Our first trip back (of two this season) to our latest house of horrors... where we lost all 3 playoff games last year, all in excruciating fashion (with Tanner Glass on the ice for the end of a few of them, playing instead of Buchnevich.. but I digress).
New page - time to get the stench out of not only that playoff series (FU Andy), but the recent Dallas beatdown.. and I'll be damned if I'm going to give Greg's Washington thread (a game we also lost somewhat brutally) any more run either.
Lundqvist in net tonight - based on his track record here last May and how well Pavelec looked on monday and last Wednesday, I'd have ridden the hot hand here, but what's done is done, Hank is 4 saves away from 20,000....
Last I heard, Zibanejad was skating with the team but still not cleared for contact and of course did not make this trip... hopefully he's back for Anaheim next week but I could see them holding him out for Washington 12/27 after the short Christmas break too. Really need him - after a couple of competent games, Desharnais has reverted to what he is... a depth 4th line pivot, nothing more.
You knew the loss of Zibanejad would catch up to us at some point -- he can't get back here fast enough. Need yet another 3rd period comeback. Ottawa played last night so hopefully we have the better legs. LA and Boston will both be rested when we play them back to back so it's important to get a point out of tonight.
I think this group is in trouble, the bottom could fall out here. Especially if they don't get Zibanejad back soon
I'm not as annoyed about who we lost to - but I am concerned at how poorly we've looked really since the end of that 8 game win streak
And the Stepan trade has been an absolute disaster, let's face it. You trade your number one center and you have nothing to show for it currently on the NHL roster when you're still trying to win. That's awful and we miss him desperately right now. Two of our three best offensive players in Zucc and Kreider can are getting third line ice time right now because the coach has no trust in the center they have to play with. And we wonder why we're getting pinned in our zone and can't generate consistent pressure. We're weak as hell up the middle. Just a brutal trade on every level
And now the best puck possession team in the league comes to town Friday night.
By the way, this was factually inaccurate. They beat the Islanders two weeks ago. But, they've definitely stunk since their midseason Norway trip. Talented team though - its a bit shocking how bad they'd been.
low effort game IMO, unusual for the Rangers.
not into moral victories or anything like that, but coaches will say the same, some games you give max effort and lose and tip your hat to a goalie or a team who get some bounces or matches your effort, or some unfortunate penalties, etc. it's the games without effort that would bother me.
Age 25-30: 89 goals in 359 games
There's obviously a talent dropoff from Anaheim to Ottawa, but they're not a bad team.