Post-Game Talk: The D

[HockeyBasedNYC]

The playoffs are different. Things get tighter in the playoffs and more things are let go. They are a smallish team who may just find it more difficult to find time and space. They also have little playoff hockey experience which does matter. We will see how they do.

They also have an unproven goaltender who has zero playoff experience. He’s been hot to start the year but a little over a year ago he wasn’t even a backup. He could turn into Roy or just be ok. Who knows

 

[ajdj10]

For anyone struggling with finding positives, let me help:

- 4 game win streak
- W over Vegas (4th in NHL)
- W over Colorado (defending Champs)
- W over Devils (2nd in NHL)
- Kakko: 3 goals in last 4 games
- Chytil: 2 goals in last 3 games
- Lafreniere: 2 goals during 4 game win streak

And this was all without Kravtsov playing in the win streak. Imagine how many more goals we would've won by if he did.

 

[Breaded Fox]

NJ can go eat a DIC. Too bad the December Stanley Cup Champions dropped a game....hahahaha

 

[kinger8998]

I'm talking about playoffs. We were easily the worst 5v5 team in the playoffs.

I would make a counter argument that being a poor 5v5 team in the playoffs isn't as significant as in the regular season. In general, even if you don't control the play in playoffs, the shots aren't high danger because playoff hockey is tighter. If you're being significantly outplayed/outshot its either in terms of possession around outside or Low danger outside slot shots.

In fact, anyone inside the high level hockey world would say postseason games are most often determined by the goaltending and special teams battles, which happen to be 2 of our strengths. Our ES play is also vastly improved from this point last year to this point this year with really only 1 significant change to the lineup being Strome/Trocheck. That means the youth are adjusted and thriving. They are being proactive, not reactive to the pace

Let's not forget, not counting the stupid bubble, last season was literally the first playoff action for thew following players: Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, K'Andre Miller, Braden Schneider, Ryan Lindgren, Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil.

That is our goalie and 8/18 of our skaters. If they got shelled in their first taste of playoff action and we STILL made it to the ECF, I'll take that any day of week. Look at leaps from last year without TDL additons to this year. We control the play now. The youngsters have learned and acclimated to playing the game at this level and not just reacting, but dictating. I would expect similar year-over-year results when it comes to last playoffs numbers vs this years playoffs numbers (we will be there veen though some of you probably hope we aren't the way you get on with all this negative stuff)

 

[haveandare]

Geez, so much negativity. Enjoy a win for gods sake

 

[duhmetreE]

Geez, so much negativity. Enjoy a win for gods sake

that's the problem... It wasn't enjoyable for me

I see a team that does little to nothing well.

 

[ReddestRum]

Geez, so much negativity. Enjoy a win for gods sake

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Back to the trailer parks Debbie fans

 

[Unpredictable1]

Schneider will have his ups and downs but those who don't see that he is a terrific young d don't know what to tell you. He just turned 21

Who hasn't even reached a season's worth of games. (reg season) For some reason it seems he's been here longer lol. Him and Laff born within a few weeks of each other but I digress.

Really like what we have in this young man.

 

[bbny]

We're never in this without that Kreider goal. He does it again and again. He is the best.

Pacing 38 goals and the way I see some fans talk about him you'd think he's back in the 20s. He could easily be pacing 50 again too. I distinctly remember at least a handful of chances of his early on in the season that he got robbed on. A lot of season left, and if he's pacing 38 when the team has been having trouble scoring for most of it...look out for a hot streak.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Big win, and another step in a long line of steps to be a cup team. If it's not obvious to this team that they need to prop up the kids and get them going before we ever entertain a cup victory i don't know what to tell them. We can build them up and compete at the same time it's not like each thing is mutuallly exclusive

 

[hackeyman]

Another comeback win is good. Shesty really struggling at the start of home games. We are not an overall fast team and we do better when we are physical . You can see the energy change after a huge hit like the one Sammy made in the second. Great not only to see Chytil and Kakko scoring but even better to see them score those type of goals that might help their confidence. Trocheck is stepping up and becoming a leader of this team. A bit of an uneven effort for the win but early on we lost games where we dominated the play so I'll gladly take this one towards balancing things out.

 

[kinger8998]

Another big point oft forgotten due to how surprising and exciting last season is:

Last season was a surprise, just a treat. We weren't even looked at as a playoff team internally to org I'm sure, here on the boards, among any hockey fans or analysts. We went on a run that was a bonus experience for the group.
This is the first year with expectations. That definitely plays into maybe being a little too cocky (losing to lower teams, its stupid but true), or playing up to the challenge of the other top teams (expectations to defend, sense of belongingness). Expectations being set for repeating last year play heavily on inside and outside factors, even for a team with vets and youth. It affects them both during ebbs and flows of a season.

Hockey, as much as it is a sport of skill and physical condiitoning, is HUGE on the mental side. Last year we could always come back from down, here we did it again tonight. I'm not giving up on this teams mental attributes or knocking them, because time and time again when they are expected to be out of a gameprior ot or during, or a series prior to or during, they can defeat the odds. What expectations do is when they are expected to win it can kind of have a reverse effect. Gotta learn how to deal with those and not let them affect.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

0.65xG 5v5

I'm surprised it was that high.

We're literally scraping by... I do not see the team getting better... wins and points are coming though... do not be deceived.

There's so much disfunction at 5v5 I dont even know where to start. This team doesn't have it... I just have a hard time foreseeing any type of improvement with the current regime and roster.

The Rangers are top 10 in xGF in the NHL. They have slipped in their analytics but most of the season they were top 10 in every category but were losing and you were whining then too.

Team Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick

Edit: They're 14th in GF%, not great but above average and above 50%.

 

[ViD]

Why can’t you guys admit Trocheck is a much better hockey player than Strome ?

 

[bbny]

It’s gonna blow when Drury trades Chytil for the next Blais and magic beans this summer cause we can’t afford him

They have plenty of cap to sign Chytil to a 3+ year deal. Lafreniere and Miller will be getting cheaper bridge deals.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

It’s gonna blow when Drury trades Chytil for the next Blais and magic beans this summer cause we can’t afford him

Too European for him.

 

[will1066]

Glad I could contribute.

I got to see 4 minutes of this game. I literally turned it on when the power play started & Trochek scored to make it 3-2....7 seconds later we score again. Out of nowhere my GF starts a massive fight with me because I farted six years ago or I'm not into the British Baking Show or whatever f***ing reason. It finally ends when OT is in progress & I see Panarin make the drop pass for that laser beam from Fil.

So as far as I'm confirmed the Rangers looked like world beaters tonight. My GF on the other hand is probably still mad at me...for something I'm still unaware of.

Hint. It was something you did days ago that you're unaware of and which she let a few days to marinate.

 

[mrmovies779]

that's the problem... It wasn't enjoyable for me

I see a team that does little to nothing well.

You are starting to give Snowblind a run for his money

 

[will1066]

NJ can go eat a DIC. Too bad the December Stanley Cup Champions dropped a game....hahahaha

Your avatar is amazing

 

[Boris Zubov]

Hint. It was something you did days ago that you're unaware of and which she let a few days to marinate.

I'll probably fart again in the meantime. In the words of Sun Tzu, when your enemy is angry, provoke him...or something to that effect.

 

[bleedblue94]

So kakko tied the game and chytil won it?

Tell me again why these kids can't play more?

 

[kinger8998]

The Rangers are top 10 in xGF in the NHL. They have slipped in their analytics but most of the season they were top 10 in every category but were losing and you were whining then too.

Team Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick

Edit: They're 14th in GF%, not great but above average and above 50%.

14th is a recent trend obviously skewed by the games during the low confidence sputtering streak. If we are high on confidence and go on a run here and swarm teams the way we did to the Devils at times today, that number will likely bring itseld back up into the top 10 like it was earlier this season

Also thanks for posting the link, knew I saw stats before, juts didn't know where to find them again

 

[SnowblindNYR]

14th is a recent trend obviously skewed by the games during the low confidence sputtering streak. If we are high on confidence and go on a run here and swarm teams the way we did to the Devils at times today, that number will likely bring itseld back up into the top 10 like it was earlier this season

I'd take people more seriously if they were like Machinehead and were all "we're playing better than our record" when they were outshooting and outplaying every team they played and losing and now are upset. But no, when we were losing, no one but a select few cared about the analytics. Now it's all about the analytics, STFU.

 

[FUZfan]

I'm so happy they won.

Eff the debbies and their road winning streak.