To quote JD. This team needs to get tougher

[leetch99]

What happened last night? Did we get our heads beat in?

Haley's helmet gave Johnston's hand a bad beating . Which is why he never popped Tony when he had the chance and left the gloves on for the most part while throwing some powder puffs . Our guys held on good...which was smart . Nelson dirty hit on Zibs that basically was a free POP for them since Kreider just hugged him after . It will get more intense next game . I see Trouba, Lindgren and Tony maybe getting more involved in the next one and maybe even Strome . Just have to show up is the main thing and hold on .

 

[egelband]

Haley's helmet gave Johnston's hand a bad beating . Which is why he never popped Tony when he had the chance and left the gloves on for the most part while throwing some powder puffs . Our guys held on good...which was smart . Nelson dirty hit on Zibs that basically was a free POP for them since Kreider just hugged him after . It will get more intense next game . I see Trouba, Lindgren and Tony maybe getting more involved in the next one and maybe even Strome . Just have to show up is the main thing and hold on .

Agree on all that but one thing. I thought Nelson was actually quite decent with Z. He just shoved him. The helmet game off but there really wasn’t any head contact. In fact my thought was: Mika, get that helmet strap tightened. Don’t go Sauer in us.

 

[eco's bones]

What happened last night? Did we get our heads beat in?

I wouldn't say either of our players won their fights--certainly Haley didn't but I would say that those two fights had a positive impact for us on the game. Sometimes it's in the how someone survives. Ross Johnston is an absolute monster--he's huge with a head the size of a basketball. He's about as strong as anyone in the league and he has a long reach and he knows how to use it. Haley kept his head out of reach more or less t(hough it looked liked Johnston scraped his knuckles up really good on Haley's helmet) and managed to get a couple good shots in before the end and refused to be wrestled down to the ice. Johnston's cleanest punches were about a dozen shots to Haley's abdomen. Smith more than less managed to tie up Martin--either of them maybe landed some semi-blocked punches--nothing really clean. Martin getting tossed meant that his forechecking hitting game and his crowding the crease game went missing for the Islanders. Just think no Cizikas, Clutterbuck, Martin in this one. Hurt their overall physical game.

The other thing that came out of it was that it woke up the Rangers bench. They seemed to feed off the fights almost immediately and after a mediocre start they absolutely carried the play after that.

 

[Joey Bones]

They need another Lemieux in the forward group. Even someone to develop up from the 4th line. Other than that the team is plenty tough. ADA, Lindgren and Trouba on D is a pretty tough half of the corps.

But NYR also needs someone who could put up points, too. Need to have a balance so that they can role all four lines. Lemieux is good, but can be better in that regard. If NYR had someone like a Hornqvist in the system along with some supporting guys, like Lemieux, then that would help balance out the lines and be effective.

 

[leetch99]

Our speed worked even better when Johnston was on the ice . Isles have a tough grind ahead in the next week or so.....we easily enough can grab these 6 points if we keep playing like we did . They are a slow plodding club albeit big . Our D just has to speed up that first pass out.....it would just make so much difference with way less turn over in our end . If it turns over center ice not as big a deal.

 

[eco's bones]

Our speed worked even better when Johnston was on the ice . Isles have a tough grind ahead in the next week or so.....we easily enough can grab these 6 points if we keep playing like we did . They are a slow plodding club albeit big . Our D just has to speed up that first pass out.....it would just make so much difference with way less turn over in our end . If it turns over center ice not as big a deal.

The Isles want to roll lines too. With some of their guys out it makes it more difficult. Looking at their bottom 6 yesterday---not that impressive. Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee their top forwards. They're both really good players but offensively the Islanders don't have a lot of pizzazz. They depend on their D and their D group struggled against us all night especially in respect to Panarin. Hopefully we can win again on Thursday but adjustments and etc.---nothing can be taken for granted.

 

[leetch99]

The Isles want to roll lines too. With some of their guys out it makes it more difficult. Looking at their bottom 6 yesterday---not that impressive. Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee their top forwards. They're both really good players but offensively the Islanders don't have a lot of pizzazz. They depend on their D and their D group struggled against us all night especially in respect to Panarin. Hopefully we can win again on Thursday but adjustments and etc.---nothing can be taken for granted.

LOL....plus the Isle goaltending was absolutely atrocious .

 

[eco's bones]

LOL....plus the Isle goaltending was absolutely atrocious .

I'm kind of expecting them to be better on Thursday though. We never seem to have it easy with them.

 

[leetch99]

It won't be easy that is a given LOL....however...I wonder if Johnston will be in the game ? I think he has a hand injury and I am pretty sure he skipped the Islander/Wing game . He did not want to take his glove off with Tony D ....he could have popped him really hard . I think he is hurting . Actually helps us when he is on the ice . Our speed kills him .

 

[RGY]

It won't be easy that is a given LOL....however...I wonder if Johnston will be in the game ? I think he has a hand injury and I am pretty sure he skipped the Islander/Wing game . He did not want to take his glove off with Tony D ....he could have popped him really hard . I think he is hurting . Actually helps us when he is on the ice . Our speed kills him .

I was gona say, would love Johnston and Martin to be in the lineup. They are terrible hockey players. Its how fans feel when they see Haley and Smith on our 4th line. Eyes light up.

The Islanders have a strong defensive structure. The Rangers need to emulate that a bit because yeah the Islanders offense is nothing to write home about. You shut down Barzal and you have a great chance of winning the game.

And you absolutely need to continue to exploit Boychuk with speed. Kreider destroyed him every time Monday. Focus on those things and we will win.

 

[eco's bones]

It won't be easy that is a given LOL....however...I wonder if Johnston will be in the game ? I think he has a hand injury and I am pretty sure he skipped the Islander/Wing game . He did not want to take his glove off with Tony D ....he could have popped him really hard . I think he is hurting . Actually helps us when he is on the ice . Our speed kills him .

I think Johnston chopped up his hand on Haley's helmet.

DeAngelo has no business fighting that big palooka. Total mismatch and glad it didn't really happen.

 

[eco's bones]

I was gona say, would love Johnston and Martin to be in the lineup. They are terrible hockey players. Its how fans feel when they see Haley and Smith on our 4th line. Eyes light up.

The Islanders have a strong defensive structure. The Rangers need to emulate that a bit because yeah the Islanders offense is nothing to write home about. You shut down Barzal and you have a great chance of winning the game.

And you absolutely need to continue to exploit Boychuk with speed. Kreider destroyed him every time Monday. Focus on those things and we will win.

It's an NHL stat that is very subjective but Matt Martin still has an effective hitting game. He's averaging over 4 a game and is in the top 10 players in the league--maybe in the top 5. It works best though when his linemates are Clutterbuck and Cizakas because they rack up the hits too and together they pressure the puck continuously and wear down defenses. Without them it's easier to avoid him. Martin can also be a hard guy to move away from the net.

FWIW I didn't mind Haley in the lineup the other night. His fight with Johnston helped spark the team. Message was sent early the Rangers weren't backing down. He also got in 4 hits of his own in about 6 minutes of playing time.

 

[True Blue]

I was gona say, would love Johnston and Martin to be in the lineup.

I think that the Isles missed Martin's physical presence and his forechecking.