Pre-Game Talk: The 2013-2014 Training Camp/Preseason Discussion Thread

[HatTrick Swayze]

How is our defense soft? They're literally all physical, except for Moore, which remains to be seen. None of them are psychopaths, but that doesn't make them soft as a hole.

I'm not sure "soft" is the right word. But aside from the occasional hip check from Stralman, when was the last time a Rangers dman landed a big time open ice hit? Staal on Stajan? Whether its a strategy, a mentality or both, it does not happen with any regularity. Opposing forwards are not worried about keeping their head up.

Of course now there will be 10 YTs posted to disprove the point. I will readily admit I have no numbers here. But it certainly feels this way.

 

[Boruto]

So according to Glen's tone and emphasis on a "gap deal" which I'm assuming is what we call a "bridge deal", Camp Step is still demanding a 5-6 year?

 

[Clown Fiesta]

I'm not sure "soft" is the right word. But aside from the occasional hip check from Stralman, when was the last time a Rangers dman landed a big time open ice hit? Staal on Stajan? Whether its a strategy, a mentality or both, it does not happen with any regularity. Opposing forwards are not worried about keeping their head up.

Of course now there will be 10 YTs posted to disprove the point. I will readily admit I have no numbers here. But it certainly feels this way.

They rarely go out of position to make a big check, and generally take care of the puck with good stick work and positioning.

 

[Thirty One]

They rarely go out of position to make a big check, and generally take care of the puck with good stick work and positioning.

So, you mean actual defense?

 

[JohnC]

They rarely go out of position to make a big check, and generally take care of the puck with good stick work and positioning.

But why don't they hit people? It offends me that they don't ****in hit people

 

[Bardof425*]

From Zipay earlier:

"Brad Richards admits he lost confidence in himself and the head coach last season"

That really grinds my gears. Not that he wasn't confident in Torts, but that he's saying so now. Torts coached him to a cup and a conn smythe. Torts likely lobbied in his favor with NYR brass. Torts saw him suck night after night and kept giving him chances he didn't deserve. Most importantly, Torts isn't here anymore and Richards is coming off a horrible season that was caused, by his own admission, in large part due to his lack of conditioning. He needs to shut up, play hockey and suck less than he did last year. I don't want to hear any complaints or any scapegoating. He's in absolutely no place for that type of crap.

Torts is a dick. Get over it.

 

[Clown Fiesta]

So, you mean actual defense?

In a nutshell, yes.

Big hits are radical and all, but probably not the best way to judge a teams defensive ability. Similar to how fights don't translate into goals in most cases.

 

[JohnC]

Torts is a dick. Get over it.

You just single-handedly caused the next three pages of this thread to be about Torts. Why? WHY

 

[Boruto]

I'm not sure "soft" is the right word. But aside from the occasional hip check from Stralman, when was the last time a Rangers dman landed a big time open ice hit? Staal on Stajan? Whether its a strategy, a mentality or both, it does not happen with any regularity. Opposing forwards are not worried about keeping their head up.

Of course now there will be 10 YTs posted to disprove the point. I will readily admit I have no numbers here. But it certainly feels this way.

Speaking to DZ specifically, he does't do too well when two players are chasing the puck, say, in a dump in situation because of his lack of physicality in general and with his positioning. McD is more physical in the sense that he's able to use his body in areas and situations that allows him to better defend.

Sure, we don't have a top-4 defenseman that hits as well as he defends but we don't really need to have BOOMs to get the job down. How often do our players meet with a huge hit? Not that often. As far as strategy goes, I think it's the intention for our D to not exert themselves in that fashion. We are better off not going there since we're not an especially big team. It's both a strategy and a mentality. We don't take the big hits and instead we play defense. There are always risks involved with a big hit or taking the man. Eminger did it when he had ice time and it lead to a GA. As for spots when the hit is there but we don't take it? It's a mentality then.

 

[KreiMeARiver*]

Torts is a dick. Get over it.

No, F that, Richards is a little *****. He was a disgrace, last year. He's ridiculously lucky he wasn't bought out. He needs to shut his effing yap. You're gonna throw the coach under the bus now, when he's gone?

F you, Brad... F you...

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

What?

My bad, thought it was fairly obvious that was a joke.

 

[Clown Fiesta]

No, F that, Richards is a little *****. He was a disgrace, last year. He's ridiculously lucky he wasn't bought out. He needs to shut his effing yap. You're gonna throw the coach under the bus now, when he's gone?

F you, Brad... F you...

He didn't really throw anyone under the bus, but at least you've got spirit!

 

[aufheben]

Regarding the big hits, also consider that Staal has missed a considerable amount of time the last 2 years.

 

[nyr2k2]

No, F that, Richards is a little *****. He was a disgrace, last year. He's ridiculously lucky he wasn't bought out. He needs to shut his effing yap. You're gonna throw the coach under the bus now, when he's gone?

F you, Brad... F you...

I don't really think he threw anyone under the bus. If anything, he's throwing both himself and Torts under the bus. Either way, he's just stating what most fans and apparently a lot of the players felt. I think about 99% of the board lost confidence in Richards, and a large percentage lost confidence in Torts as well. It is what it is.

 

[Thirty One]

If you want to add big hits to your lineup, you have to pay a lot more for them than they're worth.

 

[haveandare]

You just single-handedly caused the next three pages of this thread to be about Torts. Why? WHY

It's not that huge of a deal. I thought it was an interesting quote from training camp. Considering how much Richards sucked last year, I'd prefer to not hear him use others as scapegoats. He should just shut up, admit he sucked, admit he didn't take the season as seriously as he should have, and play harder and better this year. He should be proving his worth on the ice starting today, not still be making excuses about last year.

I wouldn't care who the coach was. A player dropped the ball and now he's partly blaming it on a fired coach. That doesn't scream confidence to me.

 

[JohnC]

It's not that huge of a deal. I thought it was an interesting quote from training camp. Considering how much Richards sucked last year, I'd prefer to not hear him use others as scapegoats. He should just shut up, admit he sucked, admit he didn't take the season as seriously as he should have, and play harder and better this year. He should be proving his worth on the ice starting today, not still be making excuses about last year.

I wouldn't care who the coach was. A player dropped the ball and now he's partly blaming it on a fired coach. That doesn't scream confidence to me.

I get what you're saying but I just don't see the big deal. He's basically admitted he sucked and lost all his confidence, leading the coach(es) to lose confidence in him, something I thought was pretty damn obvious after the benching

Plus, if what Gross said is true, he never said head coach. He could've been talking about Sully! I don't think anyone anywhere liked Sully. Ever.

#DeathToSullyPP

 

[GAGLine]

So according to Glen's tone and emphasis on a "gap deal" which I'm assuming is what we call a "bridge deal", Camp Step is still demanding a 5-6 year?

Maybe, though I think that would be a waste of time for them. His agent can do the math. He knows the Rangers don't have enough cap space to give Stepan a McDonagh type deal.

I wonder if Glen might consider a Giroux type contract. Giroux got 3 years and 3.75 mil per year on his 2nd contract. Give Stepan 3 x 3.5. We can afford that. It locks him up for an extra year and he'll still be an RFA at the end of it.

 

[Clown Fiesta]

If you want to add big hits to your lineup, you have to pay a lot more for them than they're worth.

It's pretty ridiculous actually.

I'd be totally fine if McIlrath can make the team and over his career doesn't throw a lot of crazy hits, as long as he learns to defend properly like all our other D-men have and clears the crease that's all the "toughness" I need on the back end. He can pound some faces too that's fine.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

In a nutshell, yes.

Big hits are radical and all, but probably not the best way to judge a teams defensive ability. Similar to how fights don't translate into goals in most cases.

Who ever said it was indicative of good defense? It's just another element. If intimidation gets one player to dump the puck at the blueline, when they otherwise wouldn't, doesn't that add to a team's ability to win?

 

[Clown Fiesta]

Who ever said it was indicative of good defense? It's just another element. If intimidation gets one player to dump the puck at the blueline, when they otherwise wouldn't, doesn't that add to a team's ability to win?

No more than making a good defensive play to strip the puck from a player. If the end result is the same who cares about how you achieve it.

 

[KreiMeARiver*]

He didn't really throw anyone under the bus, but at least you've got spirit!

obviously. I also have herpes.

I don't really think he threw anyone under the bus. If anything, he's throwing both himself and Torts under the bus. Either way, he's just stating what most fans and apparently a lot of the players felt. I think about 99% of the board lost confidence in Richards, and a large percentage lost confidence in Torts as well. It is what it is.

I mean, just because he threw himself under the bus also, doesn't make it any less of a (female dog) move.

We our gonna be forced to low-ball our #1C because all our money is tied up with that waste of life.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I don't really think he threw anyone under the bus. If anything, he's throwing both himself and Torts under the bus. Either way, he's just stating what most fans and apparently a lot of the players felt. I think about 99% of the board lost confidence in Richards, and a large percentage lost confidence in Torts as well. It is what it is.

I agree, but at the same time its not like Tortorella stapled him to the bench the moment things got tough for Richards (i.e. as soon as the season started). He gave Richards every opportunity to play out of his funk, so to throw the coach into the reasoning as to why he sucked is pretty classless on Richards' part - especially considering all he and Torts had been through together.

I dont expect my 33 year old $60M center to be harping on confidence issues. Thats weak.

 

[Clown Fiesta]

obviously. I also have herpes.



I mean, just because he threw himself under the bus also, doesn't make it any less of a (female dog) move.

We our gonna be forced to low-ball our #1C because all our money is tied up with that waste of life.

Explains why you're so bitter and angry.

 

[Tawnos]

We our gonna be forced to low-ball our #1C because all our money is tied up with that waste of life.

For the millionth time, no we aren't.