PlamsUnlimited
Big Church Bells
Of course not--Babcock got his players to overperform and make the second round of the playoffs in a year when no one expected them to even make the playoffs. He's definitely gone.
And just in case:
you forgot the
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you forgot the
Detroit made a good hire with Babcock in 2005. Babcock's contract expired after the 2nd lockout. Burke was new on the job and offered Babcock a 1 year extension. Babcock has 2 years remaining on his Wings contract. Bryan Murray hired Babcock in Anaheim. Murray hired Paul MacLean in Ottawa. He also hired Cory Clouston. Can't win them all.
KingWantsCup
#FightLikeHell
AV is my favorite of who's available now. I might prefer Bylsma is he's made available. The most attractive thing about him is that he runs an offense first system that we really need. He has his fair share of downsides, but offensively speaking he's gonna let this team run and gun, which is very exciting and (IMO) modern hockey.
SingnBluesOnBroadway
Retired
Bylsma played to his team's strengths and have the horses to play that system. Does he have the personnel here to play that way?
As I recall lots of people thought the same thing when Torts was hired and the question was asked "where are this team's (meaning the Rangers) Lecavalier, St. Louis and Dan Boyle?"
I don't care about being exciting. I care about winning. If the powerplay was so anemic, the image of this whole team would change.
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This is very true. There is an awful lot of randomness that goes into winning each year. It's easy to llok back and wax poetic about how well constructed Boston is now. Boston didn't wear Toronto down. Quite the opposite actually as Toronto got better as the series went on.
Detroit had Chichago beat.
The Devils went to the Finals last year after being down 3-2 to Florida and having to win Game 6 in OT. They easily could have been eliminated.
The Kings barely made the playoffs last year. The Flyers went to the Finals few years back after beating us in a SO to qualify.
I think we are closer to being a team that has a run like this than alot of people think.
JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK
Twenty f*ckin years
- Oct 8, 2010
- 80,014
- 17,624
I don't think the team is more than average-to-above-average up front. That said, I think there are some very, very nice offensive pieces in place (Stepan, Nash, Brassard, Hagelin, Callahan, Zuccarello, and, hopefully, Kreider).
Personally, I think this team could be effective offensively with the cast up front if the new coach implements a proper breakout. That was my biggest gripe with Tortorella. You can't tell me that a defense of McDonagh, Del Zotto, Stralman, and Moore is destined to fail at transitioning the puck. Throw Staal in there to start next season.
A lot of elite teams offense starts in the defensive zone, with a quick, crisp breakout. Too many times with Tortorella, the Rangers barely limped over the offensive blueline only to have to puck taken away almost immediately. That isn't a personnel problem. That's a coaching problem. Look at Boston. Their forward group is superior to ours, but I wouldn't consider their blueline to be better, yet they were a lot more effective in comparison to ours. Why? Well, Julien actually has his defense get involved in the offensive game. The Rangers rarely utilized their D offensively, or on the rush.
A coach like Ruff will get the defense involved. I'm going back and forth between wanting Ruff, Vigneault, and Stevens. I just want a coach who will properly utilize one of the best bluelines in the league.
Personally, I think this team could be effective offensively with the cast up front if the new coach implements a proper breakout. That was my biggest gripe with Tortorella. You can't tell me that a defense of McDonagh, Del Zotto, Stralman, and Moore is destined to fail at transitioning the puck. Throw Staal in there to start next season.
A lot of elite teams offense starts in the defensive zone, with a quick, crisp breakout. Too many times with Tortorella, the Rangers barely limped over the offensive blueline only to have to puck taken away almost immediately. That isn't a personnel problem. That's a coaching problem. Look at Boston. Their forward group is superior to ours, but I wouldn't consider their blueline to be better, yet they were a lot more effective in comparison to ours. Why? Well, Julien actually has his defense get involved in the offensive game. The Rangers rarely utilized their D offensively, or on the rush.
A coach like Ruff will get the defense involved. I'm going back and forth between wanting Ruff, Vigneault, and Stevens. I just want a coach who will properly utilize one of the best bluelines in the league.
Your right of course. Miracles and bounces. Not to be snide, but I prefer to focus on the math. One Cup. 73 Years. That's an awfully long time in between miracles and bounces for the Rangers.
In that time the Rangers have done one thing exceptionally well. Not win.
I think if we iced a team that actually intimidated, and physically out classed the opposition more than once or so in a generation the numbers might actually be different. But what the hell do I know.
You've hit upon my biggest fear - a coach coming in thats mandated to open up the offense, yet doesnt possess the horses to do it effectively. It may not take long for the Hank bashing to commence at that point.
I see your point but I cant agree with it completely. There were plenty of opportunities, every game, for players gather speed through the neutral zone and make a creative play. They just didnt do it. I think its a bunch of baloney that Tortorella's system limited that kind of stuff. I just dont think we have many players that are exceptionally gifted off the rush.
JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK
Twenty f*ckin years
- Oct 8, 2010
- 80,014
- 17,624
I don't even know what people mean when they say "open up the offense". I'm pretty clear in my interpretation of what I'd like to see adjusted — "open up the offense" is such a broad, unspecific complaint.
Bylsma would be awful for this team, IMO. His teams lack composure.
Some fans just want to see track meets up and down the ice. Theres a ton of potent offenses in this division. The Rangers lead the pack in defense/goaltending. So, someone needs to let me know why run and gun would benefit the Rangers. As SBOB noted, the most exciting thing for me is winning games.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
The main thing I want to see is a coach utilize our mobile players better. McDonagh and Staal are quite mobile on the back-end, but I never see them being played to that strength. That is one thing that Torts did that really bothered me to no end. He also enjoyed pairing slow players with slow players.
Agreed. McDonagh, Moore and Stralman are all excellent skating defenseman that play great positional, defensive hockey with their active stick-checking. However, I see none of them having major offensive talent to generate offense off the rush. This is evident by their pedestrian numbers in the AHL/College/Juniors/SEL. Only MDZ is a dman IMO that resembles consistent offensive creativity, despite some brutal decision making at times.
This is why IMO, the Rangers biggest flaw is the lack of creative, skating, offensive dman, preferably RH. Kevin Shattenkirk is that type of player.
JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK
Twenty f*ckin years
- Oct 8, 2010
- 80,014
- 17,624
Yup. Agreed 100%. McDonagh/Staal should be jumping into the rush whenever they can. If a player like Johnny Boychuk can consistently jump into the rush, McDonagh/Staal can.
Clown Fiesta
Registered User
No track meets, just sustained pressure and an effective offensive zone setup. Didn't like the behind the goal line stuff Torts insisted on, he definitely didn't have the horses for that this year.
Can we afford to give up a few more rushes with Hank in net? Probably. Is it a smart thing to do, no.
Can we afford to give up a few more rushes with Hank in net? Probably. Is it a smart thing to do, no.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
PlamsUnlimited
Big Church Bells
Jabroni
The People's Champ
- Jun 1, 2008
- 7,526
- 174
JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK
Twenty f*ckin years
- Oct 8, 2010
- 80,014
- 17,624
HockeyBasedNYC
Feeling it
I think its silly if the Rangers dont wait to see if Tippett will become available as he has to be one the top 3 candidates out there.
Even if you have to wait until after the draft. Unless they know something we dont I'd be disappointed if they didnt wait.
Everything ive read about Glendale and the arena deal suggests that they wont have a management group take control until June 30th at the earliest (and thats tentative).
Even if you have to wait until after the draft. Unless they know something we dont I'd be disappointed if they didnt wait.
Everything ive read about Glendale and the arena deal suggests that they wont have a management group take control until June 30th at the earliest (and thats tentative).
Jabroni
The People's Champ
- Jun 1, 2008
- 7,526
- 174
Both are mobile, they just need to work on getting shots to the net and walking the blue line. Too many times we keep our D-men to the outside walls.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
That all comes in with skating and speed as well. The lack of utilizing our players' speed really hurt the transition game.
Or is it...
'The lack of speed of our players really hurt the transition game.'
Time will tell...
And you are right as well.
Winning cures everything.
I just don't think we are that far off. A couple of tweaks; a gritty physical winger in the top 6, a more productive 4th line (Somebody better than Asham on the 4LW- Boyle - Dorsett) and we can give these guys a run for their money.
The xfactor is the coach and the system he brings along.
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