(frank) Kravtsov right to the moon!!!
He quit and he's gone. Good riddance.
We can all female dog all we want about the way they're playing lately (and be justified, to an extent), but this is our team. They don't have much wiggle room to make changes anymore. So, we need to strap in and hope they can come together.
There is constant talk about Breadman and Mika not being themselves, yet Panarin is at a point per game and Zib just behind. They will each end up around 100 points.
I still believe Kaapo, Laf, and Miller will all be just fine. What they need to learn, IMO, is that at this level you can't take it easy for a single second and you can't take a single action for granted.
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
- Tonybere

Isn't that the point of this thread though? To talk about the game and where they need to improve

How the (frank) did I wake up to a 2-3 loss after falling asleep at 2-0?
- JRR1285

You had a Nightmare!

My biggest issue so far is where is the secondary scoring going to come from? If Zib, Panarin, Kreider or Fox aren’t putting up the points who will chip in? This team is now maxed out cap wise for the future. No one else is coming in to help out. Are they a team that can only win if they grind out 2-1 or 3-2 wins?
- TPC

Reaves will be back, he will put up the points, thats why we signed him!!

Reaves will be back, he will put up the points, thats why we signed him!!
- Brukie

My biggest issue so far is where is the secondary scoring going to come from? If Zib, Panarin, Kreider or Fox aren’t putting up the points who will chip in? This team is now maxed out cap wise for the future. No one else is coming in to help out. Are they a team that can only win if they grind out 2-1 or 3-2 wins?
- TPC

They improved the bottom 6 to be more of a tough, grind it out team but those players, at least in the past, werent the biggest at putting points up on the board.

They improved the bottom 6 to be more of a tough, grind it out team but those players, at least in the past, werent the biggest at putting points up on the board.
- Brukie

They improved the bottom 6 to be more of a tough, grind it out team but those players, at least in the past, werent the biggest at putting points up on the board.
- Brukie

Our bottom 6 the past two years couldnt do anything productive let alone put up points. This bottom 6 is at least good at forechecking and defensively responsible. Sadly hunt mckegg, and rooney have more offensive zone time than the top 6.

Aside form kreider so far, laf, kakko, chytl, panarin, zib, strome need to do more. They have all been disappointing.

The defense only has fox driving offense. I would call up Jones. I loathe the trouba and miller pair. I would personally trade miller for a top 6 and just slot jones in as a starter.

Our bottom 6 the past two years couldnt do anything productive let alone put up points. This bottom 6 is at least good at forechecking and defensively responsible. Sadly hunt mckegg, and rooney have more offensive zone time than the top 6.

Aside form kreider so far, laf, kakko, chytl, panarin, zib, strome need to do more. They have all been disappointing.

The defense only has fox driving offense. I would call up Jones. I loathe the trouba and miller pair. I would personally trade miller for a top 6 and just slot jones in as a starter.
- nyrangers2

I haven’t hated Troubas game lately, he’s just completely inept offensively. He puts himself in good positions often, but I don’t think I’ve seen a player miss the net more than he does. Gotta shoot for rebounds (as Vally pointed out last night, rebound chances are as valuable as breakaways).

Disappointed with a lot of players so far, but I still fear it has a lot to do with the coaching. In the defensive zone, the team is on their heels watching the other team cycle constantly. If that’s a defensive zone strategy, it’s not one I’ve seen before. Zone entries, teams know if they stack the blue line our skill players have no where to go. I’m tired of watching the puck come right back out the other way.

These are the same themes all season and they shouldn’t be so hard to address from a professional coaching staff.

I haven’t hated Troubas game lately, he’s just completely inept offensively. He puts himself in good positions often, but I don’t think I’ve seen a player miss the net more than he does. Gotta shoot for rebounds (as Vally pointed out last night, rebound chances are as valuable as breakaways).

Disappointed with a lot of players so far, but I still fear it has a lot to do with the coaching. In the defensive zone, the team is on their heels watching the other team cycle constantly. If that’s a defensive zone strategy, it’s not one I’ve seen before. Zone entries, teams know if they stack the blue line our skill players have no where to go. I’m tired of watching the puck come right back out the other way.

These are the same themes all season and they shouldn’t be so hard to address from a professional coaching staff.
- TC88

Trouba and Miller as a pair I’m just not a fan of. They are good for a mistake causing goal every game. Defensively overall he hasn’t been bad but for $8’ he offers nothing offensively. He shouldn’t be on the pp or 3v3

Too many times they do dump the puck in the offensive zone and have no forecheck. The teams offense is more concerning then the team defense thus far

Our bottom 6 the past two years couldnt do anything productive let alone put up points. This bottom 6 is at least good at forechecking and defensively responsible. Sadly hunt mckegg, and rooney have more offensive zone time than the top 6.

Aside form kreider so far, laf, kakko, chytl, panarin, zib, strome need to do more. They have all been disappointing.

The defense only has fox driving offense. I would call up Jones. I loathe the trouba and miller pair. I would personally trade miller for a top 6 and just slot jones in as a starter.
- nyrangers2

Totally agree!! Ive been saying to trade Miller for a promising number two center for months now. Some guys on here break out the lotion when they look at his hockey card, so there cant be any trade talk of Miller, who BTW hasnt looked bad nor better than last year. I dont understand the Nils scratching, thats crazy!!

Totally agree!! Ive been saying to trade Miller for a promising number two center for months now. Some guys on here break out the lotion when they look at his hockey card, so there cant be any trade talk of Miller, who BTW hasnt looked bad nor better than last year. I dont understand the Nils scratching, thats crazy!!
- Brukie

I just think jones isn’t a downgrade at all to Miller. Miller has some hype and they could get a good return for him. Nils sitting one game is fine but he should be back up qbing the second pp

Trouba and Miller as a pair I’m just not a fan of. They are good for a mistake causing goal every game. Defensively overall he hasn’t been bad but for $8’ he offers nothing offensively. He shouldn’t be on the pp or 3v3

Too many times they do dump the puck in the offensive zone and have no forecheck. The teams offense is more concerning then the team defense thus far
- nyrangers2

Agree completely, he kills PP2. He’s closer to Dan Girardi than he is to (name an offensive threat PP QB). There’s a reason G made a few million less than those type of Dmen. Trouba isn't the player I thought he was, but he’s still very valuable (overpaid, yes).

Mckegg still hasn't lost in regulation this year, 6-0-1, give him the C

I blame Valiquette for saying in the second period intermission how good of a job the rangers had been doing with holding leads

Just to throw some numbers out there for our first 10 games:

Record: 6-2-2

GF/GA per game: GF 2.4 GA 2.2

Wins against teams currently above hockey .500: 3
50% of our wins came against teams currently above .500 but that includes winning games we shouldnt have against teams that were struggling at the time (i.e. the toronto game)

Average GF/GA in wins: 3 GF to 1 GA
Neither are sustainable numbers to rely on to get wins

Losses to teams currently above hockey .500: 2
50% of our losses come against teams currently above .500. Those 2 teams above .500 are CAL and WSH, and we lost 5-1 against both


This is all a recipe for disaster for the upcoming 3 games against very good teams

Totally agree!! Ive been saying to trade Miller for a promising number two center for months now. Some guys on here break out the lotion when they look at his hockey card, so there cant be any trade talk of Miller, who BTW hasnt looked bad nor better than last year. I dont understand the Nils scratching, thats crazy!!
- Brukie

I think I was the only one here that was on board with the decision to trade Miller.

I think I was the only one here that was on board with the decision to trade Miller.
- aecliptic

Hell no! I was an advocate to trade him to LA for one of their centers, some kind of package deal!!!

I think I was the only one here that was on board with the decision to trade Miller.
- aecliptic

it's his first real season coming off a covid shortened rookie season with no training camp in which he performed better than anyone could have hoped for. He's still learning the position as he played forward until he was like 16 but clearly has great instincts to go with his freakish size/athleticism combo. Furthermore, he is on an ELC for another season which is vital due to our cap situation. Who would we trade for that is presumably an upgrade to Strome (tall order with how he plays with Panarin), that another team would be willing to give us for him, and that we can fit under the cap past this year?

it's his first real season coming off a covid shortened rookie season with no training camp in which he performed better than anyone could have hoped for. He's still learning the position as he played forward until he was like 16 but clearly has great instincts to go with his freakish size/athleticism combo. Furthermore, he is on an ELC for another season which is vital due to our cap situation. Who would we trade for that is presumably an upgrade to Strome (tall order with how he plays with Panarin), that another team would be willing to give us for him, and that we can fit under the cap past this year?
- picklerick

Why not package Miller and Kravs. Jones slots in for Miller and whoever the return is slots in top 9

Why not package Miller and Kravs. Jones slots in for Miller and whoever the return is slots in top 9
- nyrangers2

So Miller and Kravtsov, 2 highly touted young players on ELC's, for a top 9 player whose salary works in our cap landscape? And this forward bumps who down to the 4th line? Miller and Krav should theoretically get a pretty damn big return.

So Miller and Kravtsov, 2 highly touted young players on ELC's, for a top 9 player whose salary works in our cap landscape? And this forward bumps who down to the 4th line? Miller and Krav should theoretically get a pretty damn big return.
- picklerick

A return that would probably cost 3x what those two would combined

A return that would probably cost 3x what those two would combined
- eichiefs9

people, we just need to fully bake these ideas before we send them out to the world. play them out to their conclusions

Just to throw some numbers out there for our first 10 games:

Record: 6-2-2

GF/GA per game: GF 2.4 GA 2.2

Wins against teams currently above hockey .500: 3
50% of our wins came against teams currently above .500 but that includes winning games we shouldnt have against teams that were struggling at the time (i.e. the toronto game)

Average GF/GA in wins: 3 GF to 1 GA
Neither are sustainable numbers to rely on to get wins

Losses to teams currently above hockey .500: 2
50% of our losses come against teams currently above .500. Those 2 teams above .500 are CAL and WSH, and we lost 5-1 against both


This is all a recipe for disaster for the upcoming 3 games against very good teams
- picklerick

That's a damned slim margin.
Need to score more if we hope to win those upcoming games. C'mon Zib, Bread, etc.

That's a damned slim margin.
Need to score more if we hope to win those upcoming games. C'mon Zib, Bread, etc.
- Fenrir

Even when zib and bread both score in the same game those end up being our only 2 goals a la last night's game. It's a systemic issue, from top to bottom, coaching and players. Nothing clicks at the same time. Effort issues, defensive lapses, invisible offense, bench minors, penalties overall, Tinordi. The only constants are Shesty and Fox and they can only do so much.

I blame Valiquette for saying in the second period intermission how good of a job the rangers had been doing with holding leads
- airjan23

However, Vally did say earlier during the first intermission that he could see this game being tied at 0-0 through late in the 3rd period, due to the play of both goalies, with Shesty being "the NHL's best," and Demko on his way, though "not quite there yet."

Vally at least predicted correctly a low scoring tied game through late regulation time, which on the Rangers end was due to Shesty and their penalty killing. For Vancouver of related key was killing off that late 3rd period Rangers 5 on 3 power play for 36 seconds, succeeded by killing off the 1:24 balance of 5 on 4 play. That due to Demko standing on his head while losing both his stick and blocker, and stopping Panarin's shot somehow with his skate at close to crossbar height in the air in "The Dominator" style of Dominick Hasek of his days.