Speculation: Are the rangers tough enough?

[Wolfy*]

Zucc got a roughing penalty when he knocked down a much bigger guy, that's our enforcer right there

The Flyers are obviously trying to get our players into scrums and fights. But their tactics don't work, we are more or less skating away. And I'm fine with that in a playoff game.

So who cares as long as we keep up the pace and don't get hurt. The Flyers get frustrated and we cap on their mistakes.

 

[Beacon]

I read exactly what you said. You implied that they were getting intimidated, or that possibility existed. Why would it? Theyve played the Flyers 6-8 times a year and we've dominated them for like 5 years in a row now.

Again, please attempt to understand "if - then" sentences. It seems to be a difficulty for you.

Saying that "if" something happens, "then" this must be the response, but since "if" hasn't happened, it's unnecessary, implies just the opposite.

The US military has contingency plans for wars with dozens of nations. "If" we fight Egypt, "then" X would be the military plan. But saying "if" does not imply any possibility of war. (If you don't understand analogies and can't get how this one is relevant, just don't respond anymore.)

If anything, my last sentence should've made it very clear that I am not implying that I believe that the Rangers were intimidated.

 

[Cassano]

Nice thread, Mint. Try laying it on a little thicker next time to get it locked.

Haters......

 

[Bertie]

In answer to the OP I think the NYR are tough enough.

However, like AV's Canucks, if they meet 2 or 3 bruising teams in a row and have to go to 7 each time I think they will get worn down and will either not make the finals or will limp into them. That has nothing to do with toughness, that's attrition.

The Rangers for me (a Canucks fan routing for them) are highly skilled, quick transition, speed orientated team but it was obvious last night Philly were out to slow them down by hard checking. It didn't work but if the Rangers are going into game 7 against Philly after 6 games like last night I fear for them.
Their best chance is to finish Philly off early.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Zucc got a roughing penalty when he knocked down a much bigger guy, that's our enforcer right there

The Flyers are obviously trying to get our players into scrums and fights. But their tactics don't work, we are more or less skating away. And I'm fine with that in a playoff game.

So who cares as long as we keep up the pace and don't get hurt. The Flyers get frustrated and we cap on their mistakes.

Our guys were on the receiving end of too many slashes last night. We needed guys like Zooks and Klein to show some toughness of their own. I'm glad they did. Dorsett did as well. Sticks are sticks. Our guys might not be big but if the Flyers starts slashing we should give as good as we take. If we only take we could end up looking over our shoulder a lot.

 

[eco's bones]

However serious---semi-serious the OP with his thread--at least as of now the Rangers really don't have a reason to change anything at all. Personally I think Dorsett and Carcillo are pretty interchangeable. The only possible reason to have both in the lineup at the same time against the Flyers is someone else for whatever reason not able to play. The best reason for Dorsett over Carcillo is that Derek is a natural right winger and Boyle can move to the left-- which is more natural to him than the right--which is one of the major reasons I'd prefer John Moore a natural lefty to play over Rafael Diaz--a righty on the 3rd pair left side.

 

[Bertie]

Our guys were on the receiving end of too many slashes last night. We needed guys like Zooks and Klein to show some toughness of their own. I'm glad they did. Dorsett did as well. Sticks are sticks. Our guys might not be big but if the Flyers starts slashing we should give as good as we take. If we only take we could end up looking over our shoulder a lot.

This is what put AV's last talented team out of the SC 2011. I hope it doesn't happen to the Rangers.

"According to a report in the Vancouver Province, numerous Canucks were playing through injuries.

Mikael Samuelsson was lost in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Nashville Predators, after he injured his abductor tendon and sports hernia.

Samuelsson had surgery to correct both injuries on May 19.

Christopher Higgins blocked a shot in the third period of Game 5 against the Predators. He had been playing with a presumably broken foot since.

Christian Ehrhoff was injured in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks, when he was hit hard into the boards by Jamie McGinn.

In order to play in the Stanley Cup Finals, Ehrhoff had his shoulder shot up with painkillers in every game.

Both Ehrhoff and Higgins will require offseason surgery to correct their ailments.

Ryan Kesler reportedly played with both a groin tear and hip labrum tear, which were suffered late in Game 5 against the Sharks.

Dan Hamhuis was lost in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, after he tore his groin muscle from throwing a thunderous hip check on Bruins forward Milan Lucic.

Mason Raymond, of course, was lost in Game 6 to a vertebrae compression fracture after he was awkwardly driven into the boards by Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk.

Alex Edler was the other casualty in Game 6, as he broke two fingers in the third period. He played through it in Game 7 and logged 26:20.

Those are the injuries that we know of so far, but based on the words of Canucks forward Jeff Tambellini, there must have been more.

"There were probably shooting six guys up [for Game 7]," he said.

Andrew Alberts was also rumoured to have been injured in Game 6 after leaving the game late in the third period.

Earlier in the series, Sami Salo was slow to get up after falling awkwardly. It’s possible he could have suffered a groin injury.

There have been no reported serious injuries on the side of the Bruins."

 

[eco's bones]

Our guys were on the receiving end of too many slashes last night. We needed guys like Zooks and Klein to show some toughness of their own. I'm glad they did. Dorsett did as well. Sticks are sticks. Our guys might not be big but if the Flyers starts slashing we should give as good as we take. If we only take we could end up looking over our shoulder a lot.

A really hard body check that knocks a player on his ass or into the glass real hard is much more often worse than a nasty slash that leaves you with a welt that will sting a bit. If you're taking multiples of heavy hits it gets progressively harder to continue to function at your best. The slash might piss you off more but the heavy hits will take a bigger toll on a player. The stick work unless it actually breaks something is pretty much worthless and can be shrugged off a lot easier. The Flyers did very little of the heavy forecheck last night. The Flyers stick work led to numerous asinine penalties which did much to sink their ship last night. If they want to be stupid there's no reason to join them.

 

[NYRCSKA*]

Girardi, Klein, Hagelin, Zucc, Boyle, Dorsett, Moore, and Moore all were throwing the body around last night. Brian Boyle is a totally different player in the playoffs. Klein threw some monster hits last night and just brutalized Raffl in the second. Biggest hit of the game. Hagelin was also a force. Girardi was more physical than I'd seen him ever.

 

[Garv23]

Won't matter at all if we own the puck like we did last night.

 

[Pizza]

I'm going to ask a serious question:

How many times has this question been asked and bandied about?

My position is that the answer does not matter now that the playoffs have started...but mostly because I'm just so freaking sick of seeing this question!!

They either will or they won't win. The more appropriate question is game to game. Last night I think they were.

 

[Vidic15*]

This is what put AV's last talented team out of the SC 2011. I hope it doesn't happen to the Rangers.

"According to a report in the Vancouver Province, numerous Canucks were playing through injuries.

Mikael Samuelsson was lost in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Nashville Predators, after he injured his abductor tendon and sports hernia.

Samuelsson had surgery to correct both injuries on May 19.

Christopher Higgins blocked a shot in the third period of Game 5 against the Predators. He had been playing with a presumably broken foot since.

Christian Ehrhoff was injured in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks, when he was hit hard into the boards by Jamie McGinn.

In order to play in the Stanley Cup Finals, Ehrhoff had his shoulder shot up with painkillers in every game.

Both Ehrhoff and Higgins will require offseason surgery to correct their ailments.

Ryan Kesler reportedly played with both a groin tear and hip labrum tear, which were suffered late in Game 5 against the Sharks.

Dan Hamhuis was lost in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, after he tore his groin muscle from throwing a thunderous hip check on Bruins forward Milan Lucic.

Mason Raymond, of course, was lost in Game 6 to a vertebrae compression fracture after he was awkwardly driven into the boards by Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk.

Alex Edler was the other casualty in Game 6, as he broke two fingers in the third period. He played through it in Game 7 and logged 26:20.

Those are the injuries that we know of so far, but based on the words of Canucks forward Jeff Tambellini, there must have been more.

"There were probably shooting six guys up [for Game 7]," he said.

Andrew Alberts was also rumoured to have been injured in Game 6 after leaving the game late in the third period.

Earlier in the series, Sami Salo was slow to get up after falling awkwardly. It’s possible he could have suffered a groin injury.

There have been no reported serious injuries on the side of the Bruins."

Looks like Vancouver just had **** luck.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Hey look another TOFFNOOS thread. Jesus. Rangers played DISCIPLINED. They were mentally hardy. Played their game. That's the toughness we should e concerned about. Not about how we can match goonery. Possession and control is tough. Tough on the guys chasing us.

Agreed. I will take a mentally tough team over a physically tough but mentally fragile team 10 times out of 10.

I think we see both Dorsett and Carcillo in the next game just to keep our players safe.

 

[jniklast]

Agreed. I will take a mentally tough team over a physically tough but mentally fragile team 10 times out of 10.

I think we see both Dorsett and Carcillo in the next game just to keep our players safe.

And who should sit? Our 4th line is as dominating as you could wish, I sure don't want to sit either D. Moore or Boyle. I really don't see the need to change anything after a 4-1 win. And it's not like the Flyers manhandled us or anything. Carcillo certainly won't stop them being sore losers.

 

[ecemleafs]

Agreed. I will take a mentally tough team over a physically tough but mentally fragile team 10 times out of 10.

I think we see both Dorsett and Carcillo in the next game just to keep our players safe.

no one is going to keep our players safe if the flyers idea of physical play is just slashing our players. the flyers werent a physical team yesterday so just keep on playing our game.

 

[Bertie]

The SC is a war of attrition.

Some teams realise where they are inferior and choose a more physical approach. Over one game that approach rarely works. Over a best of 7 even if you come out on top you are often carrying injuries into the next round.
It's the gifted teams like NYR and Montreal that will struggle if they have to play through too many of these battles to get to a West coast bulldozer like SanJose or the Ducks.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

Hi, everyone. This thread has run its course here. Please take any discussion about team toughness to our game threads. Thanks.

This thread wasn't started with the best of intentions. We aren't going to mock people here. Closed.