Post-Game Talk: Rangers - Kings | SCF | Game 4

[xChrisTilDeathx]

does anyone know what changes AV did to the line up? it looks like he swapped Moore and Richards. And it worked. Im stating to think richards and Giraridi become a larger liability as the game goes on. I thing we need to move Stall or Stralzy up to play with Mac and have Gararidi play on our defensive third line.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

My dad-- who doesn't watch hockey, he's only watching the finals-- summed it up perfectly.

"The Kings skate circles around them. The Rangers pass too much and take all these whimpy shots. Lundqvist is their whole team."

It's friggin' true lol. The Kings have the better roster, for sure. But the better team has yet to be decided.

LGR!

Did he watch games 1-3? The Rangers were skating circles around the Kings for large stretches.

 

[Potvin still sux]

Hank will not be truly appreciated until he's gone.

 

[chosen]

That's ********.

Like it or not, Brad Richards is still a Conn Smythe winning veteran, and the "defacto captain" whatever the **** that means. He got here with Brad Richards, not particularly playing well either, there's nothing wrong with using the horses that got you here. This is the final, not the second round.

What about the risk in scratching Richards for a game, and our offense becomes more anemic? Scratching Richards is just as, if not MORE risky than keeping him in the game.

To call a coach stupid and egotistical cause he won't scratch an important player is stupid.

You're the one who appears stupid because you didn't even understand what I wrote. I said to take him off the power play. If that is stupid, then every hockey analyst is stupid.

Richards used to be good. So was Gordie Howe. Let's put him on the power play.

 

[TGWL]

Did he watch games 1-3? The Rangers were skating circles around the Kings for large stretches.

I think he meant, "Kings outskate us 1 - 1. They deke, get better positions on us and cause us to scramble. Rangers are a pass first team. They outwork teams with their speed, chasing the pucks and carrying it down the boards. We don't 1 -1 skate around players and cause them to scramble like the kings do."

 

[OverTheCap]

Hank needs to be in God-mode for 3 more games. It's possible. I thought Richards looked fine on the 4th line, but he should be off the PP in favor of Stralman.

Agreed. Pierre said AV should use Stralman instead of Richards on the point because he is having issues controlling the puck against LA's aggressive penalty killing.

I know Stralman hasn't done much in terms of producing offensively, but he has been poised with the puck in this series. It's weird how he gets absolutely no PP time when some of our pointmen are fumbling the puck left and right.

 

[aufheben]

Agreed. Pierre said AV should use Stralman instead of Richards on the point because he is having issues controlling the puck against LA's aggressive penalty killing.

I know Stralman hasn't done much in terms of producing offensively, but he has been poised with the puck in this series. It's weird how he gets absolutely no PP time when some of our pointmen are fumbling the puck left and right.

Yep. He's arguably our most poised defenseman, can move the puck well, and is right-handed. What the **** else do you need? Put Stralman - McDonagh on the point; At the very least we have another RH shot, and will reduce SH chances.

I don't get it. Brad Richards and John Moore should see as little ice time as possible. Other than the PP, I liked the lines last night.

I mean you have Girardi, who handles the puck like a live grenade, and John Moore, who is at best hit/miss defensively. I'd do:

----------[NET]-----------
---------Kreider----------
--------------------MSL---
-Stepan------------------
---------------------------
-Stralman---McDonagh-
---------------------------

No idea about the 2nd unit. I'd put park Boyle in front of Quick though, no doubt.

 

[LGRDunDunDunDunDa]

Hopeful...
We win game 5 and we get an extra day of rest and kings have extra day to think why they are giving us back this series and we take it to a game 7 where pressure is all on them.

 

[Whiplash27]

Win Game 5 and I think it goes to 7. Maybe I'm just too optimistic, but I don't see the Rangers losing Game 6 at home.

 

[AHB*]

Yep. He's arguably our most poised defenseman, can move the puck well, and is right-handed. What the **** else do you need? Put Stralman - McDonagh on the point; At the very least we have another RH shot, and will reduce SH chances.

I don't get it. Brad Richards and John Moore should see as little ice time as possible. Other than the PP, I liked the lines last night.

I mean you have Girardi, who handles the puck like a live grenade, and John Moore, who is at best hit/miss defensively. I'd do:

----------[NET]-----------
---------Kreider----------
--------------------MSL---
-Stepan------------------
---------------------------
-Stralman---McDonagh-


J. Moore - Girardi

I personally like J. Moore on the power play.

 

[Raspewtin]

You're the one who appears stupid because you didn't even understand what I wrote. I said to take him off the power play. If that is stupid, then every hockey analyst is stupid.

Richards used to be good. So was Gordie Howe. Let's put him on the power play.

Wow, if that was such an easy decision, why aren't you the coach?

Because you certainly implied that you know more than the coach by referring to his decisions as stupid and egotistical.

I don't understand why it's such a forgone conclusion that to change what's worked all season is just such an easy decision for the coaches.

Brad Richards at least has PP points in these playoffs. Putting Anton Stralman that has none this whole season, or John Moore who can shoot and skate but hasn't gotten the results, isn't this silver bullet everyone thinks it is.

And I don't want Richards on the PP, either. But to say the coaching staff is stupid for leaving him there is just ****ing arrogant.

 

[aufheben]

I personally like J. Moore on the power play.

I'm fine with leaving J. Moore on the PP, but he needs a defensively reliable partner. I'd like to have him on his offside as well, but that makes it even trickier. What worries me about J. Moore isn't his PP performance, it's what happens when the PP is over and he's still on the ice.

For the 2nd unit I'd like a reliable pair of pointmen, and just put out whichever forward line has been playing well.

 

[Fletch]

That's ********.

Like it or not, Brad Richards is still a Conn Smythe winning veteran, and the "defacto captain" whatever the **** that means. He got here with Brad Richards, not particularly playing well either, there's nothing wrong with using the horses that got you here. This is the final, not the second round.

What about the risk in scratching Richards for a game, and our offense becomes more anemic? Scratching Richards is just as, if not MORE risky than keeping him in the game.

To call a coach stupid and egotistical cause he won't scratch an important player is stupid.

What do you think the guys on the ice, and on the PP are saying when they see the "da facto captain" out there with no gas. Unable to get things going for his linemates. Unable to generate offense. There are enough leaders on this team that Richards' words may not be missed. I'm not saying scratch him, but it seems to many that he is un-scratchable, and that, in my opinion, is the wrong way at looking at things. This team still needs a shot in the arm. They held on my a pile of snow yesterday and had nothing left at the end of the game. They had nothing in the previous game and I do not know where they're going to find energy to play a team that's getting stronger. If the coach decides that scratching him is the shot in the arm this team needs, then I'd support that move and hope that perhaps another vet...MSL, or Nash, or Girardi, or somebody steps up in the locker room or the ice.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Wow, if that was such an easy decision, why aren't you the coach?

Because you certainly implied that you know more than the coach by referring to his decisions as stupid and egotistical.

I don't understand why it's such a forgone conclusion that to change what's worked all season is just such an easy decision for the coaches.

Brad Richards at least has PP points in these playoffs. Putting Anton Stralman that has none this whole season, or John Moore who can shoot and skate but hasn't gotten the results, isn't this silver bullet everyone thinks it is.

And I don't want Richards on the PP, either. But to say the coaching staff is stupid for leaving him there is just ****ing arrogant.

The PP has worked all season? Thats news to me.

Its been crap for months now, thanks largely to a cooked Brad Richards.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

Yep. He's arguably our most poised defenseman, can move the puck well, and is right-handed. What the **** else do you need? Put Stralman - McDonagh on the point; At the very least we have another RH shot, and will reduce SH chances.

I don't get it.

I don't get it either. It seems so obvious. At very least it will help with short-handed chances.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Regardless of whether Richards plays or doesn't, there is one objective. Win tomorrow.

LA is going to throw everything and the kitchen sink at us tomorrow. The last time they gave it their all in periods 2 and 3 to try and tie the game, it was game 1. In game 2 they were noticeably slower. I don't expend that trend to repeat itself. In fact, I think that they will muster every bit of energy that they can possibly have into game 5. The longer the series goes, the better for us, and the worse for them. Sutter and his players know that. Expect Friday to be their biggest effort.

Now, focus on that game. Win that game. If the Rangers are able to steal that game, and yes I say steal because I'm anticipating the Kings putting the pedal to the metal for the entirety of the game... the series gets very interesting.

After that, a lot more pressure starts coming LA's way. We need quite a bit of puck luck tomorrow to continue on. Fend them off tomorrow, live another day, and the outlook of this series completely changes.

 

[Whiplash27]

The importance of scoring the first goal is big. Not only because they're on the road, but it hasn't been easy for the Rangers to come back when giving up the first goal in these playoffs.

11-5 when scoring first
2-6 when giving up the first goal.

 

[Fugazy]

Yep. He's arguably our most poised defenseman, can move the puck well, and is right-handed. What the **** else do you need? Put Stralman - McDonagh on the point; At the very least we have another RH shot, and will reduce SH chances.

I don't get it. Brad Richards and John Moore should see as little ice time as possible. Other than the PP, I liked the lines last night.

I mean you have Girardi, who handles the puck like a live grenade, and John Moore, who is at best hit/miss defensively. I'd do:

----------[NET]-----------
---------Kreider----------
--------------------MSL---
-Stepan------------------
---------------------------
-Stralman---McDonagh-
---------------------------

No idea about the 2nd unit. I'd put park Boyle in front of Quick though, no doubt.

That's exactly what I want to see.

 

[Raspewtin]

The PP has worked all season? Thats news to me.

Its been crap for months now, thanks largely to a cooked Brad Richards.

The PP has been inconsistent, but has marginally produced all season. Pretty good for a PP largely lacking talent.

It's a little naive to place blame almost entirely on Richards for it being so bad. Stepan constantly deffering to MSL. Nobody being able to set up front except Kreider. EVERYONE's hesitance to shoot. A lot of things haven't gone right.

Richards is a somewhat sizable part of the problem, though, and I'm not arguing that.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

The importance of scoring the first goal is big. Not only because they're on the road, but it hasn't been easy for the Rangers to come back when giving up the first goal in these playoffs.

11-5 when scoring first
2-6 when giving up the first goal.

They have nothing to lose. They can't collapse anymore to try and limit mistakes. Mistakes will happen. They need to score 4 on Quick again.

 

[Raspewtin]

What do you think the guys on the ice, and on the PP are saying when they see the "da facto captain" out there with no gas. Unable to get things going for his linemates. Unable to generate offense. There are enough leaders on this team that Richards' words may not be missed. I'm not saying scratch him, but it seems to many that he is un-scratchable, and that, in my opinion, is the wrong way at looking at things. This team still needs a shot in the arm. They held on my a pile of snow yesterday and had nothing left at the end of the game. They had nothing in the previous game and I do not know where they're going to find energy to play a team that's getting stronger. If the coach decides that scratching him is the shot in the arm this team needs, then I'd support that move and hope that perhaps another vet...MSL, or Nash, or Girardi, or somebody steps up in the locker room or the ice.

I never said he's un-scratchable, and I never said he shouldn't be scratched.

It's just not an easy decision for the coaches to make. We are in the SCF after all, and Richards played a pretty big role in getting us here.

If Richards gets scratched and the team doesn't miss a beat, I am absolutely all for it. I just don't think it's this obvious decision everyone else thinks.

 

[aufheben]

That's exactly what I want to see.

1st unit is obvious, the 2nd unit...I have no idea.

 

[Fletch]

I never said he's un-scratchable, and I never said he shouldn't be scratched.

It's just not an easy decision for the coaches to make. We are in the SCF after all, and Richards played a pretty big role in getting us here.

If Richards gets scratched and the team doesn't miss a beat, I am absolutely all for it. I just don't think it's this obvious decision everyone else thinks.

It's not an easy and obvious decision. I agree. As coach you need to replace those minutes, then the minutes of who's replacing him while trying to still get top-line production still and balance on the other lines. Agreed with that. Perhaps misunderstood what you were saying.

 

[Vickers8]

I personally like J. Moore on the power play.

JM got the puck to the net and set up a bunch of good chances

 

[Raspewtin]

It's not an easy and obvious decision. I agree. As coach you need to replace those minutes, then the minutes of who's replacing him while trying to still get top-line production still and balance on the other lines. Agreed with that. Perhaps misunderstood what you were saying.

There's a distinct difference between this situation, and the last situation in which Richards was scratched, against Boston last year. That was the semi-finals, with Richards having done exactly jack-**** all playoffs. He literally had no positives from those playoffs. Was it necessarily a no-brainer to scratch him? I don't think so, but I definitely agreed with the decision. Richards played a big part in getting us here, though he sucked ass against Montreal, he was very good against Pitts and Philly. The coaches know that too. I'm not one bit surprised he isn't getting scratched, though his play of late has absolutely warranted it.