Big Blue Huddle

Not to put a downer on the great opening night win, but I have to point out something I didn't like...
It seems the Rangers power play is going to be the same as it was last year, pass the puck around the zone passing up good, high percentage shots, until someone can feed Zebenajab for a one timer on the off wing. It seems to be the only thing they look to do when they are a man up.
Yes, the PP was successful last season, but I think a bit more variety would benefit the unit as a whole.
It's frustrating to me to see them pass up good scoring chances just for a chance at the one timer.

Quote from: ozzie on October 10, 2024, 09:08:01 AMNot to put a downer on the great opening night win, but I have to point out something I didn't like...
It seems the Rangers power play is going to be the same as it was last year, pass the puck around the zone passing up good, high percentage shots, until someone can feed Zebenajab for a one timer on the off wing. It seems to be the only thing they look to do when they are a man up.
Yes, the PP was successful last season, but I think a bit more variety would benefit the unit as a whole.
It's frustrating to me to see them pass up good scoring chances just for a chance at the one timer.

Conversely, 5 v 5 play looked better than we have seen in 4-5 years. With scoring from every single line. This could be an even more important factor moving forward.

Quote from: Uncle Mickey on October 10, 2024, 09:14:22 AMConversely, 5 v 5 play looked better than we have seen in 4-5 years. With scoring from every single line. This could be an even more important factor moving forward.

Very true. A well balanced attack last night and that will be a huge factor throughout the season.

Quote from: ozzie on October 10, 2024, 09:22:31 AMVery true. A well balanced attack last night and that will be a huge factor throughout the season.

Chytil to me has proven he can be a high level scoring talent. It is evident in the way he plays. His only issue (and a big one) is staying healthy. But he makes that 3rd line a viable scoring threat.

Kreider looked amazing yesterday.

Zibs was totally off last year that sniper guy is entirely gone and I have no idea where he went. Hopefully he comes back this year.

Panarin Im not worried about regular season. He always produces in the regular season.

Lafreniere's little drag the puck , wait for the defensmen to clear and then fire it perfectly short side for the goal was a goal scorers goal. I think this is the year he shows everyone why he was the #1 overall pick. I expect 30+ this year.

Allright, folks. It's about 90 minutes until they drop the puck at the Garden and this strange Powder Blue team coming into the Garden has received a lot of hype out west here in getting their first win of the season and feeling good about themselves. Utah Hockey is working its way out of the basin, across the plains and into the big city. Are they ready for for the big stage? This is your Arizona Coyotes team with a twist from last season whom the Rangers dispensed 8-5 in the desert last spring but played our heroes fairly well. But, they've started well in beating Chicago and the OT win against the Isles scoring five in each game.

Not sure if Igor gets the start or if Quickie will handle this one. But, either way, I expect a high-scoring contest and the Rangers need to continue to score 5v5 and I see them winning this in a close but surprisingly high-scoring affair.

Peace!

What kind of game do you expect tonight?

Quote from: kartanoman on October 12, 2024, 05:51:49 PMAllright, folks. It's about 90 minutes until they drop the puck at the Garden and this strange Powder Blue team coming into the Garden has received a lot of hype out west here in getting their first win of the season and feeling good about themselves. Utah Hockey is working its way out of the basin, across the plains and into the big city. Are they ready for for the big stage? This is your Arizona Coyotes team with a twist from last season whom the Rangers dispensed 8-5 in the desert last spring but played our heroes fairly well. But, they've started well in beating Chicago and the OT win against the Isles scoring five in each game.

Not sure if Igor gets the start or if Quickie will handle this one. But, either way, I expect a high-scoring contest and the Rangers need to continue to score 5v5 and I see them winning this in a close but surprisingly high-scoring affair.

Peace!

What kind of game do you expect tonight?

I'll be very surprised -- shocked even -- if Igor doesn't get the start.

I expect the Rangers to play well and win in their home opener. Should be a good crowd.

Well of all the games the rangers will play this was definitely one of them. Very sloppy all around. Lucky to even get a point out of that.

Igor wasn't his sharpest and they were very sloppy in their own end.  Miller was absolutely awful including a missed goal that I still don't know how he pulled off.  It also looks like Mika is going to continue his pass first even if he has a good look mentality.  His effort on the game winner was ridiculous.  It's only game two and they got a point.  Also, have to like 11 goals in the first two games. 

If you thought this was going to be a continuation of Pittsburgh, the facts are this Utah team is an up and coming young group which now has a real owner which is going to spend and nurture his product on the ice. They play fast, skate fast and have one of the premiere scoring threats in the league (Keller) who is barely on anyone's radar. His name will be spoken in the same breath as McDavid and MacKinnon soon enough. His two goals, one assist performance, including his OT winner, with that sweet little move of his, is something I've watched many times on the local PHX channel since we moved here and it's one of the best in the league.

You've gotta give credit to the boys for fighting back after falling behind by two on two different occasions.

The refs poured it on hard for the home team tonight. Hitting up Cuylle for roughing the Utah goalie, Connor Ingram, who charged out of his crease, and played the role of a tackling dummy while Cuylle was tied up with another Utah skater was just unforgivable. Give Ingram an interference call on that one or a dangerous play since he was a third man in to two players already engaged; the NFL has a penalty for that. The other issue was Rempe's foot being in the goal crease when Ingram stepped up and engaged him which the refs then nullified the ensuing goal. Ingram initiated the contact!

Utah's head coach, André Tourigny, said after last season's 8-5 loss to the Rangers at Tempe, AZ, that he felt his team could skate with the "then" best team in the league (i.e. the Rangers) and, today, his guys hung in there when they had to and capitalized on Rangers' mistakes.

The Rangers got a point by outworking Utah in the third. Utah gets the second and improves to 3-0 to start the season.

Home and home with Detroit next week with the first game at home on Monday.

Peace!

Not the outcome you're looking for as a 2-1 favorite in your home opener.

Fortunately it's October hockey. Doesn't mean much, as long as you don't put yourself in too deep of a hole.

And as someone mentioned, one point is better than zero.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on October 13, 2024, 05:17:06 AMNot the outcome you're looking for as a 2-1 favorite in your home opener.

Fortunately it's October hockey. Doesn't mean much, as long as you don't put yourself in too deep of a hole.

And as someone mentioned, one point is better than zero.

Hey, it was a hard-fought point the refs were trying to take away from them, if not the Rangers' defense making it easier with Miller facing most of the wrath being out of place at the worst of times; though he found the "sweet spot" on the side boards to bank in that fourth goal to make it 5-4 at the end of the second which the team needed.

Games like these happen and, let's not kid ourselves, we all had fun watching it whether you admit it or not. When things got "stupid" with the refs, and then the game started tightening up, then it became more serious. But they managed the equalizer and got it into OT.

They had one or two shots but I kept screaming "STAY ON TOP OF KELLER!!!" They did for the most part until a split second later he got loose, got the puck, I screamed "OH $H!T" and game-over. It happens. But the Rangers worked their tails off to even be in position to get the point so, from this corner of the country, I'm grateful. On the other hand, I'm very happy for the Utah Hockey Club and hope this is the beginning of something very successful for them. You have no idea how much patience this team and its players and coaches had to put up with a cheap-a$$ owner who didn't put their investment into the product on the ice to make it the best for their customers. Think of the Giants at the Yale Bowl back in the early 70s. That's what Arizona NHL hockey was like for that team. Now that they have a "real" owner who has big plans to grow and nurture the Utah Hockey Club, that team is only going to get better as time goes on. They haven't played all the big boys yet, but they have the infrastructure in place, finally, to become a challenger in their division in the next year or so.

Who knows? Maybe it might be worth the flight from PHX to SLC when the Rangers visit them later in the season to check it out.

Peace!

10/14 EDITED TO ADD:

This article I found perhaps puts into better perspective what I was trying to say above about the Utah team and the buzz surrounding their new lease on life which lends itself to a promising future:

What New York hockey fans know about Utah and its new NHL team

Only caught the third period last night. Igor had turned away a massive Detroit attack in the second before the Rangers settled and completely controlled the third and put the game away with Riley Smith's first as a Ranger off a Z-Man's faceoff win he threaded through no less than three players and hit the top underside of the goal; a beauty! The empty netter, where the Rangers played keep-away from Detroit for over a minute, was entertaining and satisfying when the Z-Man wristed it from inside the blue line to cap off the scoring.

It was a much cleaner game on defense for the Rangers and Igor shook off the effects from Saturday to notch another impressive win.

Thr home-and-home with Detroit concludes on Thursday which kicks off a three-game road trip for the Rangers. Saturday is a Hockey Night in Canada matchup in Toronto before next Tuesday's game in Montreal. When they come back to the Garden, a team "of interest" will be waiting for them Thursday 10/24. The Stanley Cup Champions will be in the house showing off their hardware. Not to get ahead of ourselves, but is this a regular hockey game or do the bitter emotions from last season's playoffs kick in and this one becomes an intense battle? The Rangers can't overinvest in the Florida game because they then play teams who will feast on them if they come up flat (i.e. typical trap games).

Let's see how they go on the road.

Peace!

A surreal 4-0 start by the Rangers last night in Montreal set the tone for a convincing 7-2 win. This team has had no issues scoring so far and Igor has been excellent to date. The three-game road trip sweep was a nice way to kick off their first road test.

A circled date on the calendar is Thursday when they will see the Panthers at the Garden. Expect the house to be full for a rematch of two of the best in the Eastern Conference. It's early days but should be a great match.

Peace!

It's a really cracking start, that's for sure.

They're almost averaging more points per game than the Giants at this point!  Obviously this can't be sustained forever but it's a lot of fun to watch.  Scoring 3 goals in the first 6 mins of the game was tremendous fun!