Big Blue Huddle

Addition by subtraction.

Okay so I've never coached a minute of a hockey game, and I can't skate so the following is based on observation, and 50+ years of watching hockey. Lav should make an alteration to their own zone breakout. The opp is now pressuring our deemen quickly with two forecheckers, Tampa did it, and Winn. did it last night. The Rangers need to move the puck forward quicker, quicker decisions. No passing laterally between deemen, and no going back behind the net. This creates opportunity for errors, and leads to being pinned in their own zone. Just get the damn puck out of the zone. I know Lav likes the puck possession game, but sometimes....
Miller misses Trouba, he's making brain fart plays in both the dee and offensive zones. Too many risky xice passes, and he's not the only one. The puck must be kept in front, and going forward, drop passes are becoming dangerous. Especially against these good teams. Finally, and I may catch some hell for this, but every once in a while use the puck as a weapon. Tampa did it a few times the other day. They hit Lindbergh, and Laffy who were in a direct line, whereas the Rangers look to move to find a lane to shoot. It's part of the f/u attitude that Tampa has from their Cup winning days. It's what makes them very dangerous. The will part of winning a Cup. Look I want the opp to haveto keep their heads' up while taking a piss in their locker rooms between periods. Pressure, pressure, take the rules to their very limit, and add a little gray area sometimes, more pressure. There are a bunch of really good teams, Rangers among them. The team that gets some puck luck, and displays the most WILL will hoist the chalice.

I can't see the top three trading out. They all need QB's, the Bears are not sticking with Fields. Arizona then has Harrison fall in their lap. McMahon is the wild card. We would only need to move 1 spot, and McMahon would still have his pick of OL.

They stopped skating. Extremely critical error by Bredzinski directly led to Tampa's first goal, and changed the game. It's been said the most important goal in a hockey game is the third goal. Bredzinski put the puck in the center of the ice instead of just along the boards, the safe play. You just can't make those mistakes. That's why I consider him not to be a good player, he's had brain farts before. That's why despite all his hard work he's really just a good Minor League player. Point like last night at times has All-World performances, he's a terrific player. Kutcherov is Kutcherov. However Tampa plays the game within the game. A number of Rangers seemed to get hit with shots last night, innocently looking, but none the less. You don't win cups without pushing things to the limit of what's allowed. That attitude comes hand in hand with winning. It's part of the cliché heart of a champion. They still have their championship core which makes them a tough, scary opponent in a seven game series. One mis-play changed the game, can't have it happen. It's always the little details. 

It's all part of the pre-draft poker game at a table of 32. Due diligence as well. Also there are GM's gathering intel on what it would take for the Giants to move back from six. In all likelihood 3 QB's and Harrison will be off the board before Harbaugh goes at 5. Does he go OL?

What I noticed from the beginning of the season is that this Ranger team effectively keeps the opposition to the outside in their own zone. Of course there are some breakdowns, but they have a very effective checking structure. One of the faults of the Lundquist Rangers was their heavy reliance on him. Looking back the Brodeur Cup Devils employed a blanket checking(trap, left wing lock) defense BACKSTOPPED by an All-World goalie. This Ranger team has a strong checking system backstopped by an All-NHL if not All-World goalie, and the #2 is a 3x Cup champ. The goalie can be your best player without having to be so heavily relied upon. This Ranger team is taking on that personality. Not too long ago I felt Carolina had a noticeable edge in team speed. Not anymore. The additions of Wennberg, and Roslovic have added that speed ingredient. 1-0 on the road, in a playoff type atmosphere, in a race for first. I mentioned in a post two days ago that I liked their lockdown look, and that I see room for it to get tighter. Even after last night it still can get tighter. That's what wins. LGR. 

Even though it was the Devils the Rangers could have been looking ahead to tomorrow, and the Canes. I am starting to like the lockdown look they are playing with. Roslovic, and Wennberg both bring speed, which I felt we needed. Roslovic may or may not fit with Zeb/Kreids, but Wennberg could provide a third line match up advantage. The Devils had a number of chances that a better/playoff team might have scored on. It's got to get a little tighter. Jones is playing OK in Trouba's absence.

Incomplete. He inherited dreck with limited $ resources to begin an immediate, slow turnaround. Surprise, they made the playoffs, and won a game. Everyone has to know that Schoen/Daboll had their own objective scouting reports on Jones when leaving Duke, and all the tape you need afterwards. I would like to know what they really thought, and think. Mara steps up and throws a cup of salt in the soup, not a tablespoon. I'll say it again the 2yr out is a compromise. We don't know what happens in the executive suite, but it wouldn't surprise me if now Mara has agreed to back away, and let Schoen do his thing. I can only hope. Barkley is gone, Jones will be next unless he morphs into a real QB. So now to today. Before this afternoon Schoen was being led out to the town square by some here. After lunch things seem to change. Schoen signed two guards who have to be better than what was here, acquired a pass rusher considered to be elite, and a familiar RB to be part of a committee in DABOLL'S offense. He made an attempt to fortify both sides of the LOS. That's how you win in the NFL, at the LOS. It was a good day. Let's let Schoen do his thing.

I hope he earns every penny, and if history holds true may most of it be on the sidelines. He's a HATED iggle now. Good riddance. Most if not all of the Giants' current woes are on Mara. Hiring Gettleman, and opening his mouth about how they screwed up Jones, which led to the compromised two year contract. Which I believe is how it happened. Almost the entire offense now has to be constructed. I'm not using the term reconstructed because there has not been a construct. John the the F out of the way, and just stand by the cash register. So the Falcons don't need a QB, but Minn. is desperate for one. QB's are going 1-2-3 in the draft. Now I believe that's how we have to go too. Hopefully JJ will be there at 6. I'd love to get him, unless history repeats and Minn. is willing to give us a BOATLOAD of draft capital to move up. I think the Cards will take Harrison, and Harbaugh a lineman(Alt).

Toffoli was traded to Winnepeg for picks.

Quote from: Messiah717 on March 08, 2024, 03:15:35 PMDrury is straight up trash. 

Why? You don't know what the asking prices were. Dolan doesn't want to trade this year's #1 because the draft is at one of his properties, and Drury doesn't want to trade Kakko. I agree. The league has a tendency to ask more from the Rangers in trades than other teams. Seattle re-signed Eberle, Anaheim wanted alot for Vatrano. Pittsburgh's rivalry with Carolina is mild compared with that of the Rangers. I could not see the Pens considering sending Guentzel here. Taffoli would have been nice, but the Devils would never do it. Tarasenko's family lives in Florida. So we go to war with what we have. Carolina also got Kuznetsov, but his head may not be straight. Adam Tuch was not going to get traded, and the price for doing so would have been exorbitant. Drury would not part with Othmann and Perrault. Again I agree. People in the know say that Perrault was the steal of the 2023 draft. Bettman must be drooling about Florida. Southwest winner last year, southeast looking really strong, Rangers very relevant, and making money for the league. That's how he wants it in his macro view competing with other sports. We have a micro view.

That's horrible for the Rangers. We're going to haveto play my style of hockey(Atilla the Hun) to beat them. The only counter move I see is prying Adam Tuch away from Buffalo which would probably take more in assets than Carolina gave up.

No. We need a QB on a full rookie deal.

Don't worry his past performance lines(like on a race track program) shows he'll miss time due to some sort of injury.

Quote from: LennG on March 06, 2024, 03:18:56 PMI understand times have changed, but after watching 1/2 an hour of great clips, I noticed one thing, LT never did a sack dance, never mugged for the camera, never even did anything to bring any attention to himself over the team. Every once in a while he pointed. but even that was few and far between. Let's leave it at that.

I watched all the clips before posting them. What I found remarkable was LT's intercept/closing speed in pursuit of QB/ball carrier.