Post-Game Talk: New York Rangers at Minnesota Wild 3/13/2014

[Ola]

It's been five games. I know its tough to be patient down the stretch when the playoffs are on the line, but it's really not that surprising that the team is a little off after the Callahan trade. I'm sure they will eventually get their game together, and it would certainly help if Hank was Hank.

This.

A trade like this often makes you worse for a while. Or for...

Its a phenomen. Its just like if say a team has two superstars, and both are hurt and everyone exepects that team to just folds, but they actually keeps playing pretty well. Like when Pitt is without Sid and Malkin, Colorado without Forsberg and Sakic, and so forth. When you add a great player, it takes time to adjust. I don't know how many times I've seen it. I can like remember STL getting Gretzky to play with Hull when I search my memory and many trades after that one.

When Slats made this move, we had zero room for error the rest of the way. So it was a big risk he took, one of the reasons for why I was against the trade. Hopefully we can sort things out and start winning again (we have lost like what 5 of our last 7?). We don't have the toughest schedule. We have had some bad luck. I am not saying that we will miss the PO's. We will sort things out eventually like you say. But there is a risk that things could get ugly...

 

[LORENZO]

Anyone think they all just looked like overpaid arses last night?

 

[Kokoschka]

did not watch this game. Did anyone play well?

 

[Ail]

Ive been tied up for a few days. Logged on to see MSL getting ripped already LOL:

on Marty, sheesh, he could go scoreless the next 3 weeks and I wouldnt say a bad word about him or the trade.

Probably because you are a reasonable human being who doesn't have a raging hard-on for Ryan "Heart and Soul" Callahan.

Team must be playing bad, I am staring to see the "Fire AV" comments from October/November.

 

[RangerBoy]

This team isn't a Cup team. They should make the playoffs based on their schedule but that isn't a guarantee. They pissed away a favorable home schedule in December,January and the first week of February. 9-9-3. The schedule gets tougher this month. Last night in Minnesota. Winnipeg tonight. SJ on Sunday afternoon. The cushy schedule of playing "road" games in your backyard is over. Where the **** is Brad Richards? $9M salary for this? He has 1 assist in the last 5 games. The Rangers should keep him for the next 6 years What a joke. Richy should shut his mouth and start earning some of that $9M.

 

[Rangers ftw]

rick nash is a less injury prone gaborik

and turns over the puck twice as often. Damn I wish he would start showing that "game changing" ability everybody was talking about....

Real bad game...frustrating!

 

[chosen]

So we had Torts who constantly shuffled the lines and now we have AV who never shuffles the lines.


Maybe we can get someone in between...like someone who SHUFFLES THE LINE WHEN THEY NEED SHUFFLING

Or just maybe it is the personnel.

 

[chosen]

Kredier had a strong game.

It is sad what now passes for a strong game.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Cool, I hope during his "settling in" period, this team isn't mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. PHI wins 1 of their 2 GIH, and DET wins both of their 2 GIH, just like that, we're on the outside looking in. Hell, Ottawa has 3 games in hand on us, if they win them all, however unlikely, they'd be tied with us in points.

One good thing about this place. The entertainment value lost from having the NYR miss the PO's would be more than supplemented with the circus that would occur here. The circus would be warranted but it'd be something to see for sure. people will be renouncing their fandom left and right or threatening to renounce it. It'll get even more hostile and catty around here than usual. Getcher popcorn ready if the NYR miss the PO's

 

[Vickers8]

Originally Posted by Ryan McDonut
rick nash is a less injury prone gaborik

6'4" marshmallow, at least Gabby had a heart

 

[Vickers8]

This team isn't a Cup team.

Thats an understatement...

 

[Vickers8]

Richy should shut his mouth and start earning some of that $9M.

I agree

 

[eco's bones]

Don't see a hell of a lot of chemistry between Richards and St. Louis. IMO--the best player on that line last night was Kreider and wasn't even close. After Richards comments about Callahan the other day I thought he was ready to take charge. I guess I was mistaken.

Basically the offense has gone dysfunctional and we're in danger of not making the playoffs.

 

[pld459666]

What was the Sharks offer?

It's just weird, it seems like MSL is the perfect fit for this team. Great possession player replacing a mediocre one on a great possession team. Now the team is not even a good possession team. It just defies all logic.

No one knows, but because this is a Hockeys FUTURE message board and Sather himself stated that of the two offers he had, one was for now (MSL) and one was for the future.

Since the Sharks were rumored to have made the other offer for a FUTURE package, it had to be better.....right?

 

[True Blue]

An Illustration of Weakness

The game against the Wild showed why I believe that this team, as constituted, is not built for playoff success. The Wild scored by whacking the puck continuously at the goalmouth. The same place where the Bruins embarrassed the Rangers from. The Rangers generate no pressure whatsoever on the Wild goalmouth. If the cannot generate off of the rush, they are sunk as they do not go to the net to score.

That type of hockey will not suffice in the playoffs. You need to win battles in the dirty areas of the ice. Taking all your shots from the outside will not result in wins. Nor will not clearing the bodies from in front of your own net.

Not sure how AV can address this, but in many ways this is the way that his Van teams lost.

 

[Nightshift]

St. Louis is pressing and it shows. As for the overall offense. It hasn't been consistent all season. This team wont sustain anything at even strength with 2 centers who literally skate like slugs.

 

[Idlerlee]

How many teams in the NHL have not had a bad loss streak this season ?

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

The game against the Wild showed why I believe that this team, as constituted, is not built for playoff success. The Wild scored by whacking the puck continuously at the goalmouth. The same place where the Bruins embarrassed the Rangers from. The Rangers generate no pressure whatsoever on the Wild goalmouth. If the cannot generate off of the rush, they are sunk as they do not go to the net to score.

That type of hockey will not suffice in the playoffs. You need to win battles in the dirty areas of the ice. Taking all your shots from the outside will not result in wins. Nor will not clearing the bodies from in front of your own net.

Not sure how AV can address this, but in many ways this is the way that his Van teams lost.

Good point.

I'll just add the other side of that. Why were the Wild allowed to "by whacking the puck continuously"? There was no hitting last night. No physical play. And the Wild got very comfortable out there.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

How many teams in the NHL have not had a bad loss streak this season ?

It's not that they are losing, it's the way they are losing.

Why does that sound so familiar?

 

[Trxjw]

Kreider had a better game than most others on the Rangers, but that's not saying much. Talbot turned in another solid game. The rest was pretty lousy though.

The powerplay went from pretty effective to absolute garbage pretty quickly. Though I'm sure that has nothing to do with trading for another RW who plays the same position as Nash and Zuccarello on the PP.

 

[True Blue]

How many teams in the NHL have not had a bad loss streak this season ?

This has nothing to do with a bad loss. This is what their style of play is now.

 

[True Blue]

And the Wild got very comfortable out there.

Teams have been comfortable all year when playing against the Rangers. The fact of the matter is that they are a very soft, easy team to play against.

 

[eco's bones]

Basically the last few games have just proven to me even more that Richards needs to go. There doesn't seem to be any chemistry between him and MSL. He worked better with a meat and potatoes plugger like Callahan.

When your supposedly best players are underachievers you've got a problem.

Richards--big underachiever.
MSL--I'll leave off him for now.
'I guess the Olympics are over' Rick Nash.

Henrik's had some crap games but he's nowhere near as bad as the above. Staal's had some problems. Streaks of excellent games. Streaks of not so excellent games.

The Rangers lack size. Reasons why Richards line has looked like **** might include Richards crap skating--his and Hagelin's lack of any physical presence and St. Louis' size. Not enough space being created. Hence Kreider gets moved onto the line. Looked odd in the 3rd period last night with Richards and MSL accomplishing almost nothing and CK making a number of really nice plays.

The steadiest part of the team is the defense--particularly the pair of McDonagh and Girardi and the 4th line when it's Moore-Carcillo-Boyle.

 

[CHGoalie27]

Great thread, it's all I can talk about the last few days…TGFHL

 

[OverTheCap]

Cool, I hope during his "settling in" period, this team isn't mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. PHI wins 1 of their 2 GIH, and DET wins both of their 2 GIH, just like that, we're on the outside looking in. Hell, Ottawa has 3 games in hand on us, if they win them all, however unlikely, they'd be tied with us in points.

Agreed, and generally when you acquire someone at the deadline, especially someone of Marty's caliber, the expectation is that they will start contributing right away. Not in Rangerstown.