I just wish, for once, this team would get more depth at center. Imagine what these wingers could do with competent centers on their second and thrid lines?
You need one great center and one very good center. Your third center can be average and look very good because of who he is usually matched up against. Trottier - Great two way player who matched up well against anybody. Bourne, Goring - Very good second center with speed and scoring ability to anchor the second line. A huge cast of average centers who looked really good against the other team's third-stringers. The Rangers almost got there in the 90's on the teams that Messier headlined. The second center was always just a bit shy of dominant despite some very good seasons by people like Nemchinov and Kovalev. Zibanejad is very capable of being that great 1st line center. He is both very good and under-rated which is a hard combo to pull off. The Rangers need one of the younger guys to step up and become a very good second line center. After that it becomes easier to matchup your remaining centers and get plus play out of them.
This is an excellent post. I think Nemchinov was one of the most underrated players on that 1994 team. He was as good a defensive forward I had ever seen in a Rangers uniform and scored some clutch goals.
So, the Rangers really need a strong week or two here. That would put them into the elite tier and stop the bouncing around the standings thing they've had going for the last couple of seasons. There is so much talent on this team that is top end quality and the depth seems to be there also. They just need to prove it and get over the hump.
2 OTL's that should have been wins. This team is having the same problems getting over the hump that we've seen over the past few seasons.
Fox is a rare [player//// and Shesterkin is righting himself... Kandre miller with a gaol out of nowhere last night... pretty schizo team...but we have some quality pieces
There is way too much talent on the ice for the Rangers to be getting outscored overall at this point in the season. We're either going to start scoring some goals on a consistent basis or we're going to fall back into the pack and resume our position as consistent under-achievers.
Yes but at least we have proof, in a box score no less, that he lives. He's one of the least natural players I've seen in a long time. Every time he handles the puck he seems to be a step behind everybody else on the ice. No idea what that is.
Well Christ, if he can be the first star once every 16 games, lets reserve his space in the Hall of Fame!!!
And he is NEVER in position on defense. When he actually makes a play on defense it is annoying to hear how thick Sam and Joe lay on the praise.
