Post-Game Talk: Canadiens @ Rangers 2/19/13 - Moar Icing

[Machinehead]

You know I forgot about the blocked shot. You're right about that one.

Nonetheless, overraction, much? Leave to Carolina because of a blocked shot that lead to a goal.

Come on.

It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last that Staal makes an egregious turnover. He does it too often.

 

[SupersonicMonkey*]

He has but he's also guilty of pulling some brain farts, especially with his shooting.

He's 22 years old!

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Well obviously Staal is still a very serviceable player and would have to be replaced with someone good.

Some drunk fat guy sitting in section 405 could replace Del Zotto.

Uhhh, no. I know you've always had an iirrational dislike for Del Zotto, and it's showing here. One bad game doesn't turn him into a liability. He has been very good this season for the most part, but he is and always has been an inconsistent player. He's still young, he's not even 23 yet.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I live in Montreal and watch many Habs games, and I've got to tell you, this was one of their worst games of the year! However, unlike the Rangers, this was their 3rd game in 4 nights, and a back to back, were they got into NY at 2AM the night before!! We should have come hard at them from the puck drop and we didn't, and this is were we lost the game, we made it way to easy for them. Why all this respect for a team that finished last in the conference last year, playing in our building!!!!
I will guarantee you one thing Saturday night, they will come out playing a different game, more up tempo, and if we don't match that, it could get ugly, and quickly...for us.

Why is the 3 in 4 nights an excuse but Nash being out isn't? The last 2 years the Rangers have been sick in back to backs. No excuses, these are professional athletes. I didn't make any excuses for the Rangers' horrible loss to the Flyers (the Rangers played a masterpiece today compared to that game) on the second half of back to backs, there's no excuse for Montreal playing this garbage game.

 

[Killem Dafoe]

I am so sick and tired of watching Gaborik gain the zone only to cough up the puck because he thinks he can dangle around defenders EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!!!

It's like he doesn't even try anymore. He skates the puck in like Herman Munster and I feel myself watching out of the corner of my eye.

 

[ImIdaho]

He's 22 years old!

Okay? I don't think you need to be close to your 30s to realize that when you have an open opportunity to take a shot, you take the shot.

 

[SupersonicMonkey*]

It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last that Staal makes an egregious turnover. He does it too often.

Really reaching on this one, sorry.

Staal is one of the premiere shut down defensemen in the league.

The Rangers aren't letting him go anytime soon.

 

[fredrikstad]

Richards is pissing me off too but I don't care much for assaulting his Twitter feed.

Agreed. It's stupid and only help to break his confidence even more.

 

[MrAlmost]

You "don't like" Stepan. And its obviously biased and baseless considering he's been one of this team's best players.

"Makes dumps". Getting the puck deep when there are no other options, is 100% the right decision. Make the opposition go 200 feet.

He hasn't really been one of the best players. Just because he has gotten some opportunistic points doesnt make him one of the best. Richards is a team leader in points and has been very bad. Worse than Stepan in my opinion. And even if he was the best player, our whole team has looked very average all season, so that is no great accomplishment.

Also, it's not just Stepan who does it, I guess I just feel like he is cornered into it because he is slow, but the whole team dumps the puck into the zone too much, even when they cross the blueline already with the puck. They constantly rim it around hoping the winger will be streaking in to pick it up. I dont know if this is something Torts tells them, but it has to stop. Pull up, make a play, use your speed to cut in, work it down into the corner with you body, do something other than just ring it around the boards hoping your winger will get to it before their player, and thats only if the other defender on their team doesnt stop it behind the net before it can even get all the way around.

 

[SupersonicMonkey*]

Okay? I don't think you need to be close to your 30s to realize that when you have an open opportunity to take a shot, you take the shot.

Okay? Are we teenagers?

Do we have any clue what player development entails?

He's ****ing 22 years old and is already a top 2 center.

Stepan at 25 will be a lot more polished than Stepan at 22.

Holy Christ this place is becoming intolerable.

 

[Graves94]

Why is the 3 in 4 nights an excuse but Nash being out isn't? The last 2 years the Rangers have been sick in back to backs. No excuses, these are professional athletes. I didn't make any excuses for the Rangers' horrible loss to the Flyers (the Rangers played a masterpiece today compared to that game) on the second half of back to backs, there's no excuse for Montreal playing this garbage game.

You're missing the point!
We're playing at home against a team we should beat and should not be playing their game. They played a perfect road game and we helped them out.

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Thank God I stayed away tonight. This place is unbearable after a L

 

[Machinehead]

Uhhh, no. I know you've always had an iirrational dislike for Del Zotto, and it's showing here. One bad game doesn't turn him into a liability. He has been very good this season for the most part, but he is and always has been an inconsistent player. He's still young, he's not even 23 yet.

I really don't think it's one bad game. He sucks on the powerplay and has no shot. And he's been by far our worst D-man defensively out of the starting 6, far behind even Gilroy. What are his qualities exactly, which make him "good for the most part"?

He'll put some points, but to play defense the way he's been playing defense he needs to be putting up some major points and be great on the PP. He's not.

 

[Machinehead]

Okay? I don't think you need to be close to your 30s to realize that when you have an open opportunity to take a shot, you take the shot.

I think I was about two years old when I figured out that most goals are scored after shooting the puck

 

[ImIdaho]

Okay? Are we teenagers?

Do we have any clue what player development entails?

He's ****ing 22 years old and is already a top 2 center.

Stepan at 25 will be a lot more polished than Stepan at 22.

Holy Christ this place is becoming intolerable.

It's been biting us on the ass! See the shot, take it. Defense out of position? Don't ****ing try to corral it because all that does is allow the defense to set-up again.

I'll meet Stepan halfway because he's not the only one who does that ****, but I'm not going to sit here pretend he has been flawless.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

I really don't think it's one bad game. He sucks on the powerplay and has no shot. And he's been by far our worst D-man defensively out of the starting 6, far behind even Gilroy. What are his qualities exactly, which make him "good for the most part"?

He'll put some points, but to play defense the way he's been playing defense he needs to be putting up some major points and be great on the PP. He's not.

You're literally making things up. Far behind Gilroy? Come on, don't let your dislike cloud your judgment.

I'd delve into this a little more but I'm on a ****** smart phone.

 

[RothmanHockey]

 

[MrAlmost]

Okay? Are we teenagers?

Do we have any clue what player development entails?

He's ****ing 22 years old and is already a top 2 center.

Stepan at 25 will be a lot more polished than Stepan at 22.

Holy Christ this place is becoming intolerable.

Relax man. I think he was just saying that he passes up on a lot of open shots in the zone. Perhaps he doesnt like his shot, but he needs to use it if he is open and that experience really wouldnt have anything to do with that.

 

[ltsthinaz]

It's like he doesn't even try anymore. He skates the puck in like Herman Munster and I feel myself watching out of the corner of my eye.

Gaborik is very frustrating. Without his speed he isn't the same elite player he once was. Not sure if it the Rangers style, which doesn't suit him, or if he is starting to slow down due to his age, or both.

In any case, Rangers have an elite defense and goaltending, but up front they are over-rated, because everyone thinks on paper that Gaborik and Richards are All-Star caliber players, and on the ice, they aren't.

Don't know if it is a lack of hustle, the grind it out style of Tortarella, being out of shape, or the forwards (minus Nash and Hagelin) being ordinary, or a combination of the three, but this is not an elite team. They are basically a slightly above .500 team since last January.

And the reality is if you don't have a great offense, and have top-flight defense and goaltending, you need to score on the power play. And ours absolutely stinks.

 

[The Gloaming]

Paging Mr. Beaver Richards...

He REALLY needs to pick it up. A good place to start would be to actually pass the puck to the guys wearing the same jersey as him.

 

[Machinehead]

You're literally making things up. Far behind Gilroy? Come on, don't let your dislike cloud your judgment.

I'd delve into this a little more but I'm on a ****** smart phone.

I haven't seen Gilroy make any of the mistakes since coming back that Del Zotto makes every period. He can't shoot, he can't skate, his positioning sucks, his passing is inconsistent. What is he really good at?

 

[ltsthinaz]

While everyone is dumping on Stepan, who needs to work on his skating but has been playing better lately, can someone get on Callahan a bit. He was terrible on the first goal, and just seems off. Just not the same player as last year (maybe we can trade Richards to Columbus for Dubi and Anisimov).

 

[ImIdaho]

I haven't seen Gilroy make any of the mistakes since coming back that Del Zotto makes every period. He can't shoot, he can't skate, his positioning sucks, his passing is inconsistent. What is he really good at?

I'm going to have to agree. Gilroy I think has played steady whereas DZ has been guilty of a few brain farts: take those two power plays. Both hit a snag because of him.

 

[tjs252]

Gilroy's played exponentially better since his return. So good that I think he might have inserted himself into the conversation of DMen beyond this season.

That said, Del Zotto is light years better and his ceiling is even higher.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Del Zotto plays 20+ minutes.

Gilroy plays 10.

But he's definitely better.

I can't even argue with people here anymore, it's like I'm watching a different game.