Recalled/Assigned: Rangers recall Dylan McIlrath (Reassigned 12/19)

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

I like that he's trying to DO something. We need so much more of that - guys who can impose their wills on the game, that can initiate a difference-making play.

Hank, in seasons past has always been the best (but man, is he having a down year). McD is probably the best on the team right now. Nash is obviously another. Kreider is one. Zuc, despite his small stature, has been showing me that he is one. J. Moore has shown flashes - and, interestingly, so has MDZ (when played on the left side).

Stepan and Stralman are good complementary players who can fit with those guys and enable them, but are not initiators like the others.

Everyone else on the team fails the test, either because they don't have the skillset or due to the fact that they are worn down (or both).

I'm glad that McIlrath has the mindset - and he certainly has the tools, at least in some phases of the game.

That said, I am majorly concerned at how much he loses his balance when forwards get the edge on him. It's great that he wants to make the big play, but he needs to be able to recover WAY better than he's shown when he misses (or if he simply gets beat, which happens even to the best of them).

 

[Wolfy*]

He challenged a couple of guys, but they didn't want to fight him. What more can he do?

But it looked like AV didn't dare to play him much, as he was out of position a lot.

 

[Orr Nightmare]

it was his first game...he was nervous and wanted a fight to settle him down...he challenges Prout to a fight but he declined.

He went for the big hit...he will study tape and learn from it...I was surprised by him going down he should never do that. Maybe Giradi and DZ were coaching him.

with that said...we need this kid in the worst way....look @ what Brian Burke said:


Calgary Flames president Brian Burke wants to see the team get bigger.

"You can pick the top 10 teams in our league right now," Burke said. "The coaches might be different, the systems might be different but the one thing they have in common: They're big. And I really believe once the Anaheim team won the Cup in '07 every team started to blueprint themselves after that. Successful teams are big." Burke added that the Flames also need to be more hostile. He fired GM Jay Feaster and assistant GM John Weisbrod on Thursday and the people he replaces them with will need to share Burke's vision for the team going forward

 

[Thirty One]

.I was surprised by him going down he should never do that. Maybe Giradi and DZ were coaching him.

No that's something I noticed him doing way to often in Hartford.

 

[Leetch66]

He challenged a couple of guys, but they didn't want to fight him. What more can he do?

But it looked like AV didn't dare to play him much, as he was out of position a lot.

Jody Shelley said the same thing in the Columbus broadcast about him asking 2 Jackets to drop them . Everybody refused....it was funny listening to Shelley commenting on Dylan...he really liked him and bragged about his AHL toughness and that there was nobody down there that wanted anything to do with him...maybe a bit of an exaggeration...as Gallant has beaten him twice already .
Personally...I LOVE the kid and you can bet that a lot of players saw that clip of Dylan attempting to throw that big hit and will file that in the memory banks . I also liked his snarl in a couple of scrums after a save by our goalies . He was far from perfect...but at least he was trying .

 

[Clown Fiesta]

I'm surprised Burke credits it all to that Ducks Cup team...

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

The issue I have with mcilrath is the same as watching football players attempt to tackle by throwing a shoulder.

Players in professional sports are far too strong and have far too much balance for that to continually work.

Maybe once in awhile you get the guy off his feet. But there are going to be a bunch of times guys bounce off. And you gave up a big play going the other way.

To be a capable defenseman, when you pinch to hit, you absolutely can not miss. How often does Kronwall miss those hits? If he isn't nearly guaranteed of making the play, he doesn't attempt it. That's responsible defense

It was 1 play in his first NHL game. You learn by your mistakes. You expect him to have the same hockey sense that Kronwall has?

 

[Orr Nightmare]

it is amazing how every team looks bigger, stronger and faster than us...Jackets looked like tree trunks out there and we have Hagelin and his long beautiful hair skating like the wind and doing absolutely nothing...the golden child...scores 5 goals in 10 games and then goes 10 games with no goals and he is untouchable on this board...I love it.

 

[Thirty One]

it is amazing how every team looks bigger, stronger and faster than us...Jackets looked like tree trunks out there and we have Hagelin and his long beautiful hair skating like the wind and doing absolutely nothing...the golden child...scores 5 goals in 10 games and then goes 10 games with no goals and he is untouchable on this board...I love it.

I don't think Hagelin is untouchable. Just not for a butt-plug like Kassian.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Jody Shelley said the same thing in the Columbus broadcast about him asking 2 Jackets to drop them . Everybody refused....it was funny listening to Shelley commenting on Dylan...he really liked him and bragged about his AHL toughness and that there was nobody down there that wanted anything to do with him...maybe a bit of an exaggeration...as Gallant has beaten him twice already .
Personally...I LOVE the kid and you can bet that a lot of players saw that clip of Dylan attempting to throw that big hit and will file that in the memory banks . I also liked his snarl in a couple of scrums after a save by our goalies . He was far from perfect...but at least he was trying .

Shelley is &^#(&*@ irrelevant. (such a funny quote from 24/7). We all loved him as a ranger though. Somehow that was the best Anisimov ever looked offensively

 

[Orr Nightmare]

I don't think Hagelin is untouchable. Just not for a butt-plug like Kassian.

who would u trade him for?

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

who would u trade him for?

Whoever it is, he BETTER be over 6'3''

 

[Thirty One]

who would u trade him for?

Lots of players. Not going to name them all.

 

[Orr Nightmare]

Lots of players. Not going to name them all.

ok...thanks for the color.

 

[slipknottin]

It was 1 play in his first NHL game. You learn by your mistakes. You expect him to have the same hockey sense that Kronwall has?

No. I was saying if he isn't positive he needs to play it safe. Which he can and often does do. I understand he's trying to make an impact stepping up, but unless he's positive he will not allow an offensive chance the other direction, he can't make that decision

 

[Bluenote13]

Eh I don't see that as a big elephant in the room. He made a simple mistake that shift...so did about 4 other rangers. First NHL game, no need to harp on one play.

That one play is the exact thing we've been talking about for years when it comes to the Blundertaker

He looked no different than he did in preseason so his game last night was not a surprise.

IMO this is a player that needs more time, learning on a team under .500 that is talking about 'challenging for a Cup' is not exactly the best recipe for success. Send him back down, keep getting minutes he needs.

 

[Garv23]

I say keep him here and let him adjust to the speed of the NHL. You can't just throw the dude to the wolves and expect no mistakes. Most of the word on him is positive so give the kid a chance. His edge is a necessity as far as I'm concerned at this point.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

That one play is the exact thing we've been talking about for years when it comes to the Blundertaker

He looked no different than he did in preseason so his game last night was not a surprise.

IMO this is a player that needs more time, learning on a team under .500 that is talking about 'challenging for a Cup' is not exactly the best recipe for success. Send him back down, keep getting minutes he needs.

Being less than .500 and saying they're challenging for the cup is the first discrepancy

 

[a tribe cq]

Don't know if cameras caught it but sometime in the 2nd, Zucc got hit real hard by Derek MacKenzie way behind the play on an outlet/line change. The not person behind the play was McIlrath and he skated right up to MacKenzie and gave him a tap, MacKenzie laughed and skated away. Just that willingness too me on a borderline late, very hard hit is well worth it.

Another reason McIlrath got barely any ice time late is because there was barely any even strength play and when there was it was a lot of 4v4.

The only knock I have for the kid which can be easily corrected IMO would be his recovery time, he would slide or go to the knee a lot trying to block passes, and have a hard time getting up. He was very vocal as well, pointing out men on the rush, although that seemed almost like a nervous thing while at the game.

His big hit attempt that led to the goal was the loudest the garden got all night, albeit again leading to a goal.

The kid will be alright

 

[Bardof425*]

I love the type of player McI is. However, last night I didn't see any evidence that he will be useful at the NHL level anytime soon. I hope they give him at least 4 more games to relax and show where he is in his development. If it's not better than last night we have a ways to go and that would be a shame because we could really use a guy like him. We were once again exposed as a physically weak team; losing most 50/50 battles. That is a very bad sign. Pouliot kinda looked like a hockey player; that's my silver lining for the night along with Moore getting off the schnied.

 

[RangersHank*]

I love the type of player McI is. However, last night I didn't see any evidence that he will be useful at the NHL level anytime soon. I hope they give him at least 4 more games to relax and show where he is in his development. If it's not better than last night we have a ways to go and that would be a shame because we could really use a guy like him. We were once again exposed as a physically weak team; losing most 50/50 battles. That is a very bad sign. Pouliot kinda looked like a hockey player; that's my silver lining for the night along with Moore getting off the schnied.

Are you surprised? Lol i mean seriously, its getting to the point that i'm expecting this team to lose. We get out played in every aspect of the game. Only thing that can happen to top it all off is a serious injury to McD or Hank.

 

[Wolfy*]

McIlrath was called up to be our goon for a while, since we need some grit. He'll play 5 mins a game, and jump on the ice when someone needs to be spanked.

He should teach guys like Boyle and Falk how to fight. Byron boy has no idea...

 

[Cake or Death]

Truth.

I think his awful play that led to the 2nd goal was more about being amped up and trying to make a difference than anything else. If its view into his decision making process, than we've got a problem.

This team could use more mistakes of aggression, to be honest.

Big time. This is sickening. There are people out there working their ***** off, spending their limited funds to see the guys play, and this 'effort' is just disgusting. Guys hit their 20s and pay to play in leagues or pickup games, playing their tails off just cuz they love the game, and these guys get paid millions and aren't showing up. This lackluster bull **** crept into the locker room last season and is now a full blown epidemic. The team is unwatchable right now and as a fan for almost 40 years, I am completely disgusted. This needs to be fixed, from the owner who didn't fire Sather immediately when Sather gave Holik 9 million a year, on down to the players. This is an atrocity and a supreme affront to very loyal fans.

 

[Brooklyn Ranger]

McIlrath was called up to be our goon for a while, since we need some grit. He'll play 5 mins a game, and jump on the ice when someone needs to be spanked.

He should teach guys like Boyle and Falk how to fight. Byron boy has no idea...

Let's just destroy the kid before he gets started. If they wanted someone to play 5 minutes a game and fight, they would have recalled Bickel.

McIlrath was called up in get his feet wet in the NHL and provide some snarl on the team. He's a defenseman, his main job is not to fight, but play hard, hit players and learn the game. Sure, he'll get into some fights, but that's not the reason why he was drafted and I'm sure it's not the reason he was brought up to play.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

First NHL game LOL.