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All-Purpose Stu Bickel Thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kershaw
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NYR Boyler87 said:
The problem the Rangers have is that MDZ is adequate defensively but he is in no way able to anchor a pairing. Having him play with Bickel and vica versa just doesn't seem like it will work. Neither can cover for the other players mistakes.
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I don't know if I'd say that's "the" problem, but it is definitely a problem. MDZ looks smarter and more confident on offense this year. If they could find a way to pair him with Staal, I think that'd really let him focus on his strengths.
 
Bickel has passable skills for a bottom pairing tough guy but his decision making has been atrocious this season, and has been his main problem before now.

I remember in another thread before the season started, someone said they thought Bickel's strength was that he kept it simple and didn't try to do too much, and I could only shake my head in disagreement, because his problem has always been that he tries to do too much and he is not skilled enough to do that.

Through two games I've seen many instances of him trying to force a breakout pass to a forward with the other team easily reading it and picking it off...partly because he telegraphs the pass and partly because he's trying to make a difficult pass and he doesn't have the skill to make it. He also gets in trouble trying to hold the offensive blueline a lot, or by pinching in at the wrong time, and we saw against the Pens some very bad decision making in the defensive zone against the rush where he took himself out of position trying to angle a guy into the boards and then let himself get beat to the net.

He has to learn how to make the safe play, to play positionally, and just keep things simple or he will never hold down a steady roster spot. He continues to play like he thinks he can make the kind of plays that the top defenseman on the team can make and he simple isn't good enough to do that. But the thing is that he doesn't NEED to be good enough to do that, he just needs to be a steady 3rd pairing guy
 
Machinehead said:
Like I said he's not our only problem.

But he has been an issue and he's been an issue going back to last year when the team was playing well. So much so that he was unofficially cut for the playoffs.

How long do we continue to let a guy blatantly not work before we at least try something else?
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Look, I don't think he's been good. I just think that by singling him out and saying he's the biggest problem on this team (not that you're saying that, but others have) is short-sighted and easy. And I'm not a huge Bickel fan (I took some heat by saying the Rangers can't have both Bickel and Stralman in the lineup game in and game out). But there are bigger issue at the moment than a 6th defense who plays less than half a period in total ice time.
 
Bickel on RW at practice with Asham not skating.Hopefully just a precaution

This mean Bickels out and Eminger or Gilroy in next game?
 
Machinehead said:
Yeah when you're supposed to be contending and you have a player that's nowhere near NHL level in your everyday lineup that's a massive ****ing problem.
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Umm....how much time did Bickel spend on the ice? Did he have anything to do with Henke's bad goals? Did he have anything to do when Staal & Richards give the puck away?
 
True Blue said:
Umm....how much time did Bickel spend on the ice? Did he have anything to do with Henke's bad goals? Did he have anything to do when Staal & Richards give the puck away?
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He had everything to do with the 2nd goal where he got his ankles broken by Joe Vitale, a guy with 5 career goals, and let him skate in untouched.

Bickel only had 5 less minutes than McDonagh in that game.

People are trying are trying to make the problem everything but Stu Bickel. He's a huge part of the problem and 6D is easily the biggest hole on the team.

This idea of "oh he doesn't play that many minutes, so it's ok that he's one of the worst players in the league" is ridiculous. Poor play isn't just excused nor does it have less of an effect on the result of the game because you play less minutes. It just doesn't work that way.
 
Machinehead said:
He had everything to do with the 2nd goal where he got his ankles broken by Joe Vitale, a guy with 5 career goals, and let him skate in untouched.

Bickel only had 5 less minutes than McDonagh in that game.

People are trying are trying to make the problem everything but Stu Bickel. He's a huge part of the problem and 6D is easily the biggest hole on the team.

This idea of "oh he doesn't play that many minutes, so it's ok that he's one of the worst players in the league" is ridiculous. Poor play isn't just excused nor does it have less of an effect on the result of the game because you play less minutes. It just doesn't work that way.
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The game was out of hand. This means nothing. He played 5:30 in Boston.
 
SingnBluesOnBroadway said:
The game was out of hand. This means nothing. He played 5:30 in Boston.
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Still, I want 60 MINUTES -not 50, not 55, not 59- 60 minutes of guys playing better hockey than Stu Bickel has played. I don't see why that's such an issue. He's been bad. Exactly how much of the problem he's been doesn't make a difference. Bad is bad.
 
Dorado said:
Eminger is as bad as Boyle at staying on his feet. He's as bad as Bickel and takes minor penalties .
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I don't know what you're watching but Bickel's movements can be timed with a sundial and he has the turning radius of a school bus.

Eminger is a FAR BETTER skater and defender in general.
 
CM Lundqvist said:
I don't know what you're watching but Bickel's movements can be timed with a sundial and he has the turning radius of a school bus.

Eminger is a FAR BETTER skater and defender in general.
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:laugh:
Why did I find this so funny?
Stu Pickles shall now be known as "School Bus Stu" to me.

And I completely agree. Bickel has no place on a Cup-contending team. None. He played 3:46 or something like that in a triple OT Game! Do people not realize that he's a problem?
 
Henriks Broadway Hat said:
:laugh:
Why did I find this so funny?
Stu Pickles shall now be known as "School Bus Stu" to me.

And I completely agree. Bickel has no place on a Cup-contending team. None. He played 3:46 or something like that in a triple OT Game! Do people not realize that he's a problem?
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Yeah but he's not the whole problem, so therefore he's none of the problem apparently.
 
Henriks Broadway Hat said:
:laugh:
Why did I find this so funny?
Stu Pickles shall now be known as "School Bus Stu" to me.

And I completely agree. Bickel has no place on a Cup-contending team. None. He played 3:46 or something like that in a triple OT Game! Do people not realize that he's a problem?
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In the annals of Stanley Cup history, you'll find fans complaining about their #6 defenseman up until the moment the cup is raised. No one, and I repeat, no one fails to recognize that Bickel's play is a problem.

My issue is more with wondering where you get off calling this team, as a whole, a "Cup-contending team" after what you've seen the past 2 games. Theres so many bigger fish to fry than Stu Bickel's performance right now.
 
Machinehead said:
Yeah but he's not the whole problem, so therefore he's none of the problem apparently.
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Hes certainly not the biggest - hes probably not the top 3 biggest.

I'd give your whining a little more credence if I saw you in other threads weighing in on bigger problems/issues - but instead you seem to have some unhealthy fascination with Stu.
 
Bleed Ranger Blue said:
Hes certainly not the biggest - hes probably not the top 3 biggest.

I'd give your whining a little more credence if I saw you in other threads weighing in on bigger problems/issues - but instead you seem to have some unhealthy fascination with Stu.
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It's a Stu Bickel thread...

I'll be more than happy to discuss Marc Staal's last 2 games ranking somewhere between donkey **** and bubonic plague, which I already have ad nauseam in the Penguins GDT, or call out Torts' defensive scheme which I've already done in other threads, but again, this is a Stu Bickel thread. Then of course there was Hank's lousy game but for all he does for us I feel it's an insult to even acknowledge the bi-monthly bad game he has, so there goes that discussion. Plus this is, you know, a Stu Bickel thread.

I want a horrible hockey player to not be in our lineup. I don't understand why that's any kind of issue for some people.
 
if there is one guy i want the NYR to give an offer sheet to is Jamie Benn. this guy is a legit power forward and very young and is underrated around the league... imagine having Benn Nash Gaborik on the top two lines..
 
Trxjw said:
That's really not the point. Hindsight is 20/20. Deal with what we have now not what we could have done differently. If Eminger was the best option and had earned himself a spot on the roster, he would have been playing. Tortorella doesn't play favorites. If the brass had found a viable replacement on the open market or via trade, he'd be with the team right now.

Could we have signed Nik Lidstrom and gotten better out of him than we are with Bickel? Yeah, of course, but you have to deal with what you have at your disposal. Given that fact, I'm not going to slam Bickel for making the mistakes your average #6 d-man tends to make.
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Actually that is the point that I''m making. I agree with you that Bickle is not the primary reason we struggled however I was very clear that I also believe he is a problem that could have been addressed and possibly still could be with Eminger or a player who is still unsigned. Again I can't do an in depth analysis of current available d men compared to stu but I just have a hard time believing stu is better than alternatives that are available to us. That Lidstrom comment is kind of nonsensical clearly I am talking about unsigned FA not all time legend retirees come on debate in good faith here.
 
When did our defense problem turn into Subban and Benn? :laugh:

2 points)
1. It's not just Stu Bickel even though I roasted him during the game and after the game. It would certain help if he was playing at an acceptable level. It's not easy to play so few minutes and be alert as any NHL defensemen will tell you but the quality of his contributions to the team and his inconsistencies and lack of hockey sense doesn't earn him any minutes. The cycle continues. AHL or find a team that is willing to give minutes, Stu.

2) The team is playing bad. If the team is playing well, we wouldn't have to worry about Stu's performance. It's a momentum game. If we were playing well and scoring goals and playing in their zone/effectively defend in our zone/clearing the puck/transitioning well and gaining the offensive zone well, Stu wouldn't be a liability as much as a simple eye sore.

3) If the team is playing well, we wouldn't have such a big problem with the presence of Stu Bickel as our 6th Defensemen. That's different from him playing games and getting ice time. We have a problem now because we're losing and he's at the heart of it, so it appears. He was never intended to be our 6th man during the playoffs that are to come. We're suppose to be using these 48 games to either acquire or develop a capable 6th man for the playoffs. Stu is still just stu but seeing as we're losing now, we definitely need to make quick changes and unfortunately, Stu's projected 6.5th defenseman spot is going to end months sooner than the MGMT and coaching staff had intended.
 
If he continues to stink I am sure Sather can move him in a deal for another rental Dman, he's cheap and can fight and some team will like that
 
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