Post-Game Talk: Lightning VI + Rangers Appreciation Thread

[17futurecap]

One even strength goal over the last four games.

We will argue about a lot of stuff over the coming days, weeks? But that sums it up man.

 

[Bob Richards]

I saw one at 13. I’m 41 now. You still have time. Hopefully!

I was 2……days old lmfao.

I just made it lmfao.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Cooper also had a team that had 9 days off and maybe some rust that factored into the Rangers winning games 1 and 2. I think as the series progressed we showed fatigue and had injuries, and that 9 days off then worked to their advantage. They also have a ton more experience and depth. Rooney played because of injuries and Hunt played because of something that happened with Kakko apparently. Gallant didn't have many options.

For sure your points on Tampa are well taken and play into why the NYR were maybe able to catch them flat footed.

Haven’t seen anything but fan speculation on your Kakko point, but I guess we will see. The fact that Kakko was on that line for pregame line rushes but was pulled for Strome at the last minute indicates to me that Gallant’s cagy comments were more protective of NYR medical staff / Strome’s representation of his fitness to play than anything too secret on Kakko.

 

[Machinehead]

I don't disagree with most of what you are saying here. I have been critical of the kids without a doubt, but that doesn't mean there isn't also something fundamentally broken about the Rangers developmental process as well.

When you look at the Rangers roster there's really no rational reason for them to struggle in the areas they do but every single year the story ends up the same. And it's permeated how many different coaching staffs now? There's something wrong with how they view the game as an organization I think. Not sure exactly what that is but if they don't adjust their mindset we are going to get an instant replay of the past 15 years all over again.

I think they're too laissez-faire on fundamentals. They just let the guys play. I hate the term "country club" but I see where it comes from.

I hate it because it gets conflated with being soft. This is a ballsy team. They showed that in spades. They're also not tight or disciplined at all.

The vets freelance themselves into being ineffective and the kids aren't learning.

I know that sounds contradictory given the criticism when they bench the kids but that's kind of it. They think structure is yelling and benching people instead of, you know, structure.

They keep hiring coaches like that. Gallant is a notorious players coach who hates practice (Edge warned us). Quinn thought screaming and benching kids was a system (at this point you can't change my mind that Gallant is just 5th Avenue David Quinn). Torts brought a defensive identity but admitted openly that he didn't coach offense. AV also didn't coach offense but had the opposite reaction to Torts, insisting that he invented offense.

The entire organization seems to think that the intangibles of the game are yelling, getting in scrums, and labored skating instead of understanding a gameplan and being committed to a role. Going all the way back to Torts, they seem to think that offense isn't something that requires coaching/practice, which is evident if you ever watch is try to pass.

I think they see this, like they notice something is off, but their response is always add more grit.

 

[Machinehead]

And I do think we could use speed but also, a lot of our core players don't particularly skate well, even Kreider who is clearly starting to age in some respects, even though he's adapted.

We're locked in to some of these guys.

We should just learn to slow the game down and make teams at our speed. It's not that hard. Puck support and strong passing in the neutral zone. This is 101 stuff. Try practicing one of these days.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Igor should have given up like 5 goals at this point, but this was pathetic from Trouba.

It’s scary how right I am all the time. When Kravtsov wins the Calder next year I’m going to look like Nostradamus

 

[DanielBrassard]

It’s scary how right I am all the time. When Kravtsov wins the Calder next year I’m going to look like Nostradamus

What will you do if we trade Kakko and Trouba this offseason?

 

[17futurecap]

But Zibanejad refused to use the grind as an excuse when Gallant’s sentiment had been relayed to him.

“There’s no fatigue,” insisted No. 93, who had 24 points (10-14) in the tournament but none over the final three contests. “These are the games we all want to play. I feel we got enough rest between games.

“It had nothing to do with fatigue.”

And then, in this final game of the year, there was a rather mysterious scratch of Kaapo Kakko that head coach Gerard Gallant refused to address when queried about the decision. It is not as if Jaromir Jagr dressed in Kakko’s place. Instead, Gallant chose to go with Dryden Hunt, who had not played since Game 3 of the opening round.

One thing we know, though, is that Gallant never quite bought into the hype surrounding the Kid Line.

Then there was the case of Ryan Strome, who was obviously laboring going into the game after leaving warmups for about 10 minutes, was able to accomplish essentially nothing, and departed with a lower body injury after the second period.

Rangers’ bright future doesn’t ease sting of this loss: ‘Empty’

There was no telling Chris Kreider or Mika Zibanejad that the young Rangers had overachieved by advancing as far as the conference final.

nypost.com

 

[Doctyl]

This was all house money. There was nothing to complain about. The kids were getting wildly valuable experience and looked good and this was going to be the first playoffs of many.

Until the f***ing Kakko scratch for replacement level nothing players. There was so much to be optimistic about, but now I doubt we even see the youth of this team ever pan out. They’re going to be traded and gutted for names like every other NY sports team ever. Such a f***ing disgusting end to a great year. I had no complaints until this.

 

[huerter]

If I had to grade the 4 coaches that were under a microscope in these playoffs I'd go...
Sullivan - 8/10
Cooper - 7/10
Gallant - 7/10
Brindamour - 3/10

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

The Kakko conspiracy theories are hilarious…i too can’t wait to learn THE TRUTH

 

[Doctyl]

The Kakko conspiracy theories are hilarious…i too can’t wait to learn THE TRUTH

The truth is he will be traded for a Blais level player and it will be the next Zibanejad trade.

 

[makdeniss]

Why can't we just win the cup?

 

[Nickmo82]

I don't think anybody predicted we'd make it this far this year. A few tweaks, a few young players progressing (and getting the chance to play), getting rid of some dead weight and we'll be back next year.

Sucky way to bow out though.

 

[Casper The Soy Ghost]

Can someone please direct me to this ledge?

View attachment 558139

You need to go to Croatia then.

 

[LOFIN]

As far as the team goes as a whole, this season was a huge success.

But some of the coaching decisions in this Tampa series left a sour taste in my mouth. The Kids deserved more responsibility, and the scratching of Kakko was bizarre. Not the reason for why we lost, but still.

 

[CLW]

But Zibanejad refused to use the grind as an excuse when Gallant’s sentiment had been relayed to him.

“There’s no fatigue,” insisted No. 93, who had 24 points (10-14) in the tournament but none over the final three contests. “These are the games we all want to play. I feel we got enough rest between games.

“It had nothing to do with fatigue.”

And then, in this final game of the year, there was a rather mysterious scratch of Kaapo Kakko that head coach Gerard Gallant refused to address when queried about the decision. It is not as if Jaromir Jagr dressed in Kakko’s place. Instead, Gallant chose to go with Dryden Hunt, who had not played since Game 3 of the opening round.

One thing we know, though, is that Gallant never quite bought into the hype surrounding the Kid Line.

Then there was the case of Ryan Strome, who was obviously laboring going into the game after leaving warmups for about 10 minutes, was able to accomplish essentially nothing, and departed with a lower body injury after the second period.

Rangers’ bright future doesn’t ease sting of this loss: ‘Empty’

There was no telling Chris Kreider or Mika Zibanejad that the young Rangers had overachieved by advancing as far as the conference final.

nypost.com

Let's face it. The Kid line doesn't play GG's style. If anything it showed him up. And GG being GG is a stubborn old mule, so here we are.

 

[ETTER DE]

A season better then what we could hope for. I think most would have taken this result one year ago. But still som red flags.

 

[GigaChad]

...

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

Sad ending however there is a good looking upside to the team... Kreider is playing better then his contract/cap hit, Trouba is well paid but I really like watching him and he's a solid D. Then there's Shesterkin and it goes from there. Solid season.

I'm a Bruins fan but when I lived in Ilion(Herkimer county) I would be blacked out on a lot of Bs games so I started watching the Rangers 'for shits' at first and grew to like the players/team. They grew on me and I would watch on nights when I could and was doing computer work and started rooting for them.

 

[JHS]

In my many years as a ranger fan I’ve grown to appreciate this team this year! This is a great team that went further than most reasonably expected. That being said, I’ve also learned that runs like this don’t happen often and it hurts when they end.

Truth is, we are now in the “land of expectations” which is a great place to be! Next year, it’s gonna be even clearer what this team is all about and I can’t wait!

 

[JHS]

In my many years as a ranger fan I’ve grown to appreciate this team this year! This is a great team that went further than most reasonably expected. That being said, I’ve also learned that runs like this don’t happen often and it hurts when they end.

Truth is, we are now in the “land of expectations” which is a great place to be! Next year, it’s gonna be even clearer what this team is all about and I can’t wait!

 

[CLW]

Exactly


There's smoke there for sure. This is gonna simmer over the next few days. I am wondering what the f*** might have happened between them. Quinn and now Gallant...

Seems pretty clear what happened. GG went with injured Strome, which thanks to GG's Galaxy Brain squeezed out Kakko from the line up for no good reason. Kakko went ballistic, Strome couldn't play, the team was screwed and most people's most important game in their career ended up ruined. What a clusterf***. No wonder Mika sat in denial, Kreider was steaming and GG had nothing to say. Lol.

 

[CLW]

Zibanejad, Fox and the kid line.

And Lindy, without whom the team simply falls apart.

 

[QJL]

I refuse to call this run great after yesterday’s debacle. I’m straight up disappointed and the most pessimistic I’ve been in a long time.