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!

Unsurprisingly, Fil is out for the season.

https://x.com/nyrangers/status/1751708088636473682?s=46&t=AA9Ptl-VPYK0JnuHE-oAWA

With an "aim for a return for the 2024-25 season" sounds pretty uncertain.

Wishing him the best.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on January 28, 2024, 04:36:25 PMWith an "aim for a return for the 2024-25 season" sounds pretty uncertain.

Wishing him the best.

Same here. This goal of playing again is really premature for all the reasons I've mentioned in previous posts. His Neurology is seriously off and, when trauma has been a direct cause, the hope is that no permanent damage has been sustained.

I only hope he can recover to live a normal life with full functionality of his neurological system. If hockey is something he can continue, safely, then I wish him all the best with it. If not, I will still hope only the very best for him.

Peace!

Hockey's back and my favorite Rangers' matchup, the Avs, were in town tonight for a battle of first place teams in their respective divisions. This game was well worth the wait!

It played out the way the two games last season did and, as I hoped, Quickie got the nod and did not disappoint. His performance earned him the #1 star of the game.

Both teams played well but the Avs scored first. MacKinnon opened the scoring account in the second period and the one goal held until the final seven minutes of the game. Quickie kept them in it until, finally, the Breadman scored to tie it. The Rangers came to life and had multiple chances to win before regulation ended. In the overtime, Laffy finished the job with a beauty and a 2-1 victory. It was a huge win and a confidence builder going into the final stretch.

Peace!

Quickie to start this evening

Quote from: EDjohnst1981 on February 07, 2024, 01:51:10 PMQuickie to start this evening

Saw that. Two thoughts:

(1) I like the move from a momentum standpoint. Prior to Monday night's win, the team had been in the doldrums for a while now, and a hot goalie is a way to build some team momentum. Quick has been the better goalie this year too. I get starting him two games in a row, and I have no issue with it. In fact I like it.

(2) However, I don't view it as an option for Quick to be the longer term starter for the rest of the season and in the playoffs. There is no way that at 38 years old he can play every two nights for many weeks in a row in the postseason. So, in the end, we will go as far as Shesty takes us. Because that is the case, I think it's critical that Shesty find his game and play at a strong level for several weeks leading into the playoffs. Short of that, it's going to be hard to feel meaningfully optimistic about the team's chances at a deep run.

Solid win over Tampa.  Two solid games after the break not giving up one goal in each game.  Quick can't carry the entire load but he has earned the right to get more of the starts right now.  Shesterkin frankly needs to get his head out of his ass.

Another big win against quality competition. Any win over Tampa is sweet and this one was a joy.

Quickie is a winner and his game right now is precisely what the Rangers need. With Igor working with Benoit, this gives the Rangers the best chance to win in the short term while attempting to remediate their #1 goalie for the long term.

On the road Friday in Chicago!

Peace!

3 wins in a row going back before the break and 3 starts from Quick.  Seems they are riding the hot hand at least for now.  Shesty does need to take a bit of a break to figure out what's going on but they will need him soon.  Last thing they need right now is to run Quick into the ground. 

Just don't $h!t the bed tonight.

Shesty back in tonight. Chicago is the lowest scoring team in the league, and they have lost five straight. They are terrible. Shesty has watched his 38 year old teammate Quick get back to back starts and win both games, playing at a high level against strong opponents. Now Shesty gets to face the worst scoring team in the league off plenty of rest.

If ever there was a get right game opportunity, this is it. If he comes in and s---s the bed tonight, I really don't know what to tell you.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on February 09, 2024, 06:16:21 PMShesty back in tonight. Chicago is the lowest scoring team in the league, and they have lost five straight. They are terrible. Shesty has watched his 38 year old teammate Quick get back to back starts and win both games, playing at a high level against strong opponents. Now Shesty gets to face the worst scoring team in the league off plenty of rest.

If ever there was a get right game opportunity, this is it. If he comes in and s---s the bed tonight, I really don't know what to tell you.

Agreed. This is a test to see if Igor passed the final exam on all of Benoit's training the last week and change. If the Rangers cannot beat this team without Connor Bedard in the lineup, after taking down the Avs and the Bolts, then don't bother showing up for the post-season if they continue with insanity and keep starting Igor.

In Quickie we trust!

Peace!

If there's a such a thing as an ugly win it was this one.  You shouldn't need overtime after leading the worst team in the league 3-1.  You shouldn't be outshot 12-4 in the third period.  What this team lacks is aggressiveness. 

Once upon a time in the NHL when you would have two teams on the opposite end of the standings the team on top early on would "run" a couple of the opposition, take the heart out, and pass the puck around for a 4-1 ho hum win. That's the missing piece, some may call it aggressiveness, I call it a mean streak.