Pre-Game Talk: Series discussion: NYR vs MTL

[Cake or Death]

I don't really think we can beat Price.

I don't really think they can beat Lundqvist. We have the better goalie. **** the habs. Rangers in 6

 

[Petey Pucks]

I could accept a loss to MTL more easily than a loss to the Bruins. I caught a NYR-MTL game at Bell a few years ago and I was treated with far more respect than I got in Philly, NJ, and especially BOS. And the deeply passionate MTL fans have to be respected.

To a good series!

this couldn't be more true....they are the most respectful fans I have ever come across while being in their building

I think they get a bad rap from booing the U.S anthem years back but I think that had more to do with their hatred of the Bruins more so the United States

 

[haohmaru]

**** history. If this team has shown us anything it's that history doesn't matter.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

It's a good thing the Devils didn't make it, imagine how scary Newark is

Hey hey, as a somebody who born and still lives in Newark I resent that comment. I will admit certain parts of Newark are still very sketchy and dangerous, but the most part the downtown area is one of the safer parts of the city

 

[Fataldogg]

MTL in FIVE.

House of Horrors for Henrik Lundqvist. Superman? Meet Kryptonite.

I'd like to think Lundqvist can shake his woes at the Belle Centre, and a strong first game can go a long way, but falling behind in game one can spell disaster.

Secondly, we are finally facing a good, albeit overrated, goaltender. Who historically has our number. How many times has he shut us out at the Bell Centre?

Lundqvists struggle against MTL at the Belle Centre and the Rangers failing to score on Price can make this a quick one. Nash will need to score, and multiple times, just to make this series interesting.

Worst possible match up. If we miraculously find a way to get past them, I'd feel sorry for the team we are about to face as we would be beaming with confidence.

Can't picture us beating MTL when they have home ice advantage. With how bad we play there, home ice will be tremendous for them.

 

[Fataldogg]

I don't really think they can beat Lundqvist. We have the better goalie. **** the habs. Rangers in 6

They've proven time and time again they can beat Lundqvist. Sometimes you just meet a team that has your number. Montreal is that team.

And if we beat Price for one goal at the Bell Centre, its a big deal.

 

[BroadwayBlues]

I would throw out Ranger issues in Montreal out the window. This is the playoffs. The Flyers won at MSG for the first time in 10 gms.

 

[Petey Pucks]

More 1996 fun. This is from the regular season. The MTL french announcers literally sound half in the bag at the start of this clip....

I was at this game...gretzky put on a clinic from " his office"!!

 

[vladmyir111]

They've proven time and time again they can beat Lundqvist. Sometimes you just meet a team that has your number. Montreal is that team.

And if we beat Price for one goal at the Bell Centre, its a big deal.

Eh you must have forgot all those beatings by the pens over and over, not to mention never beating them in a playoff series before last night?

 

[n8]

Here are the goals from the first period of that game 6 in MTL. Your goal scorers: Verbeek, Graves, Kovalev, Jari Kurri. Complete with NHL on FOX glow-puck and battling robots. With a much deeper voiced Doc Emerick on the play by play and John Davidson as your color analyst.

I remember liking the glowing puck but HATING to goofy ass comet. You could see the puck in board scrums really well, especially on the near boards where they are normally obstructed. The halo was a bit big however. I'm surprised pucks don't have chips in them. They could detect goals better with them and if refs had whistles synced to the time clocks, they could totally get accurate info if pucks go in before whistles.

 

[vladmyir111]

Also, what the f is up with the 1pm start on a saturday of all days? Is there seriously something going on in canada more important thatn hockey that day to take it out of prime time? A holiday? Something?

 

[Tawnos]

I would throw out Ranger issues in Montreal out the window. This is the playoffs. The Flyers won at MSG for the first time in 10 gms.

Yes, yes, YES.

As Lundqvist would say, if Philadelphia can end a long losing streak in a single building, why not us?

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I'd suggest everyone stay away from the main board. The snooty hockey "elitists" already have their notses in the air saying that this is the worst Eastern Conference Finals in a while and that the Western Conference team will win the Cup. And it's only going to get worse.

It's not even the worst ECF of the last 3 years. Both teams in 2012 were worse than either team this year.

 

[mas0764]

This is a winnable series for the Rangers.

I think the biggest key for us is to get it to game 7 though, haha.

 

[Callagraves]

...ah ****. Prust is going to be a pain to play against.

 

[ryan41]

Rangers only got this far because they played a bad flyers team
Rangers only got this far because Steve Mason was injured and Emery started
Rangers only got this far because Crosby disappeared
Rangers only got this far because Fleury let in some softies
Rangers only got this far because they played a badly coached Penguins team
Rangers only got this far because Lundqvist was outstanding and carried the team
Rangers only got this far because of the inspired play of an unfortunate MSL situation

Rangers are going to be burnt out because they played two game 7 series
Rangers are going to have a hard time playing a real team like Montreal
Rangers are going to have a lot of trouble at the Bell Centre
Rangers are lucky they haven't had any serious injuries
Rangers aren't going to make it anywhere if Nash doesn't start contributing
Rangers are going to burn Lundqvist out if he needs to play at this high of a level
Rangers are going to have trouble because Lundqvist doesn't play well in Montreal
Rangers will never be able to beat an elite Western Conference team
Rangers are lucky if they beat Montreal because Boston would have destroyed them

Did I cover all the main board conversations?

Lets Go Rangers!!!!!!!

 

[n8]

More 1996 fun. This is from the regular season. The MTL french announcers literally sound half in the bag at the start of this clip....

in retrospect it seems ridiculous that Gretzky was given so much time in his office. Granted, if you chased him, he'd probably skate out and burn you some other way. Man does the defense look so lax back then. You'd think anyone could score with some of those opportunities.

 

[corduroyg]

i actually think the 1pm start saturday works to our advantage, its better for the road team. sat nite games the crowd would be more liquored up and more rowdy. obviously the montreal crowd will be crazy any time of day especially this late in the playoffs but i still think its a slight edge for us.

 

[Petey Pucks]

It's not even the worst ECF of the last 3 years. Both teams in 2012 were worse than either team this year.

western conference teams you mean?...rangers were number 1 seed that year?

 

[Wolfy*]

I would throw out Ranger issues in Montreal out the window. This is the playoffs. The Flyers won at MSG for the first time in 10 gms.

Bury this myth, remember we did beat them in their building back in November.

Damn...first game in Montreal Sat May 17 at 1:00 PM ET. What kind of time is this on a Saturday?

 

[vladmyir111]

i actually think the 1pm start saturday works to our advantage, its better for the road team. sat nite games the crowd would be more liquored up and more rowdy. obviously the montreal crowd will be crazy any time of day especially this late in the playoffs but i still think its a slight edge for us.

I agree with you mostly because the Rangers will be in town and sleeping in a hotel. Who knows what the Habs will be doing the night before the game in their own homes/neighborhoods with friends etc.

I just find it quite odd since hockey night in canada is such a huge deal.

 

[BBKers]

We will lose this series because:
We need more size and toughness up front to match the grit of The Mighty Frogsmurfs
We did not start Cam in game one and our overrated, annual PO choker Hank always let's in a bunch Softies in matinée games - especially in Montreal
We do not have the classy legend Torts on the bench any more and without him nobody can motivate the team
Our three star forwards (Nash, MSL and Richards) get hot and totally dominate the series but everybody else goes glacier cold
We miss Perry Pearn and mike Sullivan coaching the PP too much
Ulf Samuelsson cheated in the Olympics and destroyed the career of Cam Neely
Potvin sucks
Dale Weise is such a great hockey player
Brandon Prust beats up his BFF Byron Boil at least 5 times in the series
Because we cannot win at The Bell Center. Ever.
John Moore played youth hockey in upscale Winnetka
PK Subban scores hat tricks every game
We drafted Hugh Jessiman a few years back
The mcIllrath pick (tarasenko!!!) will never pan out
The loss of Dale Weise from the NYR org was too much to bear
Our players are tired from the Olympics
The devastating loss of Scott Gomez was naturally not offset by the acquisition of whatever minor pieces we got from the Habs
Mats Zuccarello is too small to play in this league
Carl Hagelin has a lousy shot
Dan Girardi is overrated
Marc Staal is thinking about his impending move to Carolina
James Dolan beat me at level 450 on Candy Crush
And...Despite getting the blatantly biased overall zebra advantage throughout the whole series

 

[aufheben]

This is such a cool matchup!

 

[AHB*]

Anyone else worried about us going 7 in the first two series? It was one of the reasons we were so burnt out 2 years ago although our play style is obviously much different.

Three things regarding this:

1) We are seriously rolling four lines and three D-Pairs. Remember Bickel sitting on the bench through 3 overtimes? That didn't remotely happen this year. Also, Mitchell, Rupp and Co. were barely playing as well.

2) For as much as the schedule ****ed us this round, it really helps us for the 3rd round. I believe it's usually a one or two day max turnaround when teams play game 7's. We're going to have 3 full days off. It's completely different schedule wise then any other year I can remember.

3) While Montreal had an easy first round, I wouldn't discount how difficult their second round was. They faced a nasty Bruins team that pounded them at ever opportunity. This was an extremely exhausting series.

Overall, I have no clue what will happen in this series. Frankly, I think we're the better team and we couldn't have asked for a better situation in regards to the team we're playing AND the team they just finished their series against. Boston wears down teams more then any other team IMO. I'd imagine they are far more banged up then we are.

Finally, our D, for the most part, just shut down Malkin & Crosby. Making Crosby look like a bottom line player for most of the series. I have firm belief they can shutdown Vanek and Pacioretty.

Again, no clue what would happen, but I'm as pleased as I could be with this matchup.

 

[Doctyl]

I agree with you mostly because the Rangers will be in town and sleeping in a hotel. Who knows what the Habs will be doing the night before the game in their own homes/neighborhoods with friends etc.

I just find it quite odd since hockey night in canada is such a huge deal.

Won't Marty be at a funeral? That's a pretty ****** move by the NHL. If dagoon's source was right that's just a slap in the face.