NFT: New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Game 7, 8:00pm

And even now, going into this game, it's like.. "yeah well they didn't beat US in a Game 7 yet! MAYBE they can hang their hat on the past but they haven't done it against our group" , etc..

While he's right, you know AV would handle it completely differently. He'd just say "well, what they've done is certainly impressive, they're a good team. We're just focusing on trying to win this game" and leave it at that.

In comment 12305839 Greg from LI said:

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They had some really dominant performances during that Feb-Mar. hot streak, but I do think it was easily their best play of the playoffs.

You'd be hard pressed to find a better 8 minute stretch even during the regular season.

Through the first 8 minutes, I think we had 8 scoring chances to zero for them. And 3 goals. Just complete domination for that stretch against a very good team

A lot of false bravado, "We've been here before" when they haven't made it past the first round since 2011, when they had a completely different roster other than Stamkos.

if 2/3rds of the game isn't spent in the Rangers end. Really need them to come out and pick up where they left off in game 6.

has been great all season and has won approx five out of the last six periods. His comments have been spot on regarding his young team. He deserves a lot more praise than nitpicking ridicule.

In comment 12305797 Matt M. said:

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I think the D has to be stellar. If Hank gets decent D, I have no doubts about his performance. I also think the Rangers have to be aggressive on O and force the action, like they did in Game 1 and Game 6. that includes getting people in front of the net for the plethora of rebounds Bishop has given up.

Agreed. Everyone is banged up. McDonough didn't skate yesterday and his sub-par play makes me wonder if there is something physically wrong as well as to what degree Klein has healed from his injury.

play the lightning much better when they forecheck hard and take the body on D. Most of TB chances come when the Rangers let them enter the zone and reach with their sticks. TB is also banged up as well, and they have a lot less size on the top 6 then the Rangers do. Hopefully Hank is Hank and they just grind them down. Get shots on Bishop and crash the net. I'm hoping for an easy game 7 W that doesn't have my heart beating through my chest all game. LGR, WE WANT THE CUP!!!!

I really, really, really hope the officials just let them play tonight. I am going to be livid if they go into "call everything" mode. The last thing I want to see is a lot of special teams hockey. The more 5v5, the better.

In comment 12305892 Giants2012 said:

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has won approx five out of the last six periods.

On what planet?

Even if I grant you the first two periods of game 6 - which we led 2-1 .... Game 5 wasn't a dominating performance by any means. They stole that game actually. (we played horrible, and they had about 4 quality scoring chances the entire night)

even despite outshooting us in game 6 first period by 10, we still had at least the same amount of scoring chances. They shot a ton of ridiculously low percentage shots, which im fine with. I think they had two scoring chances entire period

handshakes

Other than that insane save Henrik made on Stamkos during that first period PK, I don't remember any other great chances for Tampa early on in game 6.

had a very good chance that Henrik saved after I believe Klein decided to throw it behind him right to the middle of the ice to Callahan.

Those were the only two

1) Get one past Bishop early
2) Stay the fuck out of penalty box

never allow it to turn into 3 and instead start a new 7-8 winning streak ... Hank goes down for 20 some games with Rangers somewhere like #8 in the Conference and they get to #1 before his return ... Game 7 OT against the Caps ...

This is THE year baby and the proof of that continues tonight!

LGR. I'm pumped. I'm psyched. And I can't WAIT for them to drop the puck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In comment 12305939 baadbill said:

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Hank goes down for 20 some games with Rangers somewhere like #8 in the Conference and they get to #1 before his return ...

You know i never would have believed this, but just went to 'dropyourgloves' and by God on Feb 3 when the Rangers announced Lundqvist would miss a month+, the Rangers were tied at 6th in the conference with the Caps and just one point ahead of Boston at #8. Granted i guess it was because we had a few games in hand on everyone, but yeah, that's impressive.

As resilient as this team is... Game 7s still involve a lot of luck. Hopefully we get some bounces tonight. Losing with what you just described above just makes everything even more painful.

about a Stomach bug that some of the Lightning players have or had. Hope it slows them down. Cooper says they are fine..but I hope they are sluggish.

Man, when that team loses, the excuses start cascading out. Oh, Bishop is playing hurt! A bunch of guys were sick!

Like MAB said, it's funny how their "sickness" didn't affect them until the third period on Tuesday.

had hip surgery.

some of this stuff is real, some is probably gamesmanship.

.

In comment 12306012 pjcas18 said:

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had hip surgery. some of this stuff is real, some is probably gamesmanship.

And wasn't there chatter that Yandle has been playing through a separated shoulder? Either way, I don't want to hear any excuses from any team, all of them are banged up and being held together by stitches and duct tape at this point of the season

But I also don't remember the Caps saying much about it, not like Tampa has.

Virtually no one's 100% this time of year. The Rangers have had to play 14 games without Zuccarello. MSL has been complete dogshit since he hurt his knee. Yandle's played hurt. I suspect McDonagh has as well. Girardi's ALWAYS playing through some injury.

“@Real_ESPNLeBrun: Stamkos on Lundqvist Game 7 success: ''He's a great goalie. He's never played the Tampa Bay Lightning in a Game 7 before.''”

“@jthomson22: Cooper: "I respect what the Rangers have done. ... (But) has Anton Stralman ever lost a Game 7? Has Matt Carle ever lost a Game 7?"”

“@JimCerny: I sense a real quiet confidence per usual in #NYR room..I sense a more cocky confidence in the Lightning room..should be a great one tonight”

..

In comment 12305908 MetsAreBack said:

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In comment 12305892 Giants2012 said: Quote: has won approx five out of the last six periods. On what planet? Even if I grant you the first two periods of game 6 - which we led 2-1 .... Game 5 wasn't a dominating performance by any means. They stole that game actually. (we played horrible, and they had about 4 quality scoring chances the entire night)

Do you know what "approx." stands for on this planet? Claiming they stole that game followed by we played horrible makes no sense at all.

Humble and hungry. Beat the shit out of Cooper and his squad.

In comment 12306040 Greg from LI said:

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But I also don't remember the Caps saying much about it, not like Tampa has. Virtually no one's 100% this time of year. The Rangers have had to play 14 games without Zuccarello. MSL has been complete dogshit since he hurt his knee. Yandle's played hurt. I suspect McDonagh has as well. Girardi's ALWAYS playing through some injury.

I agree, and of course not, hockey invented the Belichickian evasiveness on injury reports, almost no NHL team reveals injuries and I don't think they have to. this is wear "x player has an upper body" comes from. Or nothing at all. too easy to target someone. legally, but too easy.

In comment 12306042 BrettNYG10 said:

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“@Real_ESPNLeBrun: Stamkos on Lundqvist Game 7 success: ''He's a great goalie. He's never played the Tampa Bay Lightning in a Game 7 before.''” “@jthomson22: Cooper: "I respect what the Rangers have done. ... (But) has Anton Stralman ever lost a Game 7? Has Matt Carle ever lost a Game 7?"” “@JimCerny: I sense a real quiet confidence per usual in #NYR room..I sense a more cocky confidence in the Lightning room..should be a great one tonight”

We're in their fucking heads now...love it

As Samuel L. Jackson said in Rules of Engagement.....WASTE THE MOTHERFUCKERS!

....

Who was Stralman's goalie when he was winning those game 7s? Oh, right....

Yup. Once a team starts going down that road, you know they're trying to convince themselves more than anything else. It was the same thing with the Capitals. Ovechkin's "guarantee", etc..

Business as usual for the Rangers.

Earn it.

Who's in?

In comment 12306086 arcarsenal said:

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Yup. Once a team starts going down that road, you know they're trying to convince themselves more than anything else. It was the same thing with the Capitals. Ovechkin's "guarantee", etc.. Business as usual for the Rangers.

Messier's guarantee was different?

In comment 12306086 arcarsenal said:

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Yup. Once a team starts going down that road, you know they're trying to convince themselves more than anything else. It was the same thing with the Capitals. Ovechkin's "guarantee", etc.. Business as usual for the Rangers.

All true, but put me the camp that doesnt think this stuff matters one way or the other regardless. The Caps had plenty of chances to finish us off that night - dont tell me you werent shitting bricks when Ketz-whatever blew by MSL in the 3rd period ... and pretty much the entire first 8 minutes of that OT.

In comment 12306094 pjcas18 said:

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Messier's guarantee was different?

drop the mic and walk away. You nailed it.

Mark Messier had won 5 Stanley Cups at that point in time. It's pretty safe to say there's a major difference between a guy who had his track record saying it who had been there and done that numerous times and a guy who had never even played in an ECF or in Cooper's case, never coached beyond this point at the NHL level.

It's quite different.

He was trying to take the pressure off his teammates by putting it on himself. I mean, let's be honest here - compared to the microscope the 1994 Rangers played under, there is zero pressure on the Bolts whatsoever. We're talking 1940, Red Dutton's curse, a mercenary team and a mercenary coach who were brought together for one season to win it all while playing a crosstown upstart in the biggest media market in the country. Plus, behind the scenes, the locker room was a mess. Keenan was already secretly putting out feelers with other teams. He had made bizarre coaching moves in the game 4 loss, playing musical goalies with Richter and Healey and benching Leetch for most of the game.

Messier's guarantee was calculated to take the spotlight off all the craziness surrounding the team and put it on himself, and that's what it did.

Who knows? Is he even going to play THIS game 7? He has been benched multiple times during games this series. Look at game 4 -- played 1:36 and was completely healthy.

"Dont worry guys, Matt Carle's got this"

are all the same now and I think are for the same purpose.

you want to show confidence in your team, if you want to take pressure off others, like Messier - and probably like Ovechkin (who really impressed me this year) did then great, but I don't see a difference in impact one bit.

And I definitely don't believe it is even the slightest indication anyone is in anyone's head.

just my opinion though.

and history doesn't mean anything either.

Both teams are loaded for one game.

Yeah, I don't buy that the Rangers are in their heads or anything. All the post-game narratives will be bullshit, as are the pre-game ones.

Lunquist doesn't lose game 7's at home. Alex Ovechkin doesn't play past the second round.

And Cooper can suck a warthog's cock.

I just think Cooper is reaching for anything he can hang onto right now. Like Greg said, there's just a lot of false bravado coming from that locker room.

Will it impact the game? Probably not.

But hanging your hat on Matt Carle not having lost a Game 7? Matt Carle?

I mean, come on.... there's reaching and there's.. that.

with 3 teams people. Have some respekt.

2010 vs Boston 2nd round - bam
2011 vs Buffalo 1st round - boom
2015 vs Detroit 1st round - ho-ha

score first at home in game 7, I'm no stats-geek, but it's a virtual lock

but I'm pretty sure the Blackhawks and their fans were feeling very good about themselves at times last year against LA.

Speaking of LA -- if San Jose never gets rid of Matt Lights Out, It's Game 7 Carle... they never blow that series lead folks.

that Cooper, Stamkos et al have probably been asked about the Rangers and Henrik in Game 7s about 672 times in the last 2 days...they're responses probably reflect getting a little annoyed by it

In comment 12306172 pjcas18 said:

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score first at home in game 7, I'm no stats-geek, but it's a virtual lock

Caps scored first in Game 7