Post-Game Talk: Zibanejad worst Ranger since.....?

[chosen]

It's 150AM & this thread has been the highlight of my day. Now it's getting political...even better. IBTL

You can tell which types will get political before they do.

This might be crazy talk but having Fox and Panarin might not have been good for some of these guys because their brilliance covered up a lot of rot and bad play.

Got goals from two Top-10 guys in the league tonight and lost vs a minor league team.

It is crazy talk.

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

Agreed. And I am not going to say Drury is infallible. Like I said, he has had some mishaps, but most GMs do. Their issue is leadership and it has been that way since Gorton was here. Don't forget all the issues internally that were present with JD and Gorton. The first year Drury was here they went on a run and had a great year. However, this group has gotten complacent. Zibanejad, Kreider, etc. Too soft.

I've been generally OK with Kreider, but everytime Zibanejad touches the puck in the offensive zone and it's not an oddman situation, it's either a routine pass off a standard offensive setup, a turnover, a missed shot, or a bad shot right into the goalie with no traffic in front. If he's touched, he coughs the puck up.

If everyone was healthy, I drop him to 3C behind Chytil at this point. He's been horrendous, and for a guy walking around with a 40-50 goal scorers' shot, the fact he still stubbornly refuses to take high percentage wrist shots from scoring areas is absolutely infuriating on a team that needs goals right now.

We are halfway through the season now. It's not a "cold streak" a cold streak is him shooting badly, but shooting. This is the body of his game has fundamentally worsened and no one seems to be doing anything about it, and he still gets to play with his best buddy on a line even though whatever line he's been on at even strength has generally struggled to produce.

 

[chosen]

This might be crazy talk but having Fox and Panarin might not have been good for some of these guys because their brilliance covered up a lot of rot and bad play.

Got goals from two Top-10 guys in the league tonight and lost vs a minor league team.

It is crazy talk.

Imagine what kinda player Mika would be if he had someone like MacKinnon's competitiveness. Zero heart. But that's just his personality at this point. It's like he had a kid this season so you can just write him off for the year. The beta/alpha/soy thing always sounds goofy to me but there's really no other way to put it. Enough with the quinoa salads and the lentil soup. The guy makes so much money he could source the highest quality protein on the planet and instead eats Bill Gates fake alt-meats. How many times in the past has this guy gave interviews where he'd be like I'd rather set up my husband Kreids for a goal than score one myself. Enough with that bullshit

Imagine if Zib could skate like MacKinnon.

If you believe the difference between them is trying, you're loopy.

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

Hindsight is always 20/20. What was he supposed to do though? Who was going to play 1C? Mika was coming off some very good seasons and this team was ready to take the next step.

The extension wasn't the mistake. The NMC was.

 

[chosen]

To be fair, I think Drury knew he was making a mistake with Zibanejad, and went out to "fix" his mistake with trocheck and it's worked at least.

Lots of moves by GMs are forced. They couldn't walk into the season with no legitimate center locked up. Drury has had bad moves and he's had good moves, like every GM trying to compete and has their job on the line. It is what it is.

The issue is Laviolette seems to be running a country club where there's more ref blaming and tinkering than owning up to poor individual play.

Right.

It's the coach for the 10th time in a row.

 

[Levitate]

I've been generally OK with Kreider, but everytime Zibanejad touches the puck in the offensive zone and it's not an oddman situation, it's either a routine pass off a standard offensive setup, a turnover, a missed shot, or a bad shot right into the goalie with no traffic in front. If he's touched, he coughs the puck up.

If everyone was healthy, I drop him to 3C behind Chytil at this point. He's been horrendous, and for a guy walking around with a 40-50 goal scorers' shot, the fact he still stubbornly refuses to take high percentage wrist shots from scoring areas is absolutely infuriating on a team that needs goals right now.

We are halfway through the season now. It's not a "cold streak" a cold streak is him shooting badly, but shooting. This is the body of his game has fundamentally worsened and no one seems to be doing anything about it, and he still gets to play with his best buddy on a line even though whatever line he's been on at even strength has generally struggled to produce.

yeah I don't know wtf happened to the zibanejad who put up 40 goals, or carried the team to the ECF 2 years ago (after admittedly a poor start to the playoffs)

He's just not doing the same things he used to

 

[chosen]

Team non-effort.

-Mika was trash all game. Whining to the ref and picking up his stick while the GWG goes in the net? I don't give a shit how much money he makes. He should be a healthy scratch next game.

-I love Laf, but if you want to be a go-to guy, you need to bury at least one of those chances.

-Kreider has to locate his heart or his balls. Preferably both, but if he can't find at least one, he's a waste of space.

-Lavi needs to shake things up and stop letting the players dictate how/where/when they are going to play. Sit a couple of guys. Shake up the PP1. Elevate some kids. At the VERY least, he needs to use his TO when the ice tilts the way it did for the first half of the third period. I don't even remember the last time we had a coach who could make an adjustment DURING a game.

-The refs must have had plans tonight. So many blatant picks on that last possession. I kind of want the Rangers to pull the same shit next time they go to OT so that when they get called for it they can put up both clips and ask for a clarification. Textbook interference multiple times during the same possession and it leads to a game-winning goal. That's just inept on the part of the refs. Not blaming them for the loss (see points 1-4), but you hate to lose any game like that.

Usually people blame one or two things.

You've got 5.

Kravtsov needs to be lowered down from the rafters...

By his neck?

 

[Machinehead]

yeah I don't know wtf happened to the zibanejad who put up 40 goals, or carried the team to the ECF 2 years ago (after admittedly a poor start to the playoffs)

He's just not doing the same things he used to

The underlying numbers told us that the player he used to be was still deeply flawed.

 

[Filip Chytil]

Powerplay is 22/81 since December 1 (26 total games) per my count.

Powerplay is 7/36 since January 1 (12 total games).

 

[chosen]

I went to bed and didn't see a minute of it.

They're just not very good. They have one line that drives play and one defenseman that can be relied on.

Just an untalented, ineffective team.

No.

They're a better than average team.

 

[Machinehead]

No.

They're a better than average team.

Well that's thrilling.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

It is crazy talk.


Imagine if Zib could skate like MacKinnon.

If you believe the difference between them is trying, you're loopy.

Zib can skate.
He doesn’t appear to have lost a step, he’s a great skater with size.

It’s everything else about his game that sucks.

 

[Anthony5967]

Zibanejad does not attack inside and through traffic. Isn't in his DNA. Gotta think if Drury approaches him about waiving, suggesting they no longer want him around, he would waive for select teams. Would he go back to Ottawa? Would Ottawa try that again? Norris swap? Hard to really know where else he would approve a move to. Gotta think contenders.

 

[chosen]

I'm sick of Rangers trading for big guys that play soft. Id take a team full of Ryan Callahan types over players with size and that scared Mika, K'Andre Miller, Kreider hits when he wants or gets mad which is rarely.. Rangers need another helmet being thrown. The fact the Rangers aren't playing angry on the ice is telling. I don't want to hear that it's not in their DNA. They should be pissed off with their inconsistent play and lack of effort. Mentally Weak team that Drury built. I think Rangers need a brawl or a huge scrum for the team to wake up and be involved

A brawl is the answer?

You're in the wrong century.

A team full of Ryan Callahans doesn't get you any further either. We've seen that. It's the 2012 Rangers.

Not sure what is so hard for people to understand here.

YOU NEED ELITE TALENT, and really you need at least one real elite center.

You need the MacKinnons, the Crosbys, the Kanes up front. Then you need the "secondary" elites - the Malkins, the Rantanens, the Toews.

We've never had either.

1994 disagrees.

 

[Levitate]

The underlying numbers told us that the player he used to be was still deeply flawed.

For sure but he still did some stuff to make up for that/overperform those flaws.

 

[Anthony5967]

In all seriousness, though, I will judge this team once Chytil comes back and they get a break. Hopefully the break is a reset for these guys because they're reeling. Can't lose on a break.

Kreider-Zibanejad-Vesey
Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreniere
Cuylle-Chytil-Kakko
Goodrow-Bonino/Brodzinski-Pitlick

Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Gustafsson-Schneider

This team is capable of much more. They have to start playing better. End of story. I get people are upset but this is absolutely not nor should they be a .500 team.

 

[Machinehead]

For sure but he still did some stuff to make up for that/overperform those flaws.

Overperformance always corrects itself eventually.

 

[Machinehead]

Now that I think about it, a Jovanovski-run team would probably be half goons and half guys from Russia we've never heard of. That sounds like fun.

 

[chosen]

A team full of Ryan Callahans doesn't get you any further either. We've seen that. It's the 2012 Rangers.

Not sure what is so hard for people to understand here.

YOU NEED ELITE TALENT, and really you need at least one real elite center.

You need the MacKinnons, the Crosbys, the Kanes up front. Then you need the "secondary" elites - the Malkins, the Rantanens, the Toews.

We've never had either.

1994 disagrees.

One of the reasons our young players haven't amounted to much IS the relying on veterans. The team does not properly develop it's youth.

But just assuming that we somehow drafted four top-10 busts in a row, despite two of them being touted as can't-miss types, then THATS WHY you keep the rebuild going until you have the talent. That's why you don't re-sign 29 year old LWs who have never broken 60 points. That's why you don't hand out 8 year contracts with zero flexibility to centers who aren't elite.

Does that mean we need to forego another playoff appearance or two? Yup.

Oh well.



Then you trade Zibanejad for an Eichel-like haul (two firsts, Krebs and Tuch or something) and start over.

If you want to make the argument that Drury is constrained because his owner won't let him make the smart move, ok, but then Dolan is the problem.


Agreed, yes, that's part of it.

And instead of the coaching staff and administration coming in here and laying down the law as to what is best for the future of the franchise, it pandered to the vets, like it does on EVERYTHING, because it's too scared to admit to the owner and fanbase that MAYBE we don't have to do everything to win this year.

It's the same with the renting nonsense. No one wants to hear that renting is a bad value and you put yourself in better overall position by maneuvering for the future as opposed to having to have everything right this second.

It's like credit cards. Have to have it now. Can't save for another day. Then you end up broke, in debt, and whatever the frick you bought is never worth it.

Just like it wasn't worth it for us to get those six whole conference finals games.

You're clinging to one of the biggest fairy tales in sports.

Teams don't develop youth.

They either grow as players or they don't.

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

yeah I don't know wtf happened to the zibanejad who put up 40 goals, or carried the team to the ECF 2 years ago (after admittedly a poor start to the playoffs)

He's just not doing the same things he used to

Taking wrist shots when in scoring areas being one of those things.

Now that I think about it, a Jovanovski-run team would probably be half goons and half guys from Russia we've never heard of. That sounds like fun.

Is he AJ Galante?

 

[chosen]

Blow it up.

Back to rebuilding.

Threaten families to get guys to waive.

Move Zibanejad, Kreider, Shesterkin, and Trouba this offseason. Buy out Goodrow if you can't pawn him off for nothing.

In 2-3 years we can build back up again and Fox will still be young enough for future runs.

Another fairy tale.

Teams that hit the bottom will become great.

Most never become good at all.

It wouldn't bother me if we didn't just throw Kreider in to fulfill this weird homoerotic fanfic.

View attachment 809254

THIS IS NOT THE SAME!

View attachment 809255
IT HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME!!

Mika sucks at 5v5 since Moses wandered the dessert. Kreider is one of the best 5v5 wings of the last ten years.

I don't care what you think about Kreider. Piss into the wind. He's one of our most effective forwards. Always has been, still is.

"Don't want to work with anyone." Give me a f***ing break. Everyone playing with Kreider has the easiest job in the world except this loser Zibanejad, somehow.

I don't want to break them up because HURR DYURR BROMANCE I'M SO FUNNY! I want to break them up because we found the only center in the world that can play with Kreider and have it be a bad line.

This is always the players they were. The only difference is that Kreider mostly kept the line afloat and now he isn't. Blame Kreider for that if you want, but Fox is experiencing the same thing with Lindgren.

If you want to get rid of Kreider, fine. Get rid of Panarin and Fox too and just hard rebuild at that point.

Some here like to go the, let's call it sissy route.

Telling stuff.

 

[Leonardo87]

They should hire me

 

[Machinehead]

1994 disagrees.

Does it?

Maybe his assessment of how much talent you need is slightly overblown but the 1994 team had a Hart-winning center and two top 5 defensemen in the league.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Another fairy tale.

Teams that hit the bottom will become great.

Most never become good at all.

Correct. For every Tampa or Chicago you have 9 Buffalo's, San Jose's, and Edmonton's (until McDavid) that toil for a decade before being relevant again.

The Rangers in theory did it perfectly. They traded for and signed foundational pieces in Zibanejad, Fox, Panarin, amd Trouba and locked them in long term while building draft capital. Unfortunately they have encountered bad luck/bad prospect development, bad pro scouting, and bad drafting since 2017.

 

[Filip Chytil]

They should hire me

Kakko 20 minutes a night?