Kitchener Rangers 2023-24 Off-Season Thread (Part 1)

[bobber]

Going back into the regular season can't remember the Rangers playing a solid 60 minutes. Maybe when they beat the Attack by quite a margin. They smoked Flint but let in five also. Last night they were off to a decent start in the first but after Erie wanted it more. In the 3rd Erie was pumped. Beat the Rangers to every puck. Jussi said they were terrible the 2nd and 3rd. To many giveaways, takeaways and mistakes. There is an element missing in the Rangers system. It's been that way for quite a while.

 

[I Mac 80]

If this series goes seven games, the victor will not be fine vs London.

It’ll be all bad enough playing London let alone without rest.

Now, ideally, the series has to end on Tuesday to give the victor a couple off days.

I am definitely not under any illusion that a matchup with London if we are fortunate enough to get out of round one is nothing short of terrible. 100% they need to get this done in 6 now not that I think that it matters because I don’t see them beating London. Stranger things have happened but logic tells me otherwise. But the playoff experience will hopefully be beneficial down the road.

 

[Tim Wallach]

Somewhere along the way this year, the Rangers completely forgot how to defend. Players repeatedly failing to identify their man and letting guys walk to the net. It is also being badly exposed how soft and at times lazy the core guys can be. Hopefully McKenzie finally addresses that. You don't win if your core leaders aren't gritty. Period.

 

[rangersblues]

Somewhere along the way this year, the Rangers completely forgot how to defend. Players repeatedly failing to identify their man and letting guys walk to the net. It is also being badly exposed how soft and at times lazy the core guys can be. Hopefully McKenzie finally addresses that. You don't win if your core leaders aren't gritty. Period.

Something happened in early November and early December that's water under the bridge

 

[bobber]

Somewhere along the way this year, the Rangers completely forgot how to defend. Players repeatedly failing to identify their man and letting guys walk to the net. It is also being badly exposed how soft and at times lazy the core guys can be. Hopefully McKenzie finally addresses that. You don't win if your core leaders aren't gritty. Period.

Great point Tim.Hockey is a physical game. Teams need that element peppered throughout the line up. Not talking about fighting. Just fighting for every puck and winning individual battles. Butler has won over 800 games in his career. His teams are known for stubborn defense and physical play. Rangers are what you see. They aren't a physical squad by any stretch. A leopard can't change its spots. Rangers forte is in its offense. 50 and 40 goal players need to contribute every game and make a difference. Parsons can't win a series alone.

 

[EvenSteven]

Somewhere along the way this year, the Rangers completely forgot how to defend. Players repeatedly failing to identify their man and letting guys walk to the net. It is also being badly exposed how soft and at times lazy the core guys can be. Hopefully McKenzie finally addresses that. You don't win if your core leaders aren't gritty. Period.

See my earlier post regarding the 2017-18 team.

Going back into the regular season can't remember the Rangers playing a solid 60 minutes. Maybe when they beat the Attack by quite a margin. They smoked Flint but let in five also. Last night they were off to a decent start in the first but after Erie wanted it more. In the 3rd Erie was pumped. Beat the Rangers to every puck. Jussi said they were terrible the 2nd and 3rd. To many giveaways, takeaways and mistakes. There is an element missing in the Rangers system. It's been that way for quite a while.

Truth be told, we’ll be lucky to win a game vs London, rest or not. Especially if we continue to allow repeated Grade A scoring chances against. If not for Parsons, we’re down 3-1 in games vs Erie minimum.

 

[EvenSteven]

Somewhere along the way this year, the Rangers completely forgot how to defend. Players repeatedly failing to identify their man and letting guys walk to the net. It is also being badly exposed how soft and at times lazy the core guys can be. Hopefully McKenzie finally addresses that. You don't win if your core leaders aren't gritty. Period.

Broken record here, but trading away two NHL drafted D and not adequately replacing them left a huge void.

MM moved Hamara / Schmidt and got back 2nd, 2x3rds, 4th. He then sent 2nd, 2x3rds, 3x4ths, 2x5ths, Morey, and Scott and brought in Sale and Savard.

In the process, he made this team worse on ice and asset wise in a year he was trying to contend.

I like a lot of what MM does and has done here. But there are areas where he leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[bobber]

See my earlier post regarding the 2017-18 team.


Truth be told, we’ll be lucky to win a game vs London, rest or not. Especially if we continue to allow repeated Grade A scoring chances against. If not for Parsons, we’re down 3-1 in games vs Erie minimum.

If the Rangers don't start to put a playoff game together they will be gone in 6. Furfaro mentioned a week or so ago how hard Jussi was being on the team at practice. Last night he said a key was getting Swick back. Never noticed him that much. Either they aren't listening to his instructions or they just don't have the ability to follow them. Jussi has the credentials. Not sure why the team hasn't responded.

 

[EvenSteven]

If the Rangers don't start to put a playoff game together they will be gone in 6. Furfaro mentioned a week or so ago how hard Jussi was being on the team at practice. Last night he said a key was getting Swick back. Never noticed him that much. Either they aren't listening to his instructions or they just don't have the ability to follow them. Jussi has the credentials. Not sure why the team hasn't responded.

I suspect if he had the 2017-18 team to work with, or even the 2021-22 team to work with, there’d be a big difference.

 

[bobber]

I suspect if he had the 2017-18 team to work with, or even the 2021-22 team to work with, there’d be a big difference.

I hope Jussi and his staff want to change the narrative here. Give them a say in the type of team they want to coach. The Aud should be known as a difficult barn to get a win in. Most opposing players love playing here with the huge crowd and great facilities. Another point is Erie was a team on the way up at the end of the season. Rangers were on the way down. I think if the Rangers never had the surprising start we would see them get a higher pick next week on the draft. Maybe in the end I will have more crow feathers to chew on. Who knows?

 

[Tim Wallach]

bobber, you are right when you said a leopard can't change its spots. Another saying that applies is you can't paint stripes on a kitty cat and call it a tiger. This team has lots of offensive skill, but unless they tighten up significantly and become a whole lot harder to play against, it'll all be moot anyway as London will destroy them. Another level or physicality and compete is needed for sure. I hope everyone who needs to see it is seeing it.

 

[Matttheleaf]

As much as I think that London will beat either Kitchener or Erie as it stands right now, London looked like they struggled at times against Flint, with all those games being fairly close.

 

[robertmac43]

As much as I think that London will beat either Kitchener or Erie as it stands right now, London looked like they struggled at times against Flint, with all those games being fairly close.

Anything can happen when you get to the dance!

 

[Ranger77]

Broken record here, but trading away two NHL drafted D and not adequately replacing them left a huge void.

MM moved Hamara / Schmidt and got back 2nd, 2x3rds, 4th. He then sent 2nd, 2x3rds, 3x4ths, 2x5ths, Morey, and Scott and brought in Sale and Savard.

In the process, he made this team worse on ice and asset wise in a year he was trying to contend.

I like a lot of what MM does and has done here. But there are areas where he leaves a lot to be desired.

So, basically Hamara, Schmidt, Morey, Scott, 2x4ths, and 2x5ths for Sale and Savard?
Is that good?

 

[EvenSteven]

So, basically Hamara, Schmidt, Morey, Scott, 2x4ths, and 2x5ths for Sale and Savard?
Is that good?

For this year’s team, that’s terrible.

The additions of Savard and Dirracolo weren’t going to come close to replacing what we lost in Hamara and Schmidt.

For this to come close to offsetting the quality we lost on D:

Sale would have had to come in and produce at the level where he was NHL drafted. We’re getting about half or a little better than that thus far. And, Martin would have had to be back and at 100% heath producing at the level he did in last year’s post season.

Then, we’d have three very good scoring lines plus the fourth line grinder line. That would have been one of the best forward groups league wide.

That’s this year.

The trsde may start to even itself out somewhat if Sale returns and gives us what we’re getting from Mesar in his second season in the league, and Savard develops into a very good top four or better D.

But in a contending year, today we have to view this shuffle of players and picks as a lose for the Rangers.

 

[blkhawk]

Everyday is like groundhog day around here

 

[Krangers08]

Rangers have picks 45, and 105 in the import draft. Šalé can be put on a separate protection list similar to Mešár last year.
Pobezal is the only other protected player.

 

[rangersblues]

Everyday is like groundhog day around here

Go Rangers Go! Let's do this

 

[RB76]

Pressure is on, let’s see how the boys respond.

 

[robertmac43]

Score predictions?

Going 5-3 to the good.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Somewhere along the way this year, the Rangers completely forgot how to defend. Players repeatedly failing to identify their man and letting guys walk to the net. It is also being badly exposed how soft and at times lazy the core guys can be. Hopefully McKenzie finally addresses that. You don't win if your core leaders aren't gritty. Period.

On I'd say 75% of goals, at least one D will be seen caught chasing the play and going so far out of position it's too late if/by the time the other D and a Fwd notice.



I find when certain guys try to play physical, they end up failing and taking bad penalties. It's a bit late in the game to teach these guys how to play physically and do so well/properly. It is something we need, but have a hard time seeing it happening as fast as we need it to happen.
I'm not even talking about being all that much more smash and bang physical, but simple stuff like being responsible within your position and part of the ice, by standing guys up and/or otherwise trying to impede their forward momentum in the parts of the ice they are responsible for instead of turning around to chase them instead the second someone with the puck gets near them.
When the D are chasing and constantly moving out of position, so follow the forwards.
At in horrendously sloppy neautral zone and at our own blue line for 1/3 of each game and it's a recipe for golfing in the next week or two.

As for the trades, I'll say it again, MM likes to gamble and he got too cute with it this time. All we can really do is hope he learns something from this.

 

[bobber]

Everyday is like groundhog day around here

Blkhawk you can say that again and again and again and again......Regarding this next game some of the Rangers have to go into the dirty areas. Net front presence screening the Erie goalie. Take a few lumps. Also move their feet in the D zone and get pucks out clean. They have to play the whole game with pace.
I thought these teams were evenly matched going in but over all the Otters look to be more solid on both ends of the ice. Rangers have a chance to change this tonight with a solid 60. No fancy stuff . Just hard nosed hockey.

 

[EvenSteven]

As for the trades, I'll say it again, MM likes to gamble and he got too cute with it this time. All we can really do is hope he learns something from this.

To his credit, he was forced to trade Hamara. Considering he was drafted by Ottawa and the owner of Ottawa owns Brantford, and he was traded there, no doubt he likely got lowballed on that deal. But that’s out of his hands. Regarding Schmidt, I understand at the time choosing to go with Martin over Schmidt. I assume at the time MM was assured he would be back in January and 100% healthy.

Where I think he messed up, was once Hamara and Schmidt were traded, and it was evident our defence was severely impacted by those trades, he should have changed course no matter Martin’s health and gone with another overage D at the deadline. We did not have the assets to go get an 04 defenseman , especially considering the prices so the cheapest way to improve the defence was via an OA.

 

[K2]

Ellinas, elevated

 

[rangersblues]

Ellinas, elevated

View attachment 846675

Not sure why he split up Romano, Pugs and Bottineau. They were our most effective line all series in game 3.