sadly, the rangers are better off 5 on 5 than a man up, or god forbid a 5 on 3. they can't score at all. luckily, the east is weak this year which should let the rangers slide into the 8th spot and get bounced in the first round. i'm so jaded when it comes to this team. I used to not be a whiner, I am one now.
I don't think any one here is raving about the offense. Some guys here believe the Hagelins and Zuccarellos of the world are 1st and 2nd line players--how, I have no idea. But no one "raves" about our offense. For my money, our 12 forwards as a unit are easily bottom 3rd of the entire NHL or put another way, our offense is pure shit
I am going out on the deep end here, but what if .. just what if Hank signs with another team at the end of the season that makes him the highest paid goalie in NHL history? cause it's not out of the realm of possibility.
This is pretty spot on if you ask me. A significant number of our forwards would be above average 2nd and 3rd liners. Really solid players all around. The problem with that is these same guys are expected to perform as top line, and secondary top line players. Just because a forward plays the top line doesn't mean he belongs there.
of course. And we don't have any above average 2nd liners.....Ryan Callahan is a perfect 2nd liner. He isn't an above average 2nd winger. Brassard is MAYBE a 2nd line center. He might be an above average 3rd line center but certainly not above average 2nd. Rick Nash is our only true first line forward. If Stepan could shoot he has potential to be a first liner......but I don't think so
The forwards aren't nearly as big of an issue as the defensemen's inability to create space and make plays at the point. Our forwards are doing a terrific job of gaining possession and cycling to the open man at the point, but Staal and Girardi have no clue what to do with it, Moore is just terrible right now, and Falk is... Falk. Girardi should be the first Dman to go, but instead Sather will give him a monster extension he doesn't deserve.
Goaltender and top 2 Dmen, sure. Even in Torts' system which fit Girardi perfectly, there was a big gap between him and Staal/McDonagh. Now when he's about to be a free agent and entering his 30's, we're going to give him a huge contract to play in a system he does not fit into at all? That does sound like something Sather would do.
Well of course, in general, any team would take him. He's a solid player. That doesn't address the issue. Giving a large, long-term contract to a declining player based on what he did in a system that masked his flaws is the issue. In the world of zone defense, shot blocking, a transition game based on chipping it off the boards to the neutral zone, and stationary dump-ins from the point to start a down low cycle, he's terrific. Playing man defense, making a quick read first pass to the center of the ice to start transition, and using his legs to create space to make plays at the point, he's not very good.
Just think top 4 dmen of his quality are rare in this league, tough, smart....like a Cally on defense
The long term fate of this franchise will be determined by the two contracts given to Callahan and Girardi this off-season. And unless Sather drops dead before then, it's not going to be pretty.
I said last year that there was a huge drop off in Girardi's play from the year prior. Theres no way we can give him a big contract moving forward. Hes too slow and plodding for this system and I think we've already seen the best of him
Disagree still very valuable, teams would kill for top 4 dmen of his caliber, who the fuck would replace him...you're such a follower....:grin:
I've been thinking there's a good possibility that Girardi's a goner for a little while now. I won't be thrilled to see him go because of the player that he's been for so long, but I don't know if I want to see the player that he is a few years down the road. Lots of TOI minutes logged over the years for him.
can the rangers score 2 goals tonight? going off of the last 4 games, i'd have to say no. sad sad sad.
Dallas is actually playing really well lately. Tougher game than it seems because of the way the Stars have played the last couple years.
