NFT: NY Rangers 2023 - 2024 Season

[kartanoman]

They should have won last night. I don't like giving any hope to any team, let alone Carolina. As I mentioned in a previous post the Canes are taking more shots straight away in the high slot. That's close to where Shaj's(never could spell his name) goal came from. That and the Canes are having a forward hang on the Ranger's side of Center ice to break up the 1-3-1. The Rangers are also giving up too much ice, and letting the Canes skate up to-through center ice too easily. Things that need to be adjusted. As far as the chippiness. Well since I don't hail from Canada or the European countries where hockey is worshipped, and don't live by the grail a little errant clear or shot that just happens to hit a Cane under the eyeshield never hurt a Ranger. How about that same errant clear off the boards happens to land in the Cane bench. Yes I don't know what the refs were looking at when Trocheck got mugged. Breszinski is a waste. Look for Chytl to re-enter the lineup unless he can't physically go. Asking him for two playoff games in a row after being off for 6 months is alot to ask. He brings speed, talent, and a scoring threat each time on the ice. They need to tighten up defensively. They hit how many posts, and just wide yesterday? Laffy was clearly the best player on the ice for both teams, and is earning his #1 status. If you think this is chippy watch Boston-Florida. One thing I would like to see is when the Rangers hopefully have the series won with a few minutes left would like to see Guentzel salted. I thought the call on Lindgren was iffy, it looked like he got the puck, and the skate which makes it ok. 

Lots of good discussion here but I continue to find myself aligning to your perspective because what you've preached since about the 10th game of the regular season, which was around the time the Blueshirts took Northwestern Canada by storm for their first ever five-game sweep of that region, these boys need to show a pair when it counts the most. By and large, they've done that for seven straight games.

No question the Canes threw their bodies in front of Igor to disrupt his vision, capitalize on rebounds and redirect pucks into the back of the net. Three box checks for them, desperate times called for desperate measures and, with the refs largely letting the play go on, they built their 1-3 lead.

But the Rangers kicked into gear and, as much as the Canes blanked their shots off the posts at the Garden, the hockey gods were getting even with the Rangers last night. Still, the boys tied it up with nearly a full period to go.

Now, we can talk about Trouba here if you'd like. Did he get banged up because he didn't look 100% out there.

I want to talk about Miller who seemed a little too passive out there when a more muscle was needed. He also turned the puck over in the Rangers' zone a few too many times for my comfort.

Foxy looks like he is playing through the knee injury right now and he's a warrior, but only able to give about 70-75%, I'd say.

Schneider had some nice looks on offense and has been more or less a steady player for them.

But Lindgren, my Lord, he is the MVP of that defense, the cornerstone, if you will. He IS a presence out there, almost like Christ standing on the troubled waters of the sea. He just puts his nose down, gets in there and breaks things up to get a Ranger counterattack going. I've seen the light on him after watching him at the Mullett in Tempe. A true-blue Ranger defensive hero. Thr call on him for tripping should never have happened. Ticky-touch at worst. The replay showed he went for the puck and the player tripped over the extended stick. Did the stick move a little in a motion that might constitute a trip ... yes, of course. However, how much force was applied to that stick with him on the ground? The way the game was called, it shouldn't have been flagged. But, it was and, in a delicious irony for the home team, they finally break their power play drought with the game winner. Great theatric drama and a guaranteed ratings boost for Monday.

Johnny Brod's debut was OK. Nothing special. He was out of sync for a while, managed to get in on some action close to Freddie, but did skate some minutes out there. Would you go back to Chytil, or Rempe? This isn't games one or two. Both teams have wear and tear on them now, and Carolina is a wounded animal that is fending off being put down. How do the Rangers plan to put themselves in the best position to win Monday AND minimize further wear and tear on their beat-up players?

Does Rempe playing Sherriff out there get it done on Monday? Does Chytil's speed and skill, despite not having his full conditioning back, prove to be the difference? Does giving Johnny Brodz another game, now that he's been indoctrinated into the series, help the cause? Or, does Laviolette have something else up his sleeve?

The answer isn't any one player. Every game in this series has been a one-goal game, win or lose.

Carolina took away the space in front of Igor and that resulted in deflected goals and rebound goals. In spite of all of that, the Rangers still almost pulled it off and had them on their heels.

For files58, what did you think about that right poke Bennett gave Marchand thar the refs missed that the whole world is talking about? Not to get ahead of ourselves, but I would see Rempe as a necessary component of all games in a Panthers-Rangers semifinal. Might I suggest a possible bloodbath series between the two if the Panthers pull that $%!t with the Rangers? The now-famous bloodbath semifinal series between Colorado and Detroit in '96 where Darren McCarty of Detroit beat the living daylights out of Avs goon Claude Lemieux, for seriously injuring his teammates with a cross-check. Lemieux's face was dripping in blood, fans went nuts at the Joe Louis Arena, and the refs, seeming knowing the history in the series, only gave McCarty a double-minor for roughing. Cool! He went back out later and kicked the living $%!t out of Lemieux again, then proceeded to score the game winning goal in OT and went on into Red Wings' lore for a performance for the ages which launched the Wings to the Stanley Cup that year.

Whomever is making it out of the East this tournament will be missing a few parts, spare parts included!

Peace!

[jgrangers2]

I think Rempe is what he is - a borderline player who brings a lot of energy and physicality to the table. I would also suggest that it's a bit unfair to conclusively judge him as a player given he is a rookie who played basically 1/3 of the season. If we did that with LaFreniere he'd be off the team by now. Rempe's presence on the ice was felt plenty of times this year, and I don't just mean fighting.

Laf was a first overall pick who put up numbers comparable to Sidney Crosby in Juniors. Matt Rempe was a 6th round pick who put up just 22 points in 96 games in the AHL over the last two seasons. I'm not sure there's much of a reason to think there's more there than we've been getting.

As for him being a liability. We should be directing that question at Peter Laviolette who decided to give him all of 4 minutes in a game that went into double OT and none from the 3rd period on. The question around Rempe comes down to whether the energy he brings is worth it to potentially hamstring yourself late in the game.

In game 4, yes he played around 5 mins, but his average ice time throughout the post season is 6.21. Brodzniski played 8.41 last night - you're not scrapping around finding large minutes to replace either one.

However, I do think Carolina have attempted to take more liberties without him in the line-up, there were a number of boarderline incidences last night he could he have kept in check, plus you had Vesey dropping the gloves in Game 3. I don't think that crap occurs with him in the line-up. Furthermore, he's taken 8 PIMs in the post season, again not a disproportionate amount in my view.

My final point to starting him, over Brodzniski only, is the buzz he brings to the home ice crowd - I think that's worth it.

1 PIM for every 4.5 minutes of ice time is a ton. Some of it is not his fault (the goalie interference call he got was garbage) but, again, he clearly has a reputation where he's not going to get the benefit of the doubt. It's also worth noting that Andrei Svechnikov tripped Igor Shesterkin in game 2 when Rempe was in the lineup. As I said, the idea of the deterrent is just not a thing. I'd also point out most of his fights have either been him having to defend himself after a questionable hit or him getting challenge by goons. Even if a deterrent is a thing, he has not really employed that role.

[files58]

"For files58, what did you think about that right poke Bennett gave Marchand thar the refs missed that the whole world is talking about?"

So until just a few minutes ago when they showed a close up replay of Bennet's punch to Marchand's head did I know it was so egregious. When watching the game real time I thought it was a borderline high hit. He punched him, plain and simple. The league should have suspended Bennet. My on ice solution is as follows. First a little history. My worst Ranger moment(there have been too many) was Game 7 1974 against the Flyers when Schultz beat the crap out of non-fighter Dale Rolfe, and not one Ranger came to his defense. Since then I have always thought that Ranger management should teach a few of their players how to fight, and/or some Martial Art punching. In this view since the league didn't step up right now Bennet would be out for the rest of the playoffs with a swollen face eyes almost shut missing about 6-10 teeth. That ability would only be used in a defensive or necessary retaliatory manner, not as an offensive weapon. Hockey is a beautiful, talent laden sport, but it's also violent. If the league allows fighting you might as well be really good at it, just like winning face-offs. Call it a "nuclear detterent" if you will.   

[kartanoman]

"For files58, what did you think about that right poke Bennett gave Marchand thar the refs missed that the whole world is talking about?"

So until just a few minutes ago when they showed a close up replay of Bennet's punch to Marchand's head did I know it was so egregious. When watching the game real time I thought it was a borderline high hit. He punched him, plain and simple. The league should have suspended Bennet. My on ice solution is as follows. First a little history. My worst Ranger moment(there have been too many) was Game 7 1974 against the Flyers when Schultz beat the crap out of non-fighter Dale Rolfe, and not one Ranger came to his defense. Since then I have always thought that Ranger management should teach a few of their players how to fight, and/or some Martial Art punching. In this view since the league didn't step up right now Bennet would be out for the rest of the playoffs with a swollen face eyes almost shut missing about 6-10 teeth. That ability would only be used in a defensive or necessary retaliatory manner, not as an offensive weapon. Hockey is a beautiful, talent laden sport, but it's also violent. If the league allows fighting you might as well be really good at it, just like winning face-offs. Call it a "nuclear detterent" if you will.   

Great feedback, thank you!

On the martial arts, we know that professionals in various sports train in different martial arts disciplines for better body balance, self-defense techniques and inner confidence.

Players like Bennett should have a price tag on their head because their world centers on do whatever you have to for the win. You have to be ready to counter as soon as they play that hand. That shootout win at the Garden against Florida was encouraging because the Rangers took it to them and stayed on top of them. With Florida now up 3-1 on Boston, it's looking like that's the next obstacle.

We'll see if the Rangers tighten up the D for Game Five.

Peace!