Biggest problem

[Richter Scale]

Voted Richie and Gabs, but honestly I could have easily gone with the FA losses/replacements and/or the D.

I'm actually kind of surprised that the D has zero votes. They've been pretty brutal overall this year. Not awful, but not what we know they can be, and failing to do some pretty basic stuff.

 

[RangersFan]

it's a myriad of issues, but richards and gaborik production is the most obvious on the surface.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

The four main problems in order:

1. No heart
Tied for 2:
* Richards and Gaborik underperforming
* Sather betting on Kreider performing and Kreider not providing the secondary scoring he was supposed to provide
4. Lack of hockey sense

Everything else is secondary to these four.

 

[Thirty One]

Lol@ vote for Callahan's a loser

 

[I Am Chariot]

Can we add another option?

Need.to switch to all offense.all the time

 

[Jagr6810]

the need to do something this whole ***** play doesnt win games

 

[I Am Chariot]

5. Avery
6. No JuJu

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Tor-To-Rel-La

I dont even need to explain why.

 

[Lgr22]

1. gaborik and richards underperforming

2. zero contribution outside the top 6 (pyatt is the highest scoring forward outside of the top 6 guys with a whopping 6 points)

3. collapsing defense. other teams are too good at the point to be giving them so much time to fire at will. also, our breakout is non-existent because it is so difficult to regain possession of the puck playing such a passive strategy.

4. our defensemen must be the worst in the league at getting shots on net from the point. legitimately zero threat in the offensive zone.

 

[Placid]

Well, you have a sizable chunk of the entire team budget wrapped up in players like Richie, Gabby and Nash. When they dont perform anywhere near the level of expectation (Richie and Gabby), then that is obviously going to be the biggest problem.

But i dont think its as easy to just say that those players are in prolonged "slumps".. there are likely to be underlying conditions for it (system, coach, etc).

 

[Vickers8]

1A:Gabby and Richards
1B:The system-Torts

I agree 100%

 

[Fataldogg]

Someone actually voted Lundqvist? Wow.

 

[Vitto79]

Richie and Gabs poor play and lack of production.

this...........its on the players. last yr these guys did their jobs. This yr they stink

 

[JohnC]

Someone actually voted Lundqvist? Wow.

Yeah for some assbackward reason we have people here who get on Hank even when he's playing spectacularly

 

[LeetchisGod]

Voted for Beaver and Ghost but Torts is a major culprit also. Another major problem is that we lack a true #1 defenseman. Someone who is a consistent offensive threat both in the transition game and on the powerplay.

 

[Callagraves]

Too much Avery

 

[NYR Sting]

Lol@ vote for Callahan's a loser

My thoughts exactly.

The bottom six and Torts are contributing factors, but Richards and Gaborik is clearly the chief issue here. When 2 of your top 4 cap hits are severely underperforming, that's a huge problem, especially when you don't have any guys on entry level deals performing like legit first liners (it hasn't been long enough to say that about Stepan yet).

 

[zuckera1]

Because Christensen was playing way better than Richards is now. Is almost useless for stretches of games. At least Gaborik has moments where he looks good without scoring. Richards can look awful in games he does score in.

 

[*Bob Richards*]

An excellent rebuttal.

 

[zuckera1]

An excellent rebuttal.

Not to be an a**hole, but your statement was so ridiculous that a was all it deserved. No offense

 

[*Bob Richards*]

Not to be an a**hole, but your statement was so ridiculous that a was all it deserved. No offense

I don't find it to be ridiculous at all. I think Gabby has had some very good games in which he did not score. The game played tonight was a pretty good example of that.

I don't take offense. It's just that typically something of substance works better than an emotiocon.

 

[zuckera1]

Gaborik is paid to score goals. He had a breakaway tonight with his team down 1-0, off a nice pass from brad (can't do no right) richards. With the team struggling to score, and slumping overall, he HAS to score in that situation. The game may have ended very differently if he ties it at 1. Same kind of situation happened a few weeks ago in Winnapeg, when he choked on a penalty shot. It's his job to score. He failed tonight. He's failed all year. He's scored in 6 of our 34 games. Time for him to go

 

[*Bob Richards*]

Gaborik is paid to score goals. He had a breakaway tonight with his team down 1-0, off a nice pass from brad (can't do no right) richards. With the team struggling to score, and slumping overall, he HAS to score in that situation. That's his job. He failed. He's failed all year. He's scored in 6 of our 34 games. Time for him to go

And this is a legitimate gripe and it's one that I share. I'm frustrated with him but I still can't put him as a bigger problem than Richards. Even his contract is better.

 

[zuckera1]

And this is a legitimate gripe and it's one that I share. I'm frustrated with him but I still can't put him as a bigger problem than Richards. Even his contract is better.

I hear ya Bob. Richards has been a major disappointment as well. It's tough to watch two great players struggle as much as they have this year.

 

[*Bob Richards*]

I hear ya Bob. Richards has been a major disappointment as well. It's tough to watch two great players struggle as much as they have this year.

**** it. Forget Richards and Gaborik. Let's just blame the whole organization right down to the peanut vendors.

Maybe the lockout struck worse than we give it credit for. Shame because I thought we would benefit from it greatly. Considering the system we used last year, it seemed to wear us down as the season progressed into the playoffs. I guess I just falsely assumed that fewer games=less fatigue in a sense.