lack of physical players. this has to change. not a playoff style of team, if they make it

[LetsGoRangers2021]

I'm less concerned about the abstract concept of grit, and more concerned about the willingness of the team to switch to a more simple, cynical style of hockey where you just throw pucks on the net that is what 80% of playoff hockey becomes.



It's not known for it's beautiful tic tac toe goals because everyone is playing safe, defensive hockey and is rarely out of position.

To me, simple hockey is exactly that, dumping it in, hitting the D to knock the puck loose, and fighting for positioning along the boards and netfront. You need those things to score those simple goals. And you need tough gritty players to do those things.

you also need tough players to stop your opponent from doing those things against you. Again, players that can take a hit and hit back. Players that will push opponents away from Shesty so he can make saves. For this, we need strong tough players. I am not saying stu bickell- but guys like on-Kreider, Laf, smith, trouba....

 

[nyr2k2]

What can't some guy = Gauthier?

It could. But if the goal is to be tougher, nastier, harder to play against, I don't really think he's that guy.

 

[Off Sides]

It could. But if the goal is to be tougher, nastier, harder to play against, I don't really think he's that guy.

I'm more thinking he has size, skating, he could probably be a decent forechecker, and he showed he would also take the puck to the net. Defensively I do not think he is there, yet if he improved there (maybe by playing more), I could see him as a wing on the 4th line.

 

[Tawnos]

To me, simple hockey is exactly that, dumping it in, hitting the D to knock the puck loose, and fighting for positioning along the boards and netfront. You need those things to score those simple goals. And you need tough gritty players to do those things.

you also need tough players to stop your opponent from doing those things against you. Again, players that can take a hit and hit back. Players that will push opponents away from Shesty so he can make saves. For this, we need strong tough players. I am not saying stu bickell- but guys like on-Kreider, Laf, smith, trouba....

It's interesting, because I think the Rangers have been showing lately that they're perfectly capable of playing that simple game. There was a game recently where they scored 0 goals off the rush, and 3 goals off the cycle.

 

[eco's bones]

A few odds and ends:

To get to a heavier playing style is going to take a couple years. At the same time it’s more important to continue to grow the games of Lafreniere, Kakko and Kravtsov. Lundkvist is another we’re going to have to grow who should come next year.

Panarin is a very, very good playoff performer from what I’ve seen with Columbus. He’s not physical but he’s also not afraid and isn’t going to stop playing the kind of game he plays. What’s more he gets to play with Fox who I also don’t see being intimidated. Those two together in the future on our power play should be a lethal combination for teams that try to take too many liberties.

it’s not to say I don’t think we’re going to need more physical presence in the future or that I wouldn’t welcome it but things are coming together nicely.

 

[Tawnos]

A few odds and ends:

To get to a heavier playing style is going to take a couple years. At the same time it’s more important to continue to grow the games of Lafreniere, Kakko and Kravtsov. Lundkvist is another we’re going to have to grow who should come next year.

Panarin is a very, very good playoff performer from what I’ve seen with Columbus. He’s not physical but he’s also not afraid and isn’t going to stop playing the kind of game he plays. What’s more he gets to play with Fox who I also don’t see being intimidated. Those two together in the future on our power play should be a lethal combination for teams that try to take too many liberties.

it’s not to say I don’t think we’re going to need more physical presence in the future or that I wouldn’t welcome it but things are coming together nicely.

At least two of the 3 forward kids you mentioned are going to play heavier games as they get older too. So any individuals we add will be added to that.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

Didn't we have couple of heavy hitting games, before Trouba went down? Looked to me like the team actually has an edge.

Idk man, half the squad is still puppies, yet they show balls. Kakko and Laf will be tough as nails, Kam, Chytil too. Add a mean Trouba and a timid Lindgren.

Like many issues of HFNYR this is about patience. I think we will be fine and I especially await the arrival of Cuylle.

 

[eco's bones]

At least two of the 3 forward kids you mentioned are going to play heavier games as they get older too. So any individuals we add will be added to that.

I expect all three to but that said Lafreniere is not a Tkachuk or a Landeskog. Dropping the gloves isn’t in his blood any more than it is in Gauthier’s. I think he might have had one fight his entire time in the Q when he was an obvious target. It’s not something he does. He scrums and hits and annoys but he doesn’t drop the gloves and fight and really I don’t think it’s a great idea for him to anyway.

 

[egelband]

I don’t have the numbers but I’d suspect there are fewer “big hits” in the playoffs than there are in the regular season.
What changes in the playoffs is that there is much less space. Checking is tighter.
Which to me indicates we need more skilled players who can operate effectively in tight space. Which, I suppose, is a kind of grit or toughness. But not necessarily what the OP is advocating.

I think guys like Kakko and Fox will do great in the playoffs. Maybe not right-off-the-bat. But that’s the kind of player I’d be targeting. (Easier said than done ).

Maybe it’s “tenacity” and “calm”. A while back, Valiquette was talking about Fox and his cortisone levels. He was speculating that Fox, being so calm and cool under pressure sees the game more slowly (processes it faster) than most other players. That he probably experiences lower cortisone levels than others (not sure if that’s a chicken or egg thing).

But anyhow, Fox and Kakko are the kind of guys I think we’re going to love seeing in the playoffs.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

If our current players win puck battles in the corners and practice team toughness i don't think its an issue but when you constantly have teams purposely toying with us and guys just hugging its a problem. Guys like Trouba, Smith, Lindgren, Rooney, and Kreider need to be the enforcers by committee. You win the wall battles you win more games than you lose.

 

[LetsGoRangers2021]

It's interesting, because I think the Rangers have been showing lately that they're perfectly capable of playing that simple game. There was a game recently where they scored 0 goals off the rush, and 3 goals off the cycle.

And they always look better when they do! The default are those fancy cross ice passes and overhandling.

Vally is saying it as we speak. “Why is Kreider the only one that will stand in front of the net.”

I think that partially sums up my point- we have lots of “pretty” players. Not enough simple grit guys. We aren’t going to win playoff games with pretty passes.

 

[duhmetreE]

Can't be a problem, if we don't make it.

 

[aufheben]

Effective styles of post-season play change every few years.

To me, winning a championship is 45% talent and 45% luck anyway.

 

[Whoot Whoot]

we need a few more rooney types

 

[GbgRanger]

And they always look better when they do! The default are those fancy cross ice passes and overhandling.

Vally is saying it as we speak. “Why is Kreider the only one that will stand in front of the net.”

I think that partially sums up my point- we have lots of “pretty” players. Not enough simple grit guys. We aren’t going to win playoff games with pretty passes.

When Kakko was playing with Panarin and Strome he was parked quite alot infront of the goaltender. That sparked some controversy on the boards. I woukd have put him on the pp instead of Buch to replace Kreider.

Sometimes it seems like Quinn has a set replacement player in Buch if someone of the regular PP1 players cannot play. It doesn't matter who is going out, Quinn will force in Buchnevich in that spot regardless.

 

[Hire Sather]

This is the first season in a long time without a Haley, Glass or Mcleod type clown on our roster and its been great

If we could acquire a skilled player who brings some physicality then great. But no 4th line plug

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Bennett scored again, OT winner this time. Why couldn't we get a deal done?

 

[Leetch3]

I just meant, when you have:

Zibanejad
Panarin
Kreider
Strome
Buchnevich
Kakko
Chytil
Lafreniere
Kravtsov

...there's not really much room to add tougher/grittier players. The two most obvious candidates to move would be Buchnevich, who has actually toughened up quite a bit and even gotten a little nasty, and Strome. So unless you move them, there's not really much room in the top of the lineup to make any adjustments.

fixing roster construction to make it a better TEAM would have to involve trading away guys from that list. we are too one-dimensional because we have too many similar players. all the players are fine individually but that doesn't make them the right team together.

adding 'toughness' to the 4th line does nothing to fix the issue...people take 'needing toughness' as wanting talentless goons but that isn't at all what we should be talking about. this isn't about gooning it up....we need players that are tough to play against and can COMPLIMENT our skilled players. guys who can forecheck and help create space to make things easier for skilled guys to play. there are plenty of guys that can do that but also are talented enough to play in the top 9 or even top 6.

I see us right now alot like tampa before last year. we are built for the regular season, not the playoffs....part of the solution is patience because our kids will be big when they mature. but pulling off trades to add 1 or 2 of the right guys into the mix i think would make a big difference.

 

[Leetch3]

Effective styles of post-season play change every few years.

To me, winning a championship is 45% talent and 45% luck anyway.

the fact that style of play changes is exactly why you need balance so you can play different ways...if you are built to play only one style, no matter how good you are at that styles eventually you'll run into a matchup that is bad for you.

 

[Edge]

Bennett scored again, OT winner this time. Why couldn't we get a deal done?

Because ADA couldn't keep his mouth shut, and the Rangers weren't inclined to give up a second rounder and a B prospect for him.

 

[duhmetreE]

Effective styles of post-season play change every few years.

To me, winning a championship is 45% talent and 45% luck anyway.

It's actually 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure and 50% pain.

We're half way there

 

[Machinehead]

It's actually 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure and 50% pain.

We're half way there

A+ reference

 

[GbgRanger]

This is the first season since 2013-2014 that I have been able to watch all the games in the regular season. Working as an officer on a cruise ship with an 8-week work/vacation rotation makes it impossible to follow the team on a regular basis. Due to corona I have been able to stay ashore since September and had a chance to fully immerse myself in the games

Similar to last year, Rangers had a poor start of the season only to get going stronger in the second half. Rangers is the youngest team in the league and only a handful of players with a tenure of 3+ years with the club. The young guys need some time to get their shit together. Most of the players only have a few years in the NHL. Even the few new players to fill in the roster spots aren´t established NHL players.

Reaching the playoffs this year was a stretch and we all knew it. It really hurts being this close and failing but the FO just gotta believe and stick with the system, same way as the team play the games. Give the team some time to grow and gel as the majority of players should get better and better.

Personally I feel there are a lot of great signs from the last 15 or so games. I feel quite positive for the next seasons especially knowing what is coming in the pipeline. As other posters already wrote there are some really gritty and hardnosed players upcoming that should nicely complement what we already have. To see this team grow organically from within would be similar to the success we achieved in the Lundqvist era. Only this time the players talent level is so much better. We should get a quite normal full regular season in 21/22 and going forward the team must aim to make the playoff on a yearly basis.

I would hold on to Kreider, Zibs and Smith a few years more. Mostly to get some continuity and not have a roster that is constantly yanked about and picked holes in. Consistency is a big problem with these three players but they also some qualities that are needed. Kreider have brought it big time in earlier playoffs and I still believe he can do it again. Smith is stepping up with some big hits and grit lately so let him lose his spot as the younger guys are coming. Zibs need to hit a hot-streak during a playoff, watch out.

 

[ponytrekker]

If Zibanejad doesn't catch COVID, or Panarin or Shesterkin don't miss significant periods of time, this is a playoff team. Full stop. Even in the toughest division in the league.

But how have they done in big/playoff games?

 

[duhmetreE]

Bennett scored again, OT winner this time. Why couldn't we get a deal done?

by all reports, Calgarys GM is a chode. Sylistically, he's the exact type of player we need.