Post-Game Talk: wing

[Riche16]

Amen

Also... water is wet and dark is under-lit

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Post Game Interviews. Jacob Trouba, Mika Zibanejad, Jaroslav Halak and Coach Gerard Gallant:

 

[I Eat Crow]

Kakko was asked -by Quinn, this is not a conspiracy theory- to work on his all-around game first. He did, to pretty devastating effect, and the offense is starting to grow.

Chytil was a longer term project but he's becoming an integral player for us and is even good at faceoffs now.

It's just Lafreniere at this point who really hasn't shown anything and at a certain point we have to wonder how much he just is what he is.

In his defense, I REALLY hate that line he's on.

The silver lining is that it's getting easier and easier to bridge him and kick the can on making a decision on him down the line a year or two more down the line. You just know Montreal would overpay for him if he's ever made available.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

It's frustrating losing games like this but I tend to agree.

That formula still doesn't bode well for the playoffs though.

My hope this season was we'd be able to win games without Shesterkin being historically good. It seems like that might not happen.

Frustrating as hell but we just don't know how it's going to play out. They are playing disjointed hockey and have had injuries which doesn't help. I still think they play better as the season move along.

 

[FireGerardGallant]

Kakko was asked -by Quinn, this is not a conspiracy theory- to work on his all-around game first. He did, to pretty devastating effect, and the offense is starting to grow.

Chytil was a longer term project but he's becoming an integral player for us and is even good at faceoffs now.

It's just Lafreniere at this point who really hasn't shown anything and at a certain point we have to wonder how much he just is what he is.

In his defense, I REALLY hate that line he's on.

I hope Laf and Chytil get a run of games together again like they tried in the third. Gallant can be pretty stubborn though so who knows

 

[Machinehead]

And also, like, we knew we had holes and literally couldn't fill them. There's no cap space in this league.

 

[Crease]

Did the team played the first 2 games of the season said f*** it I'll see you in April?

Yep. I have no doubt they will ramp it up after the winter holidays, but it’ll be a bumpy ride until then.

 

[WojtekWolski86]

Those vets sometimes deserve the benefit of the doubt even if they have bad games or bad periods because they have proven it before. I mean we are only 13 games into an 82 game marathon.

They played game 1 like they were on a mission. Colorado did that for the entire year last year. I get they are gonna have a few stinkers over the course of 82 it's natural based on physical and mental fatigue. They are just completely disengaged. Fox was in no man's land trying to cover Larkin who had 2 sticks in his lane while Kubalik was naked back door.

 

[Machinehead]

If they're that sticky about Lafreniere playing RW and they really think that's the issue, then it's time to drop Kreider.

A third-line checker and PP specialist is a nice little spot for Kreider at this stage.

 

[Crease]

And also, like, we knew we had holes and literally couldn't fill them. There's no cap space in this league.

Needing to carry 14 forwards is a mess.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Rangers Blow
a Lead:

 

[Machinehead]

As far as Gallant goes, do I think he's dumb? Yes.

Am I going to make fun of him every time he does some #ThatsSoCoach thing? Obviously, that's funny to me and I'm here to crack myself up.

Do I think better options exist? Probably not.

I used to be somebody who thought that. After the 4th coach who's the same as the last coach, I've given up on it.

Except AV. f*** AV still.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Shesty is 6-1-2…

He still has been nowhere near last year's performance. His goals against and save % are much worse than last year.

 

[Machinehead]

Needing to carry 14 forwards is a mess.

They don't need to. They're paying a mascot $1.125m.

 

[bl02]

What we saw in Lafreniere in the playoffs was a terrific all around player (physical, showed skill, confidence) now thru 15 games we have not even seen close to that consistency. Just hope they move him back to LW for a long stretch and see what happens.

 

[Chaels Arms]

Just drop Kreider at even strength and move Laf into top six LW. It's obvious. Gallant tried to hold out from doing it but it seems he's now accepting what Kreider is at this stage. He does all his work on the PP anyway. This should be an easy switch.

 

[CLW]

And also, like, we knew we had holes and literally couldn't fill them. There's no cap space in this league.

That is partly due to poor decisions by management tbh.

 

[Riche16]

Not saying he's the savior or the answer, but he puts pucks in the net and has an edge to his game not unlike Brendan Gallagher whom the post I quoted was referencing to.

Laf put the puck in the net too... until he wore a NYR sweater

Othmann is another kick the can down the road pipedream like Kravtsov, Andersson, Brendel, Malhotra, Chery (God rest him), Grachev...

ON AND ON AND ON...

Lather, rinse, repeat this same old shit.

We have goalies and some D men

WE SUCK WITH FORWARDS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES

 

[Machinehead]

What we saw in Lafreniere in the playoffs was a terrific all around player (physical, showed skill, confidence) now thru 15 games we have not even seen close to that consistency. Just hope they move him back to LW for a long stretch and see what happens.

I never liked the Panarin idea. Panarin is good but he's also like, notoriously not easy to play with which is why we have to tiptoe around him so much.

 

[Crease]

They don't need to. They're paying a mascot $1.125m.

They’re also paying a Russian kid $875k to play half a game every 10 days.

 

[Kovalev27]

By the way it’s also absolute nonsense that laf can’t play the right wing. That matters more on the defensive side of the puck getting out of the zone but he’s missing one timers and tap ins bobbling pucks not moving his feet. I don’t think he’s working very hard right now and he’s not sharp. He’s been snake bit and now he’s getting lazy

 

[gravey9]

Only took him 8 games to realize it but at least he did.

Problem is, Kreider wasn't the only player playing dumb hockey. The truth is, if you have a tight enough structure you can withstand a bonehead play here and there. A bad turnover. You can withstand having a few younger D in the lineup. You can withstand a lot. Like it's a real symptom of a team's lack of cohesion and structure when you can't send out Jones for a semi-regular shift. And when you have to play your top 5 players into the ground in the second month of the season.

Also -- not that I even care at this moment, but it's important to note that it's not just injuries that will force the Rangers to carry 23, but poor playing. If you have a bunch of guys not playing within a team concept, and the team isn't going well, it becomes nearly impossible to bench guys when you carry the minimum. the longer they play poorly, it will at some point be impossible to save cap space for later in the year. So, actually how the team plays early on here can have a huge impact on the whole season.

 

[Machinehead]

That is partly due to poor decisions by management tbh.

I guess, but I honestly don't think we have any horrible contracts. There's nobody we've signed that wasn't getting the same elsewhere.

The cap hasn't caught up to what players are commanding.

 

[Circus86]

And also, like, we knew we had holes and literally couldn't fill them. There's no cap space in this league.

This is a really good point. I actually think the idea how this team was constructed cap wise was good, but the flat cap screwed us big time. Without flat cap maybe we have a Buch, a Motte + additional D depth on our team. I know other teams are affected as well, but we were just coming out of a rebuild, having given out big contracts to players so the flat cap really hit us hart. Rebuilding teams on the other hand have benefitted from the flat cap. Sucks but it is what it is.

 

[LiveLongandProspal]

Red Wings Twitter mocked the Rangers.