Series Talk: ECF: New York Rangers vs Florida Panthers *Game 1 Wednesday 5/22 @ 8pm ET*

[DialUp]

Non-Ranger fans and media drag the team as "lucky" or "big goalie". We even drag the team ourselves.

"Carolina blew it!" "Andersen stinks!"

Oh really?

Look at the way the team performed when Kreider got his hat trick. Rangers dominated the Canes during all those sequences. If it wasn't for Ros grinding through Slavin, and Zib's between the legs dangle, and Kreider's wherewithal to see the puck was loose then Andersen wouldn't have had the opportunity to blow it.

Look at the PP on the tying goal, unstoppable.

Look at the cycling on the go ahead goal, LINDGREN WAS DEEP. No one is stopping that.

It is ridiculous that Carolina "blew it" is the narrative and not "the Rangers are the President's Trophy team for a reason.". But apparently the narrative now is that Carolina was never any good to begin with?

It should be no surprise if the Rangers beat Florida. And no surprise if Florida beats the Rangers. Rangers are good. Full stop.

 

[CLW]

I'm not afraid of this team. They could beat us, but I saw less of a path against Carolina, as you guys know.

Carolina went exactly as I expected it to go. Florida is trickier to predict. We can win but we need a good start to the series. If we get a bad start Lavi will start to do stupid shit, the "core" guys will get into their own heads and the wheels will come off.

I do like our chances. We can score against the Panthers, and those teams are a better matchup for us than speedy teams that close up the slot in their D zone.

Rangers in 6.

 

[Crease]

Signs point to Chytil being back in Wednesday, with Wheeler, Brodzinski, and Rempe as injury protection.

Also, Jones and Ruwedal as injury protection on the back end.

Depth is fun.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Monday edition of the Drop:

Bitchinsky trying to reverse jinx us.

Typical Devil fan behavior.

The Panthers have good players but all of the guys I'm worried about are good against everyone. They don't have one of those guys that sees the Rangers and turns into Goku.

No Oshie, no Aho, no Guentzel, no Carlson.

If the Caps didn't trade Anthony Mantha, we might be home right now. Dude would have scored 13 goals in 7 games.

Someone check to make sure they haven’t called up Drew Stafford

My phone is at 94%. It's a sign. LOL

96% for me.

Roslovic Gordie Howe hatty

 

[Machinehead]

Someone check to make sure they haven’t called up Drew Stafford

Maybe Jimmy Howard will sign and post a .945.

 

[Alluckks]

Wheeler knows how to create offense on a line when the line gains the offensive zone. Which is something pretty much our entire bottom 6 currently lacks. Chytil has proven several times over he can create and drive offense on a line. Both could be used in our bottom 6. Wennberg is a passenger, as is Kakko and Cuylle - that’s why that line does zilch after they defend well and forecheck.

I’d keep Roslovic with Zib and Kreider, he seems to be doing better and his skating has certainly jelled well

Chytil seems like he will be pinned at LW, that’s fine, but I don’t think penciling him in for center is realistic

Panarin Trocheck Laf
Kreider Zib Ros
Chytil Wennberg Wheeler
Cuylle Goodrow Kakko

 

[will1066]

Not good for Kakko. Lav seems to dress guys just because they contribute to PP or PK. If you don't do neither, it's possible you're the odd man out with the roster crunch.

Chytil moves better than Kakko and should help with the PP zone entries. Gives the unit another wrinkle on the entries aside from Laf and Roslovic. That's the biggest challenge I see with PP2. They can't get set up. Chytil's speed will push the other team back, I hope. And, hate to say it, but at this stage of the playoffs, it's about the best chance of winning over any individual player. Kakko can look for his breakthrough season in 24-25.

 

[JohnC]

I think Wheeler’s one of the team’s best 12 forwards but there’s no way he draws in unless the offense falters badly or someone gets injured.

 

[will1066]

The Panthers have good players but all of the guys I'm worried about are good against everyone. They don't have one of those guys that sees the Rangers and turns into Goku.

No Oshie, no Aho, no Guentzel, no Carlson.

If the Caps didn't trade Anthony Mantha, we might be home right now. Dude would have scored 13 goals in 7 games.

Tarasenko. Ex-NYR. Expect big-time games.

 

[Machinehead]

Tarasenko. Ex-NYR. Expect big-time games.

Tarasenko is a good fit for this Panthers team.

Being able to fade into the back and be a complete passenger really suits his game.

 

[Machinehead]

The Panthers have good players but all of the guys I'm worried about are good against everyone. They don't have one of those guys that sees the Rangers and turns into Goku.

No Oshie, no Aho, no Guentzel, no Carlson.

If the Caps didn't trade Anthony Mantha, we might be home right now. Dude would have scored 13 goals in 7 games.

Oh shit, I forgot they have Evan Rodrigues.

10 points incoming.

 

[will1066]

Tarasenko is a good fit for this Panthers team.

Being able to fade into the back and be a complete passenger really suits his game.

 

[Machinehead]

I forgot he was even on the team, so I'm not worried about it.

He's the most dollar store star player of all-time. Zuccarello with extra hype.

 

[kovazub94]

View attachment 873569Speaking of tickets. My lesser dream came true. (!st is winning the Cup) My dream match-up of Rangers/Panthers. Just bought a ticket to Sunday's game. I'm an oldtimer but man......those prices? I'm not broke, and not frugal. But man, I expected to pay over $500 for the ticket (actually $631) but man oh man $131.00 for parking? You guys have trains everywhere you wanna go, I remember those days, count your blessings.

What would you guys have to pay to sit approx. here?

I am going to FL and will be in attendance for game 4 with my son by my side. What I paid for two tickets should equal or be pretty close to what I’d have paid in NY. The online fees are ridiculous (I thought there is lawsuit or regulation in place to put some limits on these - as it stands right now it’s a highway robbery).

PS Not sure if you’re serious or not but do not pay for parking. The arena is across the street from Sawgrass Mall and there is plenty of parking there - most locals park there.

Wennberg is Chris Higgins levels of bad at scoring.

Underrated comment!

 

[Machinehead]

View attachment 873569Speaking of tickets. My lesser dream came true. (!st is winning the Cup) My dream match-up of Rangers/Panthers. Just bought a ticket to Sunday's game. I'm an oldtimer but man......those prices? I'm not broke, and not frugal. But man, I expected to pay over $500 for the ticket (actually $631) but man oh man $131.00 for parking? You guys have trains everywhere you wanna go, I remember those days, count your blessings.

What would you guys have to pay to sit approx. here?

These are five digits at the Garden.

 

[jay from jersey]

I’m really hoping Lavi at least tries Chytil at 3C again….
Obvious increase in offense, but the + ‘s out weigh the negatives imo…..
The guy is a C, he’s mainly always been. He’s not going to magically forget how to play the position….
Moving Cuylle to 4th line would be a waste imo….
Chytil beyond being a solid playoff performer himself might have the magic to unlock Kakko s offense…
Cuylle-chytil-Kakko should at least be tried in game 1 or 2, according to Lavi chytil is full go no restrictions and been practicing a while now. His game at wing also proved he really hasn’t missed a beat.
Wennberg down to 4C shifts Goodrow to wing where he’s more effective and allows the 4th line to be a true shut down/match up line….
The only thing that gives me pause with that is those 3 haven’t been deployed together before, but Wennberg is a smart player and an upgrade every way on brod. And he saw some success with those 2 as well.

Being able to have 3 scoring lines and being able to roll 4 lines is critical for rest/depth/matchups and a myriad of other reasons…..
I’m not a against playing rempe, but that line up makes us the deepest/most potent.

 

[kovazub94]

Only in the event of injury, which is almost inevitable.

Don't see him as an upgrade on any of our healthy 12, with Goodrow having upped his game.

I think he is an upgrade over Brodz in the 13th forward spot. If he is coming in to replace any of the 12, it's because the series isn't going well.

When Wheeler got injured he was a fixture on Zibanejad line and even though we moaned and rant (runt? lol) he somehow was accelerating his projected full season pace to finish with 20 goals. Now this spot is Roslovic’s so whether he’s a better fit there or there’re questions about Wheeler’s form coming back from the injury - this is the spot I’d watch if Roslovic falters for a few games in a row and the Rangers are behind.

 

[zlev]

Oh shit, I forgot they have Evan Rodrigues.

10 points incoming.

yeah but he's going to take a really bad penalty that gets us back into the game

 

[jay from jersey]

Tarasenko. Ex-NYR. Expect big-time games.

Tarasenko. Ex-NYR. Expect big-time games.

Mikkola ???

 

[duhmetreE]

I don't know... I'm pretty confident we win. 70/30

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I don't know... I'm pretty confident we win. 70/30

This is how I felt about Carolina.

This one is a legit coin flip. I hope we get bad Bob and wrap it in 5.

 

[bl02]

Why does it take our coaches too many games to realize Trouba should be nowhere near the pp?

 

[UnSandvich]

Bob had a .902 sv% at 5v5 against Boston. Igor had a .920 sv% at 5v5 against Carolina.

We're a much better team offensively than Boston, and tbh Carolina & Florida are similarly good offensively.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

It's pretty funny how everyone considers us underdogs in every series except the Wash one and we lead the league in points

 

[Kakko]

Athletic series preview went into why "the model" is so against the president's trophy winner.

In case you didn't know, this team is the one in 7th. The 13-14 Rangers were in 1st, with a solid +60. This team's +53 would have still put them in 1st back then. Essentially, they played two bad games against the Sharks, when everyone else destroyed them, so they're stuck as underdogs.