Maybe the players are right; maybe they'll rebound 24 hours after Comet Gaborik sailed through their (solar) system.
They're going to have to move bodies from in front tonight and let Henrik handle the angle shots. As Lundqvist said to us post-game last night, "I get energy when I make saves, when you don't have that many chances, it's tough." I think he had no chance on a couple rebounds.
I'm hoping Marcel Hossa is back in the lineup; they could use a presence in the corners and battles on the boards. And he can kill penalties. Can't afford another 3-for-7 on the power play.
As for those Union Gap lyrics, I have no excuse except that I was a little "out of my mind" as well scrambling in the Twin Cities. Thanks to NYCEditor for the CX. Now, about those Spooky Tooth LPs that I have in the basement....
Going out on a limb and predicting the Rangers eke out a close one tonight.
So tune in while you're making that egg nog. The last-minute shopping can wait until, well, the last minute.
Comments (17)
We suck. Fire Sather and Renney already.
Prucha has always been a target. He's taken huge hits since day one. Other teams take liberties with him because they know the guys wont stand up for him...basically because he has a head full of rocks, and iron jaw and a thick skull. The kid could get hit with a locamotive and get up without a scratch. Ok guys. Get ready. Who's gonna jump ship first? I sat and watched every agonizing minute between 97 and 04 that was televised up here. Who's going to watch the next 7 years with me?
"At $173,333/point, Jags is on pace for 57 points... I said 57 POINTS! He isn't making his option triggers and isn't going to get 9.88 million next year unless he goes to Philly."
WHEW annother close call huh guys? Though for a second there we might eek out a win ... Back in VIntage Ranger hockey, when do we start chanting fire sather? We dont just yet. If he dosent make a move soon then we cant fire Sather. We need a guy who can kill people for keeping their heads down in the zone.
i wish that svatos-liles for malik-prucha-montoya was true. i like the trasition game of the avalanche. and this team could use a shakeup.
Us ranger fans have two options:
1) Defense first like the beginning of the season. Like the boring old Devils. Dont take alot of chances. win or lose 2-1 games.
or
2) open it up like we did the last few games. Give up more chances then we are used to. Rely on Hank to come up big sometimes. However, produce more offense. Win or lose 4-3 games.
Except for the odd man rushes in the last game, for some reason im not upset with their play recently. Had plenty of chances to win it in the end. Fine tune the D zone, get some confidence and i think the rangers will win more than lose.
the way i see it, this team is on the verge of a nice little run here.
mTT C DON'T SAY ANYTHING POSITIVE THE DOOMSAYERS WILL BE ALL OVER YOU!!!!!!
The rangers had there chances, bad penalties , good game, be happy for the point and move on..
long season, they ahave mucho young guys.. that staal kid can PLAY HUH!!!!!!!!!!
What happen to the old days when you would have 2 scoring lines and your 3rd line was a checking line? I know Renney does not want to match lines up but the Ranegrs are lost after the 1st 2 lines. The 3rd line has no clue what to do with the Puck? I like Dubs and think he will be good but right now he is lost. Callahan is no where to be found.
The Rangers use to have Jan Erixon to shadow the best forward on the oppposing team. The Rangers don't have the defensive forward. The 4th line is useless also but they need to play with more energy. Sunday is a big game. We will see where this team is at.
Everyone see Jagr go to the bench for a change while Colorado was on an offensive rush to win the game? His man scored the goal. He's CANCER and we'll NEVER win with him on this team!!!
a few thoughts on what is going on with the boys:
1 - Top 2 offensive lines not getting it done , Jagr has been average which is unexceptable!
2- 3rd line is the worst in the NHL!! They cant score or play defense which forces us to play 4 lines.
3-We need to bring up Korpikoski and Anisimov to replace Dubi and Callahan. They should be sent down to find their game, they have hit a wall.
4 - We need to move Prucha for a more established 3rd line center who can put up some #s and play defense (Matt Cullen anyone??).
5 - Bottom line is we as fans ALL cried for youth and we are getting it. They have had zero production offensively which is killing the team as much as Jagr!
6- Until we establish a solid 3rd line then this team is going no where in the playoffs.
So let's hear all the negative feedback on this one, especially the Prucha lovers!! I know I know it is Renneys fault he cant create scoring chances. Blair Betts can create them but Prucha cant.
lines when Avery comes back for a better balance:
straka- gomez-jagr
dawes-drury-shanahan
avery-anisimov-korpikoski
hossa-betts-hollweg/orr
These 3 lines may gives us the ability to roll 3 lines if we have to shorten the bench.
Prucha needs to sit his butt down if he is still here bc he has been TERRIBLE!!!!
Clueless... You're right on the money. For the most part winning hockey is a simple recipe that has been proven over and over in the past. 2 scoring lines 1 checking line and 1 energy line. Renny flies his flag in the face of conventional wisdom and the team is paying for it. Set the lines in training camp. Motivate and adjust as the season goes on. Simple. Sather has to get a REAL top pair of defencmen or were done. Neither of them are doing their jobs very well. I say trade Jagr for some D and get a real coach and GM in here. Scotty Boawman as GM and Messier as coach? That would be sweet. They better do something soon cause it's getting painfull to watch.
Ok the real problem besides Jagr is the 3rd line. Annonymous you dont set lines in camp and let them be... that doesnt happen for 82 games plus playoffs. There was a reason why Renney split of drury and Gomez with Jagr bc if it didnt succeed then all of you people who are bashing him now would be bashing the fact drury/gomez stink, we should have kept Nylander.. .blah blah blah.
Its not Renney's fault this team doesnt have a checking line, remember you were probably one who didnt want Peca/Scathard here and now we are paying for it!! Now we will have to lose a kid to fix the problem!
Bowman and Messier? LMAO... yeah that is the answer!
My thoughts on a trade to solidify the 3rd line with a veteran defensive fwd:
Prucha & ? to Anaheim for Marchant.
Make our 3rd line:
Avery - Marchant - Korpikoski
Leaves Dawes with drury and Shanny.
Now, I dont know salary cap issues (I have better things to do them research this) but I am sure Anaheim could use a little more wiggle room and we would still have plenty of kids in the lineup to make you fans happy. Just the right kids in the right spots.
to win in the NHL you need 3 to 4 offensive lines. Speed is the key thing to success in the NHL these days. The old style of 2 O lines, 1 checking, one energy went out with the lockout. Look at the most successful teams of late. Buffalo had speed up and down. Pens were young and used the run-and-gun method. Red wings are just a machine. Sens are speed up and down. To win in this league, you need 4 scoring lines with a few role players mixed in.
Matt C, I disagree. If you look at the teams that are on top of the conferences they are not the "3-4 offensive" or "run and gun" lines you are talking about. Buffalo and Pittsburg aren't near as good as they were last year and are even more slated towards the run and gun style than they were. If you watch these teams that are near the top of the conferences (The Minn game was a perfect example) have more of a physical presence than you might think. They are scoring a large majority of their goals diggin in front, banging in rebounds, and establishing a tough forecheck. Yeah, players like Alfredson, Zetterberg, and Gaborik are highly offensive players but they have no qualms about going into the corner and digging the puck out or standing in front of the goalie taking a beating to get a rebound. They don't shy away from the physical play. They don't score a majority of their goals with pretty, odd-man rush passing and one timers. It just doesn't happen like that. To be succesful teams need more than just some role players mixed into an all offensive minded team. They need to have the abilitiy to counter any type of attack or defense. You need forechecking forwards, offensive defensemen, defensive defensemen, defensive forwards, fighters, high skill players, and physical puck carriers. All offensive forwards and defensemen won't cut it. A really physical team would just wear them down, especially in a 7 game playoff series.
On Messier behind the bench: It would be the best thing that could happen to this team. The problem is that Dolan would never do it. Mess command more respect than anyone in the organization including Dolan and Sather and would be calling the shots on the ice (as the coach should). He would have the clout to hold Jagr accountable and Dolan wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Right now Dolan controls whether or not Jagr plays and a coach benching Jagr hurts Dolans wallet.
Crud, I forgot again....
"At $173,333/point, Jags is on pace for 57 points... I said 57 POINTS! He isn't making his option triggers and isn't going to get 9.88 million next year unless he goes to Philly."
All these complains about lack of a checking line would be silenced if Betts, Hossa and some other winger were put together as a checking line. Why not put Prucha on that line ? Prucha played well with Betts his rookie year and he backchecks hard.
Honestly, I have no clue how Renney sends out Betts,Orr and Hollweg in the dying seconds of the 3rd period last night. Are these the players you want on the ice in the dying moments of a game ?
Betts is a good checker, but if hes playing with Orr and Holly, you cant really say that is a checking line.
new 3rd line needed - you're right about a lot of things. we miss Cullen a lot and he would have been better this yr especially if on the pp point. Dubinsky is not ready for the big show and it's hurting us. the kid forwards are killing us although JJ and Drury aren't helping as much as we need either. but Staal on defense is a stud.
Does Jagr really miss Nylander this much? He looks lost out there.
It starts with dumping the entire fourth line, and waiting for Jagr to hit a hot streak, if he has one left at this stage of his career, and then dumping him for youth, not 34-year olds. Mara and Strudwick should go, Strudwick, although a no-talent, at least puts forth sincere effort, while Mara picks his spots.
I don't understand why Mara and Strudwick get "deer in the headlights" syndrome when they have the puck ready to bring out from behind the net? Never seen such tentative reluctance or fear before in the NHL. I swear they hold the puck for 10 seconds and THEN still don't know what to do with it. Everyone else in the NHL just moves out, and adjusts to whatever comes their way.
How do we come up with plugs like this? The team can't generate offense and two D's afraid to move the puck up ice doesn't help. Seems to me they should move the puck as fast as possible up ice, not give the opposition time for a coffee break in the neutral zone.