Post-Game Talk: Islanders, 1/31: Rubber Match

[Krams]

Wow, great win. A few thoughts:

1) Aside from that horrific second period, I saw flashes of a Stanley Cup contender in this game, particularly in the third.

2) Zuccarello is the real deal and an absolute pleasure to watch. While I'm not old enough to have ever watched Gretzky in his prime, Zucc had a shift at around 7:00 remaining in the third that was almost identical to how I imagine #99 looked on a shift-to-shift basis. Just total control of the pace of play.

3) What a well-deserved empty-netter by McDonagh at the end, there. He, Staal, and Girardi were all absolutely outstanding tonight.

4) Besides a few horrendous offensive-zone penalties, both Brassard and Pouliot were good again, for the most part.

5) Henrik Lundqvist, holy ****. Despite the goal against, that may have been one of his best performances I've ever watched.

6) I really like these Stadium Series jerseys. They look very late-90s, and it's making me nostalgic. As pretty and classic as the current heritage jerseys are, I wonder if these new ones will take over as the default alternate jersey one day.

7) Did anybody else hear anything about Sam Rosen celebrating his 30th anniversary in broadcasting today?

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

That goal by Brassard was all Zucc! That was maybe the best goal I've seen this season. Great puck recovery behind his own net, getting hooked but still skates into the O-zone, turns, stays calm, passes to Staal who puts it right there where Brassard can tip it in. Magnificent goal and I was cheering. Probably woke the neighbors but who cares?!

 

[The Lunatic Fridge]

5) Henrik Lundqvist, holy ****. Despite the goal against, that may have been one of his best performances I've ever watched.

Looks like someone didn't watch rangers vs canucks in vancouver last year. (or was it 2 years ago?) 4-0 score but should have been like 4-10

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Looks like someone didn't watch rangers vs canucks in vancouver last year. (or was it 2 years ago?) 4-0 score but should have been like 4-10

He said one of

 

[Ola]

Nash is barely mentioned, but it was his play that got us back into the game and pushed the Islanders back.

Nice to see Zucc really take controll.

Boyle needs to up his game on more of a regular basis. Why wait 2/3 or 3/3 of a season before starting to play? Carcillo BTW is playing perfectly acceptable hockey. Better 5 on 5 than Dorsett? Almost...

Staal's play on the blueline before Boyle's goal probably won us this game. A year ago that play was "banned". You never saw it and the explanation came when there was a mic on the bench when Torts jumped McD for making a play like it even after we scored. Unbelievable.

The Islanders were better than us. We are on a good record here, we do some thing real well. But we definitely could be a more consistent at playing our game. Teams like Boston, Pitt and Tampa will make us play unless we are able to constantly get up ice on them...

Brassard again worked real hard for us and played well. Our 3rd easily out works our 2nd on a regular basis.

Kreider got a good shift or two in at the end, he was not good before that.

 

[Ola]

One question, when you play 4 on 4 in the NHL, and the ref got his arm in the air, is it really right to just don't call that penalty if a goal is scored? That is not the case under IIHF rules. If a goal is scored, you let in the guy in the box and call the new penalty.

 

[Raspewtin]

I would bet he has a broken finger or two.

Tavares is one of the only Islanders I don't hate.

But that's disgraceful. He slashed to hurt him. Didn't even try to go for the puck.

Don't expect a suspension though.

 

[chosen]

Tavares is one of the only Islanders I don't hate.

But that's disgraceful. He slashed to hurt him. Didn't even try to go for the puck.

Don't expect a suspension though.

Reminded me of when Graves slashed Lemieux.

My only disappointment with the Rangers recently is that Kreider is back to gliding and has been for quite some time.

He is great at controlling the puck behind the net and he is a far better passer than anyone expected but he is almost utterly uninvolved physically, which is a crime at his age and with his body, and for all of the first line ice time he is getting his scoring has been a vast disappointment over the last 10-15 games.

I fully expect him to wake up, but in his last 7 games he has only gotten a point in one of them, while his linemates are putting up points.

 

[yrrebbor]

He if definitely in a funk. Pretty much since Nash started warming up.

 

[ImIdaho]

Tavares is one of the only Islanders I don't hate.

But that's disgraceful. He slashed to hurt him. Didn't even try to go for the puck.

Don't expect a suspension though.

It's okay. The next game we play against him, he dies..

 

[Levitate]

I like how a game can have long stretches where one team dominates, and then that switches and the other team dominates, and then some periods of approximately even play, and fans will be like "my favorite team dominated all night long except for those paltry 5 minutes!"

(mainly talking about reading the Islanders board here)

 

[Levitate]

I don't know what it is, but boy do the Rangers look really bad for long stretches, and then really good for long stretches against the Islanders

I feel like they look tentative and conservative against the Islanders too much and then suddenly they get a good attack, score a goal, and went for the kill.

It's like they're worried about messing up and giving Tavares too much to operate with, so they don't attack the puck hard in the offensive and neutral zone. Then something goes their way and they remember "oh yeah that's how we score goals...being fast and aggressive on the puck" and bam they suddenly score goals.

To be fair, you don't want to be too loose against the Islanders, they are one of the better offensive teams in the league, but you gotta hang onto the puck and make plays when you have it

 

[fredrikstad]

Every time Zucc has the puck I just ****.

Then why doe's he get so little ice time? I don't get it.

 

[Ola]

4pts back of tampa. Unfortunately we've played the most games out of any team in the playoff picture (and only NYI has played more games overall in the east)

we need other teams to start losing games.

Yeah, and 5 pts to like the 11th spot in the East and most teams got games in hand...

 

[Levitate]

^^^^ - the plus side is that the Rangers have been one of the hottest teams lately and that makes me much more comfortable about their position. All you can do is win the games you have and if you win most of those then games in hand don't matter

4pts back of tampa. Unfortunately we've played the most games out of any team in the playoff picture (and only NYI has played more games overall in the east)

we need other teams to start losing games.

Washington has been losing games lately despite getting a loser point last night. If I have to guess it'd be that Columbus and Carolina are the division teams the Rangers have to worry about, with Washington and Philly falling out of it and NJ also coming up short just a bit. But...yeah, more loses, fewer loser points, no three point games

 

[Vickers8]

Klein trade def not a bad one. Don't cringe now when I see Moore on ice like I did when he was with del zotto.

Klein has stabilized John Moore's game, our top 3 are playing lights out and Strals has been very good as well, when Hank plays great our D is top notch

 

[NHRangerfan]

Entire team sucked. Fire AV. Trade em all. Can't believe we lost this one.....

Oh we won. Going off this whiny board I thought we got blown out.

Seems like the coaching staff agreed with many of the posters in the GDT...After the 2nd period Arniel said the Rangers were not showing enough compete after the first 7 minutes of the 1st through the entire 2nd...33 minutes of a 60 minute game....hmmm...maybe it wasn't whiny

 

[Raspewtin]

Reminded me of when Graves slashed Lemieux.

My only disappointment with the Rangers recently is that Kreider is back to gliding and has been for quite some time.

He is great at controlling the puck behind the net and he is a far better passer than anyone expected but he is almost utterly uninvolved physically, which is a crime at his age and with his body, and for all of the first line ice time he is getting his scoring has been a vast disappointment over the last 10-15 games.

I fully expect him to wake up, but in his last 7 games he has only gotten a point in one of them, while his linemates are putting up points.

Kreider's line has to be broken up, I think.

Nash is controlling possession on that line, and Kreider passes up a shot too often for my liking.

Problem is, who do you beak up? Kreider won't be able to do anything on Richards' line. Zuccarello and Kreider could go great together, but do you want to mess with that line right now?

 

[Killem Dafoe]

Kreider's line has to be broken up, I think.

Nash is controlling possession on that line, and Kreider passes up a shot too often for my liking.

Problem is, who do you beak up? Kreider won't be able to do anything on Richards' line. Zuccarello and Kreider could go great together, but do you want to mess with that line right now?

I've been thinking this for a while now. Kreider was hot and Steps and Nash were cold, now Nash is hot and Steps is playing better and Kreider is cooling down.

I'm not really worried about Kreider, he's still a great player, but I do think switching something up might help him out. I wish Zucc was a center.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

One question, when you play 4 on 4 in the NHL, and the ref got his arm in the air, is it really right to just don't call that penalty if a goal is scored? That is not the case under IIHF rules. If a goal is scored, you let in the guy in the box and call the new penalty.

A delayed penalty is a delayed penalty, whether 5 on 5 or 4 on 4. Play will be blown dead as soon as the infracting team touches the puck, therefore the team with the puck is able to pull their goalie and have a manpower advantage on the ice. If they score during that manpower advantage, they don't then get a subsequent manpower advantage to score a second time.

 

[GAGLine]

I've been thinking this for a while now. Kreider was hot and Steps and Nash were cold, now Nash is hot and Steps is playing better and Kreider is cooling down.

I'm not really worried about Kreider, he's still a great player, but I do think switching something up might help him out. I wish Zucc was a center.

Kreider and Stepan are always looking to pass to Nash and Nash is always looking to dangle through 3 defenders. Tough to generate consistent offense chances that way.

 

[Fitzy]

Then why doe's he get so little ice time? I don't get it.

He has the 3rd most minutes of NYR forwards, 5th in TOI per game, and 2nd in PP TOI per game.
[
The reason it isn't higher still is because he has found chemistry with inconsistent, defensively poor players, which dictates his line as the "third" line.

 

[Raspewtin]

I've been thinking this for a while now. Kreider was hot and Steps and Nash were cold, now Nash is hot and Steps is playing better and Kreider is cooling down.

I'm not really worried about Kreider, he's still a great player, but I do think switching something up might help him out. I wish Zucc was a center.

Maybe try a line of Kreider-Richards-Zuccarello? Slot Hagelin up to the 1st line, slot Callahan down. Lets see how well Brassard and Pouliot play without Zuccarello.

I'm not sold on resigning Pouliot until I'm sure he can function w/o Zucc.

 

[Doctyl]

Boyle needs to up his game on more of a regular basis. Why wait 2/3 or 3/3 of a season before starting to play? Carcillo BTW is playing perfectly acceptable hockey. Better 5 on 5 than Dorsett? Almost...

Staal's play on the blueline before Boyle's goal probably won us this game. A year ago that play was "banned". You never saw it and the explanation came when there was a mic on the bench when Torts jumped McD for making a play like it even after we scored. Unbelievable.

Honestly I don't understand why we have these Dorsett or Carcillo talks. I would rather have both of them. I doubt we resign both Boyle and Moore. If we can keep on of those centers and those 2 gritty players, I think we would have a really good 4th line.

I honestly believe that torts hates offense. He never showed any emotion when we scored. He refused to practice the PP, it's amazing what a little practice did to our PP. Good riddance torts.

 

[Doctyl]

Maybe try a line of Kreider-Richards-Zuccarello? Slot Hagelin up to the 1st line, slot Callahan down. Lets see how well Brassard and Pouliot play without Zuccarello.

I'm not sold on resigning Pouliot until I'm sure he can function w/o Zucc.

I wouldn't mess with the lines. The Richards line is completely killing our momentum half the time, but I would rather keep the suck together than spread it throughout the lineup.