Post-Game Talk: Avalanche

[Peltz]

I would flip Mika and Strome right now. I think Panarin (if anyone can) will help Mika get his game going.

Also, put Hunt down on the fourth line and move up Laf, Gauthier or Chytil as a wing in the top six. Then move Goodrow to 3c. Hunt isn't a top 6 winger.

 

[Peltz]

What the f*** is this thread? Get a grip, this is not the Devils board. They’ve had five or so bad games in a row. It happens in an 82 game season but you take your points when you can to make the POs and that’s what this team is doing.

Chill out, it’s a long, long season.

Agreed - there's no reason to panic. But some line shuffling may be a good idea right now. Rangers haven't enough production 5v5 on the top line, we are over 25% into the season. I think, regarding the Mika/Kreider paring in particular, it's time to re-evaluate.

Let Mika play with Panarin. Panarin will absolutely make Mika better.

 

[will1066]

Again all these line combos blow because there's always a caveat somewhere...

Panarin needs Strome... Strome needs Panarin... Strome shouldn't be on the PP... Kakko needs the puck more... Laf needs better linemates and PP time... Chytil can't finish... Zbad will get going... we need Buch back or another RW... Kreider's gone cold... Gauthier/Goodrow/Hunt/Rooney are all 4th liners...

It never ends. Not saying some if not all are false mind you.

Bottom line... these guys aren't as good as people wanna make them out to be.

Kreider wasn't going to maintain that hot pace without power plays. And even the power play wasn't going to maintain its pace unless it adds to its increasingly predictable moveset.

 

[TGWL]

Rangers have this habit where they can't pass up opportunities for cross rink passes.
Laf can't make a pass or clear the zone. He absolutely is sucking the life out of every player he's on the rink with.
Strome is better than Zibanejad.

That is all for now. Really just came to say how horrible Laf is when having to make quick reaction plays.

 

[duhmetreE]

We also haven't practiced in a looooong time. Too long. Yay Olympic Schedule.

All the bad habits creep back in.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

That's Bob Wischusen...he's the radio voice of the NY Jets.

I thought it was him! Hes very good

 

[duhmetreE]

Is it a coincidence Kakko's game disappeared once being moved? Absolute swing and a miss.

Perfect example of over coaching/over -thinking imo

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Are you saying it isn't clear to you who won that fight? Take off the homer glasses.

Thought it was pretty even.

Unless a huge knockout blow or complete rag dolling is had, I hate how the guy who wrestles the other to the ice is always considered the "winner".

To me its all about landed blows and who is on the defense more throughout the fight. I'd give Reaves the L if I have to decide but it wasnt like he got his ass handed to him.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Is it a coincidence Kakko's game disappeared once being moved? Absolute swing and a miss.

Perfect example of over coaching/over -thinking imo

I agree - however his game also tailed off a bit after being moved. He is still getting top minutes. More timid, softer play. Its on these young kids to make the most of it, its not like he got Quinned to the 4th line.

But - He was going pretty good with Breads line. Having that point streak going I wouldnt have messed with him. I actually think it was GG trying to get Mika going, which is a compliment to Kakko's game at the time - but it backfired.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Plus - whats the deal with some tough guys wearing visors ?-

There is a distinct advantage there if you want to drop em and that bothers me. Reaves had a cut on his hand. Wonder if it was a block by the visor.

Wasnt this an extra 2 min back in the day? They shoudlve kept that rule

 

[tomobson]

Is it a coincidence Kakko's game disappeared once being moved? Absolute swing and a miss.

Perfect example of over coaching/over -thinking imo

The problem is that Kakko wasn't playing his game on that line. It sucks that our top two centers don't know what to do when Kakko has possession of the puck. So, the solution is to stick on him on a line where he doesn't have the puck. For him to be effective on this team he has to be a completely different player than what got him picked #2OA and it sucks because this team is going to need that type of player in the playoffs. It's no surprise that rookie Kakko was the best forward in the play in against Carolina. He plays a game that Mika and Strome will never willingly play if their lives depending on it.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Plus - whats the deal with some tough guys wearing visors ?-

There is a distinct advantage there if you want to drop em and that bothers me. Reaves had a cut on his hand. Wonder if it was a block by the visor.

Wasnt this an extra 2 min back in the day? They shoudlve kept that rule

I agree, but he came into the league in 2017 when the visor rule was already in effect. Didn't have a choice.

On the replay it looked to me like he gestured to his helmet, asking if he should take it off and Reaves kind of shook his head to waive him off. Which is a classy move by Reaves knowing he would bear the brunt of MacDermid keeping the visor on.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

I agree, but he came into the league in 2017 when the visor rule was already in effect. Didn't have a choice.

On the replay it looked to me like he gestured to his helmet, asking if he should take it off and Reaves kind of shook his head to waive him off. Which is a classy move by Reaves knowing he would bear the brunt of MacDermid keeping the visor on.

Doesnt he have a choice to remove it now? If he knows hes going to be a fighter he should play without it.

Its more of a safety issue for these dudes to remove their helmet so their head doesnt hit the ice (which is prob why Reaves waved him off), but the visor is basically a half blocker for a punch.

To me, any fight MCdermind (or anyone wearing a visor) engages in he starts -3.

I counted 2 or 3 punches Reaves landed on the visor, McDermind had his head tilted down, almost using it as a full shield. Unless he takes an uppercut to the jaw the visor is blocking all jabs and punches. Any one of those, if landed could have put McDermind on his heels and Reaves couldve won that fight. Its a distinct advantage.

Trouba removed some tape or something from his hand the last fight he had with Landeskog. Would be cool if they had an easy way to detach a visor on the fly before a fight

Hockey Fights - Hockey Fights

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

That's Bob Wischusen...he's the radio voice of the NY Jets.

He's excellent. Far better than the other ESPN PBP guys/ladies so far.

Hopefully Wischusen and then Steve Levy once football is over will be 2 main PbP guys for ESPN.

I don't care for McDonough or Hextall, he's super boring and she's just kind of blah. Buccigross is horrible at PBP with his weird volume changes and insistence on shoehorning 14 year old 'CHEL lingo into his broadcasts.

Wischusen and Steve Levy are definitely the two best by far so I hope they're the main guys going forward.

 

[Fitzy]

My patience with Chytil and Laf is very nearing its end to be honest.

At a certain point you have to ask if this veteran group is the one we need to focus on

 

[duhmetreE]

Our centers suck. Our offense is stagnating because of the play of our centers. Mika has been 'covid' bad... and now, it's going on longer than last season.

The one line that works, has a 4th liner on it. If Panarin does not produce.... we lose.

Yes, we're tired. Yes, we haven't practiced... but it's still the same issues.

ONLY THE NEW YORK RANGERS...

Have legit Hart, Vezina and Norris candidates.... A #1OA Pick... A #2OA Pick.... and we get slop.

We need someone to replace ADA... he was a MASSIVE piece to our puzzle in 2019 pre-Covid. Jones should have been up yesterday. Figure it out.

At this point I don't know what to do with Laffy... He needs a good center... what Center could we put him with? Strome? We all know what's gonna happen if he plays with tofuZibs... There's zero chemistry with Chytil..

Panarin Strome Laffy
Kreider Chytil Kakko
Hunt Zibs Goodrow
Gauthier Rooney Reaves

Bring zibs back to his roots... Where he was playing with Names and Fast

 

[Avery16]

Thought it was pretty even.

Unless a huge knockout blow or complete rag dolling is had, I hate how the guy who wrestles the other to the ice is always considered the "winner".

To me its all about landed blows and who is on the defense more throughout the fight. I'd give Reaves the L if I have to decide but it wasnt like he got his ass handed to him.

Did MacDermid destroy Reaves? No.
But he got significantly more strikes in, got the takedown, and appeared to outmuscle/outmaneuver Reaves the entirety of the fight.
Reaves can be beaten. And that’s ok, but this narrative that Reaves can’t fight because everyone in the league is too scared should stop.

 

[chosen]

I don't have Hulu, thank god.

GG consults with Quinn between periods.

 

[kovazub94]

My patience with Chytil and Laf is very nearing its end to be honest.

At a certain point you have to ask if this veteran group is the one we need to focus on

I can at least understand why some fans would get frustrated with Chytil's development after a number of years in the NHL (even though I personally disagree since he's still only 22 yo and we have had a number of examples of top-6 forwards coming into their own a year or two later). But Lafreniere who just completed essentially an equivalent of 1 regular season??

 

[bl02]

Gonna put aside any level of panic until our best player comes back. He does more than just stop pucks

 

[TheBloodyNine]

Our centers suck. Our offense is stagnating because of the play of our centers. Mika has been 'covid' bad... and now, it's going on longer than last season.

The one line that works, has a 4th liner on it. If Panarin does not produce.... we lose.

Yes, we're tired. Yes, we haven't practiced... but it's still the same issues.

ONLY THE NEW YORK RANGERS...

Have legit Hart, Vezina and Norris candidates.... A #1OA Pick... A #2OA Pick.... and we get slop.

We need someone to replace ADA... he was a MASSIVE piece to our puzzle in 2019 pre-Covid. Jones should have been up yesterday. Figure it out.

At this point I don't know what to do with Laffy... He needs a good center... what Center could we put him with? Strome? We all know what's gonna happen if he plays with tofuZibs... There's zero chemistry with Chytil..

Panarin Strome Laffy
Kreider Chytil Kakko
Hunt Zibs Goodrow
Gauthier Rooney Reaves

Bring zibs back to his roots... Where he was playing with Names and Fast

I like these lines except for the fact that Laf is not playing RW on this team ever so that line isn't going to happen.

 

[chosen]

Ryan Lindgren has not been the same player since last year’s head injury.
Feel sad to say this but I believe Drury should look to move him while he still could holds value with other G.M.s.
He seems weaker. Has trouble moving players from in front of the net. He has been losing battles along the boards and behind the net and he constantly looks to and yells to the refs for calls.

He has never been particularly strong.

 

[chosen]

When it comes to Kakko's minutes, it shouldn't even be about feeding him more minutes because he needs to develop, he should be getting more minutes because he's the only forward other than Panarin that does anything remotely interesting at 5v5.

Zibanejad nothing.
Kreider nothing.
Chytil nothing.
Laf nothing.
Strome at 5v5 doesn't count because he's a Panarin leetch.
Hunt doesn't count because his only job is to clean up Panarin and Strome's messes.
Goodrow nothing.
Rooney nothing.

Strime performed just fine when Panarin was out last season.

 

[Fitzy]

I can at least understand why some fans would get frustrated with Chytil's development after a number of years in the NHL (even though I personally disagree since he's still only 22 yo and we have had a number of examples of top-6 forwards coming into their own a year or two later). But Lafreniere who just completed essentially an equivalent of 1 regular season??

I'm not saying Lafreniere won't be a decent player in time.

What I'm saying is that he won't ever be as good as Panarin is. When I think about the quality on the roster now versus what it might be five years from now, I think it's fair to suggest we have a more auspicious window right now than we might in 2026.

 

[TominNC]

It’s all about Mika right now. If he was doing what he’s paid for we wouldn’t need to worry about the kids yet.