Injury Report: Derek Stepan (11/6: Will return Saturday)

[pld459666]

If we go:

Kreider - Step - MSL
Zuccs - Brass - Nash
Hags - Hayes - Duclair
??? - Moore - Stempniak

We'd have the choice of Malone, Glass, and Mueller for the LW spot. I guess it's kind of set that Mueller gets sent down, Malone's carried as the extra, and Glass get the spot, as much as I'd prefer a different setup. Malone's a bit slow, but Mueller could make that a good 4th line. Won't happen, though.

I really do like the depth. I see that Haggerty's been doing pretty well in the A, but any word on his defensive game?

I still don't see the logic in going top heavy like that when spreading the RW's much in the same way we did after the deadline trade that brought MSL here makes the team that much harder to defend against.

The team maintains it's superior depth at the position in allowing all three guys (Nash, MSL and Zuccs) to play their natural positions.

I guess I could change my opinion should Duke show more than capable of playing on the RW and producing. That Messier-esque off-wing wrister to tie the game the other night was SWEET, if that is what we can expect from him (effort, not so much results) then maybe I can get behind:

Kreider - Stepan - Duke
Zuccs - Brassard - Nash
Hags - Hayes - MSL
Meuller - Moore - Stempniak

I would kick Glass to the curb (not gonna happen) and send Malone to Hartford.

 

[AWall THE CLAW]

Nash - Brassard - Zuccarello seems like the latest flash in the pan line that had a nice game but probably won't last. Do you have any idea how times Nash has been tried with Brassard here and in Columbus? Never sustained success. After some tinkering...

Kreider - Stepan - Nash
Duclair - Brassard - Zuccarello
Hagelin - Moore - St. Louis
Stempniak - Mueller - Malone/Glass

...and I'll say that Miller is back up here as the 3rd line C before too long and Moore slots down into his 4th line spot. He tears up the AHL every time he's there and one of these times he'll stick at the NHL level.

 

[silverfish]

Nash - Brassard - Zuccarello seems like the latest flash in the pan line that had a nice game but probably won't last. Do you have any idea how times Nash has been tried with Brassard here and in Columbus? Never sustained success. After some tinkering...

Kreider - Stepan - Nash
Duclair - Brassard - Zuccarello
Hagelin - Moore - St. Louis
Stempniak - Mueller - Malone/Glass

...and I'll say that Miller is back up here as the 3rd line C before too long and Moore slots down into his 4th line spot. He tears up the AHL every time he's there and one of these times he'll stick at the NHL level.

Hayes > Miller

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Ill agree that Miller may have better raw talent then Hayes, but Hayes knows how to utilize his skills better than miller does.

Hayes' vision on the ice is that of a veteran playmaker (at least from what we have seen so far).

He is also more consistent that Miller

When Step comes back, none of this changes. I think Miller will be part of a deadline deal

 

[Zil]

Nash - Brassard - Zuccarello seems like the latest flash in the pan line that had a nice game but probably won't last. Do you have any idea how times Nash has been tried with Brassard here and in Columbus? Never sustained success.

It's not about getting Nash with Brassard. It's about getting Nash with Zuccarello: http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2014...hy-vigneault-should-keep-nash-with-zuccarello

 

[TheTakedown]

It's not about getting Nash with Brassard. It's about getting Nash with Zuccarello: http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2014...hy-vigneault-should-keep-nash-with-zuccarello

that's a great read.

In short, Both Brassard and Nash thrive with Zuccarello... Zucc brigns out the best in Brass with his play making, and has the the abiltiy to get Nash the puck.

I like the Hagelin-Stepan-MSL line as well... that line would also make sense, as Hagelin and MSL played very well together last year as well... get marty the puck, and he'll score more often.

Not sure about the Kreider-Miller/Hayes-Duclair line, but I think Duclair and Kreider facing 3rd line competition would make up for any direct shortcomings on that line

Malone-Moore-Stempniak is what we've been clammoring for. Would also like to see Mueller-Moore-Stempniak as well... Malone is nice on the PP

Glass is just..... ugh... those possession stats are horrendous... I give him 10-15 more games before some stupid team takes his contract

 

[Levitate]

He's skating with the team today in a no contact jersey

Steve ZipayVerified account
‏@stevezipay
Some #NYR wearing pumpkin colored unis. Derek Stepan in yellow. Skating with team for fist time since camp

Now with a picture!

https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/528199638130896896

 

[haveandare]

I'm not sure I inderstand how Nash can be a bad possession player but literally off the chart in goal scoring. Is it because we have a 9 game sample? I was under the impression that the idea is possession leads to shots and shots lead to goals. How can you score goals like crazy but not be good at the first step in that chain?

Also surprised to see that his shot supression is so bad since he has so many takeaways so far and appears to be one of the most engaged players on the defensive side of things.

Is this all because of a small sample size or what? Doesn't quite add up to me.

 

[Levitate]

I'm not sure I inderstand how Nash can be a bad possession player but literally off the chart in goal scoring. Is it because we have a 9 game sample? I was under the impression that the idea is possession leads to shots and shots lead to goals. How can you score goals like crazy but not be good at the first step in that chain?

Also surprised to see that his shot supression is so bad since he has so many takeaways so far and appears to be one of the most engaged players on the defensive side of things.

Is this all because of a small sample size or what? Doesn't quite add up to me.

Small sample size and his shooting percentage is off the charts. So, he's not taking a ton of shots, or at least enough to offset the shots that are taken against the Rangers when he's on the ice, but he's scoring on a lot of those shots

 

[Zil]

I'm not sure I inderstand how Nash can be a bad possession player but literally off the chart in goal scoring. Is it because we have a 9 game sample? I was under the impression that the idea is possession leads to shots and shots lead to goals. How can you score goals like crazy but not be good at the first step in that chain?

Also surprised to see that his shot supression is so bad since he has so many takeaways so far and appears to be one of the most engaged players on the defensive side of things.

Is this all because of a small sample size or what? Doesn't quite add up to me.

Nash isn't a bad possession player. He's a very good one. His numbers this year are skewed from playing a lot of minutes with Martin St. Louis in the middle (he's not a center and he doesn't drive the play at all). Nash boasts a 23% even strength shooting percentage, which is unsustainably high and the reason why he has so many goals despite St. Louis hampering his corsi.

 

[Levitate]

AV is calling Stepan day to day and he could be back the coming Monday or the following Monday or any time inbetween. Good to know!

Basically sounds like if Stepan feels good and practices well and seems in decent shape, AV wants to get him back into the lineup as soon as possible.

 

[nyr2k2]

AV is calling Stepan day to day and he could be back the coming Monday or the following Monday or any time inbetween. Good to know!

Basically sounds like if Stepan feels good and practices well and seems in decent shape, AV wants to get him back into the lineup as soon as possible.

Well that's good ****ing news.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Nash isn't a bad possession player. He's a very good one. His numbers this year are skewed from playing a lot of minutes with Martin St. Louis in the middle (he's not a center and he doesn't drive the play at all). Nash boasts a 23% even strength shooting percentage, which is unsustainably high and the reason why he has so many goals despite St. Louis hampering his corsi.

With all due respect and this is not meant towards you personally, Zil, I remember last year when Hertl had a 25% shooting percentage for a fair amount of time. No one attributed his success to him getting ridiculously lucky, it was because he is a future star in the league (he has 2 goals and 3 points in 12 games this year). When Steen was leading the league in goals (despite a unsustainably high shooting %) everyone discarded the shooting % argument and said he was finally breaking out as a player (even though he is back to his norm this year with 2 goals and 6 points in 9 games).

When Rick Nash had a bad shooting % in the PO's (despite playing well defensively) no one attributed his lack of production to that shooting %. He was playing bad because he is done as a player. Now that Rick Nash is lighting the league up, all people look at is his shooting %. Is it high? Sure. Can anyone give the ****ing guy credit for turning around as a player? Outside of Rangers fans, no.

This is more of a representation of my frustration with the main boards and the general attitude towards the Rangers rather than what you said.

I am happy Stepan is close to being back. His return will allow for some consistency with line combinations. Hopefully it will keep Rick Nash on a scoring streak and help with our line match ups.

 

[Thirty One]

With all due respect and this is not meant towards you personally, Zil, I remember last year when Hertl had a 25% shooting percentage for a fair amount of time. No one attributed his success to him getting ridiculously lucky, it was because he is a future star in the league (he has 2 goals and 3 points in 12 games this year). When Steen was leading the league in goals (despite a unsustainably high shooting %) everyone discarded the shooting % argument and said he was finally breaking out as a player (even though he is back to his norm this year with 2 goals and 6 points in 9 games).

When Rick Nash had a bad shooting % in the PO's (despite playing well defensively) no one attributed his lack of production to that shooting %. He was playing bad because he is done as a player. Now that Rick Nash is lighting the league up, all people look at is his shooting %. Is it high? Sure. Can anyone give the ****ing guy credit for turning around as a player? Outside of Rangers fans, no.

All three are decidedly not true.

 

[Thirty One]

I think the For61ven meme is so stupid.

1.) Rick Nash had nothing to be sorry for.
2.) If you decided he sucks, 9 games in October shouldn't change that.

 

[bl02]

Maybe with Step returning soon Marty will Start burying more pucks in the net?! I know its only been 9 games but with this years sample (and last years on nyr) it seems like he won't even be a 20 goal scorer which is very disappointing. I mean imagine if St. Louis could bury 30-35 goals along with nash burying 30-40 goals?! Lets hope besides contributing in all the ways he does Stepan gets Marty going.

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

He's skating with the team today in a no contact jersey



Now with a picture!

https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/528199638130896896

They're wearing Islanders jerseys? Isn't that against the rules?

 

[Zil]

With all due respect and this is not meant towards you personally, Zil, I remember last year when Hertl had a 25% shooting percentage for a fair amount of time. No one attributed his success to him getting ridiculously lucky, it was because he is a future star in the league (he has 2 goals and 3 points in 12 games this year). When Steen was leading the league in goals (despite a unsustainably high shooting %) everyone discarded the shooting % argument and said he was finally breaking out as a player (even though he is back to his norm this year with 2 goals and 6 points in 9 games).

When Rick Nash had a bad shooting % in the PO's (despite playing well defensively) no one attributed his lack of production to that shooting %. He was playing bad because he is done as a player. Now that Rick Nash is lighting the league up, all people look at is his shooting %. Is it high? Sure. Can anyone give the ****ing guy credit for turning around as a player? Outside of Rangers fans, no.

This is more of a representation of my frustration with the main boards and the general attitude towards the Rangers rather than what you said.

I am happy Stepan is close to being back. His return will allow for some consistency with line combinations. Hopefully it will keep Rick Nash on a scoring streak and help with our line match ups.

Nash is playing very well right now. He was playing very well before too. I said at the start of my post that his possession numbers are being dragged down by a large number of minutes with a non-center centering his line. I won't go into the shooting percentage stuff because BB addressed it perfectly. Sometimes plays go through unlucky stretches and the puck won't go in no matter how well they're playing, which is what we saw in the playoffs.

 

[Machinehead]

...and I'll say that Miller is back up here as the 3rd line C before too long and Moore slots down into his 4th line spot. He tears up the AHL every time he's there and one of these times he'll stick at the NHL level.

I don't know if you're a baseball fan, but in that sport we have guys called quadruple-A players. Miller is starting to look like one. Tears up the minors, get torn up by the majors.

 

[SupersonicMonkey*]

I don't know if you're a baseball fan, but in that sport we have guys called quadruple-A players. Miller is starting to look like one. Tears up the minors, get torn up by the majors.

He is 21 years old...

 

[Raspewtin]

I don't know if you're a baseball fan, but in that sport we have guys called quadruple-A players. Miller is starting to look like one. Tears up the minors, get torn up by the majors.

I can't get behind this way of thinking about a guy that's 21.

 

[Bullseyes]

I don't know if you're a baseball fan, but in that sport we have guys called quadruple-A players. Miller is starting to look like one. Tears up the minors, get torn up by the majors.

There are definitely those guys in the NHL, players who rip up juniors and the AHL but can't translate their game to the NHL. But as others have said JT Miller is 21, its too early to say that so he could turn it around.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I can't get behind this way of thinking about a guy that's 21.

I'd agree if I saw any improvement.

 

[Thirty One]

When Chris Kreider was 21, he put up 1 point in 17 AHL games. So I'm a little hesitant to put a label on Miller's career after 3 poor NHL games in his age 21 season.

 

[PromNite]

When Chris Kreider was 21, he put up 1 point in 17 AHL games. So I'm a little hesitant to put a label on Miller's career after 3 poor NHL games in his age 21 season.

I'd agree if Miller was a giant, Hulk-like player that skated like the wind. Kreider at least had size and speed that we could hope would round into an NHL player.

Miller looks like a bust at this point. He's not big, he's not fast, he's not good in his own zone, he doesn't do anything particularly well. I sincerely hope he proves me wrong. But the only thing he has going for him now is "he's young, so you never know."