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

[SnowblindNYR]

As a Habs fan, I thought playing the Rangers would be the first real challenge of the last few weeks. I thought the Rangers would outmuscles the Habs at least. It was weird how there was no push back, very little hits, no intimidation, nothing. Rangers looked far more gritty in the playoffs last year than they were last night. It was the playoffs and the intensity usualy jump but still I expected a more hard-fought battle.

I don't know, going by the first 2 periods, I liked the defense we played more than we did in the playoffs. Not that we needed to play great defensively since the Habs looked like ****. However, in the playoffs instead of the neutral zone we'd spend 90% of the game blocking shot in their own zone. Also, I don't like how you're hinting like the Habs had their way with the Rangers. Through the first 2 periods the Rangers outplayed the Habs. Both teams played like ****. Pretending like one team had their way with the other is disingenuous.

 

[toewsintangibles]

2) Gaborik no longer goes to any dirty areas of the ice to score goals.

Last game I heard Gaborik is no longer a sniper, he just scores garbage goals. Now this.. (not from the same guy though)

4) MDZ is overrated because he is a "puck-mover" and yet he lacks any sort of puck-movement skills. Look at Markov or Diaz or Subban. Those are puck-movers.

Agreed, DZ is only good on the rush on even strength. Rather see Stralman on the PP even though he isn't that great either..

5) Miller and Kreider are not ready for consistent NHL duties.

Especially Kreider is just overmatched. He's looked plain bad every game..

6) The team lacks anyone who can bring energy to the team when they are lacking it. Still lacking a Chris Neil, Brandon Prust, Steve Ott-type of player.

Last year Prust only created energy by fighting. He was pretty terrible while actually playing the game, IMO.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Some of my notes and observations from last night...

- Richards should be ashamed...I'd strip the "A" off of him and put it on Girardi today. If you told me six weeks ago that he would be a target of a compliance buyout, I would have laughed. Not so much any more. You can say he's had a slow start for the first 6-8 games, but his play recently has been rather concerning. Not engaging, lazy backchecking, etc. Hoping for a better second half of the season for him.

- This might not be very popular around here, but I thought Stepan played a good game. Him and Hagelin seem to have good chemistry. At some point, I'd like to see what a Hagelin-Stepan-Kreider line could do.

- Send Miller down. He's not ready now. Next season he will be the team's 3rd line center.

- All of Kreider's problems are mental. It doesn't help that he has a coach that will sit guys at the drop of a hat for not tying their skate laces correctly. You can't teach his physical tools. His deficiencies can be improved on. Give it time.

- Never thought I'd say it, but this team missed Nash last night. Recently, he's the only guy on the team that can effectively drive the net and create scoring chances.

- Gaborik looks lost out there.

- Staal played well with the exception of falling on his ass to lead to the Habs' 2nd goal.

- McDonagh needs to show me some offense if he wants a big pay raise this offseason.

- Stralman needs to stay on this team. Perfect 3rd pairing guy.

- Del Zotto was horrid last night. It seems like he plays three good games in a row, and then drops a stinker. The consistency we saw from him last season doesn't seem to be there early on in this one.

 

[ImIdaho]

Last game I heard Gaborik is no longer a sniper, he just scores garbage goals. Now this.. (not from the same guy though)

If you think he still possesses the same wristshot he had last season, you're only fooling yourself.

I think all his goals have been from either deflections, rebounds, and one being that one nice set-up from Nash.

 

[Kershaw]

What answer? Answer to what?

The answer to what exactly?

Whether he is the right fit for a team aspiring for the cup. IMO, his poor play rarely gets mentioned by the media/coaches/fans compared to other players on the team, even Lundqvist. There is absolutely no accountability for his poor play. People are saying on here to buyout Richards, trade Gaborik for picks, trade Del Zotto away, but I believe Callahan's play has been much worse than either of those players. No one seems to comment exercising the thought of trading him for some reason.

Ok. Now you're just playing Devil's advocate or something. Because this is just garbage. I'm sorry, but Ryan Callahan =/= Chris Dreary. And that is all. So that team is not undefeated because we have Ryan Callahan, our notorious 4th line grinder, as you like to call him. The only team that Callahan is on the fourth line for is Team USA.

Your hate for Callahan has just reached levels of absurdity. WE should trade him for a fourth line pick while he still has some value.

Wow, way to take my words out of context.

Well so nice of you to bring up the 2011 playoffs, which Callahan missed because he dove in front of a 100+MPH slap shot from Chara. That's some horrible captain material right there. Agreed.

I'd be lying if I told you I;d prefer to have an injury prone player as captain.

So Dubinsky played one solid game in the playoffs where he scored a lucky goal and that makes him better than Callahan?

The guy has 25 goals in his last 164 games. That's 25 goals over two full seasons. Callahan had 29 in one season last year.

No, not better. But he steps up his game in the playoffs admirably. Haven't seen that same sense of urgency from the captain in last year's playoffs, of course everyone was saying he was playing injured when no such report came out. lol.

Yeah lets get rid of our Captain.


As for Stepan it was only a week ago that lots of people wanted him gone. All of sudden he's the future.

Look at New Jersey and how they performed when they got rid of Langenbrunner. They have the best regular season winning % IIRC since he was traded.

And Stepan has always been a scapegoat on here for some reason. He was getting a ton of chances during his slump, but the masses on here were calling for his head on a platter. Quietly, he's been the 3rd best forward on the team this year after Hags and Nash.

Wow, just wow.

I guess you haven't watched many games over the past 4 seasons.

Other than Lundqvist Callahan has probably contributed to more w's then anyone on each of those seasons' rosters. Any of the other 29 teams will gladly take Callahan in a heartbeat, Dubinsky? Maybe half that. But no one should have to bring that up.

Listen - it was a bad loss. But this team has gotten points in 8 of the last 11 games. Lets not get totally out of hand with our griping.

lol? Callahan has been our team MVP after Lundqvist the past 4 seasons? Surely, you jest. The team has been carried by Lundqvist, our defense, Gaborik and then the Pack Line (with Callahan leading the way). Let's not overrate him here, he's a 2RW on this team, nothing more.

 

[NYROrtsFan]

Certain guys just aren't good...

Del Zotto is just garbage defensively and seems to be a bit of a head case when it comes to his confidence.

Kreider didn't get better in any way and regressed.

Our bottom 6 brings very little to the table outside of Boyle now playing better.

Miller can finish and is good on the boards but can't pass the puck.

 

[Baby Punisher]

As frustrating as the team has been, I'm not on the fire/trade everyone bandwagon yet.

Lockout shortened seasons are weird. The 94-95 Rangers had like a 7 or 8 game losing streak and barely squeaked into the playoffs as an 8th seed with a team that had far more talent than this one. Richter never really found his groove that year.

Some players on this team have looked unfocused and out of shape. If this was a normal year with a regular training camp, I'd be willing to shake things up in a major way. But, under these circumstances, it's tough to tell whether poor play is an indication of how these players will perform from now on or if it's just lack of preparation from the lockout.

Until Richter got hurt he was the Rangers best player that year. Healy really stepped up his game in a huge way & we made it.

Last season we really hit our stride at the 30 game mark but wore down by game 70. This season we really don't have that luxury to wait 30 games to get things straight, but if we tread water until than & take off I would be ok with that.

All that being said I think we got about 8-10 more games to get things better, not great before we see the season really slip away.

 

[The Gloaming]

An injury-prone captain? Do you read what you write? How many guys in the league would

a. the courage to dive in front of a Chara slapshot
b. be able to play after that shot hits them in the foot?

And where was Dubinsky in last year's playoffs? Oh right, he got injured too. Shocker. The highlight of his playoffs was him flipping the Gatorade cooler over.

 

[Ail]

The highlight of his playoffs was him flipping the Gatorade cooler over.

Which was almost enough by itself to stop Sather from trading him.

 

[Kershaw]

An injury-prone captain? Do you read what you write? How many guys in the league would

a. the courage to dive in front of a Chara slapshot
b. be able to play after that shot hits them in the foot?

Very courageous move by Callahan, but doesn't really change my opinion much. Boyle blocks shots too and took multiple punches to the face to put the team on a 5man PP, suffering concussion all for the team in the playoffs last year. He's called an ECHL player here.

And where was Dubinsky in last year's playoffs? Oh right, he got injured too. Shocker. The highlight of his playoffs was him flipping the Gatorade cooler over.

3rd man in penalty is completely Pejorative Slured during that scenario.

 

[The Gloaming]

Very courageous move by Callahan, but doesn't really change my opinion much. Boyle blocks shots too and took multiple punches to the face to put the team on a 5man PP, suffering concussion all for the team in the playoffs last year. He's called an ECHL player here.



3rd man in penalty is completely Pejorative Slured during that scenario.

He's called an ECHL player by 2 posters on this board. I appreciate Boyle and what he provides for this team.

Agreed that the 3rd man penalty was Pejorative Slured, and even moreso because I think that Carkner was the only one who received a fighting major.

That being said, If you think that Boyle and Callahan are on the same stratosphere in terms of what they provide for this team on both ends of the ice, then I don't know what to tell you. (and that's with Callahan's struggles this season so far.) And using Dubinsky's insanely lucky GWG against the Caps to prove that he's a big time player doesn't help your case much.

 

[Kershaw]

He's called an ECHL player by 2 posters on this board. I appreciate Boyle and what he provides for this team.

Agreed that the 3rd man penalty was Pejorative Slured, and even moreso because I think that Carkner was the only one who received a fighting major.

That being said, If you think that Boyle and Callahan are on the same stratosphere in terms of what they provide for this team on both ends of the ice, then I don't know what to tell you. (and that's with Callahan's struggles this season so far.) And using Dubinsky's insanely lucky GWG against the Caps to prove that he's a big time player doesn't help your case much.

IMO, Boyle is the better defensive player. Just doesn't have the speed like Callahan does, mainly due to his size frame. You rarely find fast players with that size lengthy/bulky size frame. Boyle's better at faceoffs, both play the top unit PK, but Boyle has more defensive zone starts, just as many hits and shot blocks and both decent in positional play.

Dubinsky played with Jagr on the first line before too, he showed up for every series except for last year against the Senators.

 

[Machinehead]

I'm so sick of this Dubinsky vs Callahan **** already. Dubinsky is in Columbus, it's over.

Many years from now, these two guys will be dead and these boards will still be going on about it.

 

[Ail]

I'm so sick of this Dubinsky vs Callahan **** already. Dubinsky is in Columbus, it's over.

Many years from now, these two guys will be dead and these boards will still be going on about it.

Dude, if people in the era of Dubi and Cally being dead remember them both, and are still arguing over them, I hate to think of what that means for how bad this franchise will have to be for the next 40+ years.

 

[Machinehead]

Dude, if people in the era of Dubi and Cally being dead remember them both, and are still arguing over them, I hate to think of what that means for how bad this franchise will have to be for the next 40+ years.

Well, it is the Rangers....

 

[Ail]

Well, it is the Rangers....

 

[The Gloaming]

IMO, Boyle is the better defensive player. Just doesn't have the speed like Callahan does, mainly due to his size frame. You rarely find fast players with that size lengthy/bulky size frame. Boyle's better at faceoffs, both play the top unit PK, but Boyle has more defensive zone starts, just as many hits and shot blocks and both decent in positional play.

Dubinsky played with Jagr on the first line before too, he showed up for every series except for last year against the Senators.

I would surely hope that a center is better at face offs than a winger. Maybe Callahan has more offensive zone starts, because he's not an offensive black hole?

Playing with Jagr, I would hope that Dubi didn't disappear in the playoffs.

And it's obvious what the organization thought of the Callahan vs. Dubinsky argument. Callahan was made captain, Dubi didn't even get a letter, even when Staal was out. And Brandon Dubinsky now lives in Columbus.

 

[Machinehead]

Yep that's me every night. Knife in one eye, other eye still on the game

 

[JohnC]

View attachment 61259

 

[darko]

Look at New Jersey and how they performed when they got rid of Langenbrunner. They have the best regular season winning % IIRC since he was traded..

Langenbrunner was 36 years old and declining badly when Davils got rid of him. Callahan is 27.

 

[darko]

PGT Summary:

Brad Richards is a stupid beaver who is paid more a second than you are a week. Buyout!

DelZaster is back. Trade him.

Refs lost us the game!

Torts should be fired because he already won a Cup and screaming doesn't work anymore. Also then they can fire Sullivan and buyout stupid beaver who are his boys.

Staal to Carolina. Stralman will log his minutes.

Gaborik lost his speed, shot and can't dangle. Trade.

Stepan can't skate, forecheck, and his shot is blocked 100% of the time even if he scores. The hairloss commercials are for him.

Gilroy is the best defensemen because he's never on the ice for a GA.

MSG is rigged to explode if any Ranger performs a one-timer.

There was a blizzard of '93 and '95. ****ing Quattro.

Callahan is only good on the PP and he isn't the kind of player that fits in this Ranger team. (WAT?) He should be moved for an offensive winger. He also got all the credit for Dubinsky's amazing play because he is the Golden boy.

JT "giveaways" Miller should go back to the AHL and take that bust Kreider with him.

Boyle is a good player now because he rang one off the post. DelZaster is the new Boyle.

Blame the lockout.

Everyone on the team is Chris Drury 2.0.

Rick Nash is currently recovering from a hangover, lower body amputation, and being dead.

Everything is spot on except the bolded part. Apparently Staal's minutes should go to Gilroy.

 

[The Gloaming]

Everything is spot on except the bolded part. Apparently Staal's minutes should go to Gilroy.

Nope. Gilroy will get DZ's minutes.

 

[haveandare]

Whether he is the right fit for a team aspiring for the cup. IMO, his poor play rarely gets mentioned by the media/coaches/fans compared to other players on the team, even Lundqvist. There is absolutely no accountability for his poor play. People are saying on here to buyout Richards, trade Gaborik for picks, trade Del Zotto away, but I believe Callahan's play has been much worse than either of those players. No one seems to comment exercising the thought of trading him for some reason.



Wow, way to take my words out of context.


I'd be lying if I told you I;d prefer to have an injury prone player as captain.



No, not better. But he steps up his game in the playoffs admirably. Haven't seen that same sense of urgency from the captain in last year's playoffs, of course everyone was saying he was playing injured when no such report came out. lol.



Look at New Jersey and how they performed when they got rid of Langenbrunner. They have the best regular season winning % IIRC since he was traded.

And Stepan has always been a scapegoat on here for some reason. He was getting a ton of chances during his slump, but the masses on here were calling for his head on a platter. Quietly, he's been the 3rd best forward on the team this year after Hags and Nash.



lol? Callahan has been our team MVP after Lundqvist the past 4 seasons? Surely, you jest. The team has been carried by Lundqvist, our defense, Gaborik and then the Pack Line (with Callahan leading the way). Let's not overrate him here, he's a 2RW on this team, nothing more.

We've officially hit rock bottom. Let's talk about trading the captain after his best year ever because the team is only tied for 8th in the conference a quarter of the way into the season.

 

[Florida Ranger]

Kreider didn't get better in any way and regressed.

C'mon, dude. Tell me how many career games he's played.

 

[Kokoschka]

C'mon, dude. Tell me how many career games he's played.

Nah, career over. Might as well just trade that bum while he still has some value.