Post-Game Talk: Blue Waffle

[MysticLeviathan]

Losing a game when having north of 6xG is ridiculous.

igor wasn’t nearly as bad tonight as was claimed. we just got goalied plain and simpls.

 

[will1066]

Trying to not overreact until the fallout from players getting healthy and the TDL settle. If after that our bottom six is still two AHL lines and Vesey it might be time to panic. Record schmecord, just need to get in and get healthy. I think the fact they were the best team in the league by standings going into 2024 exacerbates everything. I never thought this team was winning the division let alone the President's trophy so whatever. The Igor conversation is going to get really interesting depending on how the rest of his season goes. Unfortunately Drury doesn't strike me as the type who looks at the G position and thinks it's a crapshoot so he shouldn't throw money at Shesty regardless of his very mediocre season.

We've been so spoiled by the consistency of Henrik year to year we often forget most elite goalies have incredible years and then look average or worse for entire years before suddenly deciding to be elite again.

If anything, the long run of quality to elite goaltending adds pressure to secure that spot. It'll be the talk of the town around the league. All eyes on Shesterkin, with questions like, what's wrong with Igor? Is the Rangers' decades-long goaltending run over?

igor wasn’t nearly as bad tonight as was claimed. we just got goalied plain and simpls.

All due respect, we get goalied on a regular basis. That says to me that we aren't making it hard enough for the opposing goalies other than the royal road opportunities. If we win puck battles in front, if we screen better to take away their eyes.

 

[TheDirtyH]

Just hang on if you can till Kakko returns. Even if he doesn't light it up, he will at least bring stability to Kreider and Zib and to 5v5 play. The stability trickles down because it'll make everyone else in the forward group slot more appriopriately.

It's ugly right now.

assuming he's put there. makes you wonder why he was moved off that line in the first place. what I can't fathom is how we run through like 8 RWs a season for the same LW-C combo for three years. This clearly isn't Bergeron-Marchand, break them up!

Heres a hot take.

Rangers have looked better in their last 2 losses (and most of the Montreal game) than they have in most of their wins this season.

It looks worse than it is because almost every single mistake is ending up in the back of their net and Igor can't stop anything right now, but they stomped both Vancouver and especially St Louis.

The mistakes need to be cleaned up, but all of these games would have been wins if we got decent goaltending (maybe not last night, we got goalied and puck lucked to hell.)

They were terrible in Montreal except for a surge after they'd already dug themselves a 3-0 hole. Vancouver steamrolled them, idc about shots on goal, they got picked apart and cleaned out, that game was never in doubt for Vancouver. And tonight, sure they generated chances, but they once again can't defend for shit. Look at Vally's stats--nearly 4 xGA, more high danger chances against than mid and low combined. Since December we've been indistinguishable from last season's team, except our goaltending is as mid as everything else.

 

[Kovalev27]

And I’m not saying Igor is a bad goalie. I’m saying he’s playing unacceptable hockey. Like kakko. This is unacceptable. Get your shit together. You are better than this. Igor should not have numbers like this. Kakko should not have been playing the way he was playing.

 

[romba]

Bonino 6:16 at five on five, one awful penalty 0 shot attempts for 7 against.

Boner inducing for NHL coaches because SHOT BLOCKING VETERAN

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Igor hasn't been great but he made two big saves in the second period last night and the team did nothing to back them up. Instead, they take three stupid penalties in a row and hit a bunch of posts. They need to get healthy. Better to suck in January than in April and May though.

 

[will1066]

assuming he's put there. makes you wonder why he was moved off that line in the first place. what I can't fathom is how we run through like 8 RWs a season for the same LW-C combo for three years. This clearly isn't Bergeron-Marchand, break them up!


They were terrible in Montreal except for a surge after they'd already dug themselves a 3-0 hole. Vancouver steamrolled them, idc about shots on goal, they got picked apart and cleaned out, that game was never in doubt for Vancouver. And tonight, sure they generated chances, but they once again can't defend for shit. Look at Vally's stats--nearly 4 xGA, more high danger chances against than mid and low combined. Since December we've been indistinguishable from last season's team, except our goaltending is as mid as everything else.

Lavi did say at the time he removed Kakko from that line because he wasn't seeing results, he didn't say that he was playing poorly, but sometimes the alternatives are worse and you don't know what you got until it's gone.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Just in one of those funks right now.

Not getting the breaks offensively, running into hot goaltending, defensive lapses at the wrong times and the lineup needs help. It hasnt been perfect by any means but there shouldnt be any panic.

We all know Wheeler is a cone out there and thats a major issue, but the goaltending and defense is the first thing that needs some shoring up.

Eager to see this lineup healthIER with Kakko back, at the very least.

 

[TheDirtyH]

Lavi did say at the time he removed Kakko from that line because he wasn't seeing results, he didn't say that he was playing poorly, but sometimes the alternatives are worse and you don't know what you got until it's gone.

I know. Nothing the Rangers have done this season has been a mystery. I'm praying they do something surprising soon, Rangers as usual has been really depressing this year.

 

[Kovalev27]

Just in one of those funks right now.

Not getting the breaks offensively, running into hot goaltending, defensive lapses at the wrong times and the lineup needs help. It hasnt been perfect by any means but there shouldnt be any panic.

We all know Wheeler is a cone out there and thats a major issue, but the goaltending and defense is the first thing that needs some shoring up.

Eager to see this lineup healthIER with Kakko back, at the very least.

I do think we’ll be better for it having gone thru this. I think we’re a good team. I think lafreniere is becoming a star and I think drury will improve this team. Kakko AND it looks like Chytil will both be back. Listen Chytil is not sitting in a dark room like Michael Sauer. He’s training. If he were in serious trouble of not returning he would be completely shut down. I think he’ll be back soon enough. And drury will make a move at the deadline.

The shakeup though id love to see is lindgren in a package for chychrun i think it makes sense for both clubs. Id include Othmann in that deal too. You could finally give Fox a real top pair partner by putting that kid with him or miller with him. That’s what reallly needs to happen. We need a real upgrade on the blue line. Lindgren ain’t it.

 

[will1066]

I do think we’ll be better for it having gone thru this. I think we’re a good team. I think lafreniere is becoming a star and I think drury will improve this team. Kakko AND it looks like Chytil will both be back. Listen Chytil is not sitting in a dark room like Michael Sauer. He’s training. If he were in serious trouble of not returning he would be completely shut down. I think he’ll be back soon enough. And drury will make a move at the deadline.

The shakeup though id love to see is lindgren in a package for chychrun i think it makes sense for both clubs. Id include Othmann in that deal too. You could finally give Fox a real top pair partner by putting that kid with him or miller with him. That’s what reallly needs to happen. We need a real upgrade on the blue line. Lindgren ain’t it.

Chytil has gone home to Czechia, if you weren't aware.

 

[BleedBlueNYR]

Dude's a good complimentary winger. He's not some amazing difference maker.

Right. Nothing to lose sleep over.

 

[will1066]

Dude's a good complimentary winger. He's not some amazing difference maker.

Like a Dryden Hunt.

 

[Profet]

Have to think that's the last we see of Jones. He's def getting waived or traded.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

igor wasn’t nearly as bad tonight as was claimed. we just got goalied plain and simpls.

Still below average based on the data.

Also love vally, but he's off his rocker if he's counting that first goal against as a high danger chance.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Can't have all of Bonino, Goodrow, Wheeler and Brodzinski on this team, you can hide one or two of them in the lineup but 4 is too many.

Have to think that's the last we see of Jones. He's def getting waived or traded.

Should have been traded a while ago and let Robertson give it a go.

 

[Kodiak]

All due respect, we get goalied on a regular basis. That says to me that we aren't making it hard enough for the opposing goalies other than the royal road opportunities. If we win puck battles in front, if we screen better to take away their eyes.

We tend to say that we got goalied after we fall behind in the game. It seems more rare that we say we're getting goalied when the score is 0-0 or 1-1, but when we get behind 3-1, then we get goalied. So are we really carrying the play and just getting stopped by a hot goaltender, or is the other team playing more conservatively and being more intently focused on cleaning up the front of the net? The answer is going to be a mix of both, but I think you get the point.

Heres a hot take.

Rangers have looked better in their last 2 losses (and most of the Montreal game) than they have in most of their wins this season.

It looks worse than it is because almost every single mistake is ending up in the back of their net and Igor can't stop anything right now, but they stomped both Vancouver and especially St Louis.

The mistakes need to be cleaned up, but all of these games would have been wins if we got decent goaltending (maybe not last night, we got goalied and puck lucked to hell.)

We've been on the other side of this many times this year. We get the early lead, the other team starts pressing more as we play a bit safer, and the analytics look bad for us even though we won. So I get that our analytics look better if you are looking at the CF% and xG% in these losses, but those are being inflated by the push we are putting on to try to dig ourselves out of the hole we created. Shesterkin has looked pretty average lately, but the team defense has been absolutely atrocious.

 

[will1066]

Can't have all of Bonino, Goodrow, Wheeler and Brodzinski on this team, you can hide one or two of them in the lineup but 4 is too many.


Should have been traded a while ago and let Robertson give it a go.

I'm ok with Bonino. His one thing is shot blocking, and that can be useful in limited 4th line minutes. Goodrow brings absolutely nothing but his Cup reputation.

 

[Crease]

I haven't really been watching the last month. Players are hurt, sick, or about to have babies. Igor has forgotten how to goalie. Every opponent is treating the games like Game 7, because the Rangers are atop the East. Whatever. Stay afloat, get healthy, have your babies, get Igor a shink, and let's gear up for the playoffs.

 

[Uglybstrd]

he's horrendous

I would have loved Bonino and Wheeler a few years ago, but father time and all that...

 

[Machinehead]

How did we have 0 shot attempts with Bonino on the ice? We had about a million.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

Completely useless player and a waste of minutes for anyone who’s deployed with him. Every season they waste hundreds of minutes on these bottom of the barrel plugs like Bonino, Mckegg, Reaves, Rooney, Goodrow, Leschyshyn etc. and NYR fans jump through hoops to dismiss the impact it has on the teams ability to win, both short and long term.

Why can’t we just waste the same minutes on younger players, who have actual track records of lower level production, who could at least conceivably be good? Guys like Gauthier/Kravtsov become memes on here and NYR fans basically brag about how happy they are that theyre gone meanwhile the team is serving them shit on a plate (Bonino) and they eat it up like it’s filet mignon. Every bottom 6er Drury has moved out (Gauthier/Krav/Barron/Blais) would be an improvement to the current team when fully healthy and wouldve looked like Gretzky in tonight’s bottom 6

Could not agree more. People believe what they're told. So when Joe makes a point of emphasizing Bonino's blocked shots ("He's leading the league, Sam") every game, some people think it means he's OK. When in truth the main reason he leads the league is the other team usually has the puck. Because he's not good anymore.

Hire 2-3 scouts for Western Canada and listen to them . This team SUCKS at scouting . We have money to burn and they don't invest in team infrastructure ......scouts are the foundation of any good club . We should have the best .

Scouting, player development, skills coaching ... we should have the best. They have the money.

 

[duhmetreE]

who is in charge of the defense? there's a major disconnect on execution and coverage. The breakdowns are really bad.

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

Could not agree more. People believe what they're told. So when Joe makes a point of emphasizing Bonino's blocked shots ("He's leading the league, Sam") every game, some people think it means he's OK. When in truth the main reason he leads the league is the other team usually has the puck. Because he's not good anymore.


Scouting, player development, skills coaching ... we should have the best. They have the money.

I respect tf out of his shot blocking and if it was one of many abilities that he had it would be fine. The problem is he literally cannot do anything else. Actually he has one other skill which is wearing that neck guard and having his bald head stick out looking like a stupid thumb

 

[Megustaelhockey]

First overall with games in hand to 6th with one game left in a week and a half. Time for a PIP.