GDT: #49 - 01/23/18 | rangers @ ducks | 10:00 - MSG PLUS

[Mac n Gs]

The winning streak was somewhat bolstered by Hank even when we were playing better, but of course no one complains when we’re winning. I won’t say no one complained though. To the credit of many, there were a handful here who were content to be winning games but saw the writing on the wall and knew this team needed some changes regardless of the outcome of some games in the first quarter of the season.

But that wasn’t the point. Winning is always fun. I didn’t say when was the last time we enjoyed watching our team. I loved the winter classic this year. That was 3 weeks ago. I just meant that I haven’t felt THAT level of “connection” to my team. That passion and excitement and pride in a long time. Back then I felt like every Rangers fan wearing a blue jersey outside MSG on a game day was freaking family. Now you’re all maybe vague cousins I met at a wedding when I was young. We were like honorary members of the team back then, we were so emotionally invested. There is nothing better than that. That’s the best feeling in fandom. It’s better than winning, in my opinion. Just believing in and whole heartedly being 110% behind your team.

If an emotional connection is the case, I’d agree. I haven’t felt as invested since our 14-15 team, but I still love my Blueshirts. I’m using this phase to look towards our next core of exciting prospects, and it’s actually led me to watch more youth hockey games in general. There’s more of a talent gap, which makes it more exciting. That’s one of the reasons I hate parity and the hard cap.

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

One of those regular season games that I'll remember for the rest of my life. 11-12 season, we're in PIT. 0-0 game, Henrik is playing out of our mind, PPs are something ludicrous like 7-0 in favor of PIT. Desperately holding on late in the third. Matt Cooke, of all ****ing people scores to make it 1-0 with 3 minutes left. Henrik flips a **** and throws his stick at the ref, gets a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Game is over...right? Nope. Dubinsky leads a short-handed rush up the ice with a minute left while Henrik is heading to the bench. Marc ****ing Staal of all people takes his drop pass and roofs is over MAF. Then Dubi and Cally have a 2-on-1 in OT to win it. Absolutely nuts.

That might have been the game afterwhich Torts called the Pens an "arrogant organization"?

No that was after Orpik took out Stepan’s knee and Torts flipped out after the game. YouTube classic

 

[Embryo]

We're due for a win..

 

[Machinehead]

Maybe the OP won't disagree, but I will. Blocked shots are generally good, especially if you are a good shot blocker. Half assed shot blocking is bad and yes, sometimes it isn't beneficial even if you get it right.
The 99.9% that Vally brings up from time to time is an interesting point. Blocking those shots at the point mightn't seem too important, but if an opponent deflects it, suddenly Vally tells us it's got a huge chance of being a goal. Nothing to deflect if it's blocked at source. Even if there is just a screen set. I mean last game we needed some blocks on their goals.
I want my team to be good at blocking shots, not because it's brave, but because it helps.

I don't want this shot deflected by an opponent so I'm going to deflect it!

Solid logic there.

Yes you are.

Bullshit, I'm going for 7 in row.

For once I was going to agree with you, but then your last few sentences screwed the whole thing up. The culture changed with Cally, Dubinsky and Torts. Period.

The culture changed when we drafted the best goaltender of the last 20 years. Period.

 

[Machinehead]

If an emotional connection is the case, I’d agree. I haven’t felt as invested since our 14-15 team, but I still love my Blueshirts. I’m using this phase to look towards our next core of exciting prospects, and it’s actually led me to watch more youth hockey games in general. There’s more of a talent gap, which makes it more exciting. That’s one of the reasons I hate parity and the hard cap.

You hate the hard cap, and I agree.

You don't hate parity because the NHL has zero parity.

In other leagues there's more of a talent gap and that's exciting, that's true.

In NHL the gap is there between the same three teams that win every year, and the rest of the league, it's just that those three teams aren't that impressive. They're above average while the rest of the league is hot garbage.

 

[Machinehead]

Tampa and Boston have holes all over the lineup and they're demonstratively the two best teams in the conference.

Pittsburgh's entire lineup is a hole outside of center and they're a legit threat if they make it.

This league is a joke.

Drop any Cup winner/finalist since 2013 into 2002 and they get Mortal Kombat'd by Detroit/Colorado/Philly/NJ in a series.

 

[Samuel Culper III]

If an emotional connection is the case, I’d agree. I haven’t felt as invested since our 14-15 team, but I still love my Blueshirts. I’m using this phase to look towards our next core of exciting prospects, and it’s actually led me to watch more youth hockey games in general. There’s more of a talent gap, which makes it more exciting. That’s one of the reasons I hate parity and the hard cap.

I actually agree with you. I am more interested in the Rangers right now than the past couple of seasons because we are in an interesting place. There is cautious optimism brewing in me that we will make some serious changes here.

Nash’s contract is ending. The Stepan and Brassard deals kind of kicked things off. It looks like this team may actually transition itself to add some higher end young skill and replenish the farm a bit. I am at once disengaged from the majority of the current roster and the ultimate outcome for this season yet highly intrigued in how we handle this TDL, draft and perhaps next TDL.

I am hopeful that we can successfully retool this club over the next two seasons and even take another serious crack at contention while Hank is still here. Knowing that Shestyorkin is as close to a sure thing as you can realistically have in net is reassuring as well. I am following this year’s draft prospects with greater interest than years past and looking eagerly towards the future. Of course, it’s a tenuous position as well with so much unknown involved in placing your hopes in prospects and even more in not knowing what moves the team is even going to make. I have this strange intuition that, if we make the right moves right now, we are primed to see a team that we can embrace as much as the 2007-2014 teams.

 

[Machinehead]

It would be nice to kick the can again with Hank, but I also wanna build this team to not need generational goaltending to win.

Our greatest success came in 13-14 and 14-15 where Hank had an extremely underwhelming season and then was hurt the following season.

Goes to show you what's really important when you build a team.

 

[Maliks PlusMinus]

I don't want this shot deflected by an opponent so I'm going to deflect it!

Solid logic there.

Come on, you control where the puck goes when you deflect it if you do it right. Holmstrom for example knew how best to tip a puck into the net and Volchenkov knew how best to deflect it away from the net. Of course the logic is solid. Block well and it's beneficial. Just like passing, shooting etc it's a skill and if you can do it well then it helps your team. Cally, Girardi, Betts, these guys were generally good at blocking. I'm sure their block attempts stopped more goals than they created.

 

[Samuel Culper III]

It would be nice to kick the can again with Hank, but I also wanna build this team to not need generational goaltending to win.

That’s the idea. If we retool successfully over this TDL, draft, offseason and next TDL Hank will be 37+ years old. If it takes an additional offseason he’ll be 38+. Being able to take another shot while he’s still here doesn’t mean, for me, just getting the team good enough to pray Hank can carry us. I’m hoping we build something strong enough to carry Hank a little by that age and good enough to keep on competing once Shestyorkin takes the reigns.

 

[Machinehead]

Come on, you control where the puck goes when you deflect it if you do it right. Holmstrom for example knew how best to tip a puck into the net and Volchenkov knew how best to deflect it away from the net. Of course the logic is solid. Block well and it's beneficial. Just like passing, shooting etc it's a skill and if you can do it well then it helps your team. Cally, Girardi, Betts, these guys were generally good at blocking. I'm sure their block attempts stopped more goals than they created.

If their shot blocking prevented more goals than it created, then why do they all have bad career GF%?

Callahan is below average and Girardi and Betts are historcially bad.

In fact, it's common theme all over the NHL that guys who block a ton of shots get scored on constantly.

I don't care if you block better than anyone in the league, you shouldn't allow the shot to begin with. That's the goal of defense.

 

[Trxjw]

I don't particularly like AV as a coach, and I don't feel he's the right guy to lead the team through their next phase, but I have a very hard time laying that much blame at his feet. We're on our 3rd coach in the last 9 years and it seems like pretty much every squad on the ice has gone through periods where they looked stale and couldn't get themselves motivated. I think it's just a by product of the grind, and the fact that they've come so close to the cup but came up short. I don't think it's a style thing, or a player mix thing. New blood and youthful exuberance might be the only medicine.

 

[nevesis]

They better f***ing win. Can’t f*** around anymore.

 

[Nopuckluck]

If their shot blocking prevented more goals than it created, then why do they all have bad career GF%?

Callahan is below average and Girardi and Betts are historcially bad.

In fact, it's common theme all over the NHL that guys who block a ton of shots get scored on constantly.

I don't care if you block better than anyone in the league, you shouldn't allow the shot to begin with. That's the goal of defense.

Callahan and Girardi are UNBELIEVABLE Rangers. To say otherwise is blasphemy. Their careers may have been shortened because of their reckless style of play but that is what endeared them to me and countless other Rangers fans. Ext time you go to a game or actually watch one take a look at whose jersey you see the most of. Guys like Graves, Messier, Callahan, Dubinsky. Not the guys whose fancy stats look the best on a video game.

 

[will1066]

Please drop the puck

 

[Harbour Dog]

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.

 

[Mac n Gs]

I don't particularly like AV as a coach, and I don't feel he's the right guy to lead the team through their next phase, but I have a very hard time laying that much blame at his feet. We're on our 3rd coach in the last 9 years and it seems like pretty much every squad on the ice has gone through periods where they looked stale and couldn't get themselves motivated. I think it's just a by product of the grind, and the fact that they've come so close to the cup but came up short. I don't think it's a style thing, or a player mix thing. New blood and youthful exuberance might be the only medicine.

It’s a mix of roster deficiencies (no C depth) and AV playing a style that doesn’t suit these players. We’re in it because of parity, but Hank is dragging us there, kicking and screaming.

That being said, I agree about getting some younger guys with fresh legs and motivation. That’s why moves for guys like Mika and ADA make sense: young players poised to hit their next developmental step.

 

[Samuel Culper III]

Alright... let’s see what we’ve got.

 

[Nopuckluck]

LGR?

 

[Bob Richards]

lol

 

[Crease]

The nice thing about the 10:00 start instead of 10:30 is that it won't be as late when I regret this.

 

[Fitzy]

lol

Well, I now know what to get my wife for her birthday.

 

[member 116805]

Ok boys, LGR!

 

[Maliks PlusMinus]

If their shot blocking prevented more goals than it created, then why do they all have bad career GF%?

Callahan is below average and Girardi and Betts are historcially bad.

In fact, it's common theme all over the NHL that guys who block a ton of shots get scored on constantly.

I don't care if you block better than anyone in the league, you shouldn't allow the shot to begin with. That's the goal of defense.

I'm honestly not sure. Doesn't GF look at goals for productivity for a player? Look, I'm not sure on the stats and this might be rubbish, but wouldn't you expect primarily defense first players to be bad at GF%?

Guys who specialise in things like that are often defensive players. They have a combined +50 in their career, which I know is a hated stat, but does have some value over 2000 games.

Yeah, stop the puck going to the net as best you can and the quicker the better. A poke check, an interception, some pressure are all preferable, but sometimes a block is all you have left.

 

[Maliks PlusMinus]

Anyway, LGR