Big Blue Huddle

Season is right around the corner.

How is everyone feeling about the team and its chances this year?

What are you most excited about? What are you most concerned about?

Right now, I am most concerned about Panarin getting hurt twice in pre-season.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on October 03, 2024, 07:19:46 PMSeason is right around the corner.

How is everyone feeling about the team and its chances this year?

What are you most excited about? What are you most concerned about?

I wasn't sure if another thread had already been created, but this one works for me so thank you for starting it up with less than a week to go before the pucks fly for keeps.

It's always exciting to start a new season but plenty of questions going into this one. First, which is the worry bead for all of us, is the extent of the Breadman's injury and how it will impact him as far as lost time and his overall performance capability. It's definitely an area of concern worth keeping an eye on. Jimmy Vesey's injury appears more serious and he will be out and, of course, Lindgren is also hurt and may be out to start the season. So, the injury front to start things off is a bit of a worry but, also, an opportunity for Jones to step into the lineup and demonstrate he's ready for more ice time in defense, and Othmann to get more ice time on offense.

The goalie situation remains the same and all that's left is the Rangers and Igor's agent hammer a deal out to see #31 as the highest paid goalie in the league. He played lights' out  last season and a similar performance will likely be needed this season for the Rangers to compete once again for a run to the Finals.

What will be interesting to see is how the head coach handles this group in his second year. Will he continue the path he set forth last year or does he have some other things planned to help get this group over the top and into the Finals this year?

Will the team be able to respond after getting to within two games of the Finals for a second time in three seasons? Or, has the core gone as far as they can go and we'll see them fall back and signal a time to rebuild?

Last year they played a pretty consistent brand of hockey throughout the regular season and were exciting to watch. It resulted in the best ever performance by a Ranger team in terms of wins, earning the President's Trophy, winning two playoff series with one against a team many expected to win the Cup. Even against Florida, up 2-1 in the series, had they won Game 4, the possibilities were endless. Instead, they lost the momentum, got manhandled and never had a chance despite keeping every game within a goal.

Losing a semifinal like that for the second time in three years has got to be difficult to swallow. How do you get past not just the physical element but the psychological?

That's what Laviolette has to overcome with this group; a year older, perhaps a year wiser, but without any new players to honestly make them better. How do they get back to the semis and take on a physical force of a team and beat them?

Lots of questions. Hope springs eternal this time of the year. Hoping they will have another Northwestern Canadian sweep like they did last year to jump-start their season and let's see where it goes.

They play Florida early and it will be a marquee matchup. But they have their Cup now and the situation isn't the same anymore.

I'm not really sure who will be favored to win it all this season. Edmonton will be the sentimental favorite. Dallas, Carolina, Boston, Florida, Winnipeg, LA and the Rangers will all be in the hunt. Maybe Nashville will step up to compete. Colorado is a dynamic organization, but their mystique is beginning to wear as other teams (e.g. Dallas, the Rangers) have demonstrated their ability to skate with them.

I'll be curious to see if Florida still has the cojones to make a second run and go back-to back.

Peace!

Quote from: kartanoman on October 03, 2024, 09:08:29 PMI wasn't sure if another thread had already been created, but this one works for me so thank you for starting it up with less than a week to go before the pucks fly for keeps.

It's always exciting to start a new season but plenty of questions going into this one. First, which is the worry bead for all of us, is the extent of the Breadman's injury and how it will impact him as far as lost time and his overall performance capability. It's definitely an area of concern worth keeping an eye on. Jimmy Vesey's injury appears more serious and he will be out and, of course, Lindgren is also hurt and may be out to start the season. So, the injury front to start things off is a bit of a worry but, also, an opportunity for Jones to step into the lineup and demonstrate he's ready for more ice time in defense, and Othmann to get more ice time on offense.

The goalie situation remains the same and all that's left is the Rangers and Igor's agent hammer a deal out to see #31 as the highest paid goalie in the league. He played lights' out  last season and a similar performance will likely be needed this season for the Rangers to compete once again for a run to the Finals.

What will be interesting to see is how the head coach handles this group in his second year. Will he continue the path he set forth last year or does he have some other things planned to help get this group over the top and into the Finals this year?

Will the team be able to respond after getting to within two games of the Finals for a second time in three seasons? Or, has the core gone as far as they can go and we'll see them fall back and signal a time to rebuild?

Last year they played a pretty consistent brand of hockey throughout the regular season and were exciting to watch. It resulted in the best ever performance by a Ranger team in terms of wins, earning the President's Trophy, winning two playoff series with one against a team many expected to win the Cup. Even against Florida, up 2-1 in the series, had they won Game 4, the possibilities were endless. Instead, they lost the momentum, got manhandled and never had a chance despite keeping every game within a goal.

Losing a semifinal like that for the second time in three years has got to be difficult to swallow. How do you get past not just the physical element but the psychological?

That's what Laviolette has to overcome with this group; a year older, perhaps a year wiser, but without any new players to honestly make them better. How do they get back to the semis and take on a physical force of a team and beat them?

Lots of questions. Hope springs eternal this time of the year. Hoping they will have another Northwestern Canadian sweep like they did last year to jump-start their season and let's see where it goes.

They play Florida early and it will be a marquee matchup. But they have their Cup now and the situation isn't the same anymore.

I'm not really sure who will be favored to win it all this season. Edmonton will be the sentimental favorite. Dallas, Carolina, Boston, Florida, Winnipeg, LA and the Rangers will all be in the hunt. Maybe Nashville will step up to compete. Colorado is a dynamic organization, but their mystique is beginning to wear as other teams (e.g. Dallas, the Rangers) have demonstrated their ability to skate with them.

I'll be curious to see if Florida still has the cojones to make a second run and go back-to back.

Peace!

Really good summary.

For those wondering, according to DraftKings, only three teams (Edmonton, Florida, and Dallas) have shorter odds than we do to win the Cup. We have the same odds as the Leafs, Devils, Canes, and Avalanche (13-1).

We're clearly one of the strongest teams in the league. We won the President's Trophy last year.

However, I thought we were the clearly inferior skating team to the Panthers and only Shesty kept that series from being a sweep. We also could have lost to the Canes, but Kreider had other ideas.

We're one of the best teams, but I guess the question for me is, "why will this year be different"?

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on October 03, 2024, 09:19:20 PMWe're one of the best teams, but I guess the question for me is, "why will this year be different"?

Yes, that's the question I just don't have an answer for.

If I were to take a guess, it would have to come from the defensive side of the rink. Personally, I would love Jones to make the leap and force his way into the second rotation and build depth there. Don't know why he never was selected in the playoffs.

We'll see what happens but there are a few kids who are playing to try and make the team so the final pre-season games might be worth the watch.

Peace!