Igor making a really strong case for Hart + Vezina this year. Nobody is more important to his team than Igor is to the Rangers.
The officials have to be really annoyed that the Penguins didn't take advantage of their gift and put the game away. The longer it goes the more the goal that was disallowed stands out.
Igor is incredible, he makes saves so effortlessly. Sad we lost that one, the biggest issue was our inability to win face-offs I think Lindgren going out hurt even more then the penguins forward because 5 dmen I can't believe our goal by Chytil didn't count. That was ridiculous
I’m dead inside. Couldn’t even buy a damn water after the 3rd. Can’t believe they lost a game in which Igor made 79 saves. Defense absolutely imploded after the 1st period. They let Pittsburgh just sit in the crease and that Malkin goal was the end result.
I have been saying this for a long time: incompetent officiating is destroying the very concept of professional sports. The essence of sports is this: It is a contest of skills between two teams or two individuals. Sports is no longer being determined by the actions of teams, but the actions of officials. And the worst part is that these leagues simply don't care. How else can you explain Chris Lee being assigned to referee playoff games after what he did in that Leafs/Jets game in December? How else can you explain MLB trotting out Angel Hernandez night after night? How else can you explain the NFL introducing the ability for Pass Interference calls to be reviewed, yet NFL officials overwhelmingly never overturn their call on the field? They are incompetent, and they get the benefit of ZERO accountability. If a player is incompetent, he can be benched, or cut, or traded. Referees are basically omnipotent. They do more harm to the integrity of sports than PEDs. At least when a player is caught using PEDs, they are punished.
Still mind boggling how that goal was overturned in the 3rd. Kakko clearly wasn't going to just run over DeSmith and not even try to get a shot off. You can watch a million times and see him pull up to try and get around DeSmith. Kakko slowing down forcing (his name is slipping my mind right now) the Penguins player to ride him and shove him into DeSmith. The Penguins player took DeSmith out himself, not Kakko. Fucking BS call.
Kakko’s skates were pointed in the opposite direction; he was clearly trying to avoid contact but was shoved in the net. Rangers are going to have a hard time beating Pittsburgh AND the officials.
Not as worried as others are though. Took 6 periods, 5v3 goal, + a horseshit call to beat us. Edit - Here is the exact reason that came from Toronto. Link to article https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl...-goalie-interference/a31kd0rwrrsd7pyy0uexacwv
Toronto can suck it. That call was overturned because it happened against Sidney Crosby and Pittsburgh Penguins. Utter nonsense. Kakko's skates were parallel to the net, facing east/west like he was stopping, and the Penguins defender hit him in the back, shoving him INTO the crease and INTO DeSmith. With that being said, in the playoff games from the bubble and last night, Kakko is one of the only players that actually shows up. Trouba and Panarin were fucking lost last night, especially Panarin.
Pens announcers even said the goal should count. It also speaks volumes that DeSmith didn’t react thinking it was GI.
Second period was abysmal, 3rd was alright. They really need to tighten up defensively. Rangers can't allow Pittsburgh to just cycle the puck all game; they were dominating in the 1st because they were attacking Pittsburgh.
If we don't have an answer for Crosby line we are doomed. Gotta keep the puck in the offensive zone when he is on the ice.
