Post-Game Talk: Big League Chewed

[Mike in Houston]

I saw someone theorize that Panarin is playing like he's been asked to waive.

 

[Leonardo87]

Mika was t-2nd in the league in scoring during the month of Feb.

Realize it was a truncated schedule because of 4 nations but he's been good for a while and the points came for him last month (as they normally do when someone plays well.) Ranger fans love to beat the drum when former players go on heaters over small sample sizes, so I'm going to take the opportunity to do the same for someone who is still here and has caught a ton of shit this season.

I am astonished at the level of hate he gets compared to Panarin who pretty much gets off scot free from 90% of Ranger fans. Mika has been very productive when the games have matters where as Panarin has been the definition of a shrinking violet. This current stretch is pretty much a microcosm of their tenures are NYR players.

Mika has to go this summer just from a roster management perspective. I'm glad that he's playing better because it's going to make him a more attractive option for other teams. He's straight up become the forward version of Rozsival in these parts.

They need to find a way to be rid of Panarin ASAP. Don't care what it takes. If he says no, make the Trouba situation look like you were giving Jacob a handy under the table in comparison.

I’d move Panarin before Mika, in a heartbeat, because even if Mika is not putting up points he can kill penalties and is solid on defense.

Panarin I just think he is a point producer at the wrong times if that makes sense. I really wish people stopped using points to asses a players overall season. It’s not always about points.

This can be apply to Fox also. As much as I am a fan of his and he’s producing well he is still struggling in his own end this year.

Rangers need to enter a full rebuild and keep the key players they feel are part of that rebuild. I just don’t think Dolan is going to allow that to happen.

 

[McRanger92]

Even the best teams have most of their games close. I'm sorry that the team needs their 11.5M goalie to play well. Too bad our 11.5M goalie isn't irrelevant.

Igor makes 5.8 if we want to get technical.

I’d move Panarin before Mika, in a heartbeat, because even if Mika is not putting up points he can kill penalties and is solid on defense.

Panarin I just think he is a point producer at the wrong times if that makes sense. I really wish people stopped using points to asses a players season. It’s not always about points.

This can be apply to Fox also. As much as I am a fan of his and he’s producing well he is still struggling in his own end this year.

Rangers need to enter a full rebuild and keep the key players they feel are part of that rebuild. I just don’t think Dolan is going to allow that to happen.

Rebuilds don’t work, so no they shouldn’t even consider rebuilding. It’s not a viable team building strategy in the current state of the NHL

 

[Nogatco Rd]

View attachment 984627

Why does his face always look like that tho

 

[Siddi]

Mika was t-2nd in the league in scoring during the month of Feb.

Realize it was a truncated schedule because of 4 nations but he's been good for a while and the points came for him last month (as they normally do when someone plays well.) Ranger fans love to beat the drum when former players go on heaters over small sample sizes, so I'm going to take the opportunity to do the same for someone who is still here and has caught a ton of shit this season.

I am astonished at the level of hate he gets compared to Panarin who pretty much gets off scot free from 90% of Ranger fans. Mika has been very productive when the games have matters where as Panarin has been the definition of a shrinking violet. This current stretch is pretty much a microcosm of their tenures are NYR players.

Mika has to go this summer just from a roster management perspective. I'm glad that he's playing better because it's going to make him a more attractive option for other teams. He's straight up become the forward version of Rozsival in these parts.

They need to find a way to be rid of Panarin ASAP. Don't care what it takes. If he says no, make the Trouba situation look like you were giving Jacob a handy under the table in comparison.

The peanut gallerys argument in January:

-How dare you call him the teams best player. He doesnt produce! Analytics my ass, my eyes see Zibanejad on the ice and they tell my brain that i hate him.

The peanut gallerys argument in February:

-Get him off my team. He is just padding his stats on the PP.
Note: 62% of his points in Feb were even strenght.

At this point it is pretty clear that the hate towards him is personal and/or from posters who either dont have a clue about the game of hockey or dont watch the games.

I dont agree that it is necessary to move him. A 70-80 point player who can play C and RW for 8.5 now that the cap is rising is a bargain.

 

[94leetch]

Where’s the incentive? He got paid, the vets around him don’t care, and the coach gives him ice time regardless of outcomes. It’s a culture problem, full stop. It took a borderline sociopath in Messier to drag the club to its only championship in the last 85 years.

He's shown flashes of brilliance, he could be a legit force to be reckoned with. Is he saving it for a better team, here or elsewhere?
Yuck.

 

[McRanger92]

The peanut gallerys argument in January:

-How dare you call him the teams best player. He doesnt produce! Analytics my ass, my eyes see Zibanejad on the ice and they tell my brain that i hate him.

The peanut gallerys argument in February:

-Get him off my team. He is just padding his stats on the PP.
Note: 62% of his points in Feb were even strenght.

At this point it is pretty clear that the hate towards him is personal and/or from posters who either dont have a clue about the game of hockey or dont watch the games.

I dont agree that it is necessary to move him. A 70-80 point player who can play C and RW for 8.5 now that the cap is rising is a bargain.

I kinda want to keep him. Panarin are far bigger problems. Mika is a better winger than both, a better defender than both, and even if he is a wing now he can help us down the middle in a pinch, especially on offense.

Gotta be pragmatic and I don't want to move out a player that is looking like he's playing with some fire again with some new linemates. Having veteran, defensively responsible players like JT, Trocheck and Mika playing with these young wings over the next few years, I think that's a good formula.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I understand why people say we should have won but there is no should have won. Details matter in both losses and wins. The last link in a chain matters. I think our team defense stepped up well and our offense was more aggressive but winning teams win because of the details. We needed Igor to make 1 more key save or our offense to hit 1 less post. No moral victory here. Especially not in a playoff race.

 

[will1066]

Where’s the incentive? He got paid, the vets around him don’t care, and the coach gives him ice time regardless of outcomes. It’s a culture problem, full stop. It took a borderline sociopath in Messier to drag the club to its only championship in the last 85 years.

I don't think this is true. They do care, but maybe they were overconfident from the success of the last few years and maybe that led to some complacency for months this season. The vets are also simultaneously and spontaneously combusting from age and high mileage. With Laf, as mentioned previously, the problem seems to be he's not taking control in the presence of elders. He wants to win, i don't doubt this, but he seems to be satisfied being in the background. He needs to be rid of Panarin foremost. He needs to rework himself this offseason when hopefully most of the core is gone. He is riding on the success of last season playing with Panarin. Did he work hard this past offseason? Serious question as i don't recall. The irony of Lavi is that he wouldn't give Laf a minute extra when he was hungry and now he's a fat cat and the dumbass coach is heaping minutes on him as if the big contract is the justification of and key to more ice time in their draconian caste structure.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Laffy has consistently shown he becomes a product of his environment and does not normally dictate his own environment.

When the people/team around him lower standards he apparently is happy to be a part of that...

Laf is a 5th year NHL player. Only person that is responsible for his effort level is in his mirror imo. There are some things in hockey Laf can not control but he can always be in control of how hard he works. Last year he gave a B+ effort imo. For Laf to be a star it needs to be an A level effort. Wherecis it this season?

 

[17futurecap]

Sam did the same thing when FOX had hockey in the mid-late 90s. He also did the NFL.

The NHL FOX deal was insanely small, it was 5-6 dates the first 3 years of the deal.
The Rangers were also one of the teams on it basically every week.

NHL on Fox - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[EdJovanovski]

 

[leetch99]

Above all else Laf just baffles me.
As an athlete the world's his oyster.
Unless he's hurt what is he doing?

Looks like he is having a good time and always figuring out ways to spend his 8.5 a year during the game .

 

[Crease]

I don't think this is true. They do care, but maybe they were overconfident from the success of the last few years and maybe that led to some complacency for months this season. The vets are also simultaneously and spontaneously combusting from age and high mileage. With Laf, as mentioned previously, the problem seems to be he's not taking control in the presence of elders. He wants to win, i don't doubt this, but he seems to be satisfied being in the background. He needs to be rid of Panarin foremost. He needs to rework himself this offseason when hopefully most of the core is gone. He is riding on the success of last season playing with Panarin. Did he work hard this past offseason? Serious question as i don't recall. The irony of Lavi is that he wouldn't give Laf a minute extra when he was hungry and now he's a fat cat and the dumbass coach is heaping minutes on him as if the big contract is the justification of and key to more ice time in their draconian caste structure.

I was being overly harsh on the vets and you make a lot of good points. When does Cuylle stop doing the small things because they don’t earn him more ice time and responsibility. It’s really like Lavi sorts the players by salary and sets the lineup that way.

 

[ReleasO The KakkO]

View attachment 984827

Interesting. When I trace a pencil around this plot, I end up with an image of a dinosaur.

 

[Matt Rentfree]

Interesting. When I trace a pencil around this plot, I end up with an image of a dinosaur.

I'm having a hard time seeing how you got an image of Laviolette out of that plot.

 

[Irishguy42]

Leals won the same way the Rangers usually do: be vastly outplayed and goalie your opponent.

 

[LokiDog]

Yes other teams might have paid more, but i refuse to believe paying 11.5 is a discount when his comparables all took deals for 8

I was being sarcastic. There isn’t a goalie in the NHL I’d have given that contract to. Colorado and Edmonton and Vegas are Cup contenders and they don’t have a legit starter between them. Toronto, Detroit, Columbus, Washington, Carolina. No big name goalies. Los Angeles, Vancouver’s been without Demko and in a WC spot. Minnesota’s Gustavsson is good - like Washington’s Thompson - but neither is a big name, big money goalie. Markstrom in NJ is debatable. That’s not really big money. Only name goalies in playoff spots are Vasilevsky, Bobrovsky, Hellebuyck and Oettinger and if one of those 4 wins a Cup I’d bet it’s Bobrovsky again, who was pretty universally considered an anchor until he started playing behind the deepest roster currently in the league.

 

[Siddi]

I kinda want to keep him. Panarin are far bigger problems. Mika is a better winger than both, a better defender than both, and even if he is a wing now he can help us down the middle in a pinch, especially on offense.

Gotta be pragmatic and I don't want to move out a player that is looking like he's playing with some fire again with some new linemates. Having veteran, defensively responsible players like JT, Trocheck and Mika playing with these young wings over the next few years, I think that's a good formula.

Finally agree on something

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Igor makes 5.8 if we want to get technical.



Rebuilds don’t work, so no they shouldn’t even consider rebuilding. It’s not a viable team building strategy in the current state of the NHL

Who cares how much he's making now? He'll be making 11.5M next year. Such an irrelevant point.

 

[mas0764]

You have to trade Schneider for a LHD if you’re serious about making the playoffs

We shouldn’t be

 

[bleedblue94]

Laf is a 5th year NHL player. Only person that is responsible for his effort level is in his mirror imo. There are some things in hockey Laf can not control but he can always be in control of how hard he works. Last year he gave a B+ effort imo. For Laf to be a star it needs to be an A level effort. Wherecis it this season?

I don't disagree with his need to personal responsibility, but we all know people that will slack if they aren't held accountable

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I understand why people say we should have won but there is no should have won. Details matter in both losses and wins. The last link in a chain matters. I think our team defense stepped up well and our offense was more aggressive but winning teams win because of the details. We needed Igor to make 1 more key save or our offense to hit 1 less post. No moral victory here. Especially not in a playoff race.

Yeah but when we win playing poorly no one uses this logic.

 

[mas0764]

View attachment 984827

Not so good Zibanejad

 

[duhmetreE]

Can we switch to a zone defense already

There should always be someone in the middle/slot/in front.

How are they still forcing this system