Steve Zipay @stevezipay 12m12 minutes ago At #NYR practice, Etem/Fast alternating on fourth line, MRI must've been fine, because Glass (foot) back on ice, but as eighth d-man
Depends what you value. If its defense, most certainly. If its offense, most certainly not. A combination of offense and defense, its very close. Girardi and Staal are two of the better shutdown defenseman in the NHL, just like Yandle's one of the better offensive defenseman in the NHL. Different skillets, but all three are good players. McDonagh's the only defenseman thats really good in all aspects.
I like what Yandle brings, top 3 point scorer for a dman for the last years combined, but defensively there is no comparison, Staal and Danny G. are 2 of the top shutdown dmen in the league
Girardi doesn't "shut down" anything. He's terrible at shot suppression. His career has been made playing with a HOF goaltender, bona fide top pairing defensemen (McDonagh and pre eye injury Staal) and having a coach that preached grit and "toughness", sacrificing your body to block shots, and preferred blindly flinging the puck off the boards instead of making the smart hockey play. If Staal ever returns to the player he was before the injuries piled up, that's a decent argument to make. Otherwise, neither of them are close. Staal and Girardi continue to live off a reputation carved out years ago (one Girardi didn't deserve in the first place.) Luckily more and more people see this now. We can only hope Gorton is one of those people.
Your opinion, I don't agree...Girardi has been top pair since day one of his career and earned it..love Yandle smart, fast, great passer, great shot but a little defensively challenged, played top pair in Phoenix, obviously more important playing top pair for the best dcorp in the NHL
Andrew Gross @AGrossRecord 2h2 hours ago AV says Weds lines will be: Nash-Brass-Zucc Kreider-Stepan-Hayes Miller-Lindberg-Stalberg Moore-Stoll-Fast. Glass and Etem will be extras Fs
Richie Ward @Riward62 1h1 hour ago @joe_catarcio @AGrossRecord Moore and stoll will alternate draws depending on where it is on the ice (different handed ness)
I could nitpick the lines, but AV voluntarily sitting Tanner Glass makes everything else seem insignificant. This is a great day. And there's just something overwhelmingly "meh" about Etem. People like comparing him to Miller, and there's something to that comparison, but Miller has that aggressive intangible like Dubinsky has that Etem doesn't, and you need to have it to play the type of game these guys play. You don't give up on him since he has the tools but I don't see it right now.
Etem hasn't shown much. Hopefully Glass won't play vs tough teams, try Mcilrath for toughness. I hoping Miller makes a nice jump this year his shot seems better. Llike the way he throws the body, Etem could learn from him.
Raffi Torres got a 41 game suspension from the NHL for a bad hit. They are seemingly making an example out of him.
Andrew Gross Five Keys to the Season 1- Hank’s health: Henrik Lundqvist missed two months last season with a fluke neck injury but the Rangers prospered even without their franchise goalie because the since-traded Cam Talbot was so steady. The Rangers are hoping new backup Antti Raanta is not similarly tested 2- Continued development: Chris Kreider, 24, has a rare combination of size and speed and All-Star teammate Rick Nash predicts he could become a “top five, top 10” player in the NHL. More than last season’s 21 goals and 25 assists, both career highs, are needed. 3- More from Nash: The regular season isn’t the issue: Rick Nash is coming off a career-high 42 goals. But he’s had three straight sub-par postseason runs with the Rangers, even with five goals and nine assists in last season’s playoffs. 4- Potent power play: The Rangers were 21st in the NHL on the power play last season at 16.8 percent. Having Keith Yandle quarterback the man advantage from the start of the season should improve that ranking. 5- Physical play: Other than left wing Tanner Glass and defenseman Dylan McIlrath, both starting the season as extras, the Rangers don’t have a player specifically known for his physical play. Which means it must be a collective effort in establishing the forecheck and wearing down the opponents. ______________________________________________________ 2. I would add development of Fast, Miller and Hayes too 5. Physical play...how about Kreider...Stalberg throws the body every shift as does JT Miller
Ah the start of another exciting time of being a Rangers fan...The stress is there the least amount at the start of the year.
nice win. McIlrath and Skjei waiting in the wings. I'm thinking this years the year we trade either Staal or Gman.
Why both Shaw (Chi.) and Yandel were sent off at the end was rediculous--Shaw was gooning it up and crossing checking the daylights out of him. Too much goal charging allowed in the last minute as well. If I'm playing the Rangers I'm playing them like the old 'Espo-Hodge-Cashman' Bruins and jamming the crease--the defense corp as good as they are could use a nasty Jeff Beukeboom-type crease clearer (but how much ice time will McIlrath get?). Speaking of 'D' scary shot to the throat of Ryan McD late in the 3rd....shades of Hank last year. Nice to see Mats back buzzing around--had a nice rush down the right side in the 3rd. Barry Milrose partially attributing the Ranger win to the Blackhawks being more focused on the banner-raising proceedings. Ok Barry, whatever.......
As harsh of a critic I am of Derek Stepan, make no mistake that I hope he scores 50 goals this year, and leads this team to a Stanley Cup.
