Post-Game Talk: Cooled by Cats

[egelband]

Mika's battle is just not there. It looks like it hurts to move on the boards. Every puck "battle" is a lethargic reaching or standing still. I really don't get it.

He is afraid of contact. Only skates full speed on defense because there’s very limited risk of getting hit when you don’t have the puck.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

That’s because we aren’t. In a best of seven, I don’t see us beating Florida, Edmonton or Dallas. And if not for Igor, really, you have to wonder if the Leafs game would have been a win. We’ve largely played very well offensively but have been incredibly lucky defensively and deeply reliant on our goalie.

I don't think the Oilers deserve to be in that group. I know they had a slow start last year too but I feel like that team is probably more flawed than ours it just so happens it has the best player since Mario Lemieux on it.

I think this version of the Rangers is MUCH better than last year's. I think our defense has been bad because it's early in the season (also partially why up to today the offense has been so good). I actually don't think our defense being bad is a huge problem at all. Our defense is a symptom of how the Rangers have played. Run and gun. Frankly, we might have the team in the NHL that is most adapt at playing run and gun with the improvements to our roster (better 4th line, Chytil playing, and Lindgren demotion). You saw in the first period what playing run and gun looked like. We were the better team in the first period and got goalied. I think if the last two periods were played that way we either win or get goalied bad and lose. The Panthers frankly are not a team that can run and gun with us. That's not the problem. The problem is that when the game gets tighter checking our offense disappears. With the exception of the first 5 minutes of the 2nd period, in the last two periods our defense wasn't anywhere close to being the problem. But they got their lunch money taken and dominated because the Panthers went to their strength and we had no answers.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Scored the OT winner in my D league game tonight so even this horrible Rongos performance can’t break my stride sorry Meeka

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

well when you've been concussed at least 5 times the last 7-8 years then yeah the fear is for real.

what's real alarming is his pp play-it sucks. his blasts aren't even near the goalies over 60% of the time from what i've seen since the last 2-3 years. if the goalies sees zibs winding up the bomb he could turn around, take 2 swigs of that gatorade, turn back around and not even have to worry about any rebounds going into the net.

no use complaining constantly about this guy anymore. we're stuck with him until 2030. just gotta hope he'll have those 1-2 months where he just goes off in the regular season and hopefully does some cool shit in the playoffs. the harsh reality is we need this guy to do well to win that cup.

there's still a lot of hockey left. i'm not concerned about florida's dominance of us just yet. let's see how this progresses. we just came back from a road trip sweep so this loss to me is of no surprise, sans barkov.

i'm curious if reilly smith will have a career playing with zibs and kreider. finally may have a right winger for that line since tank.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

well when you've been concussed at least 5 times the last 7-8 years then yeah the fear is for real.

what's real alarming is his pp play-it sucks. his blasts aren't even near the goalies over 60% of the time from what i've seen since the last 2-3 years. if the goalies sees zibs winding up the bomb he could turn around, take 2 swigs of that gatorade, turn back around and not even have to worry about any rebounds going into the net.

no use complaining constantly about this guy anymore. we're stuck with him until 2030. just gotta hope he'll have those 1-2 months where he just goes off in the regular season and hopefully does some cool shit in the playoffs. the harsh reality is we need this guy to do well to win that cup.

there's still a lot of hockey left. i'm not concerned about florida's dominance of us just yet. let's see how this progresses. we just came back from a road trip sweep so this loss to me is of no surprise, sans barkov.

i'm curious if reilly smith will have a career playing with zibs and kreider. finally may have a right winger for that line since tank.

But all of his concussions have been pre-19-20 when he hard a legit argument for best player on the team and a top 5 goal scorer. Plus, Chytil could have had his career end literally last year and he STILL plays balls to the wall. I legit think Mika got paid and just stopped caring. I used to think he had confidence issues. Now I think he just doesn't give a f***.

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

I don't think the Oilers deserve to be in that group. I know they had a slow start last year too but I feel like that team is probably more flawed than ours it just so happens it has the best player since Mario Lemieux on it.

I think this version of the Rangers is MUCH better than last year's. I think our defense has been bad because it's early in the season (also partially why up to today the offense has been so good). I actually don't think our defense being bad is a huge problem at all. Our defense is a symptom of how the Rangers have played. Run and gun. Frankly, we might have the team in the NHL that is most adapt at playing run and gun with the improvements to our roster (better 4th line, Chytil playing, and Lindgren demotion). You saw in the first period what playing run and gun looked like. We were the better team in the first period and got goalied. I think if the last two periods were played that way we either win or get goalied bad and lose. The Panthers frankly are not a team that can run and gun with us. That's not the problem. The problem is that when the game gets tighter checking our offense disappears. With the exception of the first 5 minutes of the 2nd period, in the last two periods our defense wasn't anywhere close to being the problem. But they got their lunch money taken and dominated because the Panthers went to their strength and we had no answers.

this is the best ranger team since AV was the coach. we're driving the puck pass the blue line. unheard of right? t's interesting to watch them now ya know. no more of the boring gallant dump and chase bullshit.

But all of his concussions have been pre-19-20 when he hard a legit argument for best player on the team and a top 5 goal scorer. Plus, Chytil could have had his career end literally last year and he STILL plays balls to the wall. I legit think Mika got paid and just stopped caring. I used to think he had confidence issues. Now I think he just doesn't give a f***.

i can't argue with you there. lifetime guaranteed financial security sure is sweet. ehh heh.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Mika off pp1 until he finds his game. Imo he's not putting the work in that others are in the offseason. The guys arms are the size of toothpicks. His size should be an advantage but he's built like a bag of coffee cream.

 

[Kravtsov420]

Hey let’s all cool it, Mika has a set to get ready for at EDC with David Guetta. Can’t be thinkin bout no hockey

 

[SnowblindNYR]

this is the best ranger team since AV was the coach. we're driving the puck pass the blue line. unheard of right? t's interesting to watch them now ya know. no more of the boring gallant dump and chase bullshit.

i can't argue with you there. lifetime guaranteed financial security sure is sweet. ehh heh.

This better, at least offensive than any AV team. Those teams had depth as their calling card and the last few years that was our weakness, it's our strength. But now we also have top end talent. The problem is this team still gets shut down by the Panthers.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I can see this Rangers team being maybe a bit better defensive/goalie and worse offensive version of the 2022 Panthers. I legit think the offense is absolutely loaded for a finesse game and they can overwhelm teams with poorer defensive structure, f*** they overwhelmed the Panthers in the first period. The problem is teams won't let them play like they did for 6.33 games in the playoffs. They're not the 2022 Avs on either side of the puck who can do it even with bad goaltending. I think this will still be a fun season, I won't even be shocked if we repeat as Presidents' Trophy winners and with a better record. This is a very deep team with high end talent on O, D, and G. I can't see them winning a cup.

 

[Uglybstrd]

I enjoyed the first 6 games more than this one....

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Does anyone else feel like if we lost this game 5-1, but periods 2 and 3 looked like period 1 and Bob just stole the show that they'd feel a lot better? This game just looked like a team that has shut us down consistently shut us down again in the second and third period. It was just more of the same.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

well when you've been concussed at least 5 times the last 7-8 years then yeah the fear is for real.

what's real alarming is his pp play-it sucks. his blasts aren't even near the goalies over 60% of the time from what i've seen since the last 2-3 years. if the goalies sees zibs winding up the bomb he could turn around, take 2 swigs of that gatorade, turn back around and not even have to worry about any rebounds going into the net.

no use complaining constantly about this guy anymore. we're stuck with him until 2030. just gotta hope he'll have those 1-2 months where he just goes off in the regular season and hopefully does some cool shit in the playoffs. the harsh reality is we need this guy to do well to win that cup.

there's still a lot of hockey left. i'm not concerned about florida's dominance of us just yet. let's see how this progresses. we just came back from a road trip sweep so this loss to me is of no surprise, sans barkov.

i'm curious if reilly smith will have a career playing with zibs and kreider. finally may have a right winger for that line since tank.

I’m curious on when the current CBA expires.
Don’t the owners usually throw themselves a bone when they re-up with the Players Association by giving each team a get-out-of-cap-hell jail cards with two or three contract buyouts?
Might be the Meeks answer?

 

[Kords]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849626298747887945

 

[Gordon Bombay]

They got our number. Their style of play is everything this team struggles with. They can either adapt, seems unlikely given this core's tendencies, or hope someone else knocks them out.

We're a good team, we just struggle to play the "playoff" hockey you need to win in this league

 

[cheech70]

Laf needs to be PP1 and PK 1 or 2..

I’m curious on when the current CBA expires.
Don’t the owners usually throw themselves a bone when they re-up with the Players Association by giving each team a get-out-of-cap-hell jail cards with two or three contract buyouts?
Might be the Meeks answer?

The NHLPA and NHL ratified a four-year extension to the CBA (through 2025-26)

 

[leetch99]

About what I expected ....Kreider and Miller again spend more time avoiding body contact then thinking about where the puck should go next . Oh well....Lindgren struggling with full cage . I tend to think Rempe should have played against a club who have some goalie bumping guys . Those guys had their way again with us . Kreider being so nice likely took Bennett and Tkachuk out for a post game meal....and paid for it .

They got our number. Their style of play is everything this team struggles with. They can either adapt, seems unlikely given this core's tendencies, or hope someone else knocks them out.

We're a good team, we just struggle to play the "playoff" hockey you need to win in this league

Well said ! That sums it up quite nicely . Too many guys that are more concerned on their hair then rubbing a guy out on our club .

 

[Chytilmania]

Have some pride Regular Season Champs.

 

[WojtekWolski86]

Goal 1. Finish regular season top 3 in division to stay in our division.

Goal 2. Figure out how you are going to best any team from Florida come playoff time because this group isn't close against Florida or Tampa.

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849626298747887945

Matches the eye test for Mika. Its incredible how he's become such a black hole all over the ice. I don't know how you even approach fixing that but it's killing the team.

 

[Ben Grimm]

Bob's your uncle.

 

[McRanger92]

They really didnt play any differently than they had the first few games imo. Bob made some huge stops early. Really the difference in the game was the Rangers snoozing through the first 5 minutes. Obviously Igor was great outside of the Verhaege goal.

The big concern for me is Zibanejad. I tried to defend him through the summer because he has a track record, but his play this year has been pathetic. Low effort, low energy. It's long past due for him to be demoted. The team would be much better if Chytil was playing his minutes. In a game with no Barkov we should have a big advantage, but it's negated by Meeka's shit play. I dont care about his hair, his diet or his DJ career. I care that the effort's not there. And it's not. He is our biggest impediment to the Cup.

 

[MysticLeviathan]

I don’t know why we’re continuing to reward mika with as much time as he’s getting. remove him from pp1 and send a message there. if he continues to not give a f***, sit him in the press box for a game. the biggest issue is management doesn’t seem to even acknowledgd mika is playing terrible hockey. it’s like it’s completely normal

 

[McRanger92]

I don’t know why we’re continuing to reward mika with as much time as he’s getting. remove him from pp1 and send a message there. if he continues to not give a f***, sit him in the press box for a game. the biggest issue is management doesn’t seem to even acknowledgd mika is playing terrible hockey. it’s like it’s completely normal

Lines go into a blender, but Mika gets to stay with Kreider. Make it makes sense. Mika had the same amount of shot attempts as you and I in 19+ minutes of ice time.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

laughing at Larry shouting out this board in his article after this game

We know you post here Larry, it’s okay