Post-Game Talk: ECQF Game 1: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

[romba]

I wouldn't move a thing with the forward lines. Not with the Kid Line being probably the best line so far. Only adjustment needed is attitude.

Yea and maybe don't expel all your energy in period 1

 

[Kocur26]

Have Lafrenniere shadow Crosby

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Longtime Pens fan here. Just stopping in to offer my sincere apologies for last night. I feel very gross about the "win" because your guys got hosed by a really bad call. I can't see any reason to justify calling off that goal with 3 minutes left.

Edit: I would be livid if the circumstances were reversed.

 

[rangers1314]

Can't help but think a fella by the name of Z Jones could really be useful in a series like this.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

MSG POST GAME SHOW HIGHLIGHTS AND COMMENTARY.

 

[ReddestRum]

I mean, the writing on the wall was obvious from the beginning of the season. Our defensive lapses is the one thing that will continuously do us in. Once again the Rangers are asking Shesty to stand on his head every single game to bail out poor defensive play. I honestly don't know how he's not burned out by now, but I know his shoulders have to be f***ing sore carrying this team all the way to the playoffs.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

After sleeping on it. Three things stand out about last night.

1. Last night was a crapshoot game. I wouldn't even call it a real loss.

2. You don't really deserve to win having a second period as we did. That was one of the worst periods of hockey I've ever seen and hopefully was a learning experience in terms of stemming tides and onslaughts in the playoffs.

2. You're just not going to beat any playoff team when you have the refs gift a 5 on 3 goal on two relatively weak calls & then take away a goal called as such on the ice and clearly not having definitive proof to call it back. PPs were lopsided in favor of the Pens and that wasn't warranted by the play on the ice whatsoever. There were various calls could have gone against the Pens, but I would have preferred they just let most things go (as they did on the Pens side) and just let them play. 5 on 3 in the playoffs should never happen unless absolutely blatant.

 

[I Eat Crow]

I still think this is ultimately a learning experience in a larger project and that's all well and good.

That being said, I need to have one whinge. I've had it before and I don't think it's exclusive to the Rangers but I need to say it again: I f***ing hate our lines. Absolutely hate them.

The bloom fell off of Vatrano's rose in like the second week of April. That line is hot ass. The Kid Line has no offensive bite to it - you've got two 20 year olds and a decent middle sixer in Chytil (the grizzled veteran at 22) and we expect who exactly to take the initiative? The Panarin line was, I thought, fine. Any time Copp is around, Panarin just seems to go "oh yeah, hockey!" and cut the nonsense, so maybe stick with that. Strome on that line, while not terrible if Copp is there, just seems like a waste to me. It's too many cooks in the kitchen when other lines need skill. The 4th line, don't even get me going.

The reality is, Strome and Panarin together played their best hockey before f***ing covid existed. Think about how long ago that is now. Vatrano, again, isn't working anymore on his line. It's certainly not just Gallant and maybe it's not even just the Rangers but I'm a Rangers fan on the Rangers board, so here we are -- the Rangers have a nasty habit of doing something for five years because it worked for five minutes. McDonagh-Girardi, anyone? We had a star defenseman with more playoff wins now than anyone and a guy who, say what you will, had a 13-year NHL career, and we sat there for what SIX(?) years and watched them become one of the least effective pairs to ever see significant minutes. Why do we do this? Is it a Rangers thing? Is it an NHL coaching thing? BTW, while I'm on pairings, Lindgren-Fox started growing something green on it in like October and we're still throwing it back into the fridge every night.

I get sticking with what you know because it could go bad, but you reach a point where it can't be worse. 20-93-77 is not a f***ing factor at 5v5 and haven't been for weeks and they're getting massive minutes to do nothing at best and get suplexed at worst, because they had like, three good games after the deadline.

Kreider-Zibanejad-Chytil
Panarin-Copp-Vatrano
Lafreniere-Strome-Kakko

I don't care what order it's in. You play 45 minutes at even strength, it should be 13/13/13 and HUNT(!!!!)-Goodrow-Reaves can have the other six. Rooney can sell popcorn.

Our best out and out center who does center things such as winning faceoffs (absolute mad lad) is Andrew Copp and he doesn't play center.

Switch Lafreniere and Chytil. That line with him, Krieder, and Zibanejad was one of the best 5 v 5 lines in the league before they got broken up.

Vatrano should sit for Brodzinski. The Rangers looked slow yesterday in the 2nd and 3rd period.

 

[ReddestRum]

After sleeping on it. Three things stand out about last night.

1. Last night was a crapshoot game. I wouldn't even call it a real loss.

2. You don't really deserve to win having a second period as we did. That was one of the worst periods of hockey I've ever seen and hopefully was a learning experience in terms of stemming tides and onslaughts in the playoffs.

2. You're just not going to beat any playoff team when you have the refs gift a 5 on 3 goal on two relatively weak calls & then take away a goal called as such on the ice and clearly not having definitive proof to call it back. PPs were lopsided in favor of the Pens and that wasn't warranted by the play on the ice whatsoever. There were various calls could have gone against the Pens, but I would have preferred they just let most things go (as they did on the Pens side) and just let them play. 5 on 3 in the playoffs should never happen unless absolutely blatant.

Refs made it difficult, yes, but the score was still tied with a COLD goalie coming in that has played 2 f***ing games this whole season for a 1-1 record basically put up a shutout stopping 17. Us not scoring on that dude trumps anything the refs could've done.

 

[rangers1314]

Vatranos only value is in his shot, and his willingness to use it. That's tough to utilize when your line is matched up against 87 and playing defense all night.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Can't help but think a fella by the name of Z Jones could really be useful in a series like this.

I'm for this. Pittsburgh's D were punching aggressively in the offensive end and the Rangers were pinned down lots. Getting Jones in there would help the transition tremendously. He should be a no brainer to go in if Lindgren is out. Sit Nemeth.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

Refs made it difficult, yes, but the score was still tied with a COLD goalie coming in that has played 2 f***ing games this whole season for a 1-1 record basically put up a shutout stopping 17. Us not scoring on that dude trumps anything the refs could've done.

I agree that the loss is more on us than the refs. But you are not going to win games against playoff teams when you have that lopsided of events aiding the other team and not off setting. The biggest issue I have is that the Rangers weren't taking blatantly more penalties than the Pens. They let things go for the Pens and then called relatively minor things on Nemeth & Trouba.

Playoffs are really hard and overcoming disadvantages out of your control like that will make it nearly impossible to win a game.

 

[Daves a mess]

The way I'm looking at it 11 hours later is ...

The Rangers have lost 6 playoff games in a row.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I agree that the loss is more on us than the refs. But you are not going to win games against playoff teams when you have that lopsided of events aiding the other team and not off setting. The biggest issue I have is that the Rangers weren't taking blatantly more penalties than the Pens. They let things go for the Pens and then called relatively minor things on Nemeth & Trouba.

Playoffs are really hard and overcoming disadvantages out of your control like that will make it nearly impossible to win a game.

The call on Trouba would've been a frustratingly soft phantom call in a early season game in Arizona, let alone in the playoffs when the team is already on the powerplay. I can't get over the refs gifting Pittsburgh that 5v3 in that spot. In the playoffs there's typically never a 5v3 unless it's a crazy egregious penalty or a puck over glass/TMM.

And the Chytil goal was obviously one that could've gone either way but the fact that it was called a good goal on the ice and the replays didn't really show much of anything other than Doumolin pushing Kakko into the net and making most of the contact with the goalie himself. I legitimately think they called it no goal because they figured that was the safe call instead of a good goal and putting Pitt on the PK with 3 minutes left. I fully believe that that play was one that should've stuck with the call on the ice.

 

[Kocur26]

Accurate

 

[I Eat Crow]

I agree that the loss is more on us than the refs. But you are not going to win games against playoff teams when you have that lopsided of events aiding the other team and not off setting. The biggest issue I have is that the Rangers weren't taking blatantly more penalties than the Pens. They let things go for the Pens and then called relatively minor things on Nemeth & Trouba.

Playoffs are really hard and overcoming disadvantages out of your control like that will make it nearly impossible to win a game.

This is the only solace I take in last night's game. Pittsburgh needed a gift wrapped 5 on 3 and a legitimate goal against overturned by incompetence to beat us, and even then needed 3 OT to do it.

We have a chance as long as Igor stays on his game. Game plan around shutting down Crosby-Rust-Guentzel and this can still be a series. That line gave me agita every single time they were on the ice from the 2nd period on. They were buzzing.

 

[rangers1314]

I'm for this. Pittsburgh's D were punching aggressively in the offensive end and the Rangers were pinned down lots. Getting Jones in there would help the transition tremendously. He should be a no brainer to go in if Lindgren is out. Sit Nemeth.

You know that won't happen. The depth chart is the depth chart.

If Lindgren is out, Nemeth will play with Fox and Braun will play with Schneider.

 

[RangerBoy]

Eliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. 32T podcast. Both of them agreed. No interference. Good goal. Jeff asked where do you want Kakko to go with Dumoulin pushing him from behind? Where?

 

[deathb4disco]

Yea and maybe don't expel all your energy in period 1

It was an adrenaline dump it should be expected 1st playoff game for many in front of home fans. Fully expect to see them learn the lesson.

 

[RangerBoy]

The Rangers need to get under Malkin's skin. Drive his stupid looking visor into his face.

 

[GG96]

I think the game simply comes down to the fact that they stopped skating when they got up 2-0 thinking Pitt was going to rollover. They were the better team for 23 minutes, came out hard and deserved the score line. Then they didn’t play again until 10 minutes left in the game.

If you can’t win 4 of 6 against Louis Dominique you can’t be in the playoffs.

 

[NikC]

Strome is a decent player, but if I have to see him miss another open net!

This playoffs should make/break a case for him staying here.

 

[bhamill]

After sleeping on it. Three things stand out about last night.

1. Last night was a crapshoot game. I wouldn't even call it a real loss.

2. You don't really deserve to win having a second period as we did. That was one of the worst periods of hockey I've ever seen and hopefully was a learning experience in terms of stemming tides and onslaughts in the playoffs.

2. You're just not going to beat any playoff team when you have the refs gift a 5 on 3 goal on two relatively weak calls & then take away a goal called as such on the ice and clearly not having definitive proof to call it back. PPs were lopsided in favor of the Pens and that wasn't warranted by the play on the ice whatsoever. There were various calls could have gone against the Pens, but I would have preferred they just let most things go (as they did on the Pens side) and just let them play. 5 on 3 in the playoffs should never happen unless absolutely blatant.

Yeah. That 2nd was an absolute abomination. But even with that, the gifted 5 on 3, the recalling of a good goal and other sketchy officiating, Pittsburg barely edged us out on a stick shaft deflection in 3OT...
The fact that they didn't call goaltender interference on Kakko is telling. If he drove into the goalie on his own it's goaltender interference and no goal. If he was pushed in it's a good goal. He didn't impede the goalie after the play while Chytil scored, so what is the call? They didn't even say the reason for conclusively deciding it was not a good goal which they are supposed to, no? Just said "no goal." WTF? I had a friend who is a NYR hating Devils fan text me immediately after the call saying how bad it was. Awful.
The good news is this is a war of attrition and the oldest team and youngest team in the playoffs just played a 3OT game. The younger team should be less worn. And they saw how even with Pitt catching all the breaks it took a fairly lucky deflection to beat them. Also I thought the younger players, Laf, Kakko, Chytil and Miller all looked really good and Schneider had a good showing as well. Also Igor is phenomenal.
Bad news is I think Panarin is playing at 60% and Copp is at like 80%. Vatrano has faded. Rooney is basically useless. Reaves did what you want him to, but he can't do what he did in the 1st for 6 periods and for the entire playoffs. He's no spring chicken. Goodrow, Hunt, Reaves 4th line is best NYR can hope for at the moment and their ice time has to be moderated maybe give younger players like Laf, Chytil and Kakko additional shifts on the 4th to spell Reaves at points.
Bottom line is that I think Pitt played about as well as they can and the NYR aside from Shesterkin did NOT. If NYR DO play to their abilities they will still take this in 6 I think.

 

[94wasagoodyear]

You could tell which team which team was playing in its first (meaningful) playoff game in 5 years vs the seasoned playoff team.

We lack veteran playoff experience, which will be our downfall this year.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

Strome is a decent player, but if I have to see him miss another open net!

This playoffs should make/break a case for him staying here.

That pass was shit.