Big Blue Huddle

Weird, bland, low event game last night. The Rangers didn't play poorly but I also wouldn't say they were good. Kind of held their own at 5v5, but two ugly goals (not really sure what Igor was thinking on that second one) cost them.

Quote from: jgrangers2 on May 23, 2024, 10:28:25 AMWeird, bland, low event game last night. The Rangers didn't play poorly but I also wouldn't say they were good. Kind of held their own at 5v5, but two ugly goals (not really sure what Igor was thinking on that second one) cost them.

He was thinking there was no way his teammate would take a shot at him.  He was clearly mistaken.  He's moving right to left to get into position to stop the shot that might come from the forward on his left where the pass was intended to go...it never got there because Laffy short circuited.

Florida believes they are a team of destiny. In hockey in order to defeat that the opponent has to play the game with the attitude that is just short of "we will kill you to win". I'm being dramatic to make a point. It's about will, and imposing it. I've said it before Mother Teresa before and after the game, Atilla the Hun during the game. What the Rangers need is an infusion of their die hard longtime fans' pissed off angst of one Cup in 83 years. A born, and raised New Yorker middle finger. Hockey is a beautiful, talent laden sport that has a violent element that's allowed, written into it's structure, and in its rulebook. Use that element to your advantage. To Florida, you want to block shots, well here it comes. Bing. Look at that stupid commercial with Stamkos, Hedman, and their young kids. What's the selling point? Stamkos' 3 year old slamming someone into the boards, and then Stamkos telling Hedman well I guess your infant isn't up to it, might as well save for college. HELLO! It won't happen because the real pursuit is $$$$$$$$. To this fan(and many others), and the late Great Vince Lombardi "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing". It's not entertainment, for that I'll watch Edmonton vs Dallas. I never liked it, but I kinda understand why Billy Smith never shaked hands after a series. Ok, rant is over. It's one game. The Rangers know they haveto up their game. If they can't/don't kudos to Florida.

Quote from: Gmo11 on May 23, 2024, 11:00:15 AMHe was thinking there was no way his teammate would take a shot at him.  He was clearly mistaken.  He's moving right to left to get into position to stop the shot that might come from the forward on his left where the pass was intended to go...it never got there because Laffy short circuited.

I'm talking about why he went out to play a puck that Gustafsson was very clearly going to get to pretty easily. That set up the whole play. Laf was taking away the cross ice pass and it slid off his stick. The actual goal was kind of just bad luck. Igor's play setting up the opportunity was an absolute brain fart.

Quote from: jgrangers2 on May 23, 2024, 11:54:44 AMI'm talking about why he went out to play a puck that Gustafsson was very clearly going to get to pretty easily. That set up the whole play. Laf was taking away the cross ice pass and it slid off his stick. The actual goal was kind of just bad luck. Igor's play setting up the opportunity was an absolute brain fart.

Ahhh gotcha.  Misunderstood.  Yes that was clearly a poor decision on his part and did start the sequence of events that led to that goal. 

I'm surprised with some of the takes on here.  I thought the Rangers last night were atrocious.  No pressure, no physicality.  Florida hit every Ranger, every time they could.  Other than Cuylle a few times, I remember very few Ranger hits.  You can't dump it in the offensive zone and expect to retrieve the puck without playing the body hard.  And their passing to get out of the defensive zone was poor.

This team has been league average at 5v5, and unless they get a decent amount of PPs or Igor steals a game, they look very pedestrian against top teams.  They have now been outshot in 8 straight games.

I said all along I wanted Boston instead of Florida.  And unless the Rangers change and up their game quickly, this one is going six at best.

"I'm surprised with some of the takes on here.  I thought the Rangers last night were atrocious.  No pressure, no physicality.  Florida hit every Ranger, every time they could.  Other than Cuylle a few times, I remember very few Ranger hits.  You can't dump it in the offensive zone and expect to retrieve the puck without playing the body hard.  And their passing to get out of the defensive zone was poor."

I agree with you. See my previous post. Did anyone hit Tzachuk after his open ice hit on Trocheck? The proper reply should have been a take him out of the series literally action to heck with the penalty or suspension. At this point in the playoffs it's kill or be killed(figuratively). Mike Tyson when he was champ would say "everyone has a plan until they get hit".

Quote from: ViewFromSection129 on May 23, 2024, 11:59:18 AMI'm surprised with some of the takes on here.  I thought the Rangers last night were atrocious.  No pressure, no physicality.  Florida hit every Ranger, every time they could.  Other than Cuylle a few times, I remember very few Ranger hits.  You can't dump it in the offensive zone and expect to retrieve the puck without playing the body hard.  And their passing to get out of the defensive zone was poor.

This team has been league average at 5v5, and unless they get a decent amount of PPs or Igor steals a game, they look very pedestrian against top teams.  They have now been outshot in 8 straight games.

I said all along I wanted Boston instead of Florida.  And unless the Rangers change and up their game quickly, this one is going six at best.

It was an ugly, kind of boring game. The Rangers are not going to keep up with Florida at 5v5, but the goal should be to limit their high danger chances as much as possible. The Rangers pretty much did that, but the Rangers couldn't convert on their chances and the power play couldn't score. The raw number of shots on goal is hardly meaningful here.

Funnily, I'm not all that bothered by last night. Yes, they didn't play particularly well other than in occasional spurts, but they were down 1-0 late in third period and got bad puck luck in this game.

Clearly the Cats are tough and, as Ed aptly noted, deep. And Bobby is obviously a top goalie.

I think this was one of these weird games where it just never quite game together, but we were hardly humiliated IMO. Not scoring once in a home game is a little embarrassing, but it's not like we got owned.

You'll see me hitting the panic button a bit more if they lay an egg tomorrow night, but I have high conviction that that won't be the case.

I would also add that I don't think home/away is that big of a deal. It's not 100% irrelevant, but it's dramatically less meaningful than in all the other big four NA sports, particularly basketball and football. My point being, those fans who are flipped out because the Cats just "flipped home ice advantage" ore technically correct, but I personally don't think it's that big of a deal.

There's no doubt Florida is a very tough opponent.  They might very well be the better team.  That doesn't mean the Rangers cannot beat them.  Frankly, the Rangers were in exhibition game mode last night.  You saw it early and often with some of their passes to absolutely nobody. 

While rest is good you kind of hated the long layoff after the big emotional clinching win over Carolina.  I would've preferred hitting the ice again a couple of days later.

Time to dress the big boys.

Hitting and pain.

Make them look over their shoulders.

Do that and this series goes 7.

Don't pin your ears back and we go down in 5.

Quote from: files58 on May 23, 2024, 11:13:42 AMFlorida believes they are a team of destiny. In hockey in order to defeat that the opponent has to play the game with the attitude that is just short of "we will kill you to win". I'm being dramatic to make a point. It's about will, and imposing it. I've said it before Mother Teresa before and after the game, Atilla the Hun during the game. What the Rangers need is an infusion of their die hard longtime fans' pissed off angst of one Cup in 83 years. A born, and raised New Yorker middle finger. Hockey is a beautiful, talent laden sport that has a violent element that's allowed, written into it's structure, and in its rulebook. Use that element to your advantage. To Florida, you want to block shots, well here it comes. Bing. Look at that stupid commercial with Stamkos, Hedman, and their young kids. What's the selling point? Stamkos' 3 year old slamming someone into the boards, and then Stamkos telling Hedman well I guess your infant isn't up to it, might as well save for college. HELLO! It won't happen because the real pursuit is $$$$$$$$. To this fan(and many others), and the late Great Vince Lombardi "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing". It's not entertainment, for that I'll watch Edmonton vs Dallas. I never liked it, but I kinda understand why Billy Smith never shaked hands after a series. Ok, rant is over. It's one game. The Rangers know they haveto up their game. If they can't/don't kudos to Florida.

Your first sentence is everything you need to put on the Rangers' bulletin board today and make the font as large and as bold as the printer's capability. That's all that needs to be said and the rest is self-explanatory.

The rest, self-goals and all, mean nothing. You can't buy those back, so let's move on. It's Destiny's Darlings 1 - Blueshirts 0.

No matter how disappointed everyone is, including me, the Rangers hung with these guys for two and a half periods and had many opportunities to tie the game before it fell apart in the last ten minutes. That, in my assessment, is something to build on and make adjustments for tonight. To Boston's credit, they provided the Rangers some game film on how to get to their goalie and coach no doubt has checked it out.

As for the slugfest to come, you can almost guarantee Game Three in front of their fans will offer the Rangers up for sacrifice. So, tonight there is no reason why Rempe is not in the lineup to go out there and create friction with their goons. May as well start something tonight with their stars and finish it on their ice. Maybe their guys go off for a game misconduct as well. I think Mother Theresa would approve files58, no?

They'll be more revved up tonight but they have to be smart and not get into a shootout with these guys or, unless Igor's up for the challenge, they'll blow a chance to get back in this series.

Should be a hot one tonight!

Peace!

I'll be really surprised if they don't put the kid in tonight:

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/40210775/rangers-matt-rempe-awed-greats-calling-him

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on May 24, 2024, 02:10:19 PMI'll be really surprised if they don't put the kid in tonight:

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/40210775/rangers-matt-rempe-awed-greats-calling-him

Yeah, I think it's almost certain he starts. Question is, who's dropped? Kakko?

Quote from: EDjohnst1981 on May 24, 2024, 02:19:32 PMYeah, I think it's almost certain he starts. Question is, who's dropped? Kakko?

I think it has to be, yes. And I'm ok with that. The guy has done nothing. I wouldn't mess around with the Wennberg/Cuylle/Roslovic line.