Team toughness

[OverTheCap]

Fans will finally stop talking about 2011-12 once this team shows the same resiliency as well as consistency in effort and mental toughness that the 2011-12 team displayed. There's no telling when or if that will happen.

 

[PIM]

Is there a reason why Haley isn't on this team? I thought he looked good in preseason. He's willing to fight anyone and he's not a bad player. Is Asham that much better then him?

I know this is a minor move but I bet if Haley played last night, he's not going out there slashing someone on the wrist or dancing with them and getting four minutes.

I'm sure there will be the typical HF answers of, "who cares?" but I'd much rather him on that fourth line then Asham.

AV clearly favors the vets. It seems like he's looking for leadership within the room while he adjusts to the team.

This is why we're seeing Pyatt instead of JT, for instance.

I agree that Haley is a better choice, I'm a big fan of his.

I don't agree that the switch would've made any sort of impact last night, but yes, Haley is a better option imo.

Natural LW, strong on his skates, clears the front of the net. I also think he has some untapped offensive upside, but that's just a hunch.

 

[BroadwayBlues]

Yes exactly. Take those roster spots, replace them with a hungry kid or two, and a couple of guys that will stand up for the team, and I think that a watchable battle level should be present.

I agree %100. It's what I have been saying. Put a couple of kids on that 3rd line.

I don't care if they're not all the way NHL ready. Nothing is perfect anyway.

 

[Ola]

Is there a reason why Haley isn't on this team? I thought he looked good in preseason. He's willing to fight anyone and he's not a bad player. Is Asham that much better then him?

I know this is a minor move but I bet if Haley played last night, he's not going out there slashing someone on the wrist or dancing with them and getting four minutes.

I'm sure there will be the typical HF answers of, "who cares?" but I'd much rather him on that fourth line then Asham.

Look, I think you are right. Ie, there is no objective reasoning behind icing Asham over Haley. This is a pecking order thing.

I think we see situations like this every now and then, a player is on the verge of making it and the issue becomes about that player playing or not playing, and not whether who is the "best" player for a position. The player becomes a roadblock for others that could come from behind.

I was definitely one of the bigger fans of the Asham-signing. I always thought he did a great job against us and where a tough player to play against. But he just isn't as good now as he was when he was 30. The legs aren't quite there. The energy is lacking. Etc. I think we are doing our due diligence with him and letting him play himself out of the lineup to a larger extent than someone taking him over Haley.

 

[surf]

that's the difference between me and you a suspension never even crossed my mind...I want the players to police themselves...no need to run to momma and have her decide how many games you get for a blow to the head...typical new age thinking..

nah you're just looking it from a biased point of view as a ranger fan. was a regular hit maybe his elbow got up a bit it was hard to tell. it was not a hard hit or viciousat all. doesn't even look like it hits him in the head on the replay they just showed. might have hit him with the shoulder. won't be a suspension or anything.

 

[Dagoon44]

Team Toughness lol we have none lock the thread lets move on lol.
Dorset is tough but why to small
Asham is ok at best
Nash is a wet paper bag
Callahan is great but gets banged up
The Defense is a horrible and far from tough

 

[PMantis24]

Well, for starters, that team rarely lost by more than a goal or two, and last night's product lost by 7. That'll cause you to romanticize the past fairly quickly.

But more importantly, that '11-12 team had some fire and made me proud as a fan.

Exactly, going continue romanticizing about that team until this team can show that same heart and passion, but I doubt that's going to happen with the personnel we have. Would love it if they proved me wrong.

 

[surf]

...and for all the hate Stu Bickle gets here remember he played most of the year when we won the East...he is a junk yard dog that throws with bad intentions and stuck up for team mates...he was a perfect number 6 d man to have on certain nights

 

[TankLarkin]

that's the difference between me and you a suspension never even crossed my mind...I want the players to police themselves...no need to run to momma and have her decide how many games you get for a blow to the head...typical new age thinking..

Dave Maloney said Hertl would have lost an arm had he pulled the move he pulled on his fourth goal back in the 70s/80s. Frontier justice in NHL was so damn entertaining. I dare say Stuart would have had to drop the gloves all night had he elbowed Leetch like that.

 

[JanErixon20]

AV clearly favors the vets. It seems like he's looking for leadership within the room while he adjusts to the team.

This is why we're seeing Pyatt instead of JT, for instance.

I agree that Haley is a better choice, I'm a big fan of his.

I don't agree that the switch would've made any sort of impact last night, but yes, Haley is a better option imo.

Natural LW, strong on his skates, clears the front of the net. I also think he has some untapped offensive upside, but that's just a hunch.

I don't think he would have made a difference on the scoreboard, but he would have shown some heart and fiestyness.

Look, I think you are right. Ie, there is no objective reasoning behind icing Asham over Haley. This is a pecking order thing.

I think we see situations like this every now and then, a player is on the verge of making it and the issue becomes about that player playing or not playing, and not whether who is the "best" player for a position. The player becomes a roadblock for others that could come from behind.

I was definitely one of the bigger fans of the Asham-signing. I always thought he did a great job against us and where a tough player to play against. But he just isn't as good now as he was when he was 30. The legs aren't quite there. The energy is lacking. Etc. I think we are doing our due diligence with him and letting him play himself out of the lineup to a larger extent than someone taking him over Haley.

I liked the Asham signing as well, but I agree with your analysis of him....he's done.

 

[Samuel Culper III]

...and for all the hate Stu Bickle gets here remember he played most of the year when we won the East...he is a junk yard dog that throws with bad intentions and stuck up for team mates...he was a perfect number 6 d man to have on certain nights

Honestly, do you guys remember when we played Bickel on the fourth line as a wing? He's a bit of a liability as a d-man, but as a fourth line winger who plays 7 minutes? He would be more of a deterrent than Asham. Sure, Asham has more skill, but that's not necessarily what we need on our FOURTH line. Bickel would be an actual deterrent. Dorsett's the scrappy small one. Bickel is the clobberin' big one.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

I liked the Asham signing as well, but I agree with your analysis of him....he's done.

The fact this team insists on/has to fill the third and fourth line via free agency is a problem? Asham is just the latest in a long line of UFA busts who were brought in to add grit. It's a young man's job.

 

[Samuel Culper III]

The fact this team insists on/has to fill the third and fourth line via free agency is a problem? Asham is just the latest in a long line of UFA busts who were brought in to add grit. It's a young man's job.

Agree with that. Brashear. Boogard. Rupp. Asham. Dorsett (young enough). It's not working. Dominic Moore (feel good for the guy coming back, and he'll probably be serviceable but... that's all). It needs to come from inside the system on a 700k contract. Not 32 years old and making 1-2M, each.

 

[Pastafazul*]

slats better get to work and find some bulls cause its gonna be a long year if lundy doesn't get some help...

 

[RealCatFishHunter]

when that game was 3-1 or 4-1 someone needs to get the boys goin and drop the mitts. they needed a spark and ashams gloves were cemented on his hands. i dont know how the lockerroom is because obviously im not apart of it but they got to start sticking up for each other. read a bunch of great points about not having a D guy who is fiesty or a younger guy who can get the job done. the rangers have to stop looking for fighters and start looking for men. you look at the bs last year with lucic, marchand, ference, horton etc. these guys i dont think are considered "fighters" but they fight for their team when they need it. rangers need hard nosed players who can get the job done and won't accept being embarrassed like they were last night. get rid of pyatt, asham and maybe even stralman and insert some guys in the lineup that will play the game hard and die for their teammates.

 

[JanErixon20]

when that game was 3-1 or 4-1 someone needs to get the boys goin and drop the mitts. they needed a spark and ashams gloves were cemented on his hands. i dont know how the lockerroom is because obviously im not apart of it but they got to start sticking up for each other. read a bunch of great points about not having a D guy who is fiesty or a younger guy who can get the job done. the rangers have to stop looking for fighters and start looking for men. you look at the bs last year with lucic, marchand, ference, horton etc. these guys i dont think are considered "fighters" but they fight for their team when they need it. rangers need hard nosed players who can get the job done and won't accept being embarrassed like they were last night. get rid of pyatt, asham and Del Zotto and insert some guys in the lineup that will play the game hard and die for their teammates.

Made a slight change to your otherwise good post.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

Not sure Asham is a bust.

I think he did a great job on the 4th line last season. Way better then Rupp, Boogaard, Brashear, etc.

 

[NYR Viper]

Not sure Asham is a bust.

I think he did a great job on the 4th line last season. Way better then Rupp, Boogaard, Brashear, etc.

Asham is a FAR better hockey player than any of those guys. Unfortunately, that doesn't say much

 

[Mikos87]

Asham is a FAR better hockey player than any of those guys. Unfortunately, that doesn't say much

Spot on, he may be a better skater, but that doesn't mean he excelled at his job.

 

[Ail]

...and for all the hate Stu Bickle gets here remember he played most of the year when we won the East...he is a junk yard dog that throws with bad intentions and stuck up for team mates...he was a perfect number 6 d man to have on certain nights

That's all well and good, but they have to be able to play hockey as well. Bickel is not very good at actually playing the game.

 

[egelband]

that's the difference between me and you a suspension never even crossed my mind...I want the players to police themselves...no need to run to momma and have her decide how many games you get for a blow to the head...typical new age thinking..

me too. this team will never earn any respect waiting for the officials or league management to keep things 'clean'. the only way to do that is for the rangers to create an environment where opponents phyisically fear overstepping the line. like a pavlovian response...'i will avoid the rangers goalie because, if i don't, i will be physically hurt'. 'i will keep my elbow down because, if i use it to concuss a ranger, worse will happen to me'.
yahoo did a story on this today. basically calledout the rangers for being soft, not protecting teammates...crying for suspensions instead of taking care of their own business. i totally agree. maybe messier would have been the right coach...

 

[surf]

no doubt my Rangers brother...we are a dying breed who think like this here though..majority here want to make them pay on PP...how funny is that?? have these people seen our PP the last few years?? its not scaring or deterring anyone!

me too. this team will never earn any respect waiting for the officials or league management to keep things 'clean'. the only way to do that is for the rangers to create an environment where opponents phyisically fear overstepping the line. like a pavlovian response...'i will avoid the rangers goalie because, if i don't, i will be physically hurt'. 'i will keep my elbow down because, if i use it to concuss a ranger, worse will happen to me'.
yahoo did a story on this today. basically calledout the rangers for being soft, not protecting teammates...crying for suspensions instead of taking care of their own business. i totally agree. maybe messier would have been the right coach...

 

[surf]

we will be physically pounded tonight...benny pouliotte will have nightmares during the first intermission....you don't think the word gets around the league?? no response from us for the cheap shot on Nash except Boyle acting tough when the refs got in between from his skirmish

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Not sure Asham is a bust.

I think he did a great job on the 4th line last season. Way better then Rupp, Boogaard, Brashear, etc.

Whether he's a bust or not is irrelevant to me. The larger issue is why does this team have to keep filling roles on the bottom for via free agency. The inability to develop players to fill these roles is unbelievable.

 

[Ail]

no doubt my Rangers brother...we are a dying breed who think like this here though..majority here want to make them pay on PP...how funny is that?? have these people seen our PP the last few years?? its not scaring or deterring anyone!

Yes but this a fundamental problem they just have not been able to correct for whatever reason. Should they abandon the power play? You can't just say screw the power play let's bring in some thugs and beat them up rather than hope they can finally figure out what the **** is going on with their inability to move the puck efficiently with the man advantage.

Trust me I am sick of the horrible power play, but beating people up isn't the answer. At the end of the day you need to score goals to win, fighting and looking tough doesn't get that done ever. Hopefully at some point in the near future the power play will.