Post-Game Talk: SCQ #3 - 8/4/20 | hurricanes @ RANGERS

[egelband]

I don't think this team is a Gallant or Laviolette away from winning. Quinn is going into his 3rd season, let's see what he does and if he learns anything from this series.

100%. I was very disappointed with the series but it can be explained as inexperience. Whether or not it was inexperience or lack of prep, it’ll take another playoff series - or even two - to see. But I like DQ and it seems the team and execs like him. So we roll and see. Hopefully we get a better result next time.

 

[egelband]

Time to learn through structure and winning.

This your guy?

I kid, but I suppose it makes sense. Let's hire one of those coaches who teach winning.

 

[egelband]

I know it is not a good analogy and nobody want to hear it, but when I think back to the Francis era (when I was a season ticket holder in the old blue seats), people tend to remember all the strong teams that we had and all the success that we enjoyed. But, after missing the playoffs for many years we:

Year 1: eliminated in the first round, 4-0
Year 2: eliminated in the first round, 4-2
Year 3: eliminated in the first round, 4-0
Year 4: eliminated in the first round, 4-2

It was not until year 5 after finally making the playoffs that we won a playoff series. Bob Nevin, scoring an overtime goal vs. Toronto to clinch a series, is one of my sweetest memories.

Now, these days, with the cap being what it is, teams don't have the luxury of waiting for multiple years after a rebuild starts to succeed and becoming a serious contender. But, perhaps, a little perspective is necessary. Doesn't stop the pain, however.

Exactly. And as you say, the difference is the size of the window. And I'd add that there are so many more teams. So if we can see playoff progress by playoff year three, we're doing great. And we got a one year headstart! Huzzah. Could be worse.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

We’re trash at both , historically

Hartford is a steaming pile of shit and it has been for decades. When was the last time we had a player thrive in Hartford? Like, actually improve over time by getting quality gametime as a prospect? Anisimov?

 

[Gresch04]

Earliest memory as a Ranger fan was at 12 years old. It was 1979 and I remember JD in net. I was a brand new hockey fan. Boy did I pick the wrong team.

I watched zero minutes of this series. I'm so jaded as a fan that I don't just expect failure, I expect entirely new ways of being disappointed. Getting swept by a team we own? CHECK. Young stud goalie getting hurt during a meaningless tune-up game? CHECK. Best players ice cold after being blazing hot pre-break? CHECK. It's like George RR Martin is writing my fan experience, with fewer bright spots than GoT.

This team is a very unhealthy habit, not watching was a good step for me. Probably should have stayed away from here but bad habits are tough to break.

 

[gravey9]

Hartford is a steaming pile of shit and it has been for decades. When was the last time we had a player thrive in Hartford? Like, actually improve over time by getting quality gametime as a prospect? Anisimov?

I don't agree. I watched many Hartford games this season. There was a legit structure to the way the team played. That's what the AHL is for. Creating a structure so your young NHL bound kids come in the team, learn the structure, learn where they need to be on the ice, at a slower pace than the NHL so they can learn the pro game. Also, hopefully they can learn how and improve on their training, diet, strength and skating.

Watching many HFD games this year, I saw VK grow. I saw Chytil grow. I even saw SOME growth from Lias before he basically stopped buying in. In previous years, we had Lettieri and little else come up. Last year, we had several guys come up and seem to fit in with the big club. PDG, Fogarty, Gettinger. They managed to do just fine or even well when called up.

What I'd like to see going forward is a better team D system throughout the whole organization. Because HFD is mostly mimicking NYR's system. And I don't love it. I really don't love how we develop our D at the pro level. I dont know if we are able to develop a Dan Girardi right now. But did HFD help the skilled forwards figure out where to go in the NA pro game? Yes. Did they make more responsible players? Yes. Did they teach many of the forwards where on the ice they shouldn't gamble or get too creative? Yup.

But yeah, on D, the system is not great. HFD needs to be able to turn some of the Hajeks and Rykovs into NHL players. And it's not really happening yet. Thats a problem. It's partially why i'd like the Millers and Lundkvists and Robertsons to enter NA Pro level as late as possible. And even more so for the Reunanens and Skinners of the world. They brought in Gord Murphy for the D --- and I think I guy like him in theory is a good move but he is handcuffed by the D system they make him teach.

Point is, calling HFD a steaming pile is far too black and white. It's not accurate. There was absolutely progress. And structure. Even when they lost this year, you could still see them for the most part, stay within the structure. Obv with callups for guys who are difference makers like Chytil, Fogarty, PDG, and Shesty and then trading Keane -- it really hurt their effectiveness as the season wore on. By end of the season it was just Kravtsov. And in a lot of ways he took that on really well.

 

[Larrybiv]

Men against boys in the trenches. This team has skill but not enough grit to grind out games/series like this against teams like Car and NYI.

Wasn't that long ago where we literally had no talent and mostly grit. Now it's the other way around, go figure. I'm with those that say, we weren't even supposed to be in the playoffs and are ahead of schedule. But, and it's a big but.......they seemed to be well on their way to making the playoffs legitimately. Something is amiss here. The layoff really hurt the cohesiveness and pardon the expression "Staaled" what was a gelling team.
I still wonder what would have happened had there been no lay off. Think there might have been a little different outcome. Certainly no sweep.
And even though Hank played well enough, you have to believe that Igor just might have done something in those 1st 2 games that would have produced a better result. And why Gauthier was benched is beyond my best guess and still can't fathom why.