Post-Game Talk: Pointless

[GoAwayPanarin]

Gus getting walked is Miller's fault? And 3 Rangers turning their back to Stampkos puck watching while Miller pressures the puck on the boards is Miller's fault?

Some people just can't wait to place the blame on him for everything.

 

[GENESISPuck94]

I'm still stunned by the duclair noncall. The ref is literally on camera watching him bury lindgren after a clean hit. The ref actually can be seen speaking to duclair AS IT HAPPENSView attachment 836250View attachment 836252View attachment 836251

Tampa is still an NHL darling team. They'll push them like the Pens, Vegas, Caps used to be, Kings used to be, Blackhawks used to... NHL thinks it's competing with the NFL where most of its viewers are casuals who know nothing about the sport and just want to see repeat champions because numbskulls like that stuff... NHL is different and unless you're a Bolts fan you despise them. No one outside of western FLA gives a rats ass about the Lightning. Nobody outside of western PA likes Crosby. But the NHL will NHL. They think there's casuals like the NFL but there isn't. There's basically only die hard fans of each team. That's why you can't market specific players in this sport these days. In the past sure, everyone wanted to see Gretz and Mario. Nobody is storming the bars to catch an Oilers game to get a glimpse of McDavid. Nobody gives a shit about the Lightning.

Seeing a ref and a linesman staring at a blatant penalty on camera exposes the league for what it is. A WWE level joke. They'll go to the tablet to review a high stick or a puck glancing off the glass but they'll stand there staring at that Duclair play and swallow their whistle exposing themselves for the frauds they are.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Some people just can't wait to place the blame on him for everything.

Agreed.

 

[Atax]

It really is crazy how quick this group of fans is to start flinging their own shit when the team loses.

Oh and we got to see what the team looks like without Zib for the last part of the second period there. Anyone enjoy that stretch? Perhaps a teachable moment for the class?



Spoiler: Mika may be their most important player.

He's stunk all year and theyre in first place.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I don't mind these type of losses. I think we have played over our head this season. These losses remind the team how hard it will be in the playoffs. Im hoping for a playoff run as much as anyone but we will need to earn it. I think in terms of overall talent we are probably 8-10 in the league. Im hoping for another 1979 or 2014 where we had talent but got hot at the right time.

 

[leetch99]

Lose for Philly .

 

[will1066]

Some people just can't wait to place the blame on him for everything.

You're talking about Brodzinski, right?

 

[CLW]

Agree the schedule did them no favors.

But a stark reminder that you need 60 min of execution to beat Tampa when they are fired up. First half-sih of the game up until the 1st goal was flat-out phenomenal by the NYR. But a few mistakes and bad shifts and the beast awoke. Sound familiar?

NYR are absolutely deeper and should prevail in a 7 game series but TB will not be an easy out and will almost certainly take a bite out of whoever they play.

Yeah, Tampa is best avoided. They play nasty not to say dirty. Florida Tampa would be a war again and I'd be surprised if Barkov made it out of that series in one piece.

 

[kovazub94]

You're talking about Brodzinski, right?

Execution mistake aside, If Laviolette chooses to play Goodrow at center then probably Edstrom is a better option as his wing than Brodzinski. At least I’d rotate 4C between Goodrow and Brodzinski to see who fits better.

 

[mxyxptlk]

Good loss to remind Drury that this team needs grit and toughness like Rempe and Edstrom not Johnny hot wheels brodzinski. Guarantees Rempe is back in the lineup ASAP.

I think Drury is the last person that needs to be reminded about this.

 

[DialUp]

Look, if Tampa is still a team that one mistake tilts the rest of the game in their favor then they will remain dangerous in the playoffs. Felt like last night even if the Rangers scored 5 before the bad Brod play Tampa would have potted 6 anyway.

 

[mas0764]

The Panarin Lafreniere Trocheck line has cooled down and the Mika line hasn't heated up.

We are struggling a bit right now.

I maintain that we really need that #1 center and Mika is not it.

Even in his heydey he couldn't take over a game like Point just did. Yes, he had that one 5 goal game, but the Lightning just jumped on us and swarmed. Mika doesn't have the motor to do that.

I'm telling you. This team needs to upgrade Mika and Trouba this offseason, it should be priority 1.

Move those two out, get a real 1C and get another first pair D.

We have the assets to go 1C hunting.

 

[GG96]

When they decide they want to play like it is the 1970s and flail their sticks and try to go end to end with teams like Florida and Tampa that’s when they suck

 

[mas0764]

Send brodzinski down, guy stinks

Tampa has the alpha energy, Rangers have so many beta players that are subconsciously wanting to be bent over and rammed.

Even Duclair, just acquired, looked like he was buzzing.

Our guys just float.

 

[Raspewtin]

the second half sucked but it really wasn't the worst game in the world. It took Point going absolutely ape shit for Tampa to win. I'm not that bothered by it. Move on.

 

[mas0764]

Maybe it was fatigue but the Rangers just don’t generate enough offense. Even throughout this stretch after the deadline it’s been their defense limiting chances more than anything.

We desperately need a high energy first line. Mika and Kreider are zombies.

Kreider can stay but Mika has to be changed out. He's not a bad player, he is not even necessarily a bad value $8.5m (well, this season he is), but he can't be your alpha on a Cup winner. He's just not that guy.

 

[duhmetreE]

the team lost all of their steam after the Brodz turnover.

they ran out of gas after the gut punch. Played a horrible mental game and were very poor in the last 30 minutes managing the puck.

Scheduled losses are a real thing. It is what it is.

 

[mas0764]

Team playing with skill vs team playing with heart/fight. Skilled team ends up getting bumblefkkd off the ice.

Doesn’t seem to bode well for playoffs, regardless of who the Rangers draw.

But it's not just that one team has heart and fight.

It's that they have elite skilled scorers who play with heart and fight.

We have lesser talented players who also don't play with fight.

Panarin is the only ace forward we have that equals Kucherov, Point or Stamkos.

the team lost all of their steam after the Brodz turnover.

they ran out of gas after the gut punch. Played a horrible mental game and were very poor in the last 30 minutes managing the puck.

Scheduled losses are a real thing. It is what it is.

In a vacuum this isn't a horrible loss and it's not worth overreacting to.

But it does reinforce the ultimate changes we know that we need.

 

[jerseyjinx94]

I don’t know I get that Tampa is “mid” this year as some of you have said but the last team I want to play in round 1 is one with Vasilevskiy, Point, Hedman, Kucherov, Stamkos. Just me

 

[CasusBelli]

Saw the first period, thinking we have this in the bag. Went back to work. Saw 6-3 final score.

What the hell!?

It's a common look in Florida

not at all a joke

During my senior year of high school there (c. 2005), it used to be double-polos with popped collars (Paco Rabanne optional). Special fashion sense over there.

 

[will1066]

Even Duclair, just acquired, looked like he was buzzing.

Our guys just float.

Some guys definitely float. But team speed is not our forte. I think our puck movement going up 200 feet is creative and different from a lot of teams, but it's not particularly fast and it relies on good puck management habits.

 

[duhmetreE]

My biggest concern is the PP right now. It's been stale. A lot of standing around.

They had success against the Blues off of broken plays or getting the puck to the net with traffic. Simplify it until things open up

 

[GENESISPuck94]

On top of how stupid it is they didn't call Duclair... they decided to call Laf for some BS phantom interference when he was falling down.

I can forgive human error and interpreting things wrongly or differently based on perspective.

But blatantly making shit up and letting other things go is inexcusable.

The refs are either THAT incompetent, and one of them was celebrated for reffing 1000 NHL games last night, or the memo is out for them to make calls that sway the outcome.

 

[will1066]

Saw the first period, thinking we have this in the bag. Went back to work. Saw 6-3 final score.

What the hell!?

They started taking more risks pushing for offense. They were in a rush to get on the rush, and every little chip pass that tried to spring the rush was intercepted and transitioned the other way.

 

[CasusBelli]

My biggest concern is the PP right now. It's been stale. A lot of standing around.

They had success against the Blues off of broken plays or getting the puck to the net with traffic. Simplify it until things open up

Keep skating. It's remarkable how much hockey strategies have grown to resemble soccer ones (e.g., Carolina and Philadelphia with Gegenpressing). Wonder if we should consider a tiki-taka approach to the PP (forming triangles and rotating players to find / create open men around the puck and then shift the play to the other side).

Just a thought.