Are the Rangers too soft?

[NikC]

artie actually DID engage almost every shift. it goes unnoticed sometimes because he likes to pokecheck but he always goes into the boards looking to make **** happen and sacrifices his body to make a play. i've seen artie throw some huge checks as a ranger. plays with more physicality than almost every forward on this team..

Strange how two people can see a totally different player. I've been watching hockey over 20yrs, and i've seen every one of AA game's a ranger, and body checking/physicality is one thing I never came away with watching him play.... skating with his head down and getting leveled? yea i've seen alot of that with AA.

time to unleash the beast...

bring Mclrath into the big apple!

lol, as soon as the "beast" starts taking some penalties for his aggressive play our loud mouth pacifist coach will bench him. He'll be playing like Malik in no time.

 

[pld459666]

Strange how two people can see a totally different player. I've been watching hockey over 20yrs, and i've seen every one of AA game's a ranger, and body checking/physicality is one thing I never came away with watching him play.... skating with his head down and getting leveled? yea i've seen alot of that with AA.





lol, as soon as the "beast" starts taking some penalties for his aggressive play our loud mouth pacifist coach will bench him. He'll be playing like Malik in no time.

While I would agree that AA was not physical in the sense that he did not normally initiate contact, he did define the term "being stiff to play against" He's a big framed kid that took alot of hits and did not give up the puck easily. He's not soft by any stretch of the imagination, but he was also not the initiating kind of player either.

 

[TankLarkin]

This year's Maple Leafs are last year's Rangers in terms of grit. One team ascending, the other not so much.

 

[Punxrocknyc19*]

and people thought losing Dubinsky wouldnt matter as much....


dubinsky first one to stick up for Boyle when he got hammered by Carkner... things like that make a team play better and tougher.. rangers dont really have that edge...




after Girardi gets hit by Ovechkin with a cheap hit, who goes after him..




and he called Crosby a baby on TV. surprisingly he didnt get fined like Avery lol


Rangers need an emotional player.... at this point i hope they trade for Raffi Torres lol

 

[Kakko]

More of this please

 

[JohnC]

Joe said everything we needed to hear at the end of that Dubi/Ovechkin video

-"This Ranger team all season long, anytime something's happened, they all jump in"-

 

[Dorado*]

Guess what . Torts the clown needs to take the training wheels off this team and let loose he Kraken .
JT
CK
PYATT all need to occasionally drop the mitts and show that this team has some balls . Seems to me Torts the Clown Tyrant has neutered these guys from hockey players and try all have lost any feel for playing the game .
Eff him and his " right way " . Answer the bell for each other . Also think no real road trips has been a problem with these guys become a team . Brutal Brad is an ivory tower guy making tops in league money . No one is looking up to him and his 300$ bottles of wine . What I would t give to have an Andrew Ladd type in locker instead of that buck toothed charmin beaver . He's the kind of beaver that is hidden under a bikini

 

[Heyoooo*]

I was always concerned about the depth aspect to the Nash trade.

Anisimov + Dubinsky = Nash production wise, but youre also putting two players into one, and those were two of the best two-way players on the team and played a simple, "North South" game very well.

 

[Leetch66]

Leafs have a very tough roster . Orr is a heavy that can hurt you ...Boogeyman was the last guy we had like that . McClaren and Mark Fraser and Brown and Phaneuf all can handle themselves without even having Orr around . I wonder what Orr will get for a contract in the off season...and with who ???

 

[nyrpassion]

-31- ' s avatar

we're soft

 

[Stepanformayor*]

Absolutley this team is soft.. Ya ain't gonna win a Championship with a bunch of American College kids.

 

[haveandare]

Spector wrote on article on the McD hit and lack of response today (link here) with some interesting quotes.

Honestly, I'd fancy myself one of the most optimistic NYR fans around here, but everyone's attitude shown in the quotes of this article is worrying. Not jumping in to defend their teammates was awful, trying to justify it like this is even worse IMO.

From Torts: "What are you asking, did they go out and go beat him up or something? Is that what you want to happen? Our team was fine. Our team was fine. You have to remember, we are trying to win a hockey game. I read a couple of comments about how you guys get carried away with that stuff. I have full faith in the toughness of our team and how we're going to handle those type of situations."

From Cally: "We just kept playing. You can't take a penalty when we're down 1-0 at the time. You'll find your places for that, but I don't think at that time, it was there."

From Staal: "Our focus went on ... trying to reverse the ship and get back into the game. Obviously, you don't forget about things like that, and we'll play them again. ... I think every game or every hit, the situation is different in what happens afterward."

Just awful in my opinion. What on earth happened to these guys this offseason? They were missing a ton of the roster and playing in an arena that they haven't won in for years. The chances of winning this game were pretty low. If anything, getting into some physicality and waking everyone up might have helped them play with some fire and recapture some of last year's tenacity. You absolutely can and should take a penalty in that situation, especially when your team is lacking attitude.

 

[Kreider Typical]

Spector wrote on article on the McD hit and lack of response today (link here) with some interesting quotes.

Honestly, I'd fancy myself one of the most optimistic NYR fans around here, but everyone's attitude shown in the quotes of this article is worrying. Not jumping in to defend their teammates was awful, trying to justify it like this is even worse IMO.

From Torts: "What are you asking, did they go out and go beat him up or something? Is that what you want to happen? Our team was fine. Our team was fine. You have to remember, we are trying to win a hockey game. I read a couple of comments about how you guys get carried away with that stuff. I have full faith in the toughness of our team and how we're going to handle those type of situations."

From Cally: "We just kept playing. You can't take a penalty when we're down 1-0 at the time. You'll find your places for that, but I don't think at that time, it was there."

From Staal: "Our focus went on ... trying to reverse the ship and get back into the game. Obviously, you don't forget about things like that, and we'll play them again. ... I think every game or every hit, the situation is different in what happens afterward."

Just awful in my opinion. What on earth happened to these guys this offseason? They were missing a ton of the roster and playing in an arena that they haven't won in for years. The chances of winning this game were pretty low. If anything, getting into some physicality and waking everyone up might have helped them play with some fire and recapture some of last year's tenacity. You absolutely can and should take a penalty in that situation, especially when your team is lacking attitude.

i don't mind the lack of response to the mcdonagh hit, but there definitely was not enough response over the biron hit. that's a situation where there should be a brawl. 2m left in the game, 0-3 and you run the goalie? oh hell nawh. this is a situation where you should be clearing the bench

 

[haveandare]

i don't mind the lack of response to the mcdonagh hit, but there definitely was not enough response over the biron hit. that's a situation where there should be a brawl. 2m left in the game, 0-3 and you run the goalie? oh hell nawh. this is a situation where you should be clearing the bench

It'd be one thing if they actually came out fired up after McD getting hit and did something with that penalty-free level headed idea, but they didn't do anything. They got worse. If they had a great PP or had shown flashes of dominant offense in the game, I'd be able to understand the logic behind trying to "make them pay on the scoreboard," but they didn't do anything. They let one of their best skaters get injured on a dirty hit and they avoided sticking up for him in order to...do what? Skate around listlessly for two periods. Not worth it.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I was worried when we made the Nash trade, and so far we definitely miss Dubi. Games aren't won on paper in the NHL, and we showed that last year. This team hasn't had that feeling they had last year. Last year I would expect us to come back in games. We fought till the last split second, winning a lot of games in that last fraction of a second. They need to rediscover that attitude.

 

[Kreider Typical]

It'd be one thing if they actually came out fired up after McD getting hit and did something with that penalty-free level headed idea, but they didn't do anything. They got worse. If they had a great PP or had shown flashes of dominant offense in the game, I'd be able to understand the logic behind trying to "make them pay on the scoreboard," but they didn't do anything. They let one of their best skaters get injured on a dirty hit and they avoided sticking up for him in order to...do what? Skate around listlessly for two periods. Not worth it.

down 1 goal there's a chance. down 3 w/ 2m left in the 3rd there's much less of a chance. we looked good in the first, for all we know the pp could've revitalized us. it didn't. 2m left in the 3rd we had an opportunity to go after a guy who ran our goaltender with minimal repercussions and almost no chance of throwing the game and we didn't. that's more of an issue with me.

 

[haveandare]

down 1 goal there's a chance. down 3 w/ 2m left in the 3rd there's much less of a chance. we looked good in the first, for all we know the pp could've revitalized us. it didn't. 2m left in the 3rd we had an opportunity to go after a guy who ran our goaltender with minimal repercussions and almost no chance of throwing the game and we didn't. that's more of an issue with me.

Fair enough. I don't disagree. The contact with Biron really should have prompted them to do something.

 

[JohnC]

Is there a video of them running Biron? I missed the whole third of the game

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Honestly that article makes me more frustrated. It's an issue that stems from the top all the way down the roster.

Eventually if you don't set the line the other team will do it for you on their terms.

Especially with the Biron hit in the 3rd down 3-0. Yea, get them back on the PP guys. Great strategy. Or let the league handle it. Great strategy. Hell even hit them clean. Did that happen? Nope.

 

[ImIdaho]

Fair enough. I don't disagree. The contact with Biron really should have prompted them to do something.

McD got slammed into the boards with nothing out of the Rangers and you seriously thought they were going to do something with Biron down?

I am sick and tired of seeing the Rangers dominate a game or at least playing slightly better and then see the other team get chippy.

Why?

Because if it's the Rangers running around like chickens with their heads cut-off, we don't do anything - absolutely nothing - to try to intimidate the other team.

 

[haveandare]

McD got slammed into the boards with nothing out of the Rangers and you seriously thought they were going to do something with Biron down?

I am sick and tired of seeing the Rangers dominate a game or at least playing slightly better and then see the other team get chippy.

Why?

Because if it's the Rangers running around like chickens with their heads cut-off, we don't do anything - absolutely nothing - to try to intimidate the other team.

I didn't think they were going to do something, but I think that they should have done something. They should have retaliated for the McD hit right away. Don't make an equally dirty hit, but drop the gloves and throw some punches at Pac. Rupp's response to MDZ getting punched by Kopecky was a perfect example of how to retaliate IMO.

 

[haveandare]

Honestly that article makes me more frustrated. It's an issue that stems from the top all the way down the roster.

Eventually if you don't set the line the other team will do it for you on their terms.

Especially with the Biron hit in the 3rd down 3-0. Yea, get them back on the PP guys. Great strategy. Or let the league handle it. Great strategy. Hell even hit them clean. Did that happen? Nope.

Right? I couldn't believe what I was reading at first.

That sort of attitude isn't going to get them anywhere. This isn't the NBA or something, you can fight people in this league and get a 5 minute slap on the wrist. You can teach a lesson yourself right then with minimal repercussions. Why wait for the league to fight your battles for you? Especially with their absurdly inconsistent take on clean/dirty hits.

I think the guys were abducted by aliens over the off season...that'd explain a lot.

 

[mix1home]

[wrong thread]

 

[Samuel Culper III]

I'll tell you whose not too soft. Dan Girardi. Can't believe he skated, full contact in practice today. Can't even believe his leg isn't busted. Seriously, the guys bones are made of titanium. Would like to see him stand up for his D partner though like he did in that video up above.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Spector wrote on article on the McD hit and lack of response today (link here) with some interesting quotes.

Honestly, I'd fancy myself one of the most optimistic NYR fans around here, but everyone's attitude shown in the quotes of this article is worrying. Not jumping in to defend their teammates was awful, trying to justify it like this is even worse IMO.

From Torts: "What are you asking, did they go out and go beat him up or something? Is that what you want to happen? Our team was fine. Our team was fine. You have to remember, we are trying to win a hockey game. I read a couple of comments about how you guys get carried away with that stuff. I have full faith in the toughness of our team and how we're going to handle those type of situations."

From Cally: "We just kept playing. You can't take a penalty when we're down 1-0 at the time. You'll find your places for that, but I don't think at that time, it was there."

From Staal: "Our focus went on ... trying to reverse the ship and get back into the game. Obviously, you don't forget about things like that, and we'll play them again. ... I think every game or every hit, the situation is different in what happens afterward."

Just awful in my opinion. What on earth happened to these guys this offseason? They were missing a ton of the roster and playing in an arena that they haven't won in for years. The chances of winning this game were pretty low. If anything, getting into some physicality and waking everyone up might have helped them play with some fire and recapture some of last year's tenacity. You absolutely can and should take a penalty in that situation, especially when your team is lacking attitude.

yeesh...I'm pretty sure no one was suggesting going full-on Bertuzzi, but there's nothing wrong with a punch or two and some shoving around after a bad hit like that.

It was early enough in the game that even if they did take a penalty and go down 2-0, there's time to get the goals back. Really have to wonder what's going on in that room if the guys won't even bother to stand up for one another at all.