Jack Drury centering line 2? Uh, ok i guess? Kuznetsov is a corpse on their 4th line too. We matchup well with them
have you watched them post-deadline? drury and kuznetsov both look pretty damn good!
Its one thing to say the Canes are a better team(I disagree) and its going to be a tough series, but I think some people are covering their asses so they can "I told you so" if the Rangers lose. Just one man's opinion.
its an interesting part of fandom, psychologically. Only one team gets to win, obviously, so a belief or faith in one's own squad to get it done is almost necessarily illogical and plain ol dumb.
Furthermore, the presence or lack of belief in the teams ability to win - a game, a series, a championship - is often seen on both sides as a referendum on fandom itself.
That's playing out here; to some, if you don't believe then you're not a fan (they're all on the "main boards"). To others, to not acknowledge that we're statistically not favored means that you're just a blind and mewling zealot.
For me, personally? Ive spent the vast majority of my life on the doomtelling side of the ledger. Always seeing the other team as better, always foreseeing the reasons why we'd probably lose. I'm a Mets fan, a Knicks fan, a Rangers fan.. there's trauma there.
But this season feels a little different. Maybe it's because I have other things going on so I don't attach as much to this. I'm not sure. The point is that this team has shown all season that you can put anything in front of them and they will figure out how to beat it. They dont care about the numbers, or the narratives, or the personnel. They just f***in win.
So I know it's gonna be a challenge. I know how good Carolina is, and how good a story Andersen's success is. I know how weak Kreider is on the defensive boards, how Kakko can't pot one to save his life, how Trouba is on one leg.
But these rangers have been through it before. They want it. I think they're ready. And for the first time I actually feel like they've earned my belief.
One game, one period, one shift. Get it done.