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Should Brad Richards be a healthy scratch?

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Richards will not be a healthy scratch. He'll play the rest of the series.
He'll get bought out this off-season coupled with a trade like J. Moore and Hagelin for a top center and a FA signing for the 2nd line wing.

I despise using the word hope but Ranger fans can only hope that regardless if they win the series or not that Sather walks away in the off-season and Gorton takes over. However, if he stays on I still think he'll go ahead with the aforementioned moves this off-season.

Ranger fans definitely have to keep in mind that nobody thought they would be in this position this season (you're kidding yourself if you did) and players looking to test the FA market will take note that the Rangers aren't that far off... it can only improve their chances at luring top players to sign. Hell, even players like Dubinsky, Anisimov and Tyutin make the Rangers look that much better in the eye of other GMs looking to trade.
 
Richards was terrible in Game 2. Really bad. Reaching, no extra effort. For someone who has been a good leader its suprising hes not doing it on the ice. Ran out of gas?

He needs to redeem himself, this isnt over.
 
HockeyBasedNYC said:
Richards was terrible in Game 2. Really bad. Reaching, no extra effort. For someone who has been a good leader its suprising hes not doing it on the ice. Ran out of gas?

He needs to redeem himself, this isnt over.
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Hes just brutal at even strength, and hes not much of a difference maker on the power play. Seems like his worth is off the ice at this point.
 
Bleed Ranger Blue said:
Hes just brutal at even strength, and hes not much of a difference maker on the power play. Seems like his worth is off the ice at this point.
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I'd even go as far as to say he's been a detriment to the power play. All he does is stand in one area and try to rip shots. It's also clear that McDonagh has one foot out of the zone, so to speak, as we get later in the game because he knows he has to cover for him.

When he gave up on that play in OT that lead to the two-on-one that King ripped wide, I almost threw my glass at the television.
 
Just like the Rangers, Richie has seem to bounced back this year. I fully expect him to be engaged tonight and either score a goal or set one up.

#IBelieve
 
Trxjw said:
I'd even go as far as to say he's been a detriment to the power play. All he does is stand in one area and try to rip shots. It's also clear that McDonagh has one foot out of the zone, so to speak, as we get later in the game because he knows he has to cover for him.

When he gave up on that play in OT that lead to the two-on-one that King ripped wide, I almost threw my glass at the television.
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I agree. He shouldn't be a healthy scratch because there's no one who could step into the center spot on that line with St. Louis and Hagelin, but he really needs to be taken off the power play. He's providing nothing to it right now, as evidenced by the fact that he hasn't had a PP point since the Pittsburgh series.
 
You worry about Miller defensively but Richards has been so bad on both sides of the puck that I doubt swapping him in would make the team more vulnerable.

Richards is killing his line at ES. And he's not much better on the PP.

It seemed like every time the Rangers got pinned in their zone he was out there.
 
Raspewtin said:
I'm still in the boat of thinking we don't have the luxury of being able to scratch him.
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They really don't. Regardless of his play he is looked to as a leader and respected in the lockeroom. Take him off the PP but he can't be scratched.
 
clmetsfan said:
I agree. He shouldn't be a healthy scratch because there's no one who could step into the center spot on that line with St. Louis and Hagelin, but he really needs to be taken off the power play. He's providing nothing to it right now, as evidenced by the fact that he hasn't had a PP point since the Pittsburgh series.
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I cant really picture anyone playing worse. Hes an abomination on both sides of the puck. At least with someone like Moore, you're getting defensive prowess.
 
The deployment of Richards on the PP is mindboggling. He led the team in PP TOI in the last game despite his continued struggles. He hasn't had a PP point since Game 7 against the Pens. There needs to be some recognition by the coach that Richards is harming us more than he is helping us on the PP.
 
Ail said:
They really don't. Regardless of his play he is looked to as a leader and respected in the lockeroom. Take him off the PP but he can't be scratched.
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Unfortunately, this is the reality of the situation.

I'd love to put JT on that line next year and let him grow with those two players. Hags will be able to cover a little bit more than your average winger, defensively, and St. Louis will serve as a great mentor on a line with him.

I'd love to put JT on that line tonight... but it really won't happen.

I don't even know what to say about Richards' performance in game 2. That odd man rush give away where he fell and they got a 2-1 on to nearly win in OT was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.
 
Rust Heisenberg said:
Unfortunately, this is the reality of the situation.

I'd love to put JT on that line next year and let him grow with those two players. Hags will be able to cover a little bit more than your average winger, defensively, and St. Louis will serve as a great mentor on a line with him.

I'd love to put JT on that line tonight... but it really won't happen.

I don't even know what to say about Richards' performance in game 2. That odd man rush give away where he fell and they got a 2-1 on to nearly win in OT was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.
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Exactly how I feel. If we could assume Miller would be able to come in and work seamlessly with his linemates then I'd be all for swapping him in for Richards (either on the MSL-Hags line, or on the fourth line with Moore getting bumped up). But the reality is that doing so could **** up two lines, and we have no leeway at this point down 0-2 in the SCF. Gotta stick with the guys that got you here. At least Richards comes with the ceiling of playing at a higher level.
 
clmetsfan said:
Exactly how I feel. If we could assume Miller would be able to come in and work seamlessly with his linemates then I'd be all for swapping him in for Richards (either on the MSL-Hags line, or on the fourth line with Moore getting bumped up). But the reality is that doing so could **** up two lines, and we have no leeway at this point down 0-2 in the SCF. Gotta stick with the guys that got you here. At least Richards comes with the ceiling of playing at a higher level.
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In all but 3 games, Brad Richards has looked lost, ineffective, and at times detrimental - to me. Those 3 games also happened to occur in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs. If I could use one word to describe his play over the majority of this year's playoffs, it would be "puke-worthy". I don't know how he became this year's defacto captain but it happened and now it is impossible to scratch him for the betterment of the team. The only hope we have is that he gets a lucky bounce goal and plays to his ceiling - which is an average center at this stage in his career.
 
We know Richards is a bad skater... Is it possible the LA ice is making it worse? He's normally slow, but he looks like he's actually having a hard time getting any footing on the ice.... THat one power play in game 2... I mean it was like he was pulling a ball and chain on his legs
 
AV said the Richards line needs to be better. He has discussed it with them. Vigneault expects them to be better. They can't be any worse.
 
I'll tell you this: His career as a Ranger is coming to a close.
 
it's a shame.

has helped immensely this season and the previous series'

ol mans tired.
 
Bleed Ranger Blue said:
The thing is Hagelin and MSL are doing some great things, often when separated from Richards
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Yep, and there lies the sum of the problem: when Richards is with them, it's like they are playing 4 on 5 against LA and it almost looks like a 4 on 4 on a lot of the PPs Richards is on. The puke worthy comment above is not far off the mark. And the defacto captain crap... maybe he's great in the room, maybe he isn't, but it is demoralizing to watch a guy be such a liability. What words can a guy say in the locker room to offset how loudly his poor play on the ice is screaming?
 
Richards is playing poorly, but he still represents the best option for the Rangers.

Luckily this coach isn't reactive enough to bench him for Newbury.
 
Love it or hate it, it's too late to talk about scratch him. The team is going to live or die with him for the rest of this season, though poor play here would certainly hurt his case against a buyout.
 
RangerBoy said:
AV said the Richards line needs to be better. He has discussed it with them. Vigneault expects them to be better. They can't be any worse.
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But Hagelin and MSL have been great.

Richards is really hurting them.
 
haveandare said:
Love it or hate it, it's too late to talk about scratch him. The team is going to live or die with him for the rest of this season, though poor play here would certainly hurt his case against a buyout.
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Maybe they need to pump him full of coffee or something to pick him up.
 
i hate the way Richards has played...but you can not bench him...you just cant. you gotta go with what got you here. reactionary stuff almost always backfires. its rare it works out.
 
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