Post-Game Talk: Game 5

[Machinehead]

Yep.

This is the only game in the series thus far that NYR have real cause to worry about.

The first 4 games were coin flips and they came out of those with 3 wins.

This game has warning signs, cause NYR couldn't get the game back on track once Carolina tied and established the lead. At that point, even they wanted to swing from turtling to pushing, it looked like they were ice-skating uphill.

The order of the wins and losses doesn't matter anywhere near as much as the fact that this is a razor thin series, and NYR now have some red flags they need to address quick.

I felt we overcorrected in this game in a series we weren't playing poorly in.

We need to get back to matching their aggression and countering.

We did it on the goal and otherwise had no rush.

We're not beating this team at in-zone offense. Nobody does. We have to get the rush going again.

 

[Captain Lindy]

thank god the team isn't as weak willed as 95% of the posters in this thread

Obviously they are!

 

[Brutananadilewski]

We change a lot in these situations too. It's one thing when you're buzzing, but in a game like this where the chances weren't really there, you have to take them.

As I've said, I thought we defended well. Getting the puck going the other way was non-existent in this one, and that's been our bread and butter.

It's still there. Carolina was as aggressive as always and left themselves wide open again. We just couldn't complete the passes tonight.

That's also another problem with this team: overly reliant on making that fancy pass. At some point, someone should have had the same idea as Staal and said "to hell with it, I'm taking it all the way in."

Wennberg in the 1st...and that's it.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

Apparently Peca told the guys to just focus on defense going into the third.

It would explain a lot. Massive strategic mistake.

What a dumb thing to say. Or maybe he realized they couldn't complete a pass or make a good decision, so the only hope was to go hedgehog.

 

[CTTribe73]

21/54 reg season wins by 3+ goals
14/23 reg season losses by 3+ goals

 

[Captain Lindy]

Apparently Peca told the guys to just focus on defense going into the third.

It would explain a lot. Massive strategic mistake.

It must be the Buffalo Sabre in him.

 

[zlev]

Obviously they are!

did they just forfeit the last two games or something?

 

[Wtp99]

Lots to be angry about tonight. The entire team played not to lose from the drop of the puck. We came out flat let them dictate the play...and even when Trouba gave us a lead, it still didn't energize the team. Instead they decided to try the turtle for the final 30 minutes. Bad job by Lavi in between periods. We killed off the penalty & just kept throwing the puck blindly into the neutral zone begging them to pick it off. Not one player was moving their legs.

The Staal shift midway through the 3rd where he was 1 on 5 in our end while the Canes went for a change basically encapsulated the entire game. He outworked all 5 Rangers on the ice & none of them did anything to win the puck from him except wave their sticks.

Igor was hung out to dry all night. The Rangers need to look deep into the mirror tonight or this could be one long dark summer around these parts.

It’s time for them to play with some desperation, they are playing a desperate team doing anything they can to win. Match the intensity and physicality. Play to win. Not play to not lose.

 

[Boris Zubov]

I felt we overcorrected in this game in a series we weren't playing poorly in.

We need to get back to matching their aggression and countering.

We did it on the goal and otherwise had no rush.

We're not beating this team at in-zone offense. Nobody does. We have to get the rush going again.

All this begins with moving their feet & skating the puck through the neutral zone, deep into the Canes zone. For some reason they kept trying dump ins & home run passes. Then by the 3rd they were completely frustrated by Carolina's trap & played right into it by forcing passes that had no chances to connect. They were gliding all night & it was clearly unacceptable.

 

[CasusBelli]

It must be the Buffalo Sabre in him.

He and Lindy would make a wonderful coaching duo.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

It must be the Buffalo Sabre in him.

It was Muse, I think, not Peca. Not that it really matters.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

The 98% number is irrelevant now. You need the 3-2 number. Or, to be really precise, the percentage of teams who went up 3-0, then lost the next two, and then won the series. It's not 98%.

100% this.

 

[CasusBelli]

All this begins with moving their feet & skating the puck through the neutral zone, deep into the Canes zone. For some reason they kept trying dump ins & home run passes. Then by the 3rd they were completely frustrated by Carolina's trap & played right into it by forcing passes that had no chances to connect. They were gliding all night & it was clearly unacceptable.

You're supposed to dump and chase against a trap. It's just sad that their defensemen, skating backwards, get to the loose pucks before our forwards do.

The 98% number is irrelevant now. You need the 3-2 number. Or, to be really precise, the percentage of teams who went up 3-0, then lost the next two, and then won the series. It's not 98%.

Stats 101 right there.

And that's ignoring momentum / autoregression -- which is a big deal in this case.

 

[Boris Zubov]

You're supposed to dump and chase against a trap. It's just sad that their defensemen, skating backwards, get to the loose pucks before our forwards do.

I have no issue dumping the puck on their side of the red line, but we were icing the puck a lot tonight because guys were not interested in moving their feet instead trying for the home run pass. Or we just turned it over immediately at our own blue line for the same reason.

 

[Filip Chytil]

Because momentum is Santa Claus. It's fun to pretend it's real.

We have to lose 4 in a row. Have we done that all year?

That's why it doesn't happen often.

Not that it matters, but they did lose 4 straight in January (MTL in SO, VAN, STL, WAS). Again, that was months ago and not relevant now. Rangers need to bring their best on Thursday.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I want to say they looked tired but how could they be tired when it's Carolina who expends more energy with their style of play. I just don't understand this effort.

Exactly. There’s no explanation for us looking as sluggish as we did tonight. Everything was slow, everyone was off. Nothing was crisp all night. They were behind the 8 ball the entire game.

Carolina made adjustments too. They’re not spamming shots anymore, two games in a row now. They’re actually passing up shots and holding pucks more.

There’s just really no explanation for the lack of execution tonight. Looked like the Devils series. Idk how anyone can be confident after that display and on home ice. Simply unacceptable.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

BTW, this is why "yay, they played well and came back!" is irrelevant. No momentum from that. Just a garbage effort. A complete no show.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

 

[CasusBelli]

I have no issue dumping the puck on their side of the red line, but we were icing the puck a lot tonight because guys were not interested in moving their feet instead trying for the home run pass. Or we just turned it over immediately at our own blue line for the same reason.

100% this. We looked nervous: thinking two steps ahead without executing the current one. You can't play ahead of yourself. You need to focus on the current play with intent. Nothing will connect otherwise.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Apparently Peca told the guys to just focus on defense going into the third.

It would explain a lot. Massive strategic mistake.

If this is true it's ridiculous. You are up 3-1 in the series and 1-0 in the game. Push the play and make them defend a little. I'm not talking about taking chances. Be smart but act like you want it.

 

[Captain Lindy]

The 98% number is irrelevant now. You need the 3-2 number. Or, to be really precise, the percentage of teams who went up 3-0, then lost the next two, and then won the series. It's not 98%.

What is the percentage of when a team up 3-0 and loses the next two? I'm almost afraid to ask.

 

[Cuckoo4Kakko]

not sure what the recovery time on the brain transplant itd take to make that happen is but...i guess its possible

It wasn’t head related?

 

[Vitto79]

Win game 6 and we can shut up lol

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

If this is true it's ridiculous. You are up 3-1 in the series and 1-0 in the game. Push the play and make them defend a little. I'm not talking about taking chances. Be smart but act like you want it.

I mean if that was the message, the team didn't listen.

Nothing about a half assed clear when you have all the time in the world, failing to pick up a stick on a forward on a rebound opportunity (and I'm surprised that @SnowblindNYR isn't on Igor for this, that was a bad rebound) or turning the puck over behind your own net with no slot coverage speaks to focusing on defense.

This was an ass game from start to finish. The difference is the shit plays the Rangers made in the 3rd ended up in the back of their net.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

What is the percentage of when a team up 3-0 and loses the next two? I'm almost afraid to ask.

something tells me we'll hear over the next two days. More than 50%, less than 98%. 75% is good guess. All they need is one good game. C'mon, guys.

edit - 75% chance we win is what I mean