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

[yrrebbor]

Rick Nash should be clocked over the head with the Conn Smythe trophy.

The spin move worked once ten years ago, and never again. SHOOT the puck! That was the stupidest play he's ever made.

McDonagh would not have gotten to the puck first if Girardi threw it behind the net. I suggest watching the replay. His options were minimal at that point.

Should not have done that. Sitting on it or playing it back would still be risky, but much better options.

So, what's to take away from this game, the obvious "bad turnovers defensively = death against an opponent as good as LA" aside?

1) Fatigue is not going to play a role in our favor this series. It's not happening, guys. The Kings do not look fatigued - neither physically, nor mentally. This strange chubby faced guy wearing number 8 especially. Seemed like he could go all night.

2) We need to learn to utilize our speed in different ways. I think this was showing as well. The Rangers were the better team for the first 15 minutes. Why? Because they spread out LA with their speed. Sutter then made an adjustment, the neutral zone got a little more crowded. We'll have to find a plan B. The obvious would be get to the dump ins first. That didn't happen tonight. AV needs to come up with something here, speed is the one weapon we were able to rely on all season.

3) Shoot the ****ing puck when you have the opportunity, will ya?! This goes for Stepan and Nash, especially. Zuccarello actually tried this some more than I'm used to by him. If I'm AV, this is probably the first message I'm trying to get into their heads.

4) Don't panic when you get a turnover in their end. We got some turnovers in their end, but all that resulted were hurried turnaround shots or attempts that got blocked. If you have no other possibility at all, dump it into the corner. No shooting blindly into LA's shipads/Quick's logo. Try to establish time in the zone instead of taking alibi shots.

5) That play behind their net needs to continue. This was the second aspect of our offense where LA appeared to struggle. They weren't prepared for this kind of thing really, especially "smaller" guys like Zucc, Brassard and Moore seemed to surprise their defenders at times. Continue to work behind Quick. There will be results.

6) Establish a forecheck. This can be a serious weapon. In periods 2 and 3 LA's defenders had way too much time just getting it out to center. Only one guy forechecked for each line. We need two guys doing that. Greene and Mitchell are awesome in many ways, but there are two things they are not: World class skaters and world class passers. Get a hound like Hagelin, Kreider, Pou or Dorsett to go after the puck. Stepan, Brassard and Moore are all excellent when it comes to reading the play. We can utilize this.

7) Pressure their blueline when they're setting up in our end. Again, those guys aren't the fastest skaters. None of them. Pressure them a little more. Put some doubt in their heads. If they turn the pcuk over our guys can just turn on the jets.

8) The ****ing PP is an atrocity and needs to improve. How? I'd try to take Richards off it. Then? No idea, as it just looks like a trainwreck.

that's all I have for now.

Agree with all of this!

Everyone watch this video...its only 3 minutes long....

You'll feel better about losing Game 1 tonight.

Yeah, we do need Kovalev back!

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.

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.

They got tired. G and McD were winded, and the forwards were standing still. They tried and failed to sit on a 2-0 lead for 40 minutes.

No, they had an answer. Sutter changed the lines, stymied the middle, and we waned off our game and played theirs.

BIG MISTAKE!

Definitely stopped playing their game.

If they win Saturday all is okay. If they lose they are probably done.

Must win!

“@stevezipay: #NYR not skating today, but we'll be speaking to the coach and a couple players in Santa Monica in about 90 minutes...â€

Hope someone is yelling at them right now!

 

[NYROrtsFan]

I don't think we can beat this team... I think our best chance was to jump out ahead of them while they were still off of their high against Chicago.


It's going to take Henrik being god and that's just not going to happen for enough games. Nash brings nothing to the table anymore and you MUST have your best players scoring.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I think most would agree with this. He had a very good game. He wasn't required to stand on his head, though.

How is that measured?

Bottom line is the Rangers got steamrolled the final 45 minutes of that game, gave up 43 friggin shots, and it was pretty miraculous they even made their way into OT.

 

[Clown Fiesta]

The media is ridiculous, apparently the Rangers only chance at winning this series was by winning Game 1.

 

[Tundra]

I don't think we can beat this team... I think our best chance was to jump out ahead of them while they were still off of their high against Chicago.


It's going to take Henrik being god and that's just not going to happen for enough games. Nash brings nothing to the table anymore and you MUST have your best players scoring.

Yup. If you had two capable star players instead of those two cap hogs in Nash and Richards, your supporting cast is good enough to threaten and possibly beat the kings.

 

[Fugazy]

I was shocked at how gassed they were in the 3rd.

I didn't understand it at all. They had all the rest they could have asked for.

 

[Fugazy]

The media is ridiculous, apparently the Rangers only chance at winning this series was by winning Game 1.

Yeah it's a little bit ridiculous. Game 2 is a huge momentum swing in this series though.

 

[Tundra]

I didn't understand it at all. They had all the rest they could have asked for.

I think they expended a lot of energy in the first and only generated two goals.

 

[Cake or Death]

What is your point at this point??

I guess Lundqvist should've made 25 saves on 20 shots to make up for your weird lack of quality argument.

Logic... thank God... I was ready to shoot myself in the face

 

[Miamipuck]

I don't think we can beat this team... I think our best chance was to jump out ahead of them while they were still off of their high against Chicago.


It's going to take Henrik being god and that's just not going to happen for enough games. Nash brings nothing to the table anymore and you MUST have your best players scoring.

I am sorry but how can you watch last nights game and think the Rangers can't beat the Kings. They certainly can, heck the Rangers played poorly and still had a shot to win it.

I suppose you missed the first period and a half. Nash was pretty damn good. I guess you can take his one awful play and apply it universally to his entire game, but that's silly.

Also, to refute the bolded, as if it needed to be disputed, did you notice his penalty killing? His last half of the game mirrored the entire team. Also, Stepan had arguably his worst game of the playoffs, that didn't help Nash either.

 

[Xref]

The spin move worked once ten years ago, and never again. SHOOT the puck! That was the stupidest play he's ever made.

Nash should be the front runner for the Conn Artist Trophy.....

 

[AHB*]

I made a simple observation that the first two goals that Hank let in were not played very well.

People jumped all over me and stated how he made 20 saves in the third. My response was that the saves were routine and should be stopped, resulting in more nonsense from the peanut gallery, but with no real substance.

Go back and rewatch the third and tell me where Hank was amazing.

I don't need a bozo analyst to see for me. And, please, stop with the "you don't know what your talking about". It's tired and used when people get emotional.

So you tell us to stop with the "you don't know what you're talking about" but it's ok for you to respond to a post of mine with "you're clearly wrong." And just leave it at that.

Unreal dude.

 

[Fugazy]

Anyone who says Nash isn't bringing anything to the table for this team is horribly mistaken. Yes it's frustrating that he isn't more effective with scoring chances, but he is playing an overall solid game.

 

[Tundra]

Anyone who says Nash isn't bringing anything to the table for this team is horribly mistaken. Yes it's frustrating that he isn't more effective with scoring chances, but he is playing an overall solid game.

The problem being that he is paid to score and not solely give a yeoman's effort. The rangers need results bad.

 

[Clown Fiesta]

Yeah it's a little bit ridiculous. Game 2 is a huge momentum swing in this series though.

Game two is big, they are talking about the Kings not playing their "A" game etc. Well I think we can all agree that outside the first 20-30 minutes of the game the Rangers played their "C" or "D" game.

We know what they're capable of and that wasn't it.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Anyone who says Nash isn't bringing anything to the table for this team is horribly mistaken. Yes it's frustrating that he isn't more effective with scoring chances, but he is playing an overall solid game.

...for a 3rd liner.

He needs to provide more. He just cant complete an offensive play. Its mind boggling.

 

[AHB*]

The problem being that he is paid to score and not solely give a yeoman's effort. The rangers need results bad.

Spot on.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I cant sign on to the notion that the Rangers didn't give a good enough effort for 60 minutes. I think a lot of it had to do with the Kings' adjustments after the first 15 minutes.

They started clogging the neutral zone, and started mitigating the Rangers' speed as a result. The Rangers have struggled all season when the middle of the ice gets taken away.

 

[Maximus]

Difference being that the Rangers dominated all of game 1 against the Canucks in 1994. Kirk McLean stole one and I believe Leetch hit the post just prior to the Canucks rush that lead to the OT goal.

Funny you guys are bringing up that '94 game as I was at that game. Like you guys said Rangers lost 3-2 in OT and Kirk McLean stole that game. And I do mean stole it...I think he made 55 saves. I recall Leetch hitting post that would have won it. Back to present time.

Keep this in mind: Yes we blew a winnable game but as I said a few times, no real pressure on Rangers unless we lose Game 2 than we have must games going forward. Obviously you don't want to get to that point where you HAVE to win both your home games but if that's what we have to do, that's what it will be. I don't think it will be that way as I do believe we are taking Game 2 Saturday and convincingly...something like 4-1.


That said and tell me if y'all agree, do we really care how we do it...I know I don't. So long as we get to Game 5 tied no worse than 2-2, we have done what we needed to do. It is Game 5 that that would be one of the games that Hank steals. I have thought this all along when I was thinking about how we could win this series. We have to get to Game 5 tied in the series and Hank then steals ala Kirk McLean back in '94 did to us Game 5.

Still feeling quite confident here. Alot of positives to take from last night despite the loss. Gotta fix and clean a few things up too. We'll be fine. Keep in mind also gents who are feeling we are done. We are as reslient as the Kings have been. If history is our judge from these playoffs, no question will be better Game 2...

 

[Xref]

“@stevezipay: #NYR not skating today, but we'll be speaking to the coach and a couple players in Santa Monica in about 90 minutes...â€

They didn't skate last night either........

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Thank goodness none of the shots were quality.

Dan Rosen ✔ @drosennhl
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According to @EliasSports, LA's 20-3 shot advantage in the 3rd was the largest differential in a Cup Final period since expansion in 67-68.

 

[nevesis]

@EliasSports, LA's 20-3 shot advantage in the 3rd was the largest differential in a Cup Final period since expansion in 67-68.

 

[Fugazy]

@EliasSports, LA's 20-3 shot advantage in the 3rd was the largest differential in a Cup Final period since expansion in 67-68.

 

[Xref]

I think a case can certainly be made he didn't play the first one well at all, he cheated and got caught. The second was an elite player making an elite play, it happens. The third, lol that was a great shot by a guy that has icewater in his veins, Hasek in his prime is letting that one in.

all of that^. The 1st goal was very bad. The rest were legit.

 

[Tundra]

I cant sign on to the notion that the Rangers didn't give a good enough effort for 60 minutes. I think a lot of it had to do with the Kings' adjustments after the first 15 minutes.

They started clogging the neutral zone, and started mitigating the Rangers' speed as a result. The Rangers have struggled all season when the middle of the ice gets taken away.

Kings started to get a more active forecheck in the latter part of the game which pinned the Rangers d back further. Then they just started collapsing like vultures on the ranger outlets in the neutral zone. I don't know if the Rangers have the superhuman conditioning to skate like they did in the first and maintain it through a series against a very disciplined, rugged team like the kings. The rangers need help from their PP bad, so they can dictate the play and set up their defensive system with a lead. They also can conserve some energy in the process.