Post-Game Talk: Dethroned and exiled to the nights watch

[Maliks PlusMinus]

I don’t know that removing Drury is the right move. He’s done some good things and some poor things. In general, I could live with them keeping or removing him. The reason I’d lead against would be that it’s just another move proving the inmates run the asylum. The players have already gotten multiple coaches canned in a relatively short amount of time. Now they’d be taking out the President / GM. If you did make that move, then I think you need to bring in someone whose experienced and very well respected whose obviously in control. Not another first time GM.

The cut throat part is complicated. Drury has a guy who didn’t have a NMC or full NTC. If they were trying to facilitate a move for Trouba to a place of his choosing, and he was trying to shut it down behind the scenes nefariously then I don’t blame Drury. If Drury was being bitter and flaunting his power to embarrass Trouba, then totally different story. I’m also curious to see if the bitter departures of Trouba / Goodrow impact NYR’s free agency in the future, but it probably won’t.

I don’t expect it will have a major impact in FA.
I would say though if you do that with Goodrow (brought in for grit, determination and leadership) and do it with your captain (also seemingly with leadership and grit) you can’t be too surprised that the locker room doesn’t demonstrate leadership and grit afterwards.
Why would a player lead or work their ass off if the people renowned for that are booted off the team in a way that doesn’t sit well with them?

 

[kovazub94]

Getting rid of Lindgren and Trouba will help in due time, but right now, the guys that have gone in for Trouba and Miller (not Lindgren but same idea) aren't NHL players.

Lindgren replacement won’t be worse.

The main point is that locker room needs to be fixed - the whole team is not playing because of whatever is happening there.

The question is can it be fixed for in-season turnaround? It’s possible but even if there’s one season for a reset - it’s fine.

 

[TheWrongWay]

DId you all catch Trocheck after the game? He was asked if the team lacked focus and flat out stated that they were focusing on things that had nothing to do with game prep or actually playing.

Drury's press leak had its intended effect. He well and truly detonated a nuke in the locker room.

If that nuked the locker room, these guys are mental midgets.

I watched an old-time coach, maybe Lombardi, say something like, "Injuries, personnel changes, life situations, none of it matters. This is the big leagues. Excuses don't count in the big leagues."

Edmonton shipped Gretzky. Oiler players didn't have a meltdown, make excuses, or have locker room hug sessions. The team rallied together, and Mess won a Hart and helped lead Edm to a 5th Cup ... after they lost the greatest player in NHL history.

Or I recall I think it was the 80s NBA Finals where Kareem got injured after a 40-point 15 rebound game 5. Kareem was out game 6 and Lakers players were apparently dejected. So Magic sat in Kareem's seat on the team plane, insisted the coach play him at Center in game 6, and went and scored 42, with I believe 14 rebounds and 7 assists.

You seldom hear winners blaming things or making excuses.

You see guys like Bird and Bossy playing through debilitating injuries. I read an article where neurologists said that Ali was exhibiting signs of Parkinson's 10 years before he retired and still won the Heavyweight Championship. You hear stories of guys like Jordan having altercations with teammates and calling Rodney McCray a loser in front of the entire team during practices.

There is something wired in those types of players that they don't tend to make excuses and try to do everything in their power to win.

I am not judging any NYR players. I cannot say they suck (I was a Division 1 player and to a man they are all vastly better than I am). I am not suggesting the GM, coach, or team are without flaws.

I am simply saying that things players do have full control over - their will, desire, work ethic, and compete level - are 100 percent on the players and nobody but the players.

No excuses should be made on any player's behalf to release them of those responsibilities IMHO.

 

[Fitzy]

Getting rid of Lindgren and Trouba will help in due time, but right now, the guys that have gone in for Trouba and Miller (not Lindgren but same idea) aren't NHL players.

But it does need to be wholly reconstructed around Fox. I don't think it'll all be able to happen mid-season, but no one we currently have here except Fox should be in the top 4 to start next year.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Drury is a poison infecting this team right back to when he was gm in hartford. No matter what your opinion is of Andersson and Kravtsov, him as the gm being confrontational with 18 year old kids is a serious problem and I'm not blaming him for them failing but I'm not absolving him of it either. Two young foreign kids, trying to figure out hockey and a foreign land and you got a guy stepping outside his job to make them uncomfortable. That's fine for 22 year old nhl'ers but not highly drafted kids. Personally I think the team has quit on him and are waiting for his job to end before they give a shit.

Also anyone thinking this is heading to a rebuild doesn't know the owner, this will be a retool with the expectation of being a contender in playoffs, it won't likely work but when has that ever stopped the rangers

 

[94leetch]

As an older fan of sports I have no illusions as to the importance of fans to the players but to everyone buying tickets, paying to watch them at home, buying jerseys etc - wow what a piss in the face this is.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

As an older fan of sports I have no illusions as to the importance of fans to the players but to everyone buying tickets, paying to watch them at home, buying jerseys etc - wow what a piss in the face this is.

The fact that people keep buying this stuff tells management it's OK.

 

[94leetch]

The fact that people keep buying this stuff tells management it's OK.

Well, to upper management it's business.
The players though are the ones getting showered with (usually) adoration.
Eh, time to follow Winnipeg until they start trying again.

 

[mrmovies779]

All the talk in the post game and no action is getting stale and it all starts from Dolan and Drury. They write what the players say in the media afterwards. Im convinced of that

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever read on here....and that's saying something

 

[Matt Rentfree]

As an older fan of sports I have no illusions as to the importance of fans to the players but to everyone buying tickets, paying to watch them at home, buying jerseys etc - wow what a piss in the face this is.

The last jersey I bought was an Andersson jersey after the draft. Thankfully I was able to have the nameplate changed to Cuylle. That was 7 years ago, and I really don't see myself buying any Rangers merch for a long while.

 

[Mr Mxmzptlk]

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever read on here....and that's saying something

That statement may not be as far fetched as you think....

 

[Levitate]

If that nuked the locker room, these guys are mental midgets.

I watched an old-time coach, maybe Lombardi, say something like, "Injuries, personnel changes, life situations, none of it matters. This is the big leagues. Excuses don't count in the big leagues."

Edmonton shipped Gretzky. Oiler players didn't have a meltdown, make excuses, or have locker room hug sessions. The team rallied together, and Mess won a Hart and helped lead Edm to a 5th Cup ... after they lost the greatest player in NHL history.

Or I recall I think it was the 80s NBA Finals where Kareem got injured after a 40-point 15 rebound game 5. Kareem was out game 6 and Lakers players were apparently dejected. So Magic sat in Kareem's seat on the team plane, insisted the coach play him at Center in game 6, and went and scored 42, with I believe 14 rebounds and 7 assists.

You seldom hear winners blaming things or making excuses.

You see guys like Bird and Bossy playing through debilitating injuries. I read an article where neurologists said that Ali was exhibiting signs of Parkinson's 10 years before he retired and still won the Heavyweight Championship. You hear stories of guys like Jordan having altercations with teammates and calling Rodney McCray a loser in front of the entire team during practices.

There is something wired in those types of players that they don't tend to make excuses and try to do everything in their power to win.

I am not judging any NYR players. I cannot say they suck (I was a Division 1 player and to a man they are all vastly better than I am). I am not suggesting the GM, coach, or team are without flaws.

I am simply saying that things players do have full control over - their will, desire, work ethic, and compete level - are 100 percent on the players and nobody but the players.

No excuses should be made on any player's behalf to release them of those responsibilities IMHO.

Yup. These players haven’t won shit, they shouldn’t get to dictate who coaches them or who the GM is

 

[Barnaby]

Drury is a poison infecting this team right back to when he was gm in hartford. No matter what your opinion is of Andersson and Kravtsov, him as the gm being confrontational with 18 year old kids is a serious problem and I'm not blaming him for them failing but I'm not absolving him of it either. Two young foreign kids, trying to figure out hockey and a foreign land and you got a guy stepping outside his job to make them uncomfortable. That's fine for 22 year old nhl'ers but not highly drafted kids. Personally I think the team has quit on him and are waiting for his job to end before they give a shit.

Also anyone thinking this is heading to a rebuild doesn't know the owner, this will be a retool with the expectation of being a contender in playoffs, it won't likely work but when has that ever stopped the rangers

At 18 you can join the military and go to boot camp. You can go away to college. We have to stop being apologists for everyone who fails. They also invest a lot in these kids.

That said, I don’t remember if we got the exact stories at the time. Tough coaching is one thing. A kid jerking around might need to be spoken to harshly. Obviously, if Drury put his hands on anyone or publicly humiliated them, then that’s wrong but I don’t remember hearing that.

 

[Matt Rentfree]

That statement may not be as far fetched as you think....

That statement is borderline 4Chan QAnon paranoid schizophrenic nonsense.

 

[Draft Guru]

Drury is a poison infecting this team right back to when he was gm in hartford. No matter what your opinion is of Andersson and Kravtsov, him as the gm being confrontational with 18 year old kids is a serious problem and I'm not blaming him for them failing but I'm not absolving him of it either. Two young foreign kids, trying to figure out hockey and a foreign land and you got a guy stepping outside his job to make them uncomfortable. That's fine for 22 year old nhl'ers but not highly drafted kids. Personally I think the team has quit on him and are waiting for his job to end before they give a shit.

Also anyone thinking this is heading to a rebuild doesn't know the owner, this will be a retool with the expectation of being a contender in playoffs, it won't likely work but when has that ever stopped the rangers

I could not disagree more.

These were two entitled kids who just expected everything handed to them. Huge maturity issues. You're in the AHL to learn how to be a pro. If someone with a huge winning pedigree and experience as a leader, whether that's a coach, GM or fellow teammate, is getting on your ass it's for a reason. And it's not like these kids moved on to other teams and became JT Miller. Where they are at now says everything that needs to be said about both those players and none of that is the fault of Chris Drury. If anything, he should have gotten rid of Kravtsov sooner.

 

[Mr Mxmzptlk]

That statement is borderline 4Chan QAnon paranoid schizophrenic nonsense.

Huh???? I have no idea what this means.

 

[Matt Rentfree]

Huh???? I have no idea what this means.

" They write what the players say in the media afterwards. "

That is paranoid tin foil hat conspiracy theorist bullshit. If that offends you, feel free to make liberal use of the ignore feature.

 

[Mr Mxmzptlk]

" They write what the players say in the media afterwards. "

That is paranoid tin foil hat conspiracy theorist bullshit. If that offends you, feel free to make liberal use of the ignore feature.

I believe someone is writing it.....I've heard enough "stock" answers coming from players of all sports for years.

 

[duhmetreE]

I have no major issues being bad if I know there’s bright days ahead….

Right now we are one of the worst teams in the league and I don’t see a way out. Mopey coach killers

At least give me year 1 Panarin and Quinn. We were bad but at least it was fun

 

[McRanger92]

It's really coming to a head now, but none of whats happening should really surprise anyone. Since the bubble playoffs their have been countless examples of this team losing the mental battle. Someone said it before, but they've never really been a team, just a collection of player's who thought their contracts and longevity gave them preferential treatment. A few examples:

Panarin & Strome refusing to play with Kakko, despite Kakko being the highest Ranger draft pick in 50 years at that point. Untouchable vets 1, homegrown guys 0. Fast forward and its a blowout for the entitled vets.

Mika and Kreider never once adjusting their play, even now as Rome burns, to accommodate a Buchnevich replacement. They've all been worse players, but these two have been hunting personal statistics and highlight reel stuff at the expense of playing the right way for a long time. Kreider should be ashamed, because he knew the hardworking culture the previous run of success was built on. Accountability, that's been gone since the kicked Henrik, Staal and Fast to the curb.

They clearly made assurances to Fox when he came here and signed his new deal. Ryan Lindgren was one of those homegrown heart and soul guys, but it somehow never rubbed off on the group despite him being a "warrior". Most of these guys probably saw the hits and injuries he was suffering over the years and started made business decisions to avoid them. Fox is pretty obviously out of shape and thats why he's injured at the end of every season now. He's supposed to be out leader but he embellishes calls more than he shoots the puck nowadays. Very Disappointed.

Watching this team as in depth as a lot of us have over the years makes me think i could right a book about it lol. But it seems to me that ultimately, the Rangers paid the veteran stars, who then to a man almost got married, bought a house, started having kids and realized that winning wasnt everything to them. Have they ever left you feeling like they gave everything during a playoff run? Then on the flip side, you pay a young homegrown guy like Chytil, yes he's had injuries, but he's the 3rd line center with 2nd PP time (non negotiable). Pay Lafreniere, who has a big breakout and carried our asses in the playoffs. HIs reward for doing everything asked of a franchise player, and taking a hometown discount? Nothing. Not even a spot with the top PP. Pay Igor, who takes a hometown discount, while you have a team in front of him quitting on every play and a defense that can get knocked down by a swift wind.

No one on this squad is being put in a position to win, except the, the veterans who get to dictate their roles but act like they got sent to the gulag because their buddies got traded. Sickening. Please trade the players before you fire the coaches and management..

 

[Levitate]

It's really coming to a head now, but none of whats happening should really surprise anyone. Since the bubble playoffs their have been countless examples of this team losing the mental battle. Someone said it before, but they've never really been a team, just a collection of player's who thought their contracts and longevity gave them preferential treatment. A few examples:

I mean, I don't really believe that. Their two runs to the ECF recently were teams that never had quit in them and kept coming back and winning games even when they were down in the third period. Those teams did what they had to do to win one way or another.

What's wild is that these teams that are giving up and playing like they don't know how to play hockey are for the most part the same teams. It's both bizarre and an indictment of those players who have done this at least twice now (I'll give them a bit of a pass on Quinn).

Panarin & Strome refusing to play with Kakko, despite Kakko being the highest Ranger draft pick in 50 years at that point. Untouchable vets 1, homegrown guys 0. Fast forward and its a blowout for the entitled vets.

Mika and Kreider never once adjusting their play, even now as Rome burns, to accommodate a Buchnevich replacement. They've all been worse players, but these two have been hunting personal statistics and highlight reel stuff at the expense of playing the right way for a long time. Kreider should be ashamed, because he knew the hardworking culture the previous run of success was built on. Accountability, that's been gone since the kicked Henrik, Staal and Fast to the curb.

Do agree on some of this though. Kreider and Zibanejad especially have gotten too comfortable and seem to be demanding things go their way.

They clearly made assurances to Fox when he came here and signed his new deal. Ryan Lindgren was one of those homegrown heart and soul guys, but it somehow never rubbed off on the group despite him being a "warrior". Most of these guys probably saw the hits and injuries he was suffering over the years and started made business decisions to avoid them. Fox is pretty obviously out of shape and thats why he's injured at the end of every season now. He's supposed to be out leader but he embellishes calls more than he shoots the puck nowadays. Very Disappointed.

This is pretty silly though. Maybe Fox could be in better shape, I don't know, but that has nothing to do with him being injured at the end of the season. He got his knee taken out twice last year on plays that had absolutely nothing to do with whether he was in shape or not.

Watching this team as in depth as a lot of us have over the years makes me think i could right a book about it lol. But it seems to me that ultimately, the Rangers paid the veteran stars, who then to a man almost got married, bought a house, started having kids and realized that winning wasnt everything to them. Have they ever left you feeling like they gave everything during a playoff run? Then on the flip side, you pay a young homegrown guy like Chytil, yes he's had injuries, but he's the 3rd line center with 2nd PP time (non negotiable). Pay Lafreniere, who has a big breakout and carried our asses in the playoffs. HIs reward for doing everything asked of a franchise player, and taking a hometown discount? Nothing. Not even a spot with the top PP. Pay Igor, who takes a hometown discount, while you have a team in front of him quitting on every play and a defense that can get knocked down by a swift wind.

No one on this squad is being put in a position to win, except the, the veterans who get to dictate their roles but act like they got sent to the gulag because their buddies got traded. Sickening. Please trade the players before you fire the coaches and management..

I usually don't buy the "got contract and got fat and happy" exactly but I dunno what to think about some of this shit like Zibanejad being lost in the woods. I'm pretty pro player/pro worker type but pro sports is somewhat a different thing in that you're being paid a whole lot of money to perform at an elite level and if your response is to take the money and then half ass it then you deserve the criticism.
And yeah, again, firing Laviolette at this point would be nuts. I have my issues with his player usage but this far more looks like a player issue than a coach issue. Laviolette looks like he's trying to give them all the space to figure it out in their old comfortable spots and instead the players are wallowing in shit and screaming at the sky that it's so unfair

 

[94leetch]

Firing Lav would just be following the modern sports playbook but this organization isn't known for out of the box thinking. Unless they decide to try he's a goner