Post-Game Talk: Islanders @ Rangers 2/14/13 - "The Lincoln Tunnel"

[Pugs35]

To me, the most maddeningly inconsistent player is Del Zotto. How do you go from looking like a very good player to complete garbage every other night is beyond me. He is a mental midget.

Are you saying Del Zotto looked like garbage tonight? I thought he was fantastic, aside from not scoring he's playing well again.

 

[charlie460]

He's just struggling. Thanks Torts.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

For about half the game tonight I thought I accidentally hit the GCL Vault and was watching a game from 2003. No passion in late 1st/2nd, just lost in the d zone. Soft on pucks. And to top it all off throwing the kids to the wolves because frankly they kind of have to.

Before the season I thought the possibility of a Richards buyout was flat out 0%. But if he still looks like this at this time next year it's a no-brainer. I love that after he gets benched he still tries a no look behind the back backhand pass to noone on his first shift back.

Just about every defenseman was flat out bad at times, if not for most of, tonight. My personal favorite moment was when, w/5 min left in a tie game, Stralman is chasing a hit at the right point and Tavares alone in front of the net for a point blank chance.

And to top it all off they obviously did not get what they needed from Marty. Can't count on him stealing the game but he can't do that either.

Pp was...the Pp. Is it even worth commenting on at this point? Although ironically they actually "scored a PP goal" to boost their stats.

At least they came out with some fire in the 3rd. And they still got a point. But boys the games are 60 minutes long.

 

[Killem Dafoe]

I haven't given up on Del Zotto. He's going to come around. He started the season strong he just needs to build some confidence. As well as some others on this team.

Gawd I saw so much winning in Nash and Hags tonight I hope that line stays together.

 

[Doctor King Schultz]

I was really wishing they would put Lundqvist in for the shootout. Maybe its actually a possibility next time.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I'm very hard on goalies and Biron allowing another 5 hole goal makes me question his intelligence. However, the team was so bad for 25 minutes in this game that it's hard to blame Biron.

I've never seen anything like this. First 15 minutes, total domination Rangers. Next 25 minutes, even worse domination Islanders. Next 20 minutes not domination but Rangers with the much better of the play. First half of OT, all Islanders. Almost the whole second half (till the last seconds), all Rangers. 5 different games. Neither team deserved a point frankly. Terribly played game. Something I'd expect from the pre-lockout Rangers.

On the positive. Hagelin is one of our best players. Not just today, in general. He had a slow start. However the guy is a stud. He works so hard that as long as he plays him game, he'll get 45 points just off hard work alone. He looks more talented now. He had some moves. If the guy had Richards' shot he'd be a PPG player. One of the best in the league. Love the guy. We're VERY lucky to have him. 6th round pick too. Between Hank and Hags, I can't wait to see Fasth.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Where did I say elite? I'm talking about a 2nd Line Center that could "slum it" on the 3rd line when Stepan is going good, or give another look for the 1st line when Richards is dropping blind passes like Mario Kart banana peels. They're not giving those players away, but that's where I'd be looking before I'd look at another defenseman.

How do you expect to get a center that fits that mold? I don't think we have the assets for it.

 

[NYRSchrute217]

I'm glad Torts is glad to get 3 out of 4 points, but I don't find it acceptable to blow a 2-0 lead at home to a terrible team that had no life in the first period. You knew they would come out hard in the 2nd, match the ****ing intensity.

 

[Machinehead]

I was really wishing they would put Lundqvist in for the shootout. Maybe its actually a possibility next time.

It'll never happen. As a coach you try to avoid insulting your players like that.

 

[TriFF51]

I'm sure it's been mentioned in here already by why the **** do they always put Gabby in the shootout? He's my favorite player but the guy is terrible in shootouts. He must get lucky in practice or something, Cally should shoot first.

 

[GFiP*]

I was really wishing they would put Lundqvist in for the shootout. Maybe its actually a possibility next time.

Too logical for torts imo.

 

[charlie460]

Martin Biron says Isles goal he'd like to have back is failure to make glove save on Tavares' shot from left that tied it at 2 in 2nd period

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

New nickname for Brad Richards: Brad Rips-hard.

Dude looked high as a kite tonight.

 

[Machinehead]

I'm glad Torts is glad to get 3 out of 4 points, but I don't find it acceptable to blow a 2-0 lead at home to a terrible team that had no life in the first period. You knew they would come out hard in the 2nd, match the ****ing intensity.

Yes I'm so glad Torts thinks it's ok that we blew a combined 5-0 lead in a combined 17 some odd minutes.

What a wonderful coach, with a winning attitude.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

This is what happens when you play lazy for a periopd..

 

[Doctor King Schultz]

I'm sure it's been mentioned in here already by why the **** do they always put Gabby in the shootout? He's my favorite player but the guy is terrible in shootouts. He must get lucky in practice or something, Cally should shoot first.

Yea I would do Cally, Nash, Gaborik.

 

[GFiP*]

I'm very hard on goalies and Biron allowing another 5 hole goal makes me question his intelligence. However, the team was so bad for 25 minutes in this game that it's hard to blame Biron.

I've never seen anything like this. First 15 minutes, total domination Rangers. Next 25 minutes, even worse domination Islanders. Next 20 minutes not domination but Rangers with the much better of the play. First half of OT, all Islanders. Almost the whole second half (till the last seconds), all Rangers. 5 different games. Neither team deserved a point frankly. Terribly played game. Something I'd expect from the pre-lockout Rangers.

On the positive. Hagelin is one of our best players. Not just today, in general. He had a slow start. However the guy is a stud. He works so hard that as long as he plays him game, he'll get 45 points just off hard work alone. He looks more talented now. He had some moves. If the guy had Richards' shot he'd be a PPG player. One of the best in the league. Love the guy. We're VERY lucky to have him. 6th round pick too. Between Hank and Hags, I can't wait to see Fasth.

I'd say the rangers dominated the 3rd period, they just couldn't get the puck in the net. Nabokov played very well and the Islanders d came up with timely checks/break-ups.

 

[ImIdaho]

Yes I'm so glad Torts thinks it's ok that we blew a combined 5-0 lead in a combined 17 some odd minutes.

What a wonderful coach, with a winning attitude.

Power play is also coming along nicely.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Too logical for torts imo.

Too logical to put a cold goalie who's been sitting on the bench relaxing for 3 hours into a game to face breakaways? Come on.

 

[haveandare]

I fully expected all of the knee-jerk overreactions I'm reading. Losing two big leads back to back is concerning though, no question about it.

Hagelin was a complete monster tonight. He's really stepping his game up.
I've been pretty easy on Richards but he was atrocious tonight. I'm glad Torts kept him on the bench for most of the third. He's been getting off way too easy with careless play.

 

[2Leetch_94]

Katie Strang‏@KatieStrangESPN

#Isles Asked Nielsen abt ditching his backhand SO move. Said he scored on Biron last time w/ same move as 2night, wanted to mess w/his head

 

[GFiP*]

Too logical to put a cold goalie who's been sitting on the bench relaxing for 3 hours into a game to face breakaways? Come on.

Biron's career in shootouts speaks for itself. He is basically a sheet of paper in shootouts.

 

[Machinehead]

Power play is also coming along nicely.

Yeah so much "accountability" there.

That's one of his words right?

 

[silverfish]

I'm going to take flak for this, but I don't care.

As bad as Richards was tonight, with 5 minutes left in a tie game on home ice against a team you should beat 6 times out of 6, you bet your ass I'd want Richards centering Gaborik instead of Boyle.

It's nauseating seeing Boyle in the top 6.

Don't get me wrong, Boyle's best game of the season tonight, and Richards's worst. I'd still want Richards next to Gaborik Every. Single. Time.

Also at one point Torts broke up the Hagelin - Stepan - Nash line. The **** Torts?

And, fire Sullivan. Not kidding this time.

PP and that stretch of 15-20 minutes lost this game for the Rangers tonight. No excuses.

Rangers went from rolling four lines consistently to rolling 2.5. On a 3 game win streak and Torts ****s with everything and it all goes to ****.

/endrant

 

[Fataldogg]

Biron doesn't suck. In the shoot outs, yeah he's one of the worst in the league. Overall though he's really not a bad goalie.

Agreed. He needs to fix that five hole in the SO. But overall, there are few goalies in the NHL I'd rather have as a back up. IMO, he can start on some teams, not that he'd be a premier starter, but he could be one.

I don't think people realize how fortunate we are to have a goaltender like Lundqvist, and to have an extremely capable goaltender like Biron back stopping him.

And Biron sucked in the shootout, but honestly, if there was a semi-capable PP, it wouldn't have even gotten that far. The first thing this team has to address is the PP. I'll say it over and over again. That PP cripples the team.