Big Blue Huddle

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on January 28, 2024, 08:02:50 AMI am a very long way from patting this team on the back in any way or from feeling any sense of confidence about them.

Sure, last night in isolation was a good comeback win, but I need to see a great deal more before my feelings go from very negative to even just neutral about this group. January has been a total disaster.

I'm lockstep with you. Beat the Avs then let's have a conversation. But, unfortunately, Igor will be in goal for that one, the usual two goals given up in a two-minute span or less will show its ugly head, and another opportunity to flex their muscle against the NHL's best will fall by the wayside yet again.

Peace!

Quote from: kartanoman on January 27, 2024, 08:54:53 PMMeanwhile, on Hockey Night in Canada, down 2-0 in Ottawa, the dam finally broke when Kreider scored and four more Rangers goals followed, but not before the Senators' starting goalie was pulled after goal #4.

5-2 Rangers after two periods. Quickie in goal tonight.

The home team, tattered in ruins, lay waste as the Rangers dumped a puck for the empty net goal and, for the lucky seven, continued to harass the lifeless Senators until that elusive goal number seven went in.

It stops the bleeding, for now, and allows them to cling onto first place in the Metro; however, the game of the season I've been waiting for is finally next up (i.e. the Avs) and they had better find the A-game and bring it or it's going to be embarrassing as the Colorado Boys are melting the ice these days.

Holding my breath and I'll be wearing my new third jersey which arrived earlier this week ... easily the coolest design of a third jersey they've ever pulled off.

Peace!

Meanwhile, on Hockey Night in Canada, down 2-0 in Ottawa, the dam finally broke when Kreider scored and four more Rangers goals followed, but not before the Senators' starting goalie was pulled after goal #4.

5-2 Rangers after two periods. Quickie in goal tonight.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on January 27, 2024, 05:07:20 PM"Average" is generous at this point if we're talking about Shesty.

At what point should Laviolette be taken to the woodshed for not playing Quickie more if he, at the very least, gives them a punchers' chance out there? Granted, the defense is hanging both goalies out to dry right now. But, at some point, you have to tell Igor that he's not getting it done and to take some time off to get his groove back.

With Quickie now 38 years old, and the clock is ticking on the amount of time he's got left before he hangs it up, you might as well go with the guy who gives you the best chance and that's him.

But does the coach have the cojones to make that call?

Hmmm.

 

Peace.

The contributors to this thread sure aren't content; to that I trust we all agree!

Peace!

2-5 score and going 0-2, uncompetitive against the reigning Champs is not the stuff made of Lord Stanley's precious chalice.

The Senators always play well against them and an Avalanche is waiting to bury them completely. No answers from Laviolette. It may be time to acknowledge changes need to be made, take some steps back, and redevelop the team into a contender for the future. At best, another first round exit looms.

Peace.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on January 26, 2024, 05:44:24 PMI feel terribly for Chytil. The impact on the team is secondary for me. His career seems like it could really be over. He's only 24 years old. Really brutal.

https://nypost.com/2024/01/26/sports/filip-chytil-down-on-ice-for-minutes-at-rangers-practice/?utm_campaign=nypost&utm_medium=referral

This is bordering on a tragedy and my heart goes out to the kid. As much as I don't want to see it happen, it really appears the best thing, for his safety, is to stand down playing hockey because it doesn't appear safe for him to move forward after this serious incident. It's no longer about hockey now. The young man's health and well being has to be the most important concern.

I applaud his effort to try and come back but this incident may have been the straw which broke the camel's back.

Such a talented young man who brought excitement to us all. I know I speak for all of us in that we only wish him the very best and no more trauma that could upset what is a wonderful life that has still yet to be written.

Peace.

Quote from: files58 on January 24, 2024, 10:16:06 AMIf someone mentioned before the season that on 1/24/24 the Rangers would have a 5 point lead in the division we would all take it. They just don't bury their chances. Up 2-0 Brezinski had the third goal on his stick, and as the late, great Bill Chadwick would say "Jim, he shoots the puck like a cow picks up a gun". He scores there, game over. He's terrible by the way. Vesey missed an open net, and Laffy at least once a game misses what looks like a gimme. In addition there were two offensive pass interference non-calls just before the Sharks goal in OT. Will someone, anyone around the league please step into a puck carrier in Center Ice. Have they written a rule prohibiting that type of check? No one told me. All this stick checking makes it like a knock hockey game.

It's all in the perspective, right? Maybe resetting our expectations to DB74's point all along, that all this doesn't matter as long as they bring it for the playoffs. But they remain in first place, which is hard to believe during this slump.

Losing to the Sharks, and trailing the Quackers after two and a half periods really didn't surprise me as they, for some odd reason, struggle with these teams on their respective ices. I was hoping they would have represented themselves better against the Champs and the Kings, though.

Well, they can retrospectively look back at their slump and Laviolette can explore how to get them out of their slump, they'll get one more crack at the Champs, a couple of challenging matches with teams they've lost to, and then what was previously a marquee matchup with the Avs.

If I remember correctly,they were a bit inconsistent last season at this time. They seemed to pick it up a bit in March but ended the regular season with a few disappointing losses which cost them the #2 seed. But as the Devils series showed, they were unable to adapt once Jersey's defense locked them down at the blue line. The stick checking, brain farts resulting in giving up multiple goals in short spans.

When they winning like gangbusters, the fourth line was making significant contributions. Now, the puck isn't going in for them.

The Igor / Quickie debate continues and it's clear that Igor is off his Vezina Trophy season, and he's had some obvious lapses in concentration, or perhapstrying too hard, but how much of that is his defense hanging him and Quickie to dry?

They need to hit the reset button and the All Star break is coming at the opportune time to do just that. Let them make the most of the eight days and come back with clear heads and a new focus for the final two months to lock down the division or, worst case, second place.

Peace!

The Sharks always seem to bite them, but they bit themselves in this ugly OT loss.

How bad will the Champs take it to them next is anyone's guess, but the consensus seems it's a foregone conclusion by now.

The break can't come soon enough for them.

Peace.

A challenge on an Anaheim goal, which would have given them a 3-1 lead, was successful and returned the score to 2-1 Quackers. That saved the Rangers which helped enable the four goal comeback in period three.

It's a win. They'll take it, for now. San Jose awaits them. We'll see what happens.

Peace.

Quote from: Gmo11 on January 21, 2024, 09:12:51 PMHas a 1st place team ever fired their coach before? Down 2-0 to this crap Ducks team with two ridiculously stupid goals has me ready to blow the whole thing up. They need some sort of a shakeup to get them out of this funk. Right now there's not a team in the league I feel confident they can beat.

Ugh, losing to the Mighty Quackers again? Sickening! I'm not going to upset myself when there's a great football game on right now.

I'll check this thread after the game.

Thanks for the update.

Peace.

Quickie's return home game, and his outstanding performance, was completely wasted, in a heartless effort by his teammates.

Their heads aren't right and it appears they are indeed circling the drain.

If they lose to the Quackers tonight ... my optimism will follow them down the proverbial drain with them.

Peace.

I found the link to D'Andre Miller talking about taking time off for his mental health:

Rangers' K'Andre Miller talks openly about stepping away to focus on mental health

It's a subject that some brush off and suggest one "man up" or "tough it out." The truth is that when you feel like you're losing control, hope and the basic things in life become overwhelming, it doesn't make you less of a person to ask for or seek help.

Again, I reference the Australian Football League where many players have stepped forward to talk about their own experiences of needing time to work with counselors to help them deal with the issues which are affecting them. They report that it has made all the difference in the world to them and they've not only had the support of their teammates and coaches, they've come back better focused and playing their best football.

I'm glad Miller had the courage to share his experience and hope that his teammates and coach fully supported his decision and welcomed him back. I appreciate that he is hard on himself, in trying to do too much at times, but when he's involved with the north-south fast-paced hockey the Rangers are capable of playing, he has shown he can be dangerous from the point.

Peace.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on January 19, 2024, 07:48:23 AMDidn't stay up for this one but I'm glad I didn't.

I'm starting to wonder if the first two or so months were a mirage.

There may be some truth to that; however, I think a lot of other good teams may have started slow (e.g. Edmonton, Winnipeg, Colorado, Carolina) and are now running as hot as the Rangers were early on after the Western Canadien road trip.

Last season, and earlier this season, the Rangers played well on other teams' ice and were a tough out. Now, they've lost that edge. There are some things going on where team harmony is a little bit off. I read the other day that D'Andre Miller is thinking about taking some time off for mental health/wellness reasons. So, that tells me there's a lot of pressure on the defense to pick up their game because the offense isn't scoring against the good teams as much and the goalies cannot produce lights-out performances every game.

So, maybe Drury needs to go out and shore up the defense before the end of the trading deadline to get the team stabilized until the offense can get back on track. In the meantime, the LA game becomes a critical matchup they'll want to win and then keep the pedal to the metal on Anaheim and San Jose who are both pesky teams who can give the Rangers fits when they're not at their best, as they currently are playing. If they can take the next three, then come home and get even with the Vegas boys, this part of the schedule can still be claimed as a success.

But they have to break this road loss slump, first.

Peace.

Just another disappointing outing with another zoned out point of giving up temporary goals in 30 seconds. It's becoming a hallmark for this group and a weakness teams are all too happy to exploit.

Also, they started strong buy couldn't put one in the net. I sensed they were getting frustrated over that.

Regroup and hope Quickie pulls off another insane performance against his former team on Saturday.

The Rangers are showing that they're not able to compete with the best in the league. They've beaten Boston and Winnpeg when they were struggling. All others have been losses and the results haven't been close. Vegas is in second in the Pacific while LA is in third. If the Rangers can't figure it out, they'll find themselves out of first place soon enough.

The road record is becoming a concern.

Peace.