Big Blue Huddle

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on October 15, 2023, 07:23:39 AMFrustrating game as in many respects we didn't play badly. No excuses, as it obviously wasn't good enough, but I thought we got some tough puck luck last night. With that said we can't be depending on puck luck against teams like Columbus, so it simply wasn't good enough.

I agree that we can't make a habit of having those kinds of losses. The Bruins, Leafs, and Canes are already 2-0 and a handful of East teams are 1-0-1. This conference is just too competitive to be getting sloppy and pissing away games we should win. Getting ourselves in a deep hole early in the season would be unwise.

I suspect we'll see a much better performance in the home opener tomorrow night.

I wouldn't even worry about the standings right now. Just try to gauge the team's mental toughness and see what the new coach does.

I can't blame any of them for having two goals pulled off the board even though they were legit offsides. They weren't the same after those and that includes the Blue Jackets' reversed goal.

Time to move on to the opener.

Peace!

Quote from: Giant Obsession on October 15, 2023, 12:54:11 PMWith all due respect, Columbus, Philly and Buffalo are no longer a breakin the schedule.  All 3 are very improved.

Are we ??  I have serious doubts we coast into the playoffs.

I don't consider any road NHL game easy, but Columbus was 25-48-9 last year. By the numbers they were the second worst team in the NHL and by far the worst in the Eastern Conference. When you're that bad, there is only one way to go, so I get that they're improved, but that's not a game we should come up with zero points in, even on the road.

I never said or suggested we will "coast into the playoffs." Those are your words, not mine. In fact, I haven't heard anyone here say or suggest that. The NHL regular season is always a slog. Should we make the playoffs with this roster? Yes. Is that a guarantee, and we can just take it easy (ie coast)? Of course not.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on October 15, 2023, 01:02:42 PMI don't consider any road NHL game easy, but Columbus was 25-48-9 last year. By the numbers they were the second worst team in the NHL and by far the worst in the Eastern Conference. When you're that bad, there is only one way to go, so I get that they're improved, but that's not a game we should come up with zero points in, even on the road.

I never said or suggested we will "coast into the playoffs." Those are your words, not mine. In fact, I haven't heard anyone here say or suggest that. The NHL regular season is always a slog. Should we make the playoffs with this roster? Yes. Is that a guarantee, and we can just take it easy (ie coast)? Of course not.

I NEVER said they were your words.  They are mine. Sorry, I don't do confrontational back and forth.  Not my style.  And not worth my time. 

Quote from: Giant Obsession on October 15, 2023, 06:10:16 PMI NEVER said they were your words.  They are mine. Sorry, I don't do confrontational back and forth.  Not my style.  And not worth my time. 

No offense was ever intended. I am sorry if you took it that way. I was just unclear where your point was being directed.

No more easy W's in the NHL. Got that right!
You'd think the Yotes would be a pushover at MSG. They fought tooth and nail in our Home Opener. Krides scores his 4th in three games. 1-1 into the 3rd. Marchand tips in the go ahead Goal. A gritty, physical, tightly contested tilt. We killed off a full two mins of 5 0n 3. Chants of Igor Igor during the kill.
Then later in the Game with us up 2-1, Shesty stops a Penalty Shot. He's 4 for 4 on Penalty Shot stops.
Major brawl ensued when time ran . Shesty of all people right in the middle of it all.
New HC Laviolette visibly emotional in his Presser commenting on the the W, the Crowd and the historic Franchise.

I'm glad we got the win but I thought we were pretty mediocre last night. Our 5 on 5 play needs to be better.

On further review, I saw how we let the Yotes stick with us on 5 on 5. We lit the lamp when we overwhelmed the scoring area.

A friend of mine made a point the other day which I think is valid, and it harkens back to the point Giant Obsession made a couple days ago about other teams improving while we don't. My friend's point, which was not identical but similar, was that a couple years ago we felt like a young team with tons of upside. Now we're starting to feel older and with a much lower ceiling, while other teams around us are getting younger and have more upside. All around us you're seeing players like Hughes, Tage Thompson, Logan Cooley, Adam Fantili etc and we just have the same young guys we keep trotting out like Kakko and Lafreniere, who still could improve but clearly are never going to be superstars. It's kind of a sobering realization. I still personally think we have ample talent to be a good, playoff caliber team, which is what we have been the last two seasons, but it's hard to see a path to the Cup with this core group, most of whom are unmovable assets. I would not have said that two years ago. I was much more optimistic about the ceiling then, but at the time I still believed we might be sitting on potential studs with the 21 and younger group on the team.

It's only game four but some of the fears some had seem to be coming to fruition.  We certainly don't seem to have the speed advantage against anyone.  Also, it appears Kakko and Lafreniere are going to be busts.  What's the hope with them?  That they might score 20 goals? 

Just a soft, sloppy, uninspired effort would explain our miserable game tonite.
I've been calling Laffy a bust for some time now. I had hoped for Kakko to take the next step, no more...

As I mentioned recently, Drury will be working the phones (sooner rather than later) looking for a 1st Line and 2nd Line RW.

Quote from: Jaime on October 19, 2023, 11:14:38 PMJust a soft, sloppy, uninspired effort would explain our miserable game tonite.
I've been calling Laffy a bust for some time now. I had hoped for Kakko to take the next step, no more...

As I mentioned recently, Drury will be working the phones (sooner rather than later) looking for a 1st Line and 2nd Line RW.

Neither of them stand out or do anything spectacular.  Typical for this organization.  Most teams get franchise players and the Rangers draft this.

Quote from: Messiah717 on October 19, 2023, 11:25:57 PMNeither of them stand out or do anything spectacular.  Typical for this organization.  Most teams get franchise players and the Rangers draft this.

I consider Laffy and Kakko more bad luck than bad drafting, myself. Both were no-brainer selections at the time they were drafted. Any GM would have taken them with those picks.

I also think the Rangers have a history of poor player development at the forward position. Besides Kreider what good Ranger forwards were home-grown in the last 25 years? Maybe Zucc? I feel like you have to go back to Kovalev.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on October 20, 2023, 06:03:34 AMI consider Laffy and Kakko more bad luck than bad drafting, myself. Both were no-brainer selections at the time they were drafted. Any GM would have taken them with those picks.

I also think the Rangers have a history of poor player development at the forward position. Besides Kreider what good Ranger forwards were home-grown in the last 25 years? Maybe Zucc? I feel like you have to go back to Kovalev.

The only thing I'll say regarding those two is that most teams with those two picks would find a franchise center.  The Rangers ended up with two wingers who at no time have even flashed anything resembling elite talent.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on October 20, 2023, 06:03:34 AMI consider Laffy and Kakko more bad luck than bad drafting, myself. Both were no-brainer selections at the time they were drafted. Any GM would have taken them with those picks.

I also think the Rangers have a history of poor player development at the forward position. Besides Kreider what good Ranger forwards were home-grown in the last 25 years? Maybe Zucc? I feel like you have to go back to Kovalev.

This is correct.  Kakko was 1B in a two player draft.  Hughes 1A, him 1B.  Every other team would have drafted him with the 2nd pick.  Laffy was 1 of 1 in his year.  Every single team would have drafted him with the #1 pick that year.  He was projected to be Connor Bedard type of a talent.  It just hasn't happened.  Whether that's bad luck or the Rangers lack of development is up for debate but you can't really blame them for making those picks, there was no decision to make in either instance. 

Having said that, they're still young.  And while you would hope to have seen more by now since they've been in the league a few years now, there's still a chance for them to develop. 

Spot on Gmo & DB
Laffy & Kakko were consensus Picks at each of their respective Drafts.
I thought Laffy was a dud after watching him in a couple dozen games. Nothing in his skillset is above average.
However, I thought just the opposite with Kakko. He could skate, demonstrated good Puck skills, and had good size to boot. Thought he might have been under utilized on the 3rd Line. But when he was given Minutes in a top six capacity, the results didn't materialize.