bruins are going to play chippy and try to interfere as much as possible.

What is the Rangers “flavor”? Pure vanilla at best. I have no idea what type of structure and pace Quinn is trying to have these guys play to.

Interesting point.

The thing that's most annoying is their inability to build a consistent forecheck in the offensive zone. Especially against the better teams, we just cannot seem to figure out how to properly cycle and have organized puck support below the goal line. The forwards just aren't coordinating enough to work as a unit to win battles and cycle. It's a big flaw, especially when you're not getting anything off the rush.

I would argue there's a reason why Gauthier has been one of the more effective forwards in recent games. It's because he's one of a few players that has the size, speed and strength to win 1-on-1 battles against opposing without needing puck support. Chytil had an off-game tonight compared to how he's looked in other games, but he's another one with the kind of speed and size to battle through. But the vast majority of forwards are getting shut down with ease. The fact that we're not winning enough 50/50 battles in the offensive zone and are often out-manned in the corners is a real issue that needs addressing or the team simply will never be able to get back to being a playoff team. Not when you have the Bruins, Islanders, Pens, Flyers and Caps all in your division.

Our system in the offensive zone clearly needs work. Players need to know where to go and they need to know where each other will be without looking.

Right now, if I had to pick our identity it's "Play hard and be totally ineffective."

It's a whole lot of hustle with not enough puck support. And then the PP is the opposite. It's lets get stationary, pass the puck slowly and miss on every one-timer because there's no time or space. (and in Mika's case, no coordination).

 

[chosen]

Zhair has an equilibrium problem from
COVID-19! He’s missing one timers???
As in missing puck not net![/QUOTE

How COVID-19 can damage the brain

I love Bread but WTF? It’s bizarre but the lack of info is what really is strange!
Is he in hiding?
Protecting his fam?
Clearing his name?
If you can’t deal with a threatening situation
Maybe don’t antagonize a brutal dictator?!?JS

What a pathetic statement, especially so in hindsight.

 

[JHS]

Pretty sure we can say that this is a .500 hockey team coached by a guy whose 3 year tenure is essentially .500 all in an era where .500 does not even actually mean the same as it used to.

Like what I’m seeing from Kappo and Laf a lot compared to the way they started their seasons. I hope they can keep this up!

Mica is quickly playing himself out of NY. At this point, the Rangers would be crazy to pay him top line money. I’m totally shocked by his free fall. He’s simply not a factor in most games and is less noticeable than most forwards on a nightly basis. The Rangers are in an awful spot here with him. I’d save the money and look for something else. The Rangers are going to need that money when all these young guys come ready for their next deals.

 

[chosen]

He's been in the middle of more positive stuff than he was earlier, that can't be denied. He should have had 3 goals the other night but it's been that kind of year for him. I thought he sucked tonight until late in the 3rd where he fell victim to the Buchnevich beef party.

He still isn't close to what he normally is. The shanks and whiffs and inability to catch passes are still a thing. Thats whats most concerning. I can excuse Covid for wrecking his game early in the season, but I don't think any lingering effects still exist and as far as I know, the virus doesn't take your hands.

How COVID-19 can damage the brain

 

[chosen]

Every team's board sounds the same.

Post-Game Talk: - Game 23 - B's finally get one point in Uniondale - Fishsticks 2 BRUINS 1 F/SO

 

[Shesterkybomb]

I'm not sure Quinn is the issue but I'd be willing to try another coach, however the issues at play here imo are work ethic, getting to dirty areas and using your speed all game. Imo we need a true captain, not one of the "A" 's we have now. Accountability amongst the team never seems to be a thing here. This team has become the good times club, where you do enough to keep your contracts coming but never enough to be a successful team. Kreider is the prime example, like he played amazing for a small stretch here lately because he was skating but why is this not the case every night? It's really noticeable that thats the only change in his game, that he's skating harder. This is a serious issue with so many young players here learning to be nhl players. We rarely put together 60 mins of hockey, there's always a let down for 20 or more of the game, and this isn't just a David Quinn thing, the same thing got AV turfed. The sad thing is we miss Fast, not because of his skill level but because he was the only one, shift in and shift out that played hard, we shouldn't have to miss a guy like him, there should be 20 more in that locker room doing the same thing, but for some reason coming to ny is like winning the lottery, sit back and collect that cash. Outside of Panarin, every big player that comes in usually gets worse by playing in ny. It's too bad we couldn't have signed Chara, i feel a guy like him would straighten a lot of issues with regard to expectations in that locker room.

 

[JHS]

I'm not sure Quinn is the issue but I'd be willing to try another coach, however the issues at play here imo are work ethic, getting to dirty areas and using your speed all game. Imo we need a true captain, not one of the "A" 's we have now. Accountability amongst the team never seems to be a thing here. This team has become the good times club, where you do enough to keep your contracts coming but never enough to be a successful team. Kreider is the prime example, like he played amazing for a small stretch here lately because he was skating but why is this not the case every night? It's really noticeable that thats the only change in his game, that he's skating harder. This is a serious issue with so many young players here learning to be nhl players. We rarely put together 60 mins of hockey, there's always a let down for 20 or more of the game, and this isn't just a David Quinn thing, the same thing got AV turfed. The sad thing is we miss Fast, not because of his skill level but because he was the only one, shift in and shift out that played hard, we shouldn't have to miss a guy like him, there should be 20 more in that locker room doing the same thing, but for some reason coming to ny is like winning the lottery, sit back and collect that cash. Outside of Panarin, every big player that comes in usually gets worse by playing in ny. It's too bad we couldn't have signed Chara, i feel a guy like him would straighten a lot of issues with regard to expectations in that locker room.

Great point. The not having a captain thing for over several years now is definitely rearing it’s head. That combined with a soft and increasingly softer NHL and I think your country club atmosphere is kind of becoming pervasive all over. New York is one of the best places in the league to play and it seems like players use it as a “let the good times roll” time during their careers more often than not.

 

[WojtekWolski86]

I actually don't think this is true for either player. You don't do what Zibanejad has done for most of his tenure here by being mentally weak. His game is just off. Hes not playing hot potato with the puck like he was a few weeks ago, but the hands/timing haven't come around for what ever reason. Maybe a bit of that is upstairs, but he isn't shying away from at least trying to do the right things.

I think Geo's only real strength is his mental toughness. He doesn't really gets rattled, he just isn't good.

Someone with mental toughness doesnt pop a teammate for a chirp after the game.

 

[Anthony5967]

Powerplay pace is evident. Quinn claiming it was slow. Gee, I wonder why. I remember a certain sparkplug on the backend that generated speed and a lot of shots through that isn’t here anymore.

The late goals is a joke. The fact that it keeps happening is a concern. The slow starts is concerning. The lazy finishes is concerning. The mental toughness bs is a concern. Either Gorton has done a poor job finding the players or this coach’s message isn’t resonating with guys because the same bs is spewed almost every postgame.

 

[NYRangers0723]

@NYRangers0723 Told ya the game was over at that point, didn't I

?

. You seem happy about it or obsessed lol

 

[Leonardo87]

It was 50 pts. And he only did it one year. His best before his last year in Winnipeg was 33.

We paid too much for him.

SA16 beat me to the punch.

Trouba is not really an offensive D. He is not good on the PP and really had one very good productive season. That contract I feel we are already regretting.

 

[Ratelleitlikeitis]

Colin Blackwell for depth is fine. It's Zibanejad flunking, Kreider disappearing once again, no Panarin, and Strome being perimeter. The kids need time.

And Buchnevich unfinishing.

 

[will1066]

Someone with mental toughness doesnt pop a teammate for a chirp after the game.

Someone who is passionate, who hates losing does, even though it was wrong and misguided.

 

[will1066]

Powerplay pace is evident. Quinn claiming it was slow. Gee, I wonder why. I remember a certain sparkplug on the backend that generated speed and a lot of shots through that isn’t here anymore.

The late goals is a joke. The fact that it keeps happening is a concern. The slow starts is concerning. The lazy finishes is concerning. The mental toughness bs is a concern. Either Gorton has done a poor job finding the players or this coach’s message isn’t resonating with guys because the same bs is spewed almost every postgame.

The late goals are the result of teams sitting back to nurse their leads. The effort is there, to me. They don't play fast enough against the really good teams. They can't match the board play of good teams.

There were some games where they didn't definitively didn't show up for. I think they've showed effort during this stretch, which included a winning streak.

 

[kovazub94]

Haha, thanks.

Honestly I have some heart issues, nothing hugely serious at the point bit things that bear watching, and I've been having a tough time lately. The heart is reflecting that. I end up with massive arrhythmia watching these games. LOL. It's legitimately not healthy and I need a break.

LGR, though. Maybe in my absence they can turn it around.

Is it the Rangers or this place that causes your stress?

 

[Kovalev27]

Mika played a good game what stands out is the shooting. He legit shanked 4 clean shots that probably all go in the net last year. Ridiculous

 

[will1066]

Mika played a good game what stands out is the shooting. He legit shanked 4 clean shots that probably all go in the net last year. Ridiculous

This franchise misses open nets more than others, for as long as Ive been a follower. The personnel evolves but the shanks stay the same.

Ridiculous was Trouba in the closing moments last night.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

Only talking within the context of this game. Panarin might've had an impact with his individual brilliance, but Pens played a great team game.

Yeah - that's what jumped out at me. They functioned more as a unit on everything. Meanwhile the Rangers had trouble completing passes