Post-Game Talk: New York Rangers at Los Angeles Kings |Game 1| 6/4/14

[AHB*]

The good news is that it was just one game. The Rangers showed that when they play their game, they can out play the mighty Kings.

Hags - the guy is playing the best hockey of his career.
McDonagh - rock solid.
ZuBrasPoo - solid game. Need to finish though.
Nash - effort was there, just no result.
Fourth line - Great
Krieds - sometimes leaves you wondering WTF is he thinking out there.
MSL - not a factor
Beav - too slow to be a factor. He can still play, but they have to buy him out.
Hank - Meh. Typical game where he is outplayed by the opposing goalie.
First goal was not played very well. Second one was also suspect. You can't leave that space under your arm open. Make the player hit a corner and tighten every thing else up. Most shots, if not all, in the third were routine.

Stralman- Pay that man his money!

Girardi - WTF! A puck bouncing is one thing, but you can't fall down and then panic. I didn't expect that from DG.

Hank had 40 saves last night. Outplayed by Quick? Are you serious?

 

[Dr. Ogrodnick]

Hank had 40 saves last night. Outplayed by Quick? Are you serious?

Seriously. If not for Henrik Rangers lose 5-2 and the game is over halfway through the 3rd. Hank can't control if Girardi goes full rongo on him.

 

[Henrik4Hart]

John Moore should be back for game 2?

Have to take Richards off the PP.

 

[AHB*]

And for all the haters on Nash, that 3 on 1 was an embarrassment, but I thought the rest of his game was good.

That being said, STepan and Girardi, yeesh.

 

[Dr. Ogrodnick]

And for all the haters on Nash, that 3 on 1 was an embarrassment, but I thought the rest of his game was good.

That being said, STepan and Girardi, yeesh.

Nash did have a good game, but 8 million dollar forwards need to produce. He should get fined by the team everytime he passes up shots and going hard to the net for ridiculous moves that have no shot at working.

 

[AHB*]

Nash did have a good game, but 8 million dollar forwards need to produce. He should get fined by the team everytime he passes up shots and going hard to the net for ridiculous moves that have no shot at working.

Don't disagree. He's paid to score, not play defense. Still, people are acting like the guy dogged it all game or something. He had a good game, he needs to score. There were numerous players who were significantly more responsible for the loss last night.

His two linemates are some of them.

Also, I was a major advocate for Diaz, but jeez did he look awful last night. I will welcome back J. Moore with open arms this weekend.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

No game is a must win unless it's an elimination game.

We played a little timid and honestly looked scared to lose more than anything. Game one SCF lost in OT to a team that everyone thinks is going to walk all over us. So what? It was our first taste and they'll be better in Game 2. The Kings really clogged up the neutral zone and negated our speed for a big stretch of the 3rd. Need to make smart passes out of the zone instead trying to force it through the Kings forwards, they gobble those up quickly and you get hemmed on your side of the red line.

A positive note to take away is that their top six didn't run rampant against us and they honestly look beatable, they struggled with our speed out of the gate.

CK Struggled a lot. He was always in the wrong spot in terms of getting to the puck, constantly overskated the play. Hopefully he gets himself in the right spots next game. Staal went from GOAT to WOAT overnight. it's not like the guy has no experience against Richards, Carter and Gaborik. He looks lost beyond lost. Can't even handle the puck on several occasions. Girardi made one of the stupidest, laziest plays a D man possibly can. He fell, and instead of getting right back up (since he had more than enough time) he just half ass chucks it. Braindead. This loss is so infuriating because of pure braindead plays (hi stepan) costing us the two goals and several golden opportunities (hi Nash, Richards, half the damn F group)

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Hank had 40 saves last night. Outplayed by Quick? Are you serious?

He HAS to stop the first goal. HAS to. But tbonec's comment takes the criticism too far. Quick was very very good so if Quick did outplay Lundqvist it's not an indictment of Lundqvist

 

[FJB]

They looked absolutely gassed in the third. McD played way too many minutes. This will be a short series if they fail to get any freaking shots to Quick.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Gotta take the positives out of this one.

Its one game.

Move on and do what you wanted to do, split in LA.

 

[Doctyl]

He HAS to stop the first goal. HAS to. But tbonec's comment takes the criticism too far. Quick was very very good so if Quick did outplay Lundqvist it's not an indictment of Lundqvist

That first goal was a fluky bounce, no way he's stopping that. Stepan HAS to clear the zone on that play. Quick barely did anything in that game, hank got them to OT

 

[clmetsfan]

Got way too ****ing cute with the puck in the 2nd and 3rd periods (never more evident than on Nash's boneheaded play on the 3-on-1) after the "throw everything we can at the net" strategy worked so well in the 1st. Play like we did that period and we'll take this series.

 

[Fletch]

guess the Rangers aren't sweeping them. Oh well...was looking for a split in LA; that's still possible. Onto game 2! Hopefully they look at the tape and find their holes and correct any problems. They at least showed they can play with the Kings. That's step one. Beating them is step two. Looking forward to Saturday.

 

[McD27]

Seemed like the Kings owned the puck for about 75% of the game and 90% after the first period. We can't win without puck possession.

These guys are looking more and more like the Bs. And just like the Bs, we always looked like we can win the games but in the end, we lose anyway.

Hate to say it, we can easily get swept but each game maybe an OT or 1 goal game. Good enough to stay close but not win. Kings in 4 or 5. (I hope I eat crow).

 

[Parker]

A very winnable game and with a few different bounces and no turnover by Stepan/Girardi the Rangers would be up in the series right now. It was VERY close to being 3-0 going into the first intermission. Did not like the effort level in the third period at all. There was no speed game at all after the first period.

Still, the Rangers had a few golden opportunities that weren't converted. The fact that they came so close is cause for some hope. A few better breaks in game 2 and the series is going back to NY tied 1-1. I have a lot of faith in AV to get things fixed up.

 

[Jersey Girl]

At 2-0 I said to my husband, 'next goal wins'. The Kings score and it's just another opponent they fall behind 2-0 to, and come back and win. Make it 3-0 and the Kings are in uncharted territory.

Oh well.

 

[Giglio NYR15]

There were tons of missed oppurtunites in the 1st 2 periods but IMO its simple, is moore gets his puck on that pass from marty and makes it 3-0, that building is dead and were in an amazing spot. Instead kings come back 2 mins later and score a goal of a terrible turnover by stepan and crappy defensive play by staal. At that point you knew we were screwed.

 

[toastbag]

I don't get how people can say Quick outplayed Lundqvist last night. The Rangers had their chances, but they are the reason they couldn't put the puck in the net, not Quick.

 

[silverfish]

Where's the poster who was trying to tell me that Diaz is better than Moore, and will be a Rangers top-4 defenseman next season?

Dude couldn't even get on the ice. Had to rotate 5 dmen and it gassed our guys.

Thank God Moore is coming back for Game 2. Klein plays exceptionally better with Moore as his partner also. I think they have good chemistry.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Tough game to watch. The team got progressively worse (and Kings progressively better) as the game went along. The speed factor, which looked overwhelming in the first 15 minutes or so, really disappeared as the game wore on. Looked to me that the Kings started trapping a bit and the Rangers struggled without being able to go through the neutral zone with impunity. Its times like those that the Rangers will need to chip it in deep, and go win a battle. Didn't happen much the last half of the game.

Girardi really made a poor play on the winning goal. Moving the puck forward should've been a non-starter once he fanned on the outlet. His teammates were already releasing. He should've taken that puck to the boards instead of that weak, uncontrolled outlet.

Thank goodness for Lundqvist - only reason that game made it to OT in the first place.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

This team needs to stop passing up quality chances if they want to beat the kings. The entire Stepan line was guilty of trying to overpass or over stickhandle. Stepan only seems to shoot from the blueline, otherwise he defers every single time. This team is very beatable, but not if we don't take advantage of openings to shoot. If we start looking shoot as much as we can, it will eventually open up those passes we've been looking for. We have to give LA a reason to stay honest. They're cheating on all our rushes because they know we won't shoot.

Also, AV needs to adjust his game plan with regards to Kreider, because LA is funneling everything to the outside when he's on the ice. They need to look for Kreider to split the defense and hit him with a pass up the middle.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Gotta take the positives out of this one.

Its one game.

Move on and do what you wanted to do, split in LA.

guess the Rangers aren't sweeping them. Oh well...was looking for a split in LA; that's still possible. Onto game 2! Hopefully they look at the tape and find their holes and correct any problems. They at least showed they can play with the Kings. That's step one. Beating them is step two. Looking forward to Saturday.

A very winnable game and with a few different bounces and no turnover by Stepan/Girardi the Rangers would be up in the series right now. It was VERY close to being 3-0 going into the first intermission. Did not like the effort level in the third period at all. There was no speed game at all after the first period.

Still, the Rangers had a few golden opportunities that weren't converted. The fact that they came so close is cause for some hope. A few better breaks in game 2 and the series is going back to NY tied 1-1. I have a lot of faith in AV to get things fixed up.

Voices of reason.

Did folks think they would dominate and sweep the series? This is a damn fine team they're playing. The Rangers carried the play for first part of the game (including large portions of the 2nd) and the Kings came storming back. This surprises people?

The Rangers showed they can play with the Kings and, but for one or two bounces, they could easily have won. There were positives to take away and definitely things that need to be cleaned up. But at the end of the day, there they were on the road, duking it out in OT. Can't ask for much more than that. Really looking forward to Saturday.

 

[Eyedea40]

The Rangers MUST play that speed game for a full 60 minutes. Kings had no answer for it, cost them two goals. If the Rangers can put that together (I think they will) I the there chances here.

 

[Eyedea40]

Voices of reason.

Did folks think they would dominate and sweep the series? This is a damn fine team they're playing. The Rangers carried the play for first part of the game (including large portions of the 2nd) and the Kings came storming back. This surprises people?

The Rangers showed they can play with the Kings and, but for one or two bounces, they could easily have won. There were positives to take away and definitely things that need to be cleaned up. But at the end of the day, there they were on the road, duking it out in OT. Can't ask for much more than that. Really looking forward to Saturday.

Rangers HAVE TO show that killer instinct and play a full 60 minute game of Ranger style hockey.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

And with regards to Lundqvist, you can't ask much more of the guy. Yeah, I would have preferred he save the Doughty goal, but a defensive breakdown allowed him to walk in all alone. With so much net to shoot at, you can't blame Hank for letting it go through him. He was obviously expecting Doughty to try and pick a corner, and couldn't recover with the shot coming from so close in. He made some huge saves in the 3rd when he could barely even see the puck. The team in front of him needs to play better. We made a few egregious errors, and most of them ended up in the back of the net.