I disagree. They are on the path to get the first wild card spot. If they do they get to skip playing Metro teams until the ECF. I could easily see the Rangers defeating Montreal then defeating Boston/Ottawa to reach the ECF and then face a beat up Caps/Pens/Jackets team who just went through a brutal first two rounds. If the Rangers keep this slot, I truly think they have a legitimate chance to get to the Cup Finals.
Rangers are 0-3 this year against Montreal...All i think were OT losses. It certainly will go 7 games and create a great deal of heartburn among us fans.
This is all working out great, Rangers are now at 94% odds to get the first wildcard spot (http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NHL/Eastern/Metropolitan/NYRangers.html). So we sneak into the Atlantic AND get road-ice advantage . So yeah we jump the Jackets who play heavy, the Penguins who score on our D like swiss cheese, and the Caps who also play heavy and have everything to prove. The Canadiens aren't insurmountable, the Rangers can beat them in a 7-game series and get by OTW/BOS. Like Dark Knight said by the time the Metro team gets out they will have been pummelled. If the Rangers can simplify their game and just play hard they have a legitimate shot at getting to the SCFs
You know Rangers historically have had really tough series to start the playoffs. For once it would be nice if their road was less hectic to get to the cup.
Can't win at home Defense in our own zone is garbage Nash not scoring Stepan head up ass Hank inconsistent AV is a moron, keeps breaking up our best line 10-13-40 Teams clog neutral zone with 5 guys we are dead
Derek Stepan leads the Rangers centers in scoring. He is tied with 6 other centers in the NHL for 31st place overall in points scored. Kevin Hayes leads the Rangers centers in goals. He is in 39th place among NHL centers in goals scored. Again, I ask, why is everyone obsessing about improving the defense instead of a position where other teams second line centers are suprior to our first line centers?
cmon, you know what happens when the 2nd season starts, the ice shrinks, space disappears, and the rangers get pushed off the puck like schoolgirls, i dont care what slot they start in, theyve given me no reason to think they can get past the 2nd round, and since when have they shown they can handle montreal this year? hate being a docuhebag but im just calling it how i see it this year. its the same team, all flash. no substance
Rangers fans, if your team is so bad, why do they have 93 points in a tough Metro division? 5th best points in the entire NHL (4th in division that is how good it is). That seems great to me. Unless you are all just thinking about the Stanley Cup, like I am as a Caps fan right now. Looking for weaknesses and what will hold you back from winning it. I don't get to watch them every night, but from what I have seen, the Rangers look like contenders.
regular season numbers go right out the window, they're almost irrelevant. what did all those points and the presidents trophy do for them 2 years ago? 3 home losses in the ECF, shut out at home in in game 7. just not a big believer in speed and flash only over here. it seems to me that great d shuts down great offense more often than not in the playoffs, like great pitching does in baseball. the rangers are not tough at all. for real. fun to watch , show great scoring ability at times but they get manhandled by tough teams
That's a statement of fact as far as our top guys can't compare with the top guys on front running contenders. Nash was supposed to be that star but he's just a big teddy bear on skates. Doesn't matter in terms of SC chances IMO because we are 4 lines deep and depth is more important than than that one amazing first line. It's all going to come down to defense that's the only thing standing in our way
At this point are we trying to catch up the 3rd seed in metro? We did lose in OT, had some good chances there, Hayes couldnt nail it in
Yet ANOTHER timely clang off the post by Derek Stepan. When will this team finally address the vast void that is the center position?
Last night was a good learning opportunity, again couldn't be happier with trying to lock up that #4 spot (caps & penguins won). They need to tighten up on a bunch of things but they look fine to me
Clendening continues to be an ice-tilting possession monster. But blah blah "inefficient touches", "Girardi and Klein are toff warriors!11", or some garbage like that. And when your coach says he's playing Glass over Buchnevich as a way to improve possession time, you know you've got no shot until he's gone.
