Post-Game Talk: Rangers vs. Pens | 1/20/13

[wr50l]

We started off as badly as this last season so I'm more disappointed than concerned.

Some things I know will correct themselves: Marc Staal is a premier player and he won't remain so hopeless for long. Brad Richards has another level to step up to as well.

Some things need work: we won't get anything out of Gaborik this season if he is stuck playing with off-form players. Stepan/Gaborik is one of a number of combinations which either needs time to build chemistry/get in shape or needs to be canned completely. Frankly, some players just need to get their heads out of their backsides.

The only serious concern I have which isn't a day to day correctable issue is the bottom end of the defensive lineup. I don't think there is a team in the NHL which could justify playing Stu Bickel for a full-season. One has to ask whether Bickel's toughness really makes up for his inability to play hockey relative to guys like Gilroy or Eminger and in my opinion the answer is no.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I didn't see the game. Looks like we got embarrassed again. Looking at the goals, none from Lundqvist was terrible. Maybe he could have stopped some but none were terrible unless Girardi didn't deflect hat 3rd one. Looks like the team is playing like ****. This is the most goals we've given up in 2 seasons.

 

[Rangers4Life74]

I didn't see the game.

highlight of your night,trust me

 

[Glennsoe]

If Kreider is hurt, Miller should Get the call up..

Hell, send Hags down either way - he's gonna cost us points this season...like last one..

 

[SnowblindNYR]

highlight of your night,trust me

I saw the high(low)lights. I'm glad I missed it. Awful. What happened to the D? It was bad against Boston too.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

At least Nash scored a nice goal.

 

[Rangers4Life74]

I saw the high(low)lights. I'm glad I missed it. Awful. What happened to the D? It was bad against Boston too.

the D was awful again,even worse then against Boston.they left Hank/Marty out to dry a few times.none of them played good,Bickel was terrible.

Nash was all over the place,hes definately the real deal.Pyatt was good again too.

But when Pyatt is probably your 2nd best foward of the night,you see the result

 

[fredrikstad]

Nash is our best player, flat out.. Torts needs to rip these players back into shape.

Torts is beginning to annoy me a bit.. Well I never really liked him anyways.

Of course he is. He is the only one who are in mid-season form. Give the other player's 4-6 games more, and we can start jugding the team.

Sad that the SEL didn't let Hank play there. But I'm confident that he step up next game.

 

[Callagraves]

They haven't looked like the Rangers, frankly.

The shot blocking is there, the hitting is too. The forecheck is not, the cycle is non-existant, and the team-D looks forgotten.

I trust that Torts is going to make full use of these practices before Wednesday. They need to decide what kind of team they're going to be, and fast.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

the D was awful again,even worse then against Boston.they left Hank/Marty out to dry a few times.none of them played good,Bickel was terrible.

Nash was all over the place,hes definately the real deal.Pyatt was good again too.

But when Pyatt is probably your 2nd best foward of the night,you see the result

Well the result wasn't due to the forwards. I mean on most nights if we score 3 we win. How was Hagelin?

How about:

Nash Richards Callahan
Kreider Stepan Gaborik
Hagelin Boyle Pyatt
Rupp Halpern Asham

 

[fredrikstad]

Everyone boo'd Bickel during the pre-game team introduction and he did not disappoint.

That's realy not the way to give a player confidence. The booer's should realy be ashamed.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Question is Bickel Torts' David Diehl? A liability that for some odd reason the coach likes. At least Diehl was a warrior for the Giants he was just done. Bickel is a never-was. Seriously Eminger is not that bad. He's mediocre. That's it. He's not a horror show.

 

[fredrikstad]

They were shouting "Stuuuuuu" but a boo would have been more appropriate.

If so, then I apologize for the last I wrote.

 

[Rangers4Life74]

Well the result wasn't due to the forwards. I mean on most nights if we score 3 we win. How was Hagelin?

How about:

Nash Richards Callahan
Kreider Stepan Gaborik
Hagelin Boyle Pyatt
Rupp Halpern Asham

believe it or not,this loss was on the fowards almost as much as the D.in 1 stretch in the 2nd period,the Pens 4th line kept the Rangers 1st line pinned in their own zone for nearly 2 minutes.the fowards really were that bad.

dont let the 3 goals fool you.they barely sustained any type of pressure tonight over the full 60 minutes

Hagelin was average at best.as i said in an earlier thread,he doesnt belong on the top line.i suggested what you posted in another thread,bumping him down to the 3rd line and moving Kreider up.

your lines look fine to me.thats how i would do it

 

[Rangers4Life74]

Question is Bickel Torts' David Diehl? A liability that for some odd reason the coach likes. At least Diehl was a warrior for the Giants he was just done. Bickel is a never-was. Seriously Eminger is not that bad. He's mediocre. That's it. He's not a horror show.

i dont see how Eminger isnt in the lineup next game.he is mediocre,but still way better then Bickel.

hell,i would probably start Gilroy over Bickel

 

[Thunderhead]

Because Derek Stepan isn't a great hockey player. Below average skater, average to below average hands. I've been saying it for years about him.

Absolutely. But, for some strange reason the guy always gets a pass.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

We couldn't generate pressure last year either before the 7 game winning streak. However from what I saw yesterday and read here I don't think it was ever like this.

 

[Machinehead]

Stepan and Richards both register 2 points and are both blamed for the loss. Help me to understand

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I think we can do worse than Stepan, but also a lot better. He's not a "waste". However, he seems to suffer from Gaborik disease, if he's not scoring he's invisible. Gaborik is a multiple 40 goal scorer though.

 

[fredrikstad]

How many players did the Pens have overseas? It's an excuse. Every team is going through the same thing, and to this point the Rangers have look very unprepared.

6 player's overseas ant 2 in the minors.

Is it just Kreider who have played in the AHL this fall and winter?

 

[Rangers4Life74]

Stepan and Richards both register 2 points and are both blamed for the loss. Help me to understand

how many blind drop passes did Richards do tonight that Pens Intercepted?2?3?
how about his bad grabbing the puck with his hand while on the ice and pulling it into his body penalty(that resulted in a long 5 on 3 for the Pens)?or the very 1st penalty of the game he got for the neutral zone interferance that resulted in the Pens 1st pp goal?

lets not fool ourselves,he might have scored 2 points,but he was mostly crap the entire game.Stepan wasnt much better either

 

[BBKers]

Gotta say this:

Torts says at the presser "maybe we need to get wacked around a little bit more to wake us up. That´s a clean hit"
Torts says at the presser he does not know the status of Kreiders head injury saying "I haven´t checked".
Fact - Michael Sauer got "whacked around" a bit by Dion Phanuef a bit last season - mostly likely with "clean hit" to the head a career ending injury as a result

FACT - Torts is a God dammed idiot dropping a comment like that at the presser before knowing the status of his player. He might have a serious concussion and be out for the year for all he knows. You gotta defend your players in a situation like this - not make them out to be sacrificial lambs. He loses ALL Respect as a leader saying things like that IMO. There were a million things he could have said to answer this differently, this Pejorative Slured answer just shows what a total jerk the man is by what he says...

I should know this as I myself have been leading several mid sized companies in 5 countries since 1985 (over 25 years) and also been in involved in sports on a higher level. Any "leader" acting as irresponsibly as this moronic comment by Torts does not warrant his existence as the head honcho! If you disagree then you never been there

 

[Rangers4Life74]

Gotta say this:



FACT - Torts is a God dammed idiot dropping a comment like that at the presser before knowing the status of his player. He might have a serious concussion and be out for the year for all he knows. You gotta defend your players in a situation like this - not make them out to be sacrificial lambs. He loses ALL Respect as a leader saying things like that IMO. There were a million things he could have said to answer this differently, this Pejorative Slured answer just shows what a total jerk the man is by what he says...

I should know this as I myself have been leading several mid sized companies in 5 countries since 1985 (over 25 years) and also been in involved in sports on a higher level. Any "leader" acting as irresponsibly as this moronic comment by Torts does not warrant his existence as the head honcho! If you disagree then you never been there

did you see the last 2 games?Torts is right,this team does need a wakeup call.Nothing wrong with what he said,it was Kreiders fault to begin with for not being more aware.did he think the Pens were just going to let him skate in on goal untouched?it was a fine clean hit.i hope Kreider will be ok,but lets not bash Torts when he said nothing wrong.

 

[Thunderhead]

I think we can do worse than Stepan, but also a lot better. He's not a "waste". However, he seems to suffer from Gaborik disease, if he's not scoring he's invisible. Gaborik is a multiple 40 goal scorer though.

I'll take Dubi or Anisimov anyday over Stepan.

 

[BBKers]

did you see the last 2 games?Torts is right,this team does need a wakeup call.Nothing wrong with what he said,it was Kreiders fault to begin with for not being more aware.did he think the Pens were just going to let him skate in on goal untouched?it was a fine clean hit.i hope Kreider will be ok,but lets not bash Torts when he said nothing wrong.

You check that your player is OK first
Even if it was a clean hit and I agree Kreider could/should have been more aware
That is not the point
Torts is NOT right here
We shall agree to disagree
Did he feel the same way about the Sauer hit?
Argument can be made it was a similar situation