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Post-Game Talk: Panthers at Rangers

  • Thread starter Thread starter *Bob Richards*
  • Start date Start date
I know people harp on the fact that the forwards are different this season and that may explain a slide from 1st in the East to battling for an 8th seed, but to me this season the D is meh even outright bad at times, and while being good, Henrik isn't in GOD MODE the way he was last year. I think that is the difference more than Dubi, Arty, Prust & Feds not being here anymore.
 
TankLarkin said:
Callahan is not a Captain. He plays hard every night but seems to be too shy to call out the slackers on the team. Messier yes, Cally no. Replacement? Nobody. That's how sad this team is.
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I disagree here. He leads by example on the ice. A good captain isn't good because he calls people out in interviews.
 
Even if the Rangers get into the playoffs, they aren't going anywhere. Last year they were winning the 1-0; 2-1; 3-1 games, this year they aren't. They can't score. They have very little in the pipeline in terms of high end offensive skill players. Doesn't help that their system doesn't really fit the players they have. If they trade Gaborik, I'm not trading him for a bunch of 3rd/4th line checkers/muckers/grinders. That's all you would get if you traded him now; better to wait until the summer when more teams may be in the mix, get a better package back. They do need upgrades on the 3rd/4th lines, but you don't waste an asset like Gaborik to get them. Those players cost a mid-low draft pick and a minor leaguer/someone else's 3rd/4th line checker/grinder/mucker. Trade whoever you can for draft choices and prospects.

This season is pretty much done. They are not this year's LA Kings, the Kings last year had more talent, they underachieved until the playoffs.
 
Bob Richards said:
Going to agree with you here. Guys like Richards definitely need to be held more accountable. Boyle has been healthily scratched so I'd say he's gotten his doghouse moments.
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i love when torts defended Richards by saying "he cares too much" and he can't do anything to help the the team... trying too hard, blah, blah..

those were Drury's parting words...

I'm shaking my head in disbelief at what bum Richards is on this club.
i've got that sick feeling in my stomach i haven't had since 1998 when i see him play...
 
How about this PP line:

Del Zotto - Stralman - Girardi
Nash - Stepan

Maybe from up close, many shots won't end up going wide and high.
 
nsvoyageurs said:
Even if the Rangers get into the playoffs, they aren't going anywhere. Last year they were winning the 1-0; 2-1; 3-1 games, this year they aren't. They can't score. They have very little in the pipeline in terms of high end offensive skill players. Doesn't help that their system doesn't really fit the players they have. If they trade Gaborik, I'm not trading him for a bunch of 3rd/4th line checkers/muckers/grinders. That's all you would get if you traded him now; better to wait until the summer when more teams may be in the mix, get a better package back. They do need upgrades on the 3rd/4th lines, but you don't waste an asset like Gaborik to get them. Those players cost a mid-low draft pick and a minor leaguer/someone else's 3rd/4th line checker/grinder/mucker. Trade whoever you can for draft choices and prospects.

This season is pretty much done. They are not this year's LA Kings, the Kings last year had more talent, they underachieved until the playoffs.
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The Kings turned around when they got Sutter as coach, and he does know how to push the right buttons. He wasn't a very good GM with the Flames, but he does get through to players pretty well.
 
I kinda think that Torts is desperate to get Richards going at all costs. If Richards ultimately fails here, Torts is goner and he knows it.

The irony is that Richie could seriously look better in a different system.
 
Richards just looks SOOOOOOOOO old out there. Like what Halpern should look like but doesn't.
 
Some stray observations:

Gaborik looks fat. Richards looks fat. Maybe some players do better with time off (re: lockout) than others? Gaborik seems to be regaining his form. Richards play is super worrisome. He looks like a shell of his former self. If he goes the way of Drury we won't be a contender for a while. Maybe he has an off season and regains his form next season and then we're okay again? He has/had way more talent than Drury so it's not that unlikely.

Players seem different. More individualistic. More primma donna-like. I pick this up from the play and also the interviews. Defensive in their answers. We blew up probably the best lockerroom in the league from last year, attitude wise. The blue collar ethos is gone.

I hear so much about "talent on paper." We have uber talent on paper in the top two lines. But it's an illusion. It's like having an ice cream sundae that's all sprinkles and saying this is a really good sundae. Our bottom two lines are non-existent. The average of 100 and 0 is 50 = failing.

Honestly, I think this team was hurt more by the lockout and not having a training camp than any other team.
 
Bob Richards said:
Richards just looks SOOOOOOOOO old out there. Like what Halpern should look like but doesn't.
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Why does Jeff Halpern skate better than Richards? I thought, coming into this season, that Halpern would be too old and slow for the 4th line. Yet he's actually hustling out there. At this point, put him on the top line, I don't care.

And here is the magic of Dan Girardi:

charlie460 said:
Ugh.

20130322136391990166125.gif
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We need Marc Staal back.
 
Grind Jam Grind said:
Why does Jeff Halpern skate better than Richards? I thought, coming into this season, that Halpern would be too old and slow for the 4th line. Yet he's actually hustling out there. At this point, put him on the top line, I don't care.

And here is the magic of Dan Girardi:



We need Marc Staal back.
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I think that's a problem with a lot of players. It's like they're scared of getting an icing or getting the puck over the glass.
 
trilobyte said:
The Kings turned around when they got Sutter as coach, and he does know how to push the right buttons. He wasn't a very good GM with the Flames, but he does get through to players pretty well.
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You mean like he did when his Flames were up 3-2 in the SCF against the Bolts(coached by Torts) and ended up losing the series and the cup??
 
Rangers had what, 44 (?) shots tonight? 44 shots of jager and patron to celebrate Callahan's birthday before the game...

Disgusting effort tonight.
 
theJUMPER said:
I know people harp on the fact that the forwards are different this season and that may explain a slide from 1st in the East to battling for an 8th seed, but to me this season the D is meh even outright bad at times, and while being good, Henrik isn't in GOD MODE the way he was last year. I think that is the difference more than Dubi, Arty, Prust & Feds not being here anymore.
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So what's Ottawa's excuse for sitting pretty at the 5 seed and being without their top players? Change in player personnel hasn't seemed to bother them much. We add one of the most coveted offensive threats in the league while only giving up some below average players, on top of already having another (ex) offensive threat and (ex) elite playmaker, and can't buy a goal with their combined ~$25mil salary. The problem may not lay exclusively in the players. Our defense is acceptable most nights. Our offense hasn't been acceptable in pretty much the last 2 decades. Torts's inflexibility and concrete-set system hasn't helped alleviate any problems either. IMO the whole front office should be gutted except Gorton and whoever Gorton directly works with outside of Sather. Something fresh needs to happen somewhere other than at the player level. Otherwise we're just going to keep praying and going through a revolving door, hoping to get the perfect storm of mercenary players to lead us to a Cup.
 
ImIdaho said:
I think that's a problem with a lot of players. It's like they're scared of getting an icing or getting the puck over the glass.
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I think Girardi thought McDonagh was going to go for that soft little dish pass. He was wrong. Maybe I'm wrong too but that is what it looked like to me.

Edit: sorry, quoted the wrong post
 
The only consolation to this night is that I am currently speaking to Bill Pidto via Twitter.
 
trilobyte said:
I think Girardi thought McDonagh was going to go for that soft little dish pass. He was wrong. Maybe I'm wrong too but that is what it looked like to me.
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That could have been the case.

Though, this season, I've lost count how many times they've tried to clear the puck by softly passing it or shooting it. If you're going to get it out, just ****ing hammer it away.
 
htk30 said:
So what's Ottawa's excuse for sitting pretty at the 5 seed and being without their top players? Change in player personnel hasn't seemed to bother them much. We add one of the most coveted offensive threats in the league while only giving up some below average players, on top of already having another (ex) offensive threat and (ex) elite playmaker, and can't buy a goal with their combined ~$25mil salary. The problem may not lay exclusively in the players. Our defense is acceptable most nights. Our offense hasn't been acceptable in pretty much the last 2 decades. Torts's inflexibility and concrete-set system hasn't helped alleviate any problems either. IMO the whole front office should be gutted except Gorton and whoever Gorton directly works with outside of Sather. Something fresh needs to happen somewhere other than at the player level. Otherwise we're just going to keep praying and going through a revolving door, hoping to get the perfect storm of mercenary players to lead us to a Cup.
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I concur
 
Just got home from the game.

LOL the fact that we had to pull Hank on a PP pretty much speaks for itself.

We had the looks but couldn't capitalize. I can think of at least 2 pucks that floated to the slot but nobody was there to take the shot.
 
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