The Rangers are also out of playoff position after Thanksgiving. Clearly they need to shake things up and they can't wait for the trade deadline to do that. Given the lack of cap space to make a move now that means either a trade of somebody who also has a big cap hit to make room or a shake-up in the lineup to try to get more out of what is already here or a change in the coaching staff because right now GG is not getting it done with the talent he has on hand. If GG is staying and no big trade is in the offing he really should do a top to bottom shake-up because what worked last year is not working this year. Something like: Panarin - Zibanejad - Lafreniere Kreider - Trocheck - Kakko Vesey - Chytil - Gauthier Blais - Carpenter - Goodrow Kravtsov is another piece if he ever gets healthy Miller - Fox Lindgren - Trouba Hajek - Schneider Yeah it's a total shakeup but the Rangers haven't looked good 5v5 in either end of the ice.
The Rangers are towards the top of the league in every single 5v5 offensive metric. The Rangers don’t play defense. Trouba has a hand injury and isn’t being shut down. Lindgren is hurt every other game. Hajek and Jones are either bad (Hajek) or super young (Jones)
They're not towards the top of the league in goals scored and that's the only offensive metric that counts at the end of the game. This team is consistently outshooting the opponent and it's not luck that they're not scoring in bunches. It's poor quality shots after a pass-pass-pass sequence that looks like a cloud of pickpockets passing the wallet in a crowd.
They’re in the top half of the league in high danger and medium danger scoring chances A big part of their issue right now is Gallant is insistent on putting Vesey and Goodrow in the top 6, when those 2 are bottom 6, even bottom 3 players. The kids need to be playing in the top 6. Kreider — Mika — Kakko line is still one of the top lines in all of hockey in expected goal share at 5v5.
They actually have team speed. Gallant wants to be a dump and chase, forechecking team, but we don’t have the team speed to do it. The Rangers gotta play a slower, heavier pace of hockey.
Crazy to think that when you put young, talented players, with other talented players instead of the bottom 6, they actually produce. Goals from Kakko, Lafreniere, and Chytil tonight. Not sure why Kravtsov was a healthy scratch last night. Gallant is a dunce.
Even strength goals after 28 games: Kreider - 8 Fox - 6 Goodrow - 6 Panarin - 5 Lafreniere - 5 Chytil - 5 Kakko - 5 Zibanejad - 4 Trocheck - 4 Gauthier - 4 Schneider - 3 Vesey - 2 Miller - 1 Carpenter - 1 Kravtsov - 1 Jones - 1 Hajak - 1 Hunt - 1
Could you do a similar list for even-strength assists and points? This is not a trick/trap. Pure curiosity.
Even strength assists: Fox - 13 Panarin - 12 Zibanejad - 12 Lafreniere - 8 Miller - 8 Lindgren - 8 Chytil - 7 Trouba - 7 Kreider - 5 Goodrow - 5 Vesey - 5 Blais - 5 Trocheck - 4 Kakko - 4 Schneider - 3 Gauthier - 2 Carpenter - 2 Kravtsov - 1 Jones - 1 Even strength points: Fox - 19 Panarin - 17 Zibanejad - 16 Kreider - 13 Lafreniere - 13 Chytil - 12 Goodrow - 10 Miller - 9 Kakko - 9 Trocheck - 8 Lindgren - 8 Trouba - 7 Vesey - 7 Gauthier - 6 Schneider - 6 Blais - 5 Carpenter - 3 Kravtsov - 2 Jones - 2 Hajek - 1 Hunt - 1
The way Panarin takes shoot outs really ought to be illegal. Goalies got no chance if he’s going to stop and wait for several seconds before shooting.
Did not watch the game last night. How did Zibanejad get the 1st star with 0 goals and assists, a -1 and 42.9 FO pct? He must have done a hell of a blanket job on the Av's top line.
