I never start a thread. OK now I guess I did. Rangers down 1-0 after one. Fairly even first period. Couple of random observations:
Very strange game to scratch Cullye against a physical Panthers team. Upcoming chances to rest him on the road against Colorado or home Arizona seem like better options. This cannot be performance based as he has been one of the better players on the team the last 10 games.
Miller has been manhandled to my eye so far. He really needs to Cowboy up heading to the playoffs as every game will be like this.
You lose multiple defensemen and it will bite you in the ass eventually.
Bread with a one timer beauty after a great pass by Trocheck
When you’re without 2 of your top 3 defenders playing 3 of the best teams in the nhl this week it won’t be pretty. Thrilled to beat Boston and Thankfully they are missing Barkof. Hope both teams get a point and we take this to OT like Carolina and Washington agreed to last night.
Why does trochek get tossed from the dot 25% of the time? I need to read up on this rule … often I see the opponent jump offsides with their feet yet he is tossed.
Trocheck with the save
Why does trochek get tossed from the dot 25% of the time? I need to read up on this rule … often I see the opponent jump offsides with their feet yet he is tossed.
Had a convo about that with pj last season. whose stick has to stay flat on ice last, whose flinch, start too soon gets you kicked out, why and when? Not #16 in particular…even he wasn’t clear on it
Ruwedel has played well since inserted in the lineup
My boy Zac Jones with another great game.
Fox is just a fabulous player.
Rempe getting important minutes leading up to the playoffs. His physical presence will be needed.
Start the playoffs!!
Rotate Truba and Lindgren? Are you insane?
Agree. And I really like Schneider in the top 4.
I’m fairly certain based on matchups you will see a rotation between Jones and Gus.
Jones has been a revelation.
When you’re without 2 of your top 3 defenders playing 3 of the best teams in the nhl this week it won’t be pretty. Thrilled to beat Boston and Thankfully they are missing Barkof. Hope both teams get a point and we take this to OT like Carolina and Washington agreed to last night.
Why does trochek get tossed from the dot 25% of the time? I need to read up on this rule … often I see the opponent jump offsides with their feet yet he is tossed.
Trocheck always waits as long as possible to get his stick down, tries to add some deception into what he's trying to do. sometimes he'll go forward (rarely, but he does), or to a wing, if not the conventional win it back to the D on your off-hand. In doing so he pushes the limits of taking too long. Part of it though is just refs being refs and they want you do to something they don't think you 100% listened and they kick you out.
Rangers are on fire, peaking hopefully at the right time with just 12 games left.
the only thing I'll say about the Rangers being without two of their top 2 D are the Panthers played without Barkov and Forsling (their best F and D). I'm not calling it a moral victory or anything, the Panthers are probably pissed about blowing a 2-goal lead but if you said this was the outcome before the game I think a lot of Panthers fans would take it. I always forget how deep FLA is at F until I see them play. Still think their D is vulnerable, especially without Forsling (but I expect he will be back).
If Bobrovsky plays like he did last night in the playoffs they, like the Rangers, will be a tough out (that save on Kreider in OT was incredible). No one wants to play either one of those teams IMO. Not like any easy outs in the NHL playoffs but the Rangers specifically IMO have all the cup ingredients and should be considered cup favorites (like I said in October they should be at least in the discussion) and the Panthers do too - just a little less on D IMO and Bob has a tendency for a clunker - a really bad clunker and sometimes he doesn't recover from them as easily as Igor or other goalies.
Watched Philly outplay Bruins for much of Sat game; Ullmark kept Bruins in it throughout. Flyers are excellent and very fast on the rush, where Rangers' D tends not to be fast/quick enough to get back positionally--there will be lots of odd man chances. Flyers' young core are excellent: Drysdale, York, Tippett, Foerster, Farabee. Konecny is on fire--I think he was a scratch last time Rangers played Philly a few weeks ago, tough game, tough out.
Colorado, Vegas, Winnipeg, Dallas, Edmonton, LA in the West
Rangers, Boston, Carolina, Florida, Toronto, Tampa in the East
All good teams. Playoffs ought to be great.
Colorado, Vegas, Winnipeg, Dallas, Edmonton, LA in the West
Rangers, Boston, Carolina, Florida, Toronto, Tampa in the East
All good teams. Playoffs ought to be great.
Of these teams, only DAL and VAN to me are in the same class as NYR and FLA. VAN and DAL are loaded.
the others all have flaws. Can they win a cup, of course, but I don't see any of the others as complete a team as those four.
just my opinion obviously.
the oddsmakers disagree with me since today's odds have CAR and TOR as the cup favorites.
VAN is 3rd followed by COL, NYR and EDM.
NYR have the highest odds to make it to the 2nd round and highest odds to make it to the 3rd round, so it seems like the oddsmakers like CAR in a ECF matchup with the Rangers.
Rangers have the 2nd highest odds to make the finals, but TOR has better odds to win the cup. Go figure. West conference matchup favors TOR?
I guess the oddsmakers like COL or VAN over NYR in the finals.
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that I wouldn't be surprised if they win the Cup.
Colorado, Vegas, Winnipeg, Dallas, Edmonton, LA in the West
Rangers, Boston, Carolina, Florida, Toronto, Tampa in the East
All good teams. Playoffs ought to be great.
Of these teams, only DAL and VAN to me are in the same class as NYR and FLA. VAN and DAL are loaded.
the others all have flaws. Can they win a cup, of course, but I don't see any of the others as complete a team as those four.
just my opinion obviously.
the oddsmakers disagree with me since today's odds have CAR and TOR as the cup favorites.
VAN is 3rd followed by COL, NYR and EDM.
NYR have the highest odds to make it to the 2nd round and highest odds to make it to the 3rd round, so it seems like the oddsmakers like CAR in a ECF matchup with the Rangers.
Rangers have the 2nd highest odds to make the finals, but TOR has better odds to win the cup. Go figure. West conference matchup favors TOR?
I guess the oddsmakers like COL or VAN over NYR in the finals.
You also have to remember that the principal goal of the odds is to influence betting patterns. Toronto has a ton of Canadian fans, wouldn't be surprised if there's just a ton of action on them.
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In comment 16444619 Gman11 said:
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that I wouldn't be surprised if they win the Cup.
Colorado, Vegas, Winnipeg, Dallas, Edmonton, LA in the West
Rangers, Boston, Carolina, Florida, Toronto, Tampa in the East
All good teams. Playoffs ought to be great.
Of these teams, only DAL and VAN to me are in the same class as NYR and FLA. VAN and DAL are loaded.
the others all have flaws. Can they win a cup, of course, but I don't see any of the others as complete a team as those four.
just my opinion obviously.
the oddsmakers disagree with me since today's odds have CAR and TOR as the cup favorites.
VAN is 3rd followed by COL, NYR and EDM.
NYR have the highest odds to make it to the 2nd round and highest odds to make it to the 3rd round, so it seems like the oddsmakers like CAR in a ECF matchup with the Rangers.
Rangers have the 2nd highest odds to make the finals, but TOR has better odds to win the cup. Go figure. West conference matchup favors TOR?
I guess the oddsmakers like COL or VAN over NYR in the finals.
You also have to remember that the principal goal of the odds is to influence betting patterns. Toronto has a ton of Canadian fans, wouldn't be surprised if there's just a ton of action on them.
Good call, with that goalie situation and even with added D not scared of TOR. The offense can carry them only so far IMO.
One of my daughters wants us to go to Germany with her in June and I hate the thought of missing the finals if the Rangers are in.
Any advice appreciated.
the others all have flaws. Can they win a cup, of course, but I don't see any of the others as complete a team as those four.
Why not CAR in that top group?
Heh, you've done this now 3rd year in a row exalting Rangers as a SC fave; sometimes I think you sandbag the home town fans and faves on this board. Hasn't panned out as yet, in large part bec the 'stars' haven't shined brightly when chips are down.
I call out shortcomings regularly (to the annoyance of many here I'm sure), but find it a challenge to promote the team, this season, even as good as its record has been past month: How, in the much tighter, more physical SCP play you can project them so deep when for most of that month they've done it with the so-called first line being so unproductive and such a liability on defense (usual suspects)? Can't see how opposing coaches will not put the screws to the true #1 line and challenge them to beat you in a tight checking, very physical game. Rangers can roll their 3rd and 4th and compete well enough, but points from them will be hard to come by. Unless ## 93, 20, 96 get their collective heads out of their asses, Rangers are not balanced enough.
If you look at a simple goalie stat of something like goals saved above expected Kotchetkov is ranked 57th (and is actually negative, meaning he's letting in goals he should save). And Freddy Andersen is not a goalie I'd rely on in the playoffs either. You can point to the fact CAR has allowed a 5th best goals against (NYR are 6th) meaning the D/F are just not giving the other team chance so they rely less on a stellar goalie, the playoffs are different.
NYR goalies are both top 10.
VAN goalie is #2
FLA goalie is #3
I guess you can say DAL is similar to CAR since Otter has been hit or miss, but I give DAL a huge edge in the toughness factor and I think they can overcome a game with a shaky goalie. I don't think CAR can. DAL 2nd to only COL in goals for.
Lastly, I'm in no way pandering to NYR fans. I don't care if the Rangers lose in the 1st round again. but I believe there are ingredients to building a champion in the NHL. You need a goalie, you need skill, you need grit/toughness, you need good special teams and you need to be able to score 5v5.
The Rangers struggle 5v5, but a lot of teams who did so, did in the regular season, but not in the playoffs.
One maybe obvious statistic is the team who has won the SC has led the playoffs in 5v5 goals something like 20 out of the past 21 years, maybe even something like 26 out of 27 years.
One of my daughters wants us to go to Germany with her in June and I hate the thought of missing the finals if the Rangers are in.
Any advice appreciated.
Last year the Final ran from June 3 to June 13. In 2022 it ran from June 15 to June 26. According to the league, the last possible day of a Game 7 for the Final this year is June 24, so it would probably start around June 10.
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But TBH, I would STRONGLY consider having Zac Jones as the #6 LD over Gus. Jones may be more of a liability on defense but he’s our most creative defenseman not named Adam Fox.
Rotate Truba and Lindgren? Are you insane?
I phrased it confusingly. I meant rotate Jones and Gus
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In comment 16444285 Anakim said:
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But TBH, I would STRONGLY consider having Zac Jones as the #6 LD over Gus. Jones may be more of a liability on defense but he’s our most creative defenseman not named Adam Fox.
Rotate Truba and Lindgren? Are you insane?
I phrased it confusingly. I meant rotate Jones and Gus
One of my rage texts to a friend last night started "FIRST OF ALL, why is Gus on the ice in the first place?" I forget what was happening. He's ok but I do like the way Jones has played.
If you look at a simple goalie stat of something like goals saved above expected Kotchetkov is ranked 57th (and is actually negative, meaning he's letting in goals he should save). And Freddy Andersen is not a goalie I'd rely on in the playoffs either. You can point to the fact CAR has allowed a 5th best goals against (NYR are 6th) meaning the D/F are just not giving the other team chance so they rely less on a stellar goalie, the playoffs are different.
NYR goalies are both top 10.
VAN goalie is #2
FLA goalie is #3
I guess you can say DAL is similar to CAR since Otter has been hit or miss, but I give DAL a huge edge in the toughness factor and I think they can overcome a game with a shaky goalie. I don't think CAR can. DAL 2nd to only COL in goals for.
Lastly, I'm in no way pandering to NYR fans. I don't care if the Rangers lose in the 1st round again. but I believe there are ingredients to building a champion in the NHL. You need a goalie, you need skill, you need grit/toughness, you need good special teams and you need to be able to score 5v5.
The Rangers struggle 5v5, but a lot of teams who did so, did in the regular season, but not in the playoffs.
One maybe obvious statistic is the team who has won the SC has led the playoffs in 5v5 goals something like 20 out of the past 21 years, maybe even something like 26 out of 27 years.
They'll blow it. Again.
I live in Framingham, "the heart of MetroWest!"