LaffyTaffyNYR
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- Feb 25, 2012
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Injury Report: Derek Stepan (11/6: Will return Saturday)
- Thread starter nyr2k2
- Start date
If 10 games in October are the difference between the Rangers making it and not making it then they didn't belong there in the first place
LaffyTaffyNYR
Registered User
- Feb 25, 2012
- 17,113
- 2,662
Especially since the first month isn't really all that difficult of a schedule overall.
Brooklyn Rangers Fan
Change is good.
Agreed Brooklyn
Hayes got better as the game went along--It'll be interested to see how he plays in his second game. Still not completely sold on him at center, but I'll leave that up to the experts in the organization.
And let's not forget that injuries are often why players get a chance and then stick in the lineup--McD and Hagelin spring to mind as two players who made the most of another player's misfortune. Oscar Lundberg has by all accounts done extremely well up to this point--I'm excited about seeing him next game and would love to see him make the roster. He's defensively capable, but from all accounts has some offense there as well. I think he's mature enough to start on the 4th line--the way AV plays this lines, chances are he'd get 10-11 minutes a night and hopefully get some points and a little more responsibility. I'd rather take that chance very honestly than hope Lombardi able to withstand the physical play and stilll good enough to play a role in the NHL. But my motto has always been that salvation lies within.
Now all Oscar has to do is make the most of this chance!
Agreed, Brooklyn.
x2Your point about Lindberg is a good one - I think he's been lost in the shuffle because we haven't seen him yet, Miller looked like he had taken the next step and Hayes presented such an intriguing new figure. Oscar needed the season last year to adjust to the A, but he was one of the better players on the team by the end. And he is a player who could a) perform well in a bottom 6 role without b) being stunted by it.
We shall see. Unlike some people, I'm not writing off the season just yet. 
This time of year is sooo much fun.
This time of year is sooo much fun.
Bluenote13
Believe In Henke
Agreed, Brooklyn.
Your point about Lindberg is a good one - I think he's been lost in the shuffle because we haven't seen him yet, Miller looked like he had taken the next step and Hayes presented such an intriguing new figure. Oscar needed the season last year to adjust to the A, but he was one of the better players on the team by the end. And he is a player who could a) perform well in a bottom 6 role without b) being stunted by it.
Absolutely, good on you both.
Lindberg has two way game. 183 SOG was top 40 in the AHL his first season. Getting that many shots means he's finding ways to get open and getting through the lanes with his shot, that on top of being a good passer and good % in the dot. Really hope he takes it up a notch
Agreed. Kept an eye on Lindberg all last year. I really think he is close to taking the next step. I am anxious to watch him on Friday.
6 points separated the Rangers and Washington.
So, theoretically, the 10 games in October could be the difference, if the Division and Conference is close.
The one thing we can bank on, its going to be a tight race, as always.
Just look at it this way, no matter what happens, there is literally no way our start could be worse then last years.
Agree, Lindberg could end up with the extra center spot.
Hayes is going to get every opportunity, but Lindberg is probably closer to being ready defensively. It's potentially the lack of offense that is going to be an issue.
18 goals, 44 points for a 22 year old,1st year player in the AHL isn't bad at all. But, Miller, a year younger, scored about the same in about half the amount of games at the same level.
Defensively, Lindberg should be ready. He is also good at faceoffs... Brassard and Miller, two offensively skilled centers. Moore and Lindberg, two defensive centers.
Regardless, i hope Vigneault evenly balances the lines and distributes the skill, so he can roll 4 lines. No one line is going to be good enough to dominate the ATOI. This is going to be a by-committee type of team again.
Hayes is going to get every opportunity, but Lindberg is probably closer to being ready defensively. It's potentially the lack of offense that is going to be an issue.
18 goals, 44 points for a 22 year old,1st year player in the AHL isn't bad at all. But, Miller, a year younger, scored about the same in about half the amount of games at the same level.
Defensively, Lindberg should be ready. He is also good at faceoffs... Brassard and Miller, two offensively skilled centers. Moore and Lindberg, two defensive centers.
Regardless, i hope Vigneault evenly balances the lines and distributes the skill, so he can roll 4 lines. No one line is going to be good enough to dominate the ATOI. This is going to be a by-committee type of team again.
And with Stepan out at-least over a month to start the season, and the Richards buy out...the Rangers are down two experienced centers they started with last season. Now we will have at least one rookie center, potentially two, or one veteran who hasn't been in the league in a couple of years.
Despite that, i'm not expecting the same kind of slow start as last season, but it may be a rocky start. And, as i pointed out, slip just a little bit, and that could be the difference.
I've seen the Rangers get off to great starts in October and still struggle to make the post season plenty of times. With worse teams than this. NYR strength is still in the back end and in goal, nothing has changed there.
I'm failing to see the difference here from what I said. The Rangers got off to a horrendous start last year and still made the playoffs. That horrendous start included both Stepan and Richards in the lineup.
And now they aren't in the lineup, which is why it is entirely possible they have a rocky start.
They got off to an awful start due to a new system, new coaching staff, a ridiculously long road trip that lasted about a month. But after that they were consistent and one of the top teams the rest of the way.
Its possible Stepan's absense doesn't slow them down, but it is very possible that it does because of the dominos. Chemistry, depth, PK, PP, ES, a lot of things are effected.
Just hoping for the best.
But they had a rocky start even WITH them in the lineup, so it's possible either way.
Stepan missed training camp and Dom Moore was also shaking off the rust. Whatever you want to blame it on - travel, rust, new coach, the weather, Obama, you don't make the playoffs in October. This is just another thing to overcome. If 9-10 games is the difference then they deserve their fate.
Again, you don't make the playoffs in October and November, but you can miss them because of missed points in those months. Just the same as March.
10 games is a lot. Its 20 points.
6 points. 3 wins separated the Eastern Conference Champs and missing the playoffs...its a small margin of error.
Its just reality.
The deserved thing is subjective. They could fail to get an extra point in a few games, and be a top team the rest of the time and still come up just short. Remember its a different playoff structure.
Remeber the Jokinen missed penalty shot... one point.
Get into the playoffs and anything can happen. One point could stop that.
So, 10 games can't make the difference? What difference does deserved make? We are Rangers fans and want to see them in the playoffs with a chance to win a Cup. Getting as many points in the regular season matters, October, March, it all matters.
aufheben
#Norris4Fox
13-14 - team gets off to a slow start due to new coach
14-15 - team gets off to a slow start due to missing top line center
6 in one, half a dozen in the other
Are the Rangers going to lose all 10 of those games? Again, if they are then they were bad enough as it is. Which was my point from jump street.
Rangers strength is G and D.
Btw, RE: Jokinen penalty shot - Rangers got off to a big start that year.
We call it 10 games now, but who knows how long it takes him to recover. And even then, he will hit the ice out of game shape. How long will it take him to get back into the swing of things? It could, theoretically, take Step until January or February to be back up to playing like our number one center.
I surely hope not. But I guess we'll see. Not that I think losing Step means we would tank, but I also didn't think a new coach meant we would get mercilessly destroyed each night last season...
Look...if you can't see that every point in the season is important, then i don't know what else to tell you. You are trying to debunk that winning is important...?
You can't definitively tell me that any lost points won't effect their playoff chances at the end of the season.
All i am doing is pointing out that missing our #1 center, plus potentially having two rookie centers, or a player (who i like) who wasn't in the NHL last season, or a guy who was our 4th center last season, all could be at times our #2 and #3 centera for a big enough portion of the season...could be a big issue.
Could the collection of Moore, Miller, Lombardi, Lindberg, Hayes keep the team afloat? Anything is possible. Is it probable? Luckily for the Rangers, the rest of the division is going through injuries to top players.
We call it 10 games now, but who knows how long it takes him to recover. And even then, he will hit the ice out of game shape. How long will it take him to get back into the swing of things?
I surely hope not. But I guess we'll see. Not that I think losing Step means we would tank, but I also didn't think a new coach meant we would get mercilessly destroyed each night last season...
Well we can only go off of what we are told. 4-6 weeks was the official from the team. 10 games is 6 weeks. Could be less. Could be more. Right now we know 10 games. Kreider didn't miss a beat after his injury.
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