GDT: ECQF Game 4 - New York Rangers @ Pittsburgh Penguins - 7pm EST, MSG, ESPN - Series (PIT 2-1)

[SA16]

Crosby is insanely tough to move. Unless you catch him when he's not looking, he will likely outmuscle you.


Hopefully, you're kidding.

Could not be any more serious. Schneider is not a good player now. People presumably like him because he’s feisty, hits, was our first rounder, and scored in his first game. It’s a shooting gallery against with him on the ice. Has been that way all year. He has no business getting a regular shift in the playoffs.

 

[FultonReed]

never give up, never surrender!!

 

[Fitzy]

This really isn't hard. Gallant needs to hide the 4th line by getting line 3 on more often. We don't have a top 6 and bottom 6. Line 3 is top 6. Treat them as such.

They were pretty good last game, though I'd like to see them used a lot more with shifts on the fly, reduce Chytil's faceoff responsibilities. Laf has taken a few for him so far to mixed effects.

Unfortunately injuries killed the 4th line. Blais-Goodrow-Motte is a whole solid 4th line out due to injury.

 

[Anthony5967]

I'd be hesitant to say Schneider "is not a good player" when he's been subjected to playing with Nemeth all season. a 20-year-old carrying a vet. It's supposed to be the other way around. Nemeth's play so far has honestly been disgraceful.

 

[EdJovanovski]

During the pre-game presser Gallant hints that he has a trick up his sleeve, a secret weapon of sorts. The media speculates that he may be inserting the notorious Greg McKegg into the lineup.

It’s 6:33PM, the Penguins are out for warmups but the Rangers are nowhere to be found. Fans are looking around wondering what’s going on, joking that the Rangers are scared and they have their back against the ropes; when suddenly Vitali Kravtsov himself emerges from the tunnel. As he takes to the ice he skates with effortless grace as his dirty blond locs flow in the wind, neck looking as long, girthy & aerodynamic as ever, he rings his first shot off the crossbar and as he skates around the net he tucks in a casual Michigan, Pens fans and players alike anxiously look at one another and gulp, you can hear a pin drop in the place. The refs are frantically grabbing from the the iPad from the scorekeeper to cancel their bets on the game.

 

[tomobson]

They were pretty good last game, though I'd like to see them used a lot more with shifts on the fly, reduce Chytil's faceoff responsibilities. Laf has taken a few for him so far to mixed effects.

Unfortunately injuries killed the 4th line. Blais-Goodrow-Motte is a whole solid 4th line out due to injury.

I feel like Chytil did well in faceoffs last game.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

If Lindgren isn't in, Nemeth is playing guys. I'd love to see Jones get a crack, but it's not happening.

Our organization has gone from being allergic to puck moving defensemen, to being obsessed with them and now back to being allergic to them. Why they can't strike a balance is something I will never be able to understand.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

and compliment him at every faceoff opportunity

"My but you look dapper in your home colors."

Just play four defenseman. Fox Trouba Braun Miller. Five if Lindgren plays. Schneider/Nemeth/Hajek etc. do not need to get any shifts. They can handle it for a game or two. Schneider has this odd reputation of being good when he has some of the worst results on the team both in the regular season and playoffs so far. He’s not ready for this role and is a liability.

Or be like Quenneville with the Hawks when they won ... the bottom pair got like 8 minutes tops.

 

[bleedblue94]

If Lindgren isn't in, Nemeth is playing guys. I'd love to see Jones get a crack, but it's not happening.

Our organization has gone from being allergic to puck moving defensemen, to being obsessed with them and now back to being allergic to them. Why they can't strike a balance is something I will never be able to understand.

I wonder if there is anyway they keep braun in over nemeth? I feel like braun has been less bad than nemeth.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

During the pre-game presser Gallant hints that he has a trick up his sleeve, a secret weapon of sorts. The media speculates that he may be inserting the notorious Greg McKegg into the lineup.

It’s 6:33PM, the Penguins are out for warmups but the Rangers are nowhere to be found. Fans are looking around wondering what’s going on, joking that the Rangers are scared and they have their back against the ropes; when suddenly Vitali Kravtsov himself emerges from the tunnel. As he takes to the ice he skates with effortless grace as his dirty blond locs flow in the wind, neck looking as long, girthy & aerodynamic as ever, he rings his first shot off the crossbar and as he skates around the net he tucks in a casual Michigan, Pens fans and players alike anxiously look at one another and gulp, you can hear a pin drop in the place. The refs are frantically grabbing from the the iPad from the scorekeeper to cancel their bets on the game.

If 50 Shades of Gray can be made into a movie...






I fear for this kid if you find out where he lives.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I wonder if there is anyway they keep braun in over nemeth? I feel like braun has been less bad than nemeth.

If anyone else is going in, Nemeth HAS to be the one coming out.

 

[duhmetreE]

If Lindgren isn't in, Nemeth is playing guys. I'd love to see Jones get a crack, but it's not happening.

Our organization has gone from being allergic to puck moving defensemen, to being obsessed with them and now back to being allergic to them. Why they can't strike a balance is something I will never be able to understand.

Jones Braun needs to be tried

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

I wonder if there is anyway they keep braun in over nemeth? I feel like braun has been less bad than nemeth.

They appear committed to Nemeth. Be really surprised if he doesn't play.

 

[McRanger92]

If Lindgren isn't in, Nemeth is playing guys. I'd love to see Jones get a crack, but it's not happening.

Our organization has gone from being allergic to puck moving defensemen, to being obsessed with them and now back to being allergic to them. Why they can't strike a balance is something I will never be able to understand.

I find it hard to believe its anything against Jones beyond experience. Schneider has struggled, and i doubt the Rangers want to throw another rookie defenseman (an undersized one at that) into their first playoff game on the road, down 2-1. Screams panic move. It will be Lindgren or Nemeth.

What Gallant should do is play Fox & Miller as much as possible.

 

[chosen]

Could not be any more serious. Schneider is not a good player now. People presumably like him because he’s feisty, hits, was our first rounder, and scored in his first game. It’s a shooting gallery against with him on the ice. Has been that way all year. He has no business getting a regular shift in the playoffs.

That anyone believes you can only use 4 dmen in a playoff game or any other game is scary.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Jones Braun needs to be tried

Was thinking the same exact thing. Lindgren back in, Nemeth and Schneider out, Braun slides down to the bottom pair with Jones. Nemeth is killing us, and Schneider isn't capable of carrying the dead weight yet.

 

[chosen]

During the pre-game presser Gallant hints that he has a trick up his sleeve, a secret weapon of sorts. The media speculates that he may be inserting the notorious Greg McKegg into the lineup.

It’s 6:33PM, the Penguins are out for warmups but the Rangers are nowhere to be found. Fans are looking around wondering what’s going on, joking that the Rangers are scared and they have their back against the ropes; when suddenly Vitali Kravtsov himself emerges from the tunnel. As he takes to the ice he skates with effortless grace as his dirty blond locs flow in the wind, neck looking as long, girthy & aerodynamic as ever, he rings his first shot off the crossbar and as he skates around the net he tucks in a casual Michigan, Pens fans and players alike anxiously look at one another and gulp, you can hear a pin drop in the place. The refs are frantically grabbing from the the iPad from the scorekeeper to cancel their bets on the game.

Never knew there was Kravtsov porn.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Jones Braun needs to be tried

I’m okay with this too.

 

[SA16]

That anyone believes you can only use 4 dmen in a playoff game or any other game is scary.

It's not terribly uncommon. It just requires extremely limited usage of the third pair. Plenty of teams have done that this year. NSH does it a lot. COL did it all the time when MacDermid was in on D and played 5-6 mins. 5 D is extremely common as it happens all the time when a dman gets injured in the first period. Here's a 5D game - L.A at FLA. Weegar got huge mins. The other 3 main guys all got 20-25 which is perfectly reasonable. The 5th guy got limited minutes.

I find it equally scary to refuse to think outside the box and to think teams must play 12/6 because it's always been that way.

 

[17futurecap]

Go 11:7 if Lindgren can play, protect yourself in case he gets hurt again, but can also see how the bottom 3 trio starts out and who looks the worst among them.

Rotating an actual forward with Rooney and Hunt for the 7-8 minutes they get might see them not be completely buried all night.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Never knew there was Kravtsov porn.

This is Kravtsov fan fic, him playing is the porn

 

[chosen]

It's not terribly uncommon. It just requires extremely limited usage of the third pair. Plenty of teams have done that this year. NSH does it a lot. COL did it all the time when MacDermid was in on D and played 5-6 mins. 5 D is extremely common as it happens all the time when a dman gets injured in the first period. Here's a 5D game - L.A at FLA. Weegar got huge mins. The other 3 main guys all got 20-25 which is perfectly reasonable. The 5th guy got limited minutes.

I find it equally scary to refuse to think outside the box and to think teams must play 12/6 because it's always been that way.

Limiting minutes is different than not playing someone.

 

[SA16]

Limiting minutes is different than not playing someone.

Semantics. You want to go ahead and give the third pairing 5 minutes instead of 0? Fine. They wouldn't get zero anyway because I'm sure there will be shifts where a dman takes a penalty, or asks for a breather, or misses a shift hurt. Down 2-1 in the series this is exactly the time you need to severely cut the time of your worse players and give more minutes to your better players.

 

[Boris Zubov]

If Lindgren isn't in, Nemeth is playing guys. I'd love to see Jones get a crack, but it's not happening.

Our organization has gone from being allergic to puck moving defensemen, to being obsessed with them and now back to being allergic to them. Why they can't strike a balance is something I will never be able to understand.

I know this is a total non sequitor, but that avatar of yours has run it's course. Why not ask @Machinehead to create some kind of Staal version of the NYR playoff avatar for you. Just sayin.

 

[Raspewtin]

I'd be hesitant to say Schneider "is not a good player" when he's been subjected to playing with Nemeth all season. a 20-year-old carrying a vet. It's supposed to be the other way around. Nemeth's play so far has honestly been disgraceful.

neither of them are carrying each other. they are both absolutely horrible in the defensive zone. Schneider is passable in the offensive zone, at least, but they're both atrocious.