Pre-Game Talk: Rangers @ Pittsburgh 4/16/16 3:00 PM EST

[Levitate]

When McDonagh comes back, Skjei is not the player to make way for him. It should be the other half of the gruesome twosome. Get both Staal and Girardi off the ice

Oh it'll definitely be Skjei. And honestly Staal hasn't been bad and is probably better defensively than Skjei at the moment, he just doesn't move the puck well.

 

[Gardner McKay]

After watching Girardi block Ovechkin shots and get hit all game long for years and barely ever miss a game, I don't buy that he's currently too injured to play a playoff game. This is a healthy scratch veiled as an injury.

Of course it is a healthy scratch. Do you think they would let Dan Girardi suffer that type of embarrassment? I certainly wouldn't if I was the coach. He has done too much for the team to let him go out like this.

 

[Waivers]

the concept of "shut down pairs" which, clearly, the Rangers do subscribe to; are stupid and always have been. the idea that we send out players to "play defense" against top players is the worst self-fulfilling prophecy in hockey. Damn right a pair with Marc Staal's corpse on it is going to play defense, because his ability to drive the play is horrendous. Yandle should be seeing top competition with Klein if that's the direction we're going (we shouldn't be).

We should be icing the best possible pairings, especially with Pens having last change regardless.



Sounds like a healthy scratch to me.

It's definitely a healthy scratch scenario. I disagree with your assessment to not have shutdown defenders when you have a culmination of Crosby + Malkin / Kessel. I'm grateful for all the times we bounced PIT/WSH when we had those two duos within the last 8 years.

Yandle should be getting 25+ TOI, but it's a contradiction because if Crosby plays 25+ TOI (which he hasn't yet), then I *really* don't want Yandle vs. Crosby out there. Yeah, Yandle will have the puck on a string but when he doesn't have it and you have a world class, generational talent coming at you, I'd rather have someone who is *really, really* good defensively.

We think differently, but I understand where you're coming from. Half glass empty, or half full, either way you're trying to mitigate chances for Crosby or create more chances while you're out on the ice against him. It's a risk / reward scenario, and I understand it.

 

[FOD]

I can understand playing Girardi over McIlrath even if I don't like it because "longtime vet, going with his guys, etc etc" but if AV calls up Diaz to play instead of McIlrath that's just plain ****ing dumb as **** and shows he's playing favorites wayyyyyyy more than he should be.

Diaz has been injured for how ****ing long, hasn't played or practiced with the team since training camp, and you want to throw him into the lineup in the playoffs? Dumb dumb dumb. I hope it's just him thinking about further injury replacements if something more happens down the road.

AV really needs to get the **** over it with McIlrath. I'm not sure that I think he hates him or anything but there's a clear double standard between how he treats Girardi and Staal versus McIlrath that seems like it goes beyond vets versus rookies and it's irritating as ****. The Rangers need McIlrath to develop into a solid player for them for the future and AV needs to get over whatever it is that bothers him about the guy

I tend to over analyze things but my impression was that AV wanted some flexibility in practice in case he wanted to rest some guys or there were any injuries that kept guys out.

 

[Levitate]

It's definitely a healthy scratch scenario. I disagree with your assessment to not have shutdown defenders when you have a culmination of Crosby + Malkin / Kessel. I'm grateful for all the times we bounced PIT/WSH when we had those two duos within the last 8 years.

Yandle should be getting 25+ TOI, but it's a contradiction because if Crosby plays 25+ TOI (which he hasn't yet), then I *really* don't want Yandle vs. Crosby out there. Yeah, Yandle will have the puck on a string but when he doesn't have it and you have a world class, generational talent coming at you, I'd rather have someone who is *really, really* good defensively.

We think differently, but I understand where you're coming from. Half glass empty, or half full, either way you're trying to mitigate chances for Crosby or create more chances while you're out on the ice against him. It's a risk / reward scenario, and I understand it.

I wouldn't be surprised if Girardi had a concussion and wasn't ready to return but was trying to come back for the playoffs.

As for shutdown pairings, I think when you're talking about going against superstar players like Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, etc, you want guys who are at least decent at defense. You'll never ever be able to contain someone like Crosby solely based on puck possession, you need players who can play defense against him, BUT the key thing being they also need to be able to disrupt the attack and gain the puck back and turn things the other way. Not disrupt the attack...then the next one, then the next, and another, can't get the puck, annnnnnd finally a goal against because they couldn't regain the puck even though they were doing well defending until that point

 

[Waivers]

I wouldn't be surprised if Girardi had a concussion and wasn't ready to return but was trying to come back for the playoffs.

As for shutdown pairings, I think when you're talking about going against superstar players like Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, etc, you want guys who are at least decent at defense. You'll never ever be able to contain someone like Crosby solely based on puck possession, you need players who can play defense against him, BUT the key thing being they also need to be able to disrupt the attack and gain the puck back and turn things the other way. Not disrupt the attack...then the next one, then the next, and another, can't get the puck, annnnnnd finally a goal against because they couldn't regain the puck even though they were doing well defending until that point

I agree there - you cannot SIT back and wait for them to come, you can't be content with the opposition like Crosby having the puck, you can't *accept* that he's so good that he's automatically going to have the puck, so in a way that mentality is like you're collapsing, trying to protect the house.

On the contrary, that shows a lack of confidence, but there really aren't any players better than Crosby man, there's few exceptions where you have to respect his game and play a shutdown role. You have to give him some respect, but I understand that if you have someone like Yandle out there, there's less of a chance for him to have the puck... BUT, when Crosby does get the puck, head for the hills with Yandle out there as the guy who is going to be on him consistently, it's a Catch 22 thing.

It's a game of Chess, and that's why Hockey is so ****in' beautiful.

BTW I appreciate and thank Girardi for his services and what not the past decade, but it's over man. He's absolutely toasted, whether he's been beaten down from how many games he's played and how many times he's gone to the post season. He's done though man, and it's time to face reality. He was great and I liked him for his time being, but he hurts the team now. I was in denial for a while when early adopters said this, but he's really, really starting to show it. The only problem is everyone thinks it's easy to plug in Skjei and McIlrath and everything will be fine - the experience helps more than others think, even when you have turned into garbage. That's just my opinion, of course.

Management should have done the right thing and gave McIlrath split time between him and Girardi consistently. When McIlrath went on a stretch and played really well and our other assets were back from injury, you don't kick a kid to the curb, especially how well he was playing - we're sending the wrong message and he should have sat him when he had a bad game and gave some competition in the backend to actually fight for those positions. As corny as it may sound, you can **** up a kid's psyche that way, and stint his development slightly. We're not in the locker room, we don't know if there was an understanding between McIlrath and management where he gave him the low down right away, "McIlrath, you know your spot, you're the 7th guy here and you're only going to play when there are injuries" - there's certain things us fans don't know about locker rooms - it's sacred stuff.

 

[Levitate]

I tend to over analyze things but my impression was that AV wanted some flexibility in practice in case he wanted to rest some guys or there were any injuries that kept guys out.

Hopefully true, I tend to give AV more credit than some around here but sometimes these little situations bother me a bit...

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Oh it'll definitely be Skjei. And honestly Staal hasn't been bad and is probably better defensively than Skjei at the moment, he just doesn't move the puck well.

Staal should just go out there without a stick. He will be more effective

 

[Doctor King Schultz]

Staal should just go out there without a stick. He will be more effective

He's no Callahan

 

[bl02]

I know brassard had a rough game but why split brassard and zuke after only one game? Putting 61 with him is not gonna help.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

He's no Callahan

Callahan is ****ing Gretzky compared to Marc Staal, but then again... So is Stu Bickel

 

[FOD]

Callahan is ****ing Gretzky compared to Marc Staal, but then again... So is Stu Bickel

\


I just want to make sure that you are being sarcastic when you say that. Hard to tell staring at a monitor.

 

[ArPanet]

Kuhnhakl (sp ?) probably not happy to learn McIlrath may play tomorrow lol

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

Kuhnhakl (sp ?) probably not happy to learn McIlrath may play tomorrow lol

Why?

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

\


I just want to make sure that you are being sarcastic when you say that. Hard to tell staring at a monitor.

I was being sarcastic. I mean, he's no Jeff Woywitka

 

[Miamipuck]

Why?

This is why:

https://streamable.com/0g9z

 

[Waivers]

This is why:

https://streamable.com/0g9z

Love it man, love that ****. The opposition will think twice about who is on the rink.

 

[Irishguy42]

 

[FOD]

I was being sarcastic. I mean, he's no Jeff Woywitka

OK. That makes more sense.

 

[ArPanet]

Why?

Dylan destroyed him last seconds of game where Fast got cheapshotted after scoring empty netter. Next game first shift destroyed him again.

 

[Miamipuck]

Love it man, love that ****. The opposition will think twice about who is on the rink.

Yeah I sure hope he bombs a few more to make them think twice.

 

[bl02]

The future has arrived guys. Skjei represented very well game 1 (even on pk) hope dylan can do same. He probably will be tested a bit more than skjei since he will be paired with yandle and probably get tougher assignments.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I know brassard had a rough game but why split brassard and zuke after only one game? Putting 61 with him is not gonna help.

Zooks should always play with Stepan in my opinion. They fit well together. Kreider plays better with Step/Zooks than he does with Brass as well.

 

[Raspewtin]

I know brassard had a rough game but why split brassard and zuke after only one game? Putting 61 with him is not gonna help.

the split happened halfway through the first game

 

[StepansLabyrinth]

The future of Skjei and McIlrath is going to get 8 minutes on the third pairing. Lol, let's be serious.