I can't even be down or upset... I am just so proud of this team... how hard they play and how hard they fought to earn their way here. No matter how this plays out, they have exceeded my expectations, played their tails off, and I am proud to have them representing us.
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BlueshirtBlitz
Foolish Samurai
Megustaelhockey
"I like hockey" in Spanish
- Apr 29, 2011
- 23,470
- 17,620
Fans often take personal ownership of their team's performance. It's the nature of the beast, especially in a market that features the winningest team in the history of North American sports.
This series performance is embarrassing for several reasons:
- The Devils/Kings series in '12 felt more competitive. Devils fans' raison d'être is to fundamentally question the history, viability, and popularity of the Rangers, more so than even celebrating the successes of their own team. This is prime red meat for them. Anyone claiming they don't care what Devils fans think will have to let me know what head-to-head matches feel like next season. I'll be selling my tickets to those games early.
- This series will feed the Quick > Lundqvist narrative until someone else comes along to surpass both of them or until Lundqvist wins two Stanley Cups.
- The Rangers' performance in this series makes the fans of the teams the Rangers eliminated, in particular the Montreal Canadiens, feel as though their team should have been the one to move on.
- This series does nothing to dispel the belief of people on this site that the Western Conference is the greatest thing since anti-lock brakes.
- This series undermines the relevance of hockey in the world's foremost media market. Casual fans dusted off their Rangers stuff from the mid-90s and tried their best with the media's help to get into the game only to see the team go down 0-3 and say, "Yeah, I never liked hockey anyway."
The bottom line here is... pro hockey is a results-oriented industry. The Rangers had a chance to overachieve and live out their Cinderella story. Instead, they played this Final as if they were merely flattered to have made it this far, and they're spending this morning pulling shards of broken glass out of their feet.
Ail
Based and Rangerspilled.
Yep. A good summary.
People say, "I don't care what other fans, the media, the rest of the world thinks..." but in reality most people do care and it pisses me off to no end that the Rangers just proved every ding dong correct. They had a prime opportunity to shut everyone up and show they deserved to be here despite getting some breaks along the way, but no instead they had to do what the Rangers do best and gut their dedicated fans while continuing to give credence to utter nonsense.
Rongos indeed.
JHS
Registered User
- Oct 11, 2013
- 1,690
- 1,288
I don't know about this. Going all in is what the 94 team did, trading away young NHL ready players like Tony Ammonte for experienced players. I've heard Neil Smith say that that trade was a "terrible hockey trade" that you just don't make unless you are going for broke or words to that effect. The Rangers made no such deadline trades and still have a roster full of young NHL ready talent. It's no where near the way the team looked in 94. I'd argue that if the Rangers had a roster similiar to 94 full of experienced players who have been through and won the cup we certainly don't trail in the series 3-0 and are probably up 2 games to 1. I've said this before that the reason we are down 3-0 is the Rangers roster is filled with guys who have never gone trough winning a cup and are figuring out a lot about themselves and what it takes to win through this series.
I don't really care about first round picks. The Rangers botch their first round picks all the time. The Rangers also have several firs round picks on their roster right now that they acquired from other teams. The sky is not falling here my friend, this team is only going to get better from all of this!
Sorry to tell you this but every single Rangers team forever will be compared to the 94 team. That was the single most incredible run in modern Raners history. This run is great but is not even in te same league as that one because every fan at that time knew that the Rangers went all in to win the cup and if they lost that year the feeling was that it could never happen. This year's team never was expected to win it all so the pressure and all is far less.
Paulie Walnutz
HFNYR JUST AS SOFT AS NYR
- Oct 1, 2008
- 11,137
- 9,424
The fans waited 20 years for that? I honestly enjoyed 2012 more than this. Why? This year was so hot and cold for the team it's like they had bipolar disease. Outside of a few guys, this team isn't as likable as the 2012 team. Nash disappoints me, Richards disappoints more and more, Pouliot's been hit or miss, Stepan's made me pull my hair out. Outside of Lundqvist, Zuke and McD, there's a lot of guys on the team that make you wanna scream sometimes. Now that's just my opinion, but I definitely enjoyed 2012 more. Let's be honest, if MSL's mom didn't die we'd have been on the golf course a long time ago. This team took all year to "come together", and it was that event. On a side note the Rangers were doomed to lose this series, LA played 2 bad games at home and still won. You knew they were going to make the adjustments for Game 3 and they did. AV has done a poor job this series IMO especially with the power play.
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Excellent point by point summation. I will expand on the Devils point a bit.
In a weird way I forgive Devils fans, because their attacks are motivated by the fact that their team's very existence has always been somewhat marginal in New Jersey, even after three Cups, even after getting a brand new arena in Newark. The more successful the Rangers are, the more their team's very existence becomes more precarious. Heck, the whole reason the New Jersey Devils exist is that MSG management in the early 80s decided to stay at MSG after getting the City to cave and give them a perpetual property tax exception.
If the City refused to do that, its almost certain the Rangers and Knicks would have followed the Giants and Jets to East Rutherford. The Colorado Rockies were brought in to fill dates at the brand spanking Brendan Byrne Arena.
The Devils are about to enter a very interesting/potentially dangerous part of their history. The Marty Era is all but over. Lou has clearly lost a few MPH off his fastball. Their farm system is average. What's going to happen if they enter into a true rebuilding period for several seasons? How viable is the Prudential Center going to be with the Devils drawing 10k-12k a night (if lucky), no NBA tenant, and fierce competition on the concert circuit from Barclays?
Add in a competitive, likable Rangers team and who knows, maybe a competitive Islanders team in Brooklyn, and where does that leave the Devils?
Their rich cable contract will protect them from outright relocation, but could they enter into a period of some serious belt tightening? I could see it, yes.
So yeah, we are about to eat a lot of poo from Devils fans, no question about it. But its always helpful to remember the real motivation behind their trash talking.
I am thoroughly enjoying everyone's 2013-14 season post-mortem thoughts...
I however am looking forward to Game 4, and rooting for my team to win and get on a plane to L.A. for a Game 5.
I'll save my thoughts about the season, when the season is actually over.
I however am looking forward to Game 4, and rooting for my team to win and get on a plane to L.A. for a Game 5.
I'll save my thoughts about the season, when the season is actually over.
NikC
Registered User
- Oct 7, 2008
- 5,202
- 1,156
It would be nice to not get swept... im still devastated from Saturday never mind yesterday. .
Rangers stunk yesterday. They lost all composure after another jackass blunder by Girardass and friends.
AV lost this team imo this series. Weak leadership.
Lundqvist did not shut it down. Our overrated defense continued to play poorly and our forwards have no balls.
Dont give this outshooting the opponent 33-15 or whatever and tell me they were robbed. Quick was good, but that was their patented ***** shot show
0 -6 on the PP ???!!! Just get out.
One of their priorities has to be a functioning PP or this just a waste of time..
Rangers stunk yesterday. They lost all composure after another jackass blunder by Girardass and friends.
AV lost this team imo this series. Weak leadership.
Lundqvist did not shut it down. Our overrated defense continued to play poorly and our forwards have no balls.
Dont give this outshooting the opponent 33-15 or whatever and tell me they were robbed. Quick was good, but that was their patented ***** shot show
0 -6 on the PP ???!!! Just get out.
One of their priorities has to be a functioning PP or this just a waste of time..
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Zil
Shrug
- Feb 9, 2006
- 5,559
- 43
I don't see cup contention with this roster once Hank leaves his prime. I also don't think it would be smart to empty out the farm system to try and boost their short-term odds. Plus our center prospects amount to Miller, Lindberg, and the years away boom or bust Nieves. They're stuck in a very difficult position.
Other than addition by subtraction with amnestying Richards, there aren't a whole lot of ways this team can improve. You know they aren't going to get super creative because this is Sather we're talking about. They're probably going to let Stralman walk and give Staal a fat contract to match Girardi's. Those two are really going to drag us down as the years go by.
Xref
Registered User
- Oct 16, 2010
- 1,690
- 85
What did you expect Hank to do, score 4 goals? This loss isn't on him, it's on our skaters that couldn't put a puck past Quick.
well, at least there is more hockey to be played! You'd never know it reading in here. But I will say that this team, through this minute, had a pretty amazing season. Regardless of how they got here, they got here and fans of 28 other teams are sitting around saying our team could've done better..well, maybe 10 other teams! I guess those fans do not believe in the system that gets a team to the finals. To be here you do have to endure a full season, then three playoff rounds. It ain't easy. Looks easy once you get there, but it isn't and the play, I gather, is like no other round.
The Rangers are playing a very good team. Despite how it looked getting there, they got there, and they've been there, and they have the players and coach to deserve to be here. They've been the better team in the series, and not by a wide margin, but it's a good team that finds ways to win. Their defense can shut it down when it has to. The goalie can be great when he needs to be. And the offense can score if that's what is needed. The Rangers are a step behind them. Perhaps they're a bit tired. Perhaps the euphoria of getting here has worn off and the andrenaline is gone and they're spent, physically and mentally, and they're gassed, but man, it's been a great ride so far.
The Rangers are playing a very good team. Despite how it looked getting there, they got there, and they've been there, and they have the players and coach to deserve to be here. They've been the better team in the series, and not by a wide margin, but it's a good team that finds ways to win. Their defense can shut it down when it has to. The goalie can be great when he needs to be. And the offense can score if that's what is needed. The Rangers are a step behind them. Perhaps they're a bit tired. Perhaps the euphoria of getting here has worn off and the andrenaline is gone and they're spent, physically and mentally, and they're gassed, but man, it's been a great ride so far.
Problematique
Registered User
Great post! Funny how fans take things so personally about their team, almost as if they're actually playing the games themselves. That's what gives the arenas their energy, though!
But the Rangers did win. He had a pretty decent career too. He was not a top 10 all time, but he was a top 3 in Rangers history, and that's big for any Rangers fan.
And Jay Wells as a Cup and Brad Park doesn't
If Hasek had not gone to Detroit at the end of his career, he would have had zero Cups. Some here would translate that into Hasek sucked on the big stage.
Xref
Registered User
- Oct 16, 2010
- 1,690
- 85
After our horrific opening road trip and a few weeks after, I'm willing to bet that many fans figured this season wouldn't amount to anything. The team didn't give up, they knew that better days lie ahead. And here they are in June playing in the SCF's.
Just like the opening week of the season, the first few games of this series have been disappointing. A lot of fans are giving up on them just like they did in October. I'm sure that the team again believes that better days lie ahead. GO RANGERS!
Just like the opening week of the season, the first few games of this series have been disappointing. A lot of fans are giving up on them just like they did in October. I'm sure that the team again believes that better days lie ahead. GO RANGERS!
The Gloaming
23
This. Get shutout? Hank is the problem. Richards had another night of turnovers galore? Blame Stepan. Girardi and his 2 cent head directly causes 2 goals against? Not even a beep.
haohmaru
boomshakalaka
I can sum it all up in a single sentence even if the season isn't over yet:
The Rangers gave me a hell of a lot more this season than I was expecting and defied there own history while doing it.
Ice Hockey
Registered User
I haven't posted for most of the playoff push and the entire post season because I thought it was bringing us luck.
Although the series isn't over it would take probably the most historic miracle in sports for this, or any, team to come back and win 4 in a row against Quick and the Kings.
I'd like to extend the series. I want to see this team put some pressure on the Kings by just winning the next game. I can't believe the saves Quick made (2 with the paddle) amongst some other saves... it's like he has Satan on his side or something.
That said you gotta finish. Rooting for the Rangers to extend this series. They gotta earn it and play heavy and move their feet more. The Kings are so good at getting bodies in front of Hank, we need to be better at that. That's how you're gonna score on Quick.
Although the series isn't over it would take probably the most historic miracle in sports for this, or any, team to come back and win 4 in a row against Quick and the Kings.
I'd like to extend the series. I want to see this team put some pressure on the Kings by just winning the next game. I can't believe the saves Quick made (2 with the paddle) amongst some other saves... it's like he has Satan on his side or something.
That said you gotta finish. Rooting for the Rangers to extend this series. They gotta earn it and play heavy and move their feet more. The Kings are so good at getting bodies in front of Hank, we need to be better at that. That's how you're gonna score on Quick.
If you are telling me that people feeling vicarious success or failure through a team they don't play on is the nature of the beast... I cannot agree. I'll just leave that alone. I still don't grasp it, but to each his/her own.
No disrespect intended, but your bullet points are items I'd have to be pretty insecure to be affected by. I'll leave that alone, too, and again say to each his/her own.
For me, as a spectator, hockey is entertainment. I watch it because it's fun and because I love the game. I have enjoyed the effort put forth by the players... they had a fine season and I enjoyed watching it. But I'm not the one playing, so my real focus is on my own life and my own goals. That's just me, though.
In the end, when I look at what these guys do for a living and what they make, I am not overly worried about the shards of broken glass they are pulling out of their feet.
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