Post-Game Talk: Rongos @ Flames

[Fataldogg]

So games like Colorado, or go back earlier to games against the Blues, both Washington games, The Pittsburgh game where he scored a goal or saved a goal by hustling. Please! Tell Tampa fans this and see what they have to say.

I'm sorry, I just didn't see it. He played good games. He played plenty of poor games too. Even the most objective Ranger fans will tell you that Callahan wasn't Callahan this season. You pointed out five or six games, in his 50+ games with the team this season. That's not exactly a selling point. I get what your saying. But for every game he busted his ass, he took a night off or was a complete non-factor for a game. He had too many games this season where he was a complete non-factor.

He wasn't the same player this season. I'm sorry, I've always been a fan of him, but I can objectively say I don't think he was the same player he was even a year ago (and I thought last season he left something to be desired too).

 

[SnowblindNYR]

One person here doesn't have the memory of a goldfish. The fact that Callahan is playing great in Tampa pisses me off more than anything as he dogged most of this season.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Btw, what the hell was going on with our top D pairing all game?

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Also, one thing keeping me off suicide watch on that 4th goal is that we only had 3 to begin with because of a fluky-ass 2nd goal. So the fluke/soft goals were even.

BTW, I feel like this team thought they can just play the game they played against Ottawa, instead they got a hot goalie rather than worst goaltending I've ever seen. This team has to stop trying to be the 80s Oilers in games like this and play their game. They don't have to play Torts hockey but this crap where they go back and forth with no regard for defense will get them losses like this. Every team has enough talent to play that game, just not every team can consistently win like that. The Oilers beg for that type of game, they know nothing else. You can win like that, but the Rangers can lose against anyone playing like that, they don't have enough talent to consistently win like that.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I just want to mention that Brad Richards has been one of our best forwards for a stretch of games now. He's looked very good, how I expected him to look after the Olympic break.

I know the Hags-Richards-Pouliot line has been our best aside from the 4th line, but if there was ever a time to try MSL with Richards again, it's right now.

I'd either try him with Hags or Pouliot on the left again next game. I'd try to put Hags back with Richards and MSL again and reunite Pouliot-Brassard-Zuccarello but that leaves Miller to play with Stepan and Nash. That's the only snafu.

Because of that obstacle I'm not sure how to go about this. Maybe try Nash-Richards-MSL for a few shifts? I don't know, I just know Richards has looked very strong for a few games now. Maybe
Hags-Stepan-Nash
Pouliot-Richards-MSL
Miller-Brassard-Zuccarello
Boyle-Moore-Dorsett

Hank...I hope you cry yourself to sleep tonight...same with you MSL... but Nash... I hope after this season you never put on the blue shirt again

I completely disagree with you here. Nash was not a problem tonight. He was skating hard and had a few good chances for himself and created a few good chances for others tonight, not to mention his solid D play on the PK and his big back check on Cammalleri. He has looked solid ever since the Columbus game, not even close to a floater. Don't hate simply because he's the big name on the team.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Yeah, I don't think our forwards were the problem in this game. 3 goals (granted one was a huge fluke) and 41 shots. Ramo played the game of his career. Granted that happens too often. The Rangers should win against the likes of Calgary when they score 3 goals. The D was **** for large stretches of the game (mostly in the 2nd period, in the first they really sucked on the goals), when they got a little too excited about playing firewagon hockey. They decided to play Calgary's game and it cost them. Even with that they shouldn't have allowed 4 goals. That 4th goal was a farce. It reeked of a mental lapse. Watch how zoned in Hank was in the Philly game, even on the rare mistake like a bad rebound he made a sick save. Lundqvist has a history of losing his concentration and mental age after an epic game. Happens all the time. Like he overexerts himself and then the next game just lost an edge and has a bad game. It's been going on his whole career.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

tell that to Ryan Callahan

8 points in the last 10 games. 4 goals with that.

Direct comparisons between MSL and Callahan are seriously flawed due to the difference between the teams and how they mesh with their new teammates and such.

Also, MSL demanded a trade after being on one team for 14 years. He was a league leader in every category. He meshed with his teammates and was very clearly comfortable with his teammates. Now he's on a new team and is getting acclimated. It's clearly taking longer than we'd all like, that's true.

Callahan was playing for a new contract. Unexpectedly gets traded and now is almost explicitly playing for a new contract. He feels he has something to prove, filled a void TB was missing and is thriving off of that.

A head to head comparison isn't fair.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I know it hurts, but I don't see what Callahan's production on the Lightning has to do with anything. Bottom line, he was a middle of the road 3rd liner here. That's STILL better than MSL, but don't pretend like he'd be some PPG player here.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Yeah, I don't think our forwards were the problem in this game. 3 goals (granted one was a huge fluke) and 41 shots. Ramo played the game of his career. Granted that happens too often. The Rangers should win against the likes of Calgary when they score 3 goals. The D was **** for large stretches of the game (mostly in the 2nd period, in the first they really sucked on the goals), when they got a little too excited about playing firewagon hockey. They decided to play Calgary's game and it cost them. Even with that they shouldn't have allowed 4 goals. That 4th goal was a farce. It reeked of a mental lapse. Watch how zoned in Hank was in the Philly game, even on the rare mistake like a bad rebound he made a sick save. Lundqvist has a history of losing his concentration and mental age after an epic game. Happens all the time. Like he overexerts himself and then the next game just lost an edge and has a bad game. It's been going on his whole career.

Yes, I agree the fourth goal was awful. But you even mention the Philly game. A game like that gives us reason to just forget this game. He played so well last game, it sucks he had an off night tonight, but hopefully he can move past it.

I don't think the forward lines we necessarily the problem either, but I think if there was ever a time to reunite Richards and MSL, it's now. Just have to be smart about who we want the LW to be. While I don't think Hags is ideal, he may be the best choice with his puck retrieving ability. Look how good Hags-Richards-Gaborik was. So you have to choose between the puck retrieving and speed of Hags and the size and physicality of Pouliot. I just think Richards is playing very well right now, so if there was ever a time to put the struggling MSL with him to see if there is some chemistry, it's now.

I know it hurts, but I don't see what Callahan's production on the Lightning has to do with anything. Bottom line, he was a middle of the road 3rd liner here. That's STILL better than MSL, but pretend like he'd be some PPG player here.

Yeah man, that's exactly the point I'm making. People harping on that are focusing in the wrong place.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

LOL, are you kidding me? I need to walk away.....

Yes, you may need to. Maybe down to the Tampa Bay Times Forum. All you've posted about since the trade is Ryan Callahan. That's all you talk about here. I go to the Tampa Bay forum to see how they like Cally and you're more active in their threads than any Lightning fan is, posting about how awesome Cally is and as if you're a fan of the Lightning now. So if you think you need to walk away, maybe you should RUN. It clearly seems like you're already leaning that way.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Yes, I agree the fourth goal was awful. But you even mention the Philly game. A game like that gives us reason to just forget this game. He played so well last game, it sucks he had an off night tonight, but hopefully he can move past it.

I don't think the forward lines we necessarily the problem either, but I think if there was ever a time to reunite Richards and MSL, it's now. Just have to be smart about who we want the LW to be. While I don't think Hags is ideal, he may be the best choice with his puck retrieving ability. Look how good Hags-Richards-Gaborik was. So you have to choose between the puck retrieving and speed of Hags and the size and physicality of Pouliot. I just think Richards is playing very well right now, so if there was ever a time to put the struggling MSL with him to see if there is some chemistry, it's now.



Yeah man, that's exactly the point I'm making. People harping on that are focusing in the wrong place.

It's just really frustrating knowing what he's capable of. I could forget this game if he just didn't stop goals that were stoppable but not soft, but that 4th goal was him not doing his job plain and simple. That was akin to not meeting an important deadline at work because you were surfing the internet. There's not way if his mind was on the game and that shot he would have let that in. There are soft goals where you can kind of understand where he was coming from, why he let it in. This and that last minute 2nd period goal against NJ (2nd time this happened) just I don't know what he was thinking. All I can think of is literally that it was a lapse in concentration and he was burned out from playing so many important games. You could see in Philly he was dialed in and it would take a perfect play/shot to beat him.

 

[LORENZO]

Right now letting Callahan leave for free in the summer would have been better.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Yes, you may need to. Maybe down to the Tampa Bay Times Forum. All you've posted about since the trade is Ryan Callahan. That's all you talk about here. I go to the Tampa Bay forum to see how they like Cally and you're more active in their threads than any Lightning fan is, posting about how awesome Cally is and as if you're a fan of the Lightning now. So if you think you need to walk away, maybe you should RUN. It clearly seems like you're already leaning that way.

The thing is I'm not the biggest fan of the trade but it's because of the picks. People get way too emotional about players like Callahan. 9 times out of 10 Callahan for MSL is a win. It just so happens in these DOZEN games it hasn't been. Callahan wasn't anything special on this team at all. I seriously don't remember one BIG game from him other than Colorado. The guy didn't stand out much. This wasn't the wrecking ball Callahan that would hit everything and score on a 30(ish) goal pace. All of a sudden he starts playing well in Tampa and what a terrible trade it was. I bet if we trade Nash and he starts scoring a point per game, no one will be "what a terrible trade that was" everyone will be "why didn't he do this here?" But it's the blue collar Rangers fan favorite who Rangers fans loved to live vicariously through, so OMG! You can spin it however you like. You can spin it like "we traded a great player" or "we traded a player that has the potential to be great but wasn't playing like that here". Great is obviously not in the superstar mold great, but realistically great for a Callahan type player.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

It's just really frustrating knowing what he's capable of. I could forget this game if he just didn't stop goals that were stoppable but not soft, but that 4th goal was him not doing his job plain and simple. That was akin to not meeting an important deadline at work because you were surfing the internet. There's not way if his mind was on the game and that shot he would have let that in. There are soft goals where you can kind of understand where he was coming from, why he let it in. This and that last minute 2nd period goal against NJ (2nd time this happened) just I don't know what he was thinking. All I can think of is literally that it was a lapse in concentration and he was burned out from playing so many important games. You could see in Philly he was dialed in and it would take a perfect play/shot to beat him.

Yeah, we love to try and draw comparisons between our jobs and athlete's jobs. The problem is, as a goalie, Hank is prone to the rare bad goal. Early in the season they were more common than ever. However, he's looked so good lately, that as hard as it is, I'm willing to overlook this game. As long as he comes back as dialed in as he's been lately, this game can be the rare weak game in a string of solid play most goalies are prone to.

As easy as it looks, playing goalie is a very hard position. Being a few inches off can lead to a bad goal squeaking through, as we saw tonight. The good thing is that Hank isn't a middle of the road goalie, a la Mason or Holtby. As bad as his early season stretch was, it's very clear that Hank is back to his usual self. He will bounce back and be our backbone down the stretch. Whether Talbot or he plays vs. Edmonton, Hank will be there down the stretch.

BTW I'm not calling you out for your opinion on Hank AT ALL. I know you're known to criticize him, but I'm not talking on that at all, just for the record.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Yeah, we love to try and draw comparisons between our jobs and athlete's jobs. The problem is, as a goalie, Hank is prone to the rare bad goal. Early in the season they were more common than ever. However, he's looked so good lately, that as hard as it is, I'm willing to overlook this game. As long as he comes back as dialed in as he's been lately, this game can be the rare weak game in a string of solid play most goalies are prone to.

As easy as it looks, playing goalie is a very hard position. Being a few inches off can lead to a bad goal squeaking through, as we saw tonight. The good thing is that Hank isn't a middle of the road goalie, a la Mason or Holtby. As bad as his early season stretch was, it's very clear that Hank is back to his usual self. He will bounce back and be our backbone down the stretch. Whether Talbot or he plays vs. Edmonton, Hank will be there down the stretch.

BTW I'm not calling you out for your opinion on Hank AT ALL. I know you're known to criticize him, but I'm not talking on that at all, just for the record.

But wouldn't you agree that it's a mental issue? He wasn't mentally in this game nearly as much as the Flyers game. He could have given up this goal in that game too but the chances were much lower. I'm not talking about the mechanics of that goal. I'm talking about his head no being in it and that's just unacceptable, especially now, especially at that moment. It was clearly not a physical issue, because if it were then he'd be done. He's been prone have games like this after great games. Like the great game took a lot out of him and he just doesn't have enough to concentrate like he normally does. This is especially true in the playoffs. My favorite example was a legendary 2-1 win against the Caps in 2009 in the playoffs that put us up 3-1 in the series. It was him against the world and only a perfect Ovechkin shot beat him. One of the best games of his career, arguably THE best. Next game in the first couple of minutes he gave up a goal probably worse than yesterdays and gave up 4 or 5 total in one of his worst playoff games ever. He just seems to lose focus and intensity, maybe due to fatigue from important and great games.

 

[thepoeticgoblin]

Wow, this place is really pathetic after a loss.

A crap game all around. Clearly thought they could just put their skates out there and still win (4th line excluded). They will bounce back.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Wow, this place is really pathetic after a loss.

A crap game all around. Clearly thought they could just put their skates out there and still win (4th line excluded). They will bounce back.

I think they were cutting corners. 2nd time in a little more than a week that they caught up in an inferior team's game. But I think there's some of what you said. While they weren't sharp in the first and the D was uncharacteristically soft on the goals, it wasn't the whole period, pretty much only during those goals, it was decent period. In the 2nd the goals came too quickly and I really think that they thought subconsciously "period one was a fluke, we're the team that scored 3 goals in 3 minutes", they IMO got too full of themselves and for a period stopped paying attention to the defensive end thought they'll score a lot. Those 3 goals came too easy. A similar game happened to Chicago against Philly. Chicago scored 2 goals in like the first 3 minutes and probably just thought it would be an easy night against a non-rival. I sincerely think that the Rangers got sloppy defensively because they thought they could score at will after those 3 goals. If they didn't happen so quickly they might feel otherwise. Even then they should have won if not for the goal from hell.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

All right, I'll leave for bed (it's 4am!) on a positive note. There were enough positive things offensively in this game, and hell we controlled most of it, to feel good about this team still. I have a hard time seeing McDonagh-Girardi and Hank being this consistently bad. This team is still 4 ****ing deep. First time I could say that in my life. The 4th line is a real weapon. The Rangers just need to get their focus back. Hopefully this loss will help. They lost due to mental errors. It definitely wasn't because Calgary is better than us (they were on this day).

 

[2Leetch_94]

Let down games, trap games...they happen even if the fans wish they never did. It is a mental thing, but nothing that doesn't go on in every sport known to man.

Playing a big game vs the Flyers then flying out to Western Canada, can't really be shocked the team wasn't as sharp, and that includes Lundqvist. You move on and take care of business against the Oilers. Good teams are able to get back on track and not string bad games together.

 

[Zucc36]

Nice... Your poll has made headline news in Norway

Google Translate

 

[Cake or Death]

Nice... Your poll has made headline news in Norway

Google Translate

Wow, it's embarrassing that something that childish is being seen by others. I'm ashamed to be associated with some NYR fans right now.

 

[Fanned On It]

What is this game 25 on the season that we lost because we got out-goaltended? Looks like he stopped playing on that 4th goal. He's a disgrace of a goalie sometimes.

....

 

[Blueshirt Special]

uber overeaction eh?

 

[redfzn]

Love Hank. He can't start next game though.

At least Boyler got a goal after he almost missed again.

 

[fredrikstad]

It wasn't anyone in particular who was bad. Collectively, the passing was godawful. Zucc was especially terrible in that department.

Flames were giving the Rangers a TON of space and yet they constantly were making panicked passing decisions.

Rangers beat themselves. This was a game they could have gotten two very easy points from a Flames team that played horribly.

Hank was bad in this game as well. His rebound control was terrible.

I think he still suffer from the hand fracture? 4 games seams little too small of a rest.
He hasn't been above avareged once after that injury.