NFT: New York Rangers @ Detroit Red Wings, 8:00 pm

In comment 12164495 bigbluehoya said:

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You come over here and copy to paste back in the isles thread about a poster here, like a total bitch, and now you're gonna come back and start flipping tables like something's going on behind your back? Don't get it twisted -- Anak's outburst (which he got called out here on by multiple fans) was ridiculous, but your act takes the fucking cake. You're pathetic. You want to come talk about the game or throw a few lighthearted jabs?we'll hold the door open for you. You want to call someone out? Have at it. Do it here. I've got no problem with any fan being on any thread as long as they aren't blatantly trolling up an active game thread.

Go back and read my original post, dumb ass. I specifically posted it over there as to not insinuate that such behavior is common among the Rangers fans here. It was an attempt at respect (naturally, not directed at the likes of you). So stating that Anak's outburst was called out here proves nothing. I'm well aware of that.

And again, I posted it on an Islanders thread. Somehow you think that's pathetic, yet you're over here discussing me instead of the game you just watched? Is that not just a smidge more pathetic?

Please grow a pair, whether it be balls or eyeballs because you're acting like a monumental pussy and also appear to lack basic reading comprehension.

But I reread that and think that wasn't directed at me. I mean, I hope it wasn't...that's enough to make a man go see a therapist. Or as Sean Connery would say, "the rapist".

You can get lost now. Or copy whatever text you need to take back to your cubbyhole. Whatever works.

It was still an entertaining game and Talbot played very well.

In comment 12164506 pganut said:

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But I reread that and think that wasn't directed at me. I mean, I hope it wasn't...that's enough to make a man go see a therapist. Or as Sean Connery would say, "the rapist".

Ha, Not directed at you.

I liked what I saw from Sheppard. He didn't look out of place. My only concern is that he looks to be a pretty slow skater.

But he was smart with the puck, good decisions coming out of the zone, and was conservative about going for changes at safe times (probably mostly a function of being brand new)

I still can't believe Brassard made that fucking slash. So stupid.

I can live with the Stepan call. When you get your arm in like that, there's a risk that you're going to get called on a soft one. It wasn't a good call by any stretch, but we see worse regularly.

In comment 12164516 Anakim said:

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I liked what I saw from Sheppard. He didn't look out of place. My only concern is that he looks to be a pretty slow skater.

Simple fix, insert #15 back in the lineup.

Made a noticeable difference in the 4th line. All 4 lines were playing well, forechecking, creating chances. It's a very good lineup right now. I hope AV doesn't take the fluke loss too crazily and put Glass back in on Sunday.

you're looking at the roster hey're going to war with with the exception of Talbot of course.

We played really well last night. Just some bad luck and bad bounces against a really, really good team in their building. If we play like that every night we will win most games.

Islanders will get stud Dan Ellis between the pipes for Florida saturday night (if Ellis can make it through tonight's game unscathed).

Of course... they expect Luongo back next thursday which puts him on track to play at MSG on sunday 3/15. Shocker.

Nashville better take care of business tonight, and hopefully Ovechkin takes a seat with a "LBI" tonight against Minnesota.

Big win for the Avalanche last night over Pittsburgh... good to finally get some out-of-town help.

I thought we totally dominated play the first three periods. The third was a bit more even.

The refs were terrible last night. Weak calls against both teams and obvious ones missed. Officiating is a huge issue league-wide. It's fucking nauseating. I'm not upset about how the game ended - we nearly killed it off and bad calls happen (even though I initially thought it was a good call). Detroit capitalized on their gift PP, we didn't.

Brassard is doing a great job of replacing guys we lost last year - whining and diving for Callahan, stupid fucking penalties for Pouliot. I love how much he's stepped up for us this year, but his lack of discipline is fucking frustrating.

That Detroit plays a lot of clutch-and-grab, bog-it-down hockey. You'd think the refs would be on the lookout for obstruction/interference-type penalties when one of the teams has that kind of reputation, but apparently not.

with a grind it out win at the Verizon Center.

Now just need Nashville to stop playing like the 2015 Maple Leafs already.

Back and forth, just been a great year for hockey.

The league should rank by point percentage and not total points. It's a stupid way to do the mid-season standings (and is currently flattering to the Rangers, so we should use it).

Montreal lost in the shootout to the Kings last night. I think being first in the conference is much ore important than being first in the division, if we can win it.

The WC race is getting interesting in both conferences. The Kings are two points back with a game in hand but tied for third in their division while losing the tie breaker against Calgary.

Ottawa is five points back with a game in hand in the East, and have been playing great hockey lately (7-1-2, same record as NYR in the past ten).

In comment 12166077 The 12th Man said:

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Back and forth, just been a great year for hockey.

Actually, I think your guys have one more game before ours play again. We'll have 4 games in hand when the Rangers take the ice Sunday night.

In comment 12166238 BrettNYG10 said:

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The league should rank by point percentage and not total points. It's a stupid way to do the mid-season standings (and is currently flattering to the Rangers, so we should use it). Montreal lost in the shootout to the Kings last night. I think being first in the conference is much ore important than being first in the division, if we can win it. The WC race is getting interesting in both conferences. The Kings are two points back with a game in hand but tied for third in their division while losing the tie breaker against Calgary. Ottawa is five points back with a game in hand in the East, and have been playing great hockey lately (7-1-2, same record as NYR in the past ten).

Presidents' Trophy would be nice (we just missed one in 2012), but for whatever reason that seems to hurt a team's chances at the Cup. Being the #1 seed in the East would be great to ensure home-ice throughout the first three rounds.

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Presidents' Trophy would be nice (we just missed one in 2012), but for whatever reason that seems to hurt a team's chances at the Cup. Being the #1 seed in the East would be great to ensure home-ice throughout the first three rounds.

I remember a Bobby Nystrom interview a couple weeks ago where he was reflecting on one of his teams in the late 70s, and he said the team's obsession with winning the President's Trophy sorta burned them out and they flamed out in the playoffs. There's definitely some truth to the idea that the top record in the league can not only add extra unnecessary pressure, but can negatively impact a team's playoff chances if they gunned too hard for that top record.

In comment 12166503 Mike in Long Beach said:

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Quote: Presidents' Trophy would be nice (we just missed one in 2012), but for whatever reason that seems to hurt a team's chances at the Cup. Being the #1 seed in the East would be great to ensure home-ice throughout the first three rounds. I remember a Bobby Nystrom interview a couple weeks ago where he was reflecting on one of his teams in the late 70s, and he said the team's obsession with winning the President's Trophy sorta burned them out and they flamed out in the playoffs. There's definitely some truth to the idea that the top record in the league can not only add extra unnecessary pressure, but can negatively impact a team's playoff chances if they gunned too hard for that top record.

That's interesting, since the President's Trophy didn't exist in the '70s.

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Only 8 of 28 President's Trophy winners went on to win the Cup.

In comment 12166526 Greg from LI said:

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In comment 12166503 Mike in Long Beach said: Quote: Quote: Presidents' Trophy would be nice (we just missed one in 2012), but for whatever reason that seems to hurt a team's chances at the Cup. Being the #1 seed in the East would be great to ensure home-ice throughout the first three rounds. I remember a Bobby Nystrom interview a couple weeks ago where he was reflecting on one of his teams in the late 70s, and he said the team's obsession with winning the President's Trophy sorta burned them out and they flamed out in the playoffs. There's definitely some truth to the idea that the top record in the league can not only add extra unnecessary pressure, but can negatively impact a team's playoff chances if they gunned too hard for that top record. That's interesting, since the President's Trophy didn't exist in the '70s.

He did discuss wanting the best record in 1979 and he did say at the end it hurt the team.

In comment 12166540 Greg from LI said:

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Only 8 of 28 President's Trophy winners went on to win the Cup.

That's about in line with the NFL, IIRC.

BTW, watching the Preds reminds me of the 2011-2012 Rangers where I never feel like they have a legitimate shot at the Cup. Of course, it's more likely that I'm right since I'm basically taking the field vs. an individual team, but they remain unimpressive to me each time I've watched them.

Rangers have the highest chance at winning the Cup (14.5%) and the Presidents' Trophy (21.2%). Next two closest teams for the Cup are TB (12.2%) and Nashville (10%).
SportsClubStats NHL - ( New Window )

Last year.

They must be giving us a 25-30% chance of winning the East, which is absurd.

No one's distanced themselves from the pack. There are a lot of teams playing really good hockey right now.

In comment 12166599 Greg from LI said:

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No one's distanced themselves from the pack. There are a lot of teams playing really good hockey right now.

I think the Rangers are the favorite at this point, though as you mentioned, that's by a slim margin.

In comment 12166556 BrettNYG10 said:

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BTW, watching the Preds reminds me of the 2011-2012 Rangers where I never feel like they have a legitimate shot at the Cup. Of course, it's more likely that I'm right since I'm basically taking the field vs. an individual team, but they remain unimpressive to me each time I've watched them.

They're a very unimpressive team. They're not particularly fast or physical. I don't think they have much of an identity. Don't get me wrong, they're good.. but I don't see them getting far at all in the playoffs. I would be willing to bet their playoff ceiling is the Conference Semi's.

Without knowing what Hank's situation is.

I'd rank them in three tiers, with only moderate differentiation between the tiers:

Tier 1:
NYR (Assuming Henrik has full health)
TB
DET


Tier 2:
NYI
MTL
WAS
PIT

Tier 3:
Whoever the fuck gets the WC spot (BOS for now)

And I'd make Tier 2 teams favorites in certain series' against Tier 1 teams depending on matchups.

The playoffs will be fun.

In comment 12166619 Greg from LI said:

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Without knowing what Hank's situation is.

Not saying you, but I think a lot of hockey fans are reading into the mystery surrounding his return too much. There is virtually no transparency in hockey. If he was out 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury and there was no word on his return, everyone would be a lot calmer. The nature of this injury is troubling, but he's going to be fine.

From everything I've read, once the sprain heels, he's good to go. Because it's such a serious ramification if he reinjures it, he can't "play hurt." That's why it's going to take a bit longer. It has to be 100%... but it will eventually be 100% like any other sprain. At least that's how I've understood it.

I'm not particularly impressed with them, but as you said, depending on the match-up they could make it to the 2nd or 3rd round.

There aren't a lot of comparisons to view his situation against.

They have a superstar who can carry a team, and they have a goalie that has looked capable of getting very hot this season.

Tier 1
Rangers
Rangers

Tier 2
Islanders
Lightning
Habs
Pens

Tier 3
Capitals
Boston/Panthers/Flyers/Sens

I actually think the Rangers are in a class of their own at this point, not definitively, but distinctly ahead of the rest... only reason I include Detroit in Tier 1 is because they have the best coach in the National Hockey League for my money.

Any tier 2 team can beat any tier 1 team, and tiers are subject to change :)

Tier 1:
Rangers
***RED WINGS***

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In comment 12166711 BrettNYG10 said:

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Can't say I didn't see that coming.
Can't say I wouldn't take the same shot.

I believe Hank said it wasn't even the puck hitting him that did the major damage, it was the whipping motion he made in response to the impact.

In any event, the recent news on him was encouraging. I think the Rangers are being as cautious with him as possible and really taking their time since we've been winning most nights anyway.

He had a heavy load last year because of Sochi and a SCF run. I think they want him to be as fresh as possible in addition to being 100% with his neck so that we can lean on him and make another run.

to get a decent number of tune-up games under his belt to knock off the rust.

In comment 12166717 Mike in Long Beach said:

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In comment 12166711 BrettNYG10 said: Quote: . Can't say I didn't see that coming. Can't say I wouldn't take the same shot.

It was a perfect tape-to-tape turnover.

In comment 12166727 Greg from LI said:

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to get a decent number of tune-up games under his belt to knock off the rust.

Even if he's not back for another 2 full weeks from now, he should be able to get ~10 games in. I think that's enough.

I'm hoping he plays March 21st against the Hurricanes (Callahan's birthday, iirc).

I'll let the team know that's my new expected date.

My professional estimation was 3/22 at home vs. Anaheim.

In comment 12166540 Greg from LI said:

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Only 8 of 28 President's Trophy winners went on to win the Cup.

I don't think you really thought about what this actually means. That's a 28% shot at winning the cup.

With 16 teams involved in the dance, with all things equal, each team has a 6.25% chance.

So according to your number, winning the Presidents Trophy is actually a big advantage.

In comment 12166667 NYerInMA said:

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I'm not particularly impressed with them, but as you said, depending on the match-up they could make it to the 2nd or 3rd round.

Caps are doing what they always do...getting cheap OT/SO points and Power Play goals. They aren't that good.

what I would give to have NYR in western playoffs this year. blues and wild are good. kings will be great once it matters but not even the kings could roll through this years east conference. might be 7 100-point east conference teams this year + oh yeah... Boston