Pre-Game Talk: Stanley Cup Final: New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings

[Fitzy]

The Kings have had a great run beating top level teams and scoring a lot of goals. That by no means indicates that they'll continue to produce offensively against our club, but they do have to be wary of it.

If we could do a pre-series swap of Nash and Gaborik, that'd be tremendous.

 

[rangerstown]

What do you think will be the biggest match-ups for this Final?

 

[Fletch]

Levitate...

looking at the stats posted regarding special teams, especially the Rangers' crazy PK abilities, shutting down the LA PP and being able to score on their own (LA's PK % was quite low), could be the difference and if there is a PK weakness, it needs to be exploited. It's going to be a fun series. I think there is something to be said about the coaching and making adjustments which could also be a factor. It's all on the table now. Can't believe we need to wait a couple days for it all to begin!

 

[LORDE]

Funny so many posters talking about the LA fans being cocky, yet every post in this thread says "NYR in 6" or the sarcastic "LA in 3 "

This is going to be the biggest, toughest challenge yet and I'm fairly positive that if we don't absolutely play our best games, we will lose. We may very well on a night to night basis play well and still lose games.

It's going to be very very difficult.

 

[nevesis]

Funny so many posters talking about the LA fans being cocky, yet every post in this thread says "NYR in 6" or the sarcastic "LA in 3 "

This is going to be the biggest, toughest challenge yet and I'm fairly positive that if we don't absolutely play our best games, we will lose. We may very well on a night to night basis play well and still lose games.

It's going to be very very difficult.

Keep living up to the description below your user name.

 

[Fitzy]

What do you think will be the biggest match-ups for this Final?

Quick vs Lundqvist- Lundqvist will have to outplay Quick for us to win this series. I expect the Kings to regularly outshoot us.

The LA PP vs the NYR PK- Can the Rangers shut down another hot PP unit? Can they refrain from stupid o-zone penalties?

LA depth forwards vs NYR third pairing.- Diaz, Moore, Klein are decent guys but not the strongest. Can they handle the raw physicality of players like King and Clifford mixed with good playmaking of Williams and Richards? Clearing rebounds from the front of the net will be key.

NYR Left Wingers vs Drew Doughty. - Keep him on his toes, just like Subban.

 

[nevesis]

Here are some stats to illustrate just how good the team was down the stretch. One of the best records in the league in the second half, with an outstanding goal differential of +41 in the last 40 games. Perhaps even more mind-blowing, a 93.1 percent PK in the last 23 games following the all-star break. That is unreal. Your 2013-14 NYR closed the season phenomenally and deserve to be here, no doubt about it.

Final 40 Regular Season Games

TEAM | W | L | OT | PTS | GF | GA | DIF
NYR|25|11|4|54|120|79|41
LAK|21|15|4|46|96|86|10
CHI|18|14|8|44|109|105|4

Post All-Star Break

TEAM | SV% | PP | PK
NYR|.932|12.9|93.1
LAK|.923|19.7|82.9
CHI|.901|11.9|86.4

Playoffs

TEAM | GPG | GAPG | 5v5 | PP | PK | LD1 | LD2 | PM/G
NYR|2.70|2.25|1.33|13.6|85.9|.818|1.000|10.0
LAK|3.40|2.80|1.12|26.2|82.7|.750|.889|13.1
CHI|3.00|2.78|1.11|19.2|84.1|.700|.750|8.8

Great post.

 

[Fletch]

I don't know if making a prediction that the Rangers will win is being cocky. Saying it's going to be a cakewalk and the Kings don't have a chance is cocky. Saying it's going to be a tough series, but one believes the Rangers will prevail due to this, that and the other thing, really isn't being cocky.

 

[GordonGecko]

If we're gonna steal one of the first two games on the road I hope it's game 1 just to shut everybody up. Much like in Habs series.

won't shut everybody up, you just know if the Rangers take game 1 the lead on every sports page will be how the Kings were tired out from the Blackhawks series. If they also lose game 2, not sure what their excuse will be then, probably more of the same

 

[NYROrtsFan]

It could be an advantage being overlooked here.

Big time... I think the same thing happened with Montreal. They came into the series sleep walking and it was 2-0 before they realized they had a tough opponent.

 

[Idlerlee]

According to the main boards no Ranger has ever had to deal with being checked before, every Ranger is Zucc's height, Stepan is just a soft playmaker, and the Rangers have no depth. Oh and Quick is better than Lundqvist because CUP.

Im not sure how Quicks save percentage makes him better than Hank in the playoffs, but Im sure it has to do with what an amazing goaltender he really is.

For example last night the patrik sharp goal that bounced right infront of him and snuck in between his arms and into the net, in the west that was both an amazing shot and impossibly good goaltending by Quick, but just bad luck.

in the east, both that shot and that goaltending is pure garbage and the west will just anihilate everyone. Because something rabble rabble rabble

 

[Whiplash27]

The first excuse in Montreal was that they were tired from an extremely emotional series against Boston. Meanwhile NYR played an even more emotional series against Pittsburgh and the media brushes it off.

Anyway, let the media bash NYR from beginning to end. All that matters is that the guys in blue lift the Cup.

 

[Miamipuck]

Funny so many posters talking about the LA fans being cocky, yet every post in this thread says "NYR in 6" or the sarcastic "LA in 3 "

This is going to be the biggest, toughest challenge yet and I'm fairly positive that if we don't absolutely play our best games, we will lose. We may very well on a night to night basis play well and still lose games.

It's going to be very very difficult.

You have a bad feeling about every game, pretty much everything.

There's nothing wrong with optimism. It's not like the Kings board where everyone is already fellating themselves to their Stanley Cup celebration. Everyone knows how good the Kings are.

 

[LORDE]

Keep living up to the description below your user name.

Part of it is "realist"

Take it for what it's worth.

I'm not going to blindly call anything one way or the other just because I root for that team.

 

[nevesis]

Part of it is "realist"

Take it for what it's worth.

I'm not going to blindly call anything one way or the other just because I root for that team.

If you're a realist, you would look at the statistics and see how even we match up with them. I think a lot of people listen to what is said in the media and start to get scared without looking into the facts of how close the two teams actually are.

Yes, LA is 'bigger' than us. But that doesn't mean **** when we score more goals than them, have an extremely strong defense, and the best goalie in the NHL.

 

[Levitate]

One thing you definitely notice if you go take a look at Gaborik's goals in the playoffs is how many of them have come off of passes from Kopitar with Gaborik cutting to or sitting in front of the net. Rangers have to take that connection out of play or it'll be a tough series.

We know Gaborik is good in front of the net and the D just can't let him get his stick on those passes or let that pass through to begin with. Whenever he goes to the net he's gotta have a Rangers D right in his face and a stick on his stick.

 

[Cake or Death]

Great post.

Well man, I just wanted to discount some of the dismissive talk I'd seen on the main boards with... facts. For all the talk I'd seen about us being "lucky" to be here or having a supposedly easy trip here, the Pens were one of only two of the 16 playoff teams ranked top 10 in GPG (5th), GAPG (10th), PP (1st), and PK (5th). Say what you will, but that is a damn well balanced mess to have to deal with and no small task. And for those dismissively laughing off MAF and saying we were against a weak goalie, I'd argue he was easily a lot more steady in net than what I've seen from, say, Crawford or Quick, both of whom have looked like flat out **** at points, as well as some other marginal goaltending I've seen out West.

Not to mention, when you see some of the numbers it really does impress. A +41 goal differential in 40 games is outstanding. A 93.1% PK to close out the last 23 games is utterly ridiculous. Do I rightfully fear and respect LA? Absolutely, and you should. Do I think the Rangers can beat them? Absolutely, and we should. It's going to be a good series, but I have a real good feel about it.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

I don't think anyone should be looking ahead to the cup ceremony - either way. It'll be a tough series. LA is a bad match up for us. At the same time we are a bad match up for them.

I've maintained that we should be considered favorites for every match up that we've gotten. The Flyers were a much less skilled team that could only hope to win games from us by injury, mucking up the games, or having us overlook them. All 3 happened and they consequently took 3 from us. The Penguins were an equally skilled team that was vulnerable to speed and transition and the only way we would lose to them was sloppy & slow play. We played 6 or 7 games in 9 nights and looked completely gassed by game 4. Once we regained energy, we won 3 straight. The Habs didn't equal us in any facet of play and the only way that they would hope to win was by injury and forcing us to play undisciplined hockey through antics. They won 2 games in this manner.

The Kings? They're equally as talented as us. They've won the cup before. They run 4 lines. And from top-bottom they're going to be the most formidable match up we will have faced this year in the playoffs.

But they've played the most hockey from any team, in any series. They have a quick turn around. And their defense, which is already slower than our offense significantly, will have heavier legs due to fatigue to begin the series, let alone to end it. This Rangers team is going to bring it to them.

Does that mean that the Rangers will absolutely win? No. But if we were to assume that the Rangers were to play at the energy level that they did in game 6 against Montreal, I see absolutely no way the Kings are able to beat us 4 times over the course of a 7 game series with all other factors taken into account. Even if we go down 2-1, or 2-0, or 3-1, I think we could realistically see a Devil's like comeback similar to the '12 ECF. That being said I really don't see us going down at any point in the series. Should be a fun series. Could potentially go 6-7. But our speed, freshness, and style of play should really be too much to handle for the Kings.

That's an honest opinion. Of course I'm nervous about the Kings. But everyone here should begin taking them a little more seriously. I remember going on the Penguins board before the series and everyone said Pens in 4/5. Let's not be that fanbase. Confident but don't discount the opponent. They're a ****ing awesome team, and more frighteningly a ****ing terrible match up for us in terms of playing style and personnel. I think we prevail but it really will be a hell of a lot harder than some of you guys seem to think it will be. I'd prepare for some agonizingly painful and stressful games.

 

[nikonsniper*]

I'm still upset we wont have the 29th/30th pick in this years draft now!

 

[Tawnos]

LA
Forwards
Avg Height 6' 1.5"
Avg Weight 206.7 lbs

Defense
Avg Height 6' 1.8"
Avg Weight 212.3 lbs

NYR
Forwards
Avg Height 6' 0.6"
Avg Weight 200.3 lbs

Defense
Avg Height 6' 1.5"
Avg Weight 202.3 lbs

 

[AHB*]

I think the biggest thing is LA, while not in these playoffs, has been prone to massive goal slumps, similar to us in past years and even parts of this year.

If our D can stand up, I really think we can shut down their offense. That first line scares me somewhat, but I think the other lines are more of the same we have seen in these playoffs.

LA hasn't faced a 4th line that can keep up with theirs. That will change this series.

It will be tough, but hopefully the cards fall our way in regards to fatigue, health, etc.

 

[Zil]

That's an honest opinion. Of course I'm nervous about the Kings. But everyone here should begin taking them a little more seriously. I remember going on the Penguins board before the series and everyone said Pens in 4/5. Let's not be that fanbase. Confident but don't discount the opponent. They're a ****ing awesome team, and more frighteningly a ****ing terrible match up for us in terms of playing style and personnel. I think we prevail but it really will be a hell of a lot harder than some of you guys seem to think it will be. I'd prepare for some agonizingly painful and stressful games.

I've seen a grand total of one poster on here picking us to win in less than six games. I don't think anyone's taking them lightly, but everyone's noting the Kings look a lot more beatable than the main board would lead you to believe.

 

[nevesis]

LA
Forwards
Avg Height 6' 1.5"
Avg Weight 206.7 lbs

Defense
Avg Height 6' 1.8"
Avg Weight 212.3 lbs

NYR
Forwards
Avg Height 6' 0.6"
Avg Weight 200.3 lbs

Defense
Avg Height 6' 1.5"
Avg Weight 202.3 lbs

Because facts.

 

[nyhockeyfan]

Is there any diehard fan here who thinks there is a good possibility the Rangers could sweep? Or they could take the first three games?

I have tickets in my season ticket pool to game 4 but my allotment gets cut back if there is a chance the Rangers could raise the cup at the end of the game. I was going to invite my nephew but don't want to disappoint him. On the other hand, I just can't believe LA is going to let NYR win all of the first three games.

Trying to grapple with reality here. Airline tix prices are shooting up. Any thoughts?

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

I've seen a grand total of one poster on here picking us to win in less than six games. I don't think anyone's taking them lightly, but everyone's noting the Kings look a lot more beatable than the main board would lead you to believe.

They do look beatable.