Post-Game Talk: Jazz

[Oscar Lindberg]

How to destroy a Presidents Trophy, eastern conference final team in 3 steps:

Step 1: waive a well respected vet with a handshake agreement with San Jose to claim him to circumvent his no-trade
Step 2: try but fail to trade your captain because he sucks
Step 3: start camp with egg on your face, your captain checked out and your remaining vets pissed off


Bravo, Drury. Bravo.

This team is completely checked out. Drury's ruthlessness has caught up to him and they've quit on him. It's so obvious. This team isn't this bad.

there’s probably something to this, more so than folks would like to admit.

 

[LokiDog]

I’m telling you, they know change is coming. The Trouba summer and Goodrow buyout probably upset them. Goodie may suck but he was an all heart guy and brought in to be the Cup winning vet on a young roster (Fox, Lindy, Miller, Kakko, Chytil, Laf, Schneider, Shesty all were very young when we signed him). After getting so close twice, they all got butt hurt when he got dumped because of the cap. Then we tried trading their captain. Some guys like Kreider may have had some bad feelings about Hank’s last days here. Maybe even Buch. Or Zucc.

We had a decent little start to the season but now Shesty’s contract demands are looming over the year; do they secretly resent him asking for so much or are they mad management hasn’t already locked up the backbone of the team? Now it’s becoming obvious that Lindy, their walking meat shield, is cooked and his days are numbered, since he’s UFA.

The swan song has been sung and they’re just hitting the acceptance phase, so they’re in their feels and checked out. And it’s contagious. The guys who are playing the best are the guys who were the least part of it. Bread, Kakko, Chytil, Cullye, Edstrom, Jones. Kakko and Chytil never became chums with the core like Laf did. Bread marches to his own drum. The others weren’t up with the team until recently. This core is cooked.

They look like they want to cry. They don’t want to break up. They want to play together and they want to play in NYC but they know the axe is about to start falling. And deep down they know that it’s time to move on if they ever want to be happy again (playing without the weight of 2 ECF failures, with enthusiasm OR to have a chance to be part of a Cup winning team, since it’s becoming obvious most won’t be here). It’s over for this group and they can tell.

 

[gump116]

On the positive side, thought Kakko looked great at center. He plays a lurking style game which suits that position better than wing. Very defensively responsible, moved the puck well, had some good chances. Not sure if he’s a permanent center, but it’s worth experimenting for a few more games, even when Chytil comes back.

 

[gabevh3]

Being more keen to trade Kreider before just scratching Mika for a game reminds me that Drury is very much part of the problem. He's been here since 2008.

He hasn't stopped being the problem since he came here with gomez lol

 

[Brutananadilewski]

It's during times like these that I'm reminded of what the great and late Macho Man, Randy Savage said:

"What's wrong with spandex and cowboy boots, bitch?!"

Sorry, bourbon acting up.

 

[will1066]

@Machinehead how's the time machine coming along? First stop we making is the day Drury faxes the paper work for Zibanejad's contract extension so that i can unplug the power and phone line.

 

[bobbop]

This whole exercise is funny because in Seattle they were playing defense so well, I was able to show my grandson exactly how a team can set up in their end of the ice.

 

[Brutananadilewski]

@Machinehead how's the time machine coming along? First stop we making is the day Drury faxes the paper work for Zibanejad's contract extension so that i can unplug the power and phone line.

Said time machine:

 

[Lion Hound]

Hot Piss!

 

[UnSandvich]

On the bright side, at least i have alcohol.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

 

[80s Kid]

I am dealing with medical, professional, and family challenges all at the same time, and this is my first post in weeks because of that. I was hoping hockey, a sport I have followed very closely since I was five years old, would help take my mind off those things.

I am a fan of the New York Rangers.

There's my problem right there.

I hope you're doing okay through your personal challenges and wish you nothing but the best.

 

[Killem Dafoe]

Despite all the shit, Will Cuylle has been a most pleasant surprise.

 

[80s Kid]

Honestly, you guys looked really good against Vancouver a few games back, so what exactly is going on in New York right now?

On paper, the Rangers look amazing, you have talent, and basically every single position, as someone who does not watch New York Rangers often, what’s the issue right now?

-They do not know how to win 5v5 and teams finally figured out that staying out of the penalty box is an easy way to beat the Rangers

-Teams also wised up to the Rangers east/west style and aside from the 3rd line, they don't seem to want to change

-The vet skaters aren't playing well at all (sans Panarin).

-The top scoring line (Panarin, Trocheck and Laf) forgot how to play defense

-Trouba and Lindgren are awful on defense and get rewarded with lots of ice time (Lots of people would probably throw Miller into this category as well but I don't think he's nearly as big of a problem as those two)

-Chytil continues to miss games due to injury (he'd probably be our best center if healthy)

-Maybe it's nothing but ever since the leak about Shesty turning down $11 AAV contract, things seemed to go downhill fast (Shesty has been okay but the rest of the team is not)

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Can someone tell me the Krieder thing ? What happened

His agent tip him off that he was about to be traded.

 

[80s Kid]

You guys are pretty funny though. At least you’ve kept good spirits these last few weeks. I’ve been looking at your schedule and rankings, and you’re still in great shape.

I have good faith in this Rangers team. I really think you’re going to turn the corner soon. I know it’s not much coming from a random Canucks fan, but I thought I’d share anyway—haha.

I’ll let you guys be. Good luck the rest of the way

Are you sure you're reading the Rangers hfboards material?

 

[Ben Grimm]

They gave us the Full Monty!

 

[Peltz]

The current group of defensemen are a non starter for this team's cup chances. There's Fox and a bunch of 3rd pair guys at best right now, and we're not good enough elsewhere to cover for that deficiency.

Agreed. No matter how you configure this lineup, they're at least 2 top 4 players short of a cup on defense. They also lack a game breaking 1C but that's a lesser issue at this point.

 

[Jack Hanson]

Wife and I went out for fancy dinner at Hudson Yards - Ci Siamo. I had the lamb shank - was excellent. Better than watching these dopes and their clown show. I didnt see the game but I get the feeling its a movie I've seen before. I hope they snap out of this funk.

 

[grachevsceiling]

this isnt a injriy wish but i just want sometiing to happen to zibanejad that emasuclates him. I unno, just something to make my day.

Idk Tob that sounds like something your idea of zibanejad would say

 

[hackeyman]

This whole exercise is funny because in Seattle they were playing defense so well, I was able to show my grandson exactly how a team can set up in their end of the ice.

Seattle ? Where's that ?

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

Goodrow has 2 goals and is on pace for 7 pts and a -39. so sad we didn't choose to continue to pay that guy close to 4 mil

he was never good, got paid because of Coleman and Gourde

I'm not saying it wasn't the right move. I'm saying, I don't think it sat well in the room that a NTC handed out by the organization was blatantly circumvented the way that it was. Say whatever you want about the current product of Barclay Goodrow, but NHL players are big on respecting cup winning players and you can't deny the Rangers kind of did him dirty.

You then follow that up by trying literally everything you can to trade your captain, unsuccessfully, creating a media clown show. How do you even respond to that as a locker room? If you think none of these moves had any effect on the room, I have a bridge to sell you. It absolutely had an effect.

You have Trouba himself saying "yeah, this is probably the last kick at the can for this core" in his interviews. What do you think his level of motivation is as a Ranger right now?

At the end of the day, these problems are caused by the players. No one is to blame but them. If Trouba and Goodrow played up to their contracts instead of being complete dead weight we wouldn't be having these conversations. But you can't deny that Drury created a mess in the process. You can't treat well respected leaders on your team the way that he has. If they're not playing up to snuff, buy them out and move on. Or better yet, don't back up the Brinks truck to shit ass players.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

there’s probably something to this, more so than folks would like to admit.

I'm outside the room obviously, but I understand how teams and leadership work. It is actually impossible that what transpired in the offseason did not have an effect on this team. Both of those guys are (were) captains; that's a big part of your internal leadership group. The proof is in the product on the ice.

The worst part is I don't even know how they fix this. Do you give Igor his bag now? If you have to blow up the core, does it even make sense to pay him? How do you even move some of these contracts out?

Drury has created a mess and I'm at a loss for how he even cleans it up.

Buckle up for some very mediocre hockey this season, folks. I wasn't as doom and gloom as this when the Trouba helmet throw happened. That was by far the worst this group has played, until now. What we're watching now isn't even NHL caliber hockey. It's just goaltending and some timely goals by Panarin.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

No post game comments from anyone wearing a letter besides Panarin? Seems like the leadership group should have to speak up after this recent skid. I get not making Trouba available with him specifically named, although as the captain you'd hope he'd want to own it.

Did dumping Goodrow and trying to move Trouba in the off-season really destroy the morale that much? These guys are professionals, they know it's a hard cap league. Drury gave them a quarter of this season and their play has gotten worse and worse. What do they expect to happen?

 

[noncents]

I haven’t seen a Ranger IN the neutral zone for the past 4 weeks. You have two forwards deep in the O-zone after losing a puck battle, and one F and 2 D already sinking below their own blue line, getting sliced like hot butter.

every time down.

I take a lot of issue that guys who have played competitive ice hockey for 20 f***ing years are suddenly bad because Phil Housley isn't giving them enough instruction on how to defend the slot.

it's not so simple - there is a system being attempted. It's just not working.