Post-Game Talk: New York Rangers @ Columbus Blue Jackets - Oct 13, 2017

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Sure. If the proper pairs we put together then it could be a good defense.

McD had to carry Girardi along all those years and they did OK for the most part...that can be done with Shattenkirk as well (BUT with added offense, not saying Shattenkirk is a top pair dman but McD can carry the defensive workload). Then use Smith and Skjie, and ADA and Staal..boom..good defense. But nope. He wants to shuffle everything around every 2 periods so zero chemistry is formed and nobody out there knows whats going on.

I don't exactly agree. People here talk about a McDonagh and Shattenkirk pairing for some strange reason because they like to envision them as a 1 and 2 defensemen, but you can't just throw players together to play your most important minutes who play opposite games. McDonagh at the very least needs to play with a guy who's going to give effort defensively and can keep up physically with the rigors of tough defensive minutes, he can't play with a PP specialist. Shattenkirk is a good player, but his fit with this team is not on a top pairing, he's not a top pairing defensemen on any team because he can't defend. Put Mac with Skjei, thats the best solution we have. Skjei will try to play a defensive game, he's big and physical. Thats as good as it will get with this team trying to have a shutdown pairing. Let Shattenkirk play with Smith who can give some defensive balance to that line, and then put Staal with DeAngelo, giving that pairing some of the same thing as the above pairing.

 

[Levitate]

Gorton sleeping at the wheel in that Panarin move - he won that game himself almost with that goal.

You post the weirdest stuff

Anyways, a few thoughts.

Thought Smith had a nice comeback game, he and Skjei were decent. McDonagh seems to kind of disappear a bit paired with Holden it seemed. Same with Shattenkirk and Staal. Shattenkirk's positioning is all over the place for sure but honestly I still think the best move is to pair him with McDonagh and run that pairing to push as much offense as possible. Also McDonagh is going to be able to cover for Shattenkirk's flubs far better than anyone else on the roster.

Forwards are pretty much a mess and not just because of the line pairings. They once again fell apart in terms of defense and positioning and supporting their defense. Rangers are going to have to trade one of Miller or Hayes at some point...not just because of money concerns but because you just can't have two guys who never shoot the puck, constantly curl back in the offensive zone, and make too many extra moves trying to make the one perfect move. In general most of the forwards just played poorly. Not enough players going to the net, everyone stops and glides and watches the guy with the puck get converged on by 3 opponents. drive to the net and get the puck to the net. If you keep doing that you'll open up the fancier passes but you can't just keep floating around all the time.

Ultimately the coaches have yet to figure out what to do with the defense and have not gotten the forwards to figure out what kind of game to play. On the other hand I feel like I say this every year because every year it seems like the Rangers start out and can't play the "system" and look terrible and then suddenly it clicks and they go on a rampage, but I'm especially concerned this year that the GM gave the coaches a mobile puck moving defense, the coaches said they sat down to figure out how to use them, then they immediately panic 2 games into the season and revert back to the same old same old and surprise surprise that isn't working either.

I think AV has manged to get a lot out of guys and rosters you wouldn't expect it from but it looks sometimes like he's also letting the get away with too much at this point. There's too much bad decision making masquerading as "creativity" out there

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I'll take nothing over crap like the rest of the roster sans 2-3 players.

I guess...but I feel like he has been crap as well and taking away ice from better players who could do something in his spot (like on the PP).

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

We need to draft high talent!

Panarin was a UDFA but yeah, they should have been in on him.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Hah, I thought DD has looked pretty good tbh.

He's not scored a point this season.

 

[aufheben]

I guess...but I feel like he has been crap as well and taking away ice from better players who could do something in his spot (like on the PP).

He's not scored a point this season.

So what? Shattenkirk and Zibanejad have created like 3/4 of this team's goals anyway.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I don't exactly agree. People here talk about a McDonagh and Shattenkirk pairing for some strange reason because they like to envision them as a 1 and 2 defensemen, but you can't just throw players together to play your most important minutes who play opposite games. McDonagh at the very least needs to play with a guy who's going to give effort defensively and can keep up physically with the rigors of tough defensive minutes, he can't play with a PP specialist. Shattenkirk is a good player, but his fit with this team is not on a top pairing, he's not a top pairing defensemen on any team because he can't defend. Put Mac with Skjei, thats the best solution we have. Skjei will try to play a defensive game, he's big and physical. Thats as good as it will get with this team trying to have a shutdown pairing. Let Shattenkirk play with Smith who can give some defensive balance to that line, and then put Staal with DeAngelo, giving that pairing some of the same thing as the above pairing.

I don't disagree.

Put the pairs you said out there. That could work too. But the problem is he changes everything every 2 periods. Then decides to throw an AHLer in there for 2 games at the start of the season when the real NHLers should be gaining chemistry with each other. I just dont understand.

 

[Levitate]

He's not scored a point this season.

It was worth a shot but he's too small to hold onto the puck and his decision making especially in this game has been terrible. fast rush up the ice into the offense zone? better cut to the middle of the ice right into a defender and put your back to him like you think you're the 6'4 Rick Nash and not hte 5'7 Desharnais and immediately lose the puck

 

[LeetchisGod]

Rick Nash is basically stealing money at this point. He's a penalty killing third liner making $8 million dollars a year. Should have sold high on him when we had the chance.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Where is Chris Kreider?

We can criticize him, but he has three points in five games, I don't think he's been too bad thus far. He'll pick it up, I'm more worried about our utter lack of forward depth. Where are Grabner, Desharnais, Vesey? Have they even combined for a point yet this season? What about Nash? Does he have a point?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I don't disagree.

Put the pairs you said out there. That could work too. But the problem is he changes everything every 2 periods. Then decides to throw an AHLer in there for 2 games at the start of the season when the real NHLers should be gaining chemistry with each other. I just dont understand.

AV is a big part of the problem, I think nearly everyone agrees with that.

 

[Ori]

The comment was not too serious - more like a prank one liner, but the Panarin goal was beautiful though.

 

[Irishguy42]

We can criticize him, but he has three points in five games, I don't think he's been too bad thus far. He'll pick it up, I'm more worried about our utter lack of forward depth. Where are Grabner, Desharnais, Vesey? Have they even combined for a point yet this season? What about Nash? Does he have a point?

Yeah the forward depth is bad. Top 6 is good. Bottom 6 is uhhh....what's the word I'm looking for...

...oh. "There"

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I just hope that no stupid panic moves occur if things really go off the rails this year.

I don't think it would be the worst thing in the world, but it would be nice to get an actual coach in here to see what they have with this group.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

I think we all knew Grabner probably wasn't going to score like he did last year

Vesey, I'm not sure what to say, I think if he gets one, they might start coming

If only we had defensive stalwart Dan Girardi back there to show everyone how to play defense

Everyone sans for a couple has been underperforming. It will probably get better as the season goes on.

Or it won't and hopefully they win a lottery pick

 

[Synergy27]

I think most players would have had their ankles broken by Panarin on that goal.

Sure, it looked bad by Shatty, but I think you could replace him with anyone and it would look just as bad.

Yeah, no. Panarin is right handed and poses very little danger on the outside where Shattenkirk over committed. You very rarely see NHL defenseman cede the slot on a deke like that.

That was like a soccer goal where you know the striker has a dominant foot and the defenseman allows him to get the ball on that foot anyway. Just a terrible play which would be bad enough on its own but happened to be accompanied by many others tonight.

At this rate I feel a little bad for the guy because his hometown status isn't going to keep the boo birds away.

 

[Ori]

The expansion draft hit us so hard and really unfortunate. Las Vegas is a city for wedding couples and gambling - it's like Ibiza, but with desert around the city!

 

[Casper The Soy Ghost]

I missed tonight's game, it was my rehearsal dinner.

Tomorrow night is my wedding.

The next 10 days I will be in the Caribbean on my honeymoon. Wow, things will probably change BIG TIME by the time I am back from my honeymoon. This board will either be in disaster tank mode or we will be on a streak (hopefully) and everything will be fine. We will need AV to pull his head out of his butt to do that though. Either way, I'll still be right back here.


Anyway, how was tonight's game. It seems we can't score. That's not good. How was Hank?

You lucky bastard, congrats!


Edit: take AV with u and maroon his ass far from civilization please.

 

[egelband]

We need to draft high talent!

They do have Hayes.

 

[Casper The Soy Ghost]

They do have Hayes.

Kevin "Spicoli" Hayes.

 

[Leonardo87]

 

[egelband]

On the positive side, Zibanejab has scored in every game so far.

 

[Leonardo87]

Rick Nash is basically stealing money at this point. He's a penalty killing third liner making $8 million dollars a year. Should have sold high on him when we had the chance.

Rick Nash looks good out there and is putting the effort. They just are not going In for him. Yeah he is overpaid for what he brings now but this entire team is so out of sync it is unfair to single out just one player. Imo .

 

[egelband]

Rick Nash looks good out there and is putting the effort. They just are not going In for him. Yeah he is overpaid for what he brings now but this entire team is so out of sync it is unfair to single out just one player. Imo .

Actually I’d go far as to say most of the team looks ok individually. They just aren’t quite in synch so they look sloppy. Of course it’s the coach’s job to get them in synch but that comes and goes. Hopefully they can get it together soon.

 

[LeetchisGod]

Rick Nash looks good out there and is putting the effort. They just are not going In for him. Yeah he is overpaid for what he brings now but this entire team is so out of sync it is unfair to single out just one player. Imo .

It's unfair to single out our highest paid forward who has zero points? If that were true, we should never criticize anyone.