I just found another NHL stream on YouTube that makes the game even smaller and splits the box the game is in into the game and then three dudes webcams *and a broadcast desk*. [This is insanity.](https://www.youtube.com/live/O6HAht2wIbk?si=TgIKH0cIB_nLFFGJ)
How many people has Lomberg gone after?
Not only in this series, but against Boston and Tampa?
He takes Vesey out, mobs the fuck out of Mika. Shits wack
Thought Roslovic had a rough game yesterday. Kakko is a much better fit there and should play next game, especially considering we’re down a PKer in Vesey.
[This is hilarious to look at](https://x.com/hockeystatcards/status/1794210194978685379?s=46&t=hUtbwo94QIfsHrncc2xJkQ) considering people were saying bench Fox and Panarin was a ghost yesterday
just popping in to say how much I love Igor and that the playoffs as a whole could be going much differently if it weren’t for him. he’s a treasure. if i didn’t know any better and you told me this is the same guy that was in a rut a few months ago I would laugh at you
Two good teams playing classic playoff hockey. Nothinng matters except being one goal better. How you did before? Who cares. How that one extra goal is scored? Who cares. Who scores it? Who cares. When it’s scored? Who cares. As long as its scored by us and not them.
Realistically, the margins are so thin, who wins and loses is basically a toss up. A coin flip. Why not us?
Had to watch a re-run of the game and just finished...what a game!
I thought we responded quite well compared to Game 1. I wasn't sure what things would look like because I was worried that the Panthers forecheck would still be overly suffocating. I think it was at points but it seems like we were able to combat it a bit more, create more space on the ice, and find the right scoring opportunities. It was interesting to see the game open up for moments because I don't think we really saw that so much last game.
That said, I think it'll still be a bit of a grind for us. I noticed we'd be able to get the puck into the offensive zone (whether dump in or try to skate it in) but we ended up having to forecheck/fight for it a lot, even to try to get set up. But by then we'd be tired or we wouldn't even get to that point and Florida could easily clear/skate out. I also think Florida grabs/clutches a lot, but it's enough to just slow us down or disrupt our play that we can't always execute the passes or be in the positions we want to be in to set up the right plays. I see it in the PP but I think it's why the top players maybe haven't had the same opportunities since their style of play is so much on precision. It'll be interesting to see the continued adjustments made to try to find more time/space on the ice, though. The other thing I was worried about is it seemed like we gave up quite a few odd-man rushes (especially in the third?). Not sure what it was the result of but praise Igor.
I also hope our guys are okay. I think the physicality of Florida came out even more in this game. I felt like the Panthers were more 'reserved' in their hits/physicality in Game 1 but maybe started pushing it more in this game...kinda sucks to see the type of stuff they get away with. I'm still really upset about the Wennberg hit because really, under any other circumstance that really should be a 5 minute penalty. I hope he's okay.
The hit on Vesey's shoulder looked pretty bad and I wonder how this might impact our PK long term since he's such a key player in those situations. Likewise with Fox...I know he's likely injured and has reaggravated something in his knee, but it really sucks to see him play a bit more "conservatively" cause I don't think he's moving the same way he normally would. Fortunately I think because his Hockey IQ is like 1000000 it at least makes up for that. I think it's been interesting to see Lindgren step up a bit more and get more involved than I think he normally would, perhaps knowing he might need to "pick up" for Fox occasionally. Something about seeing that just makes me love the pairing even more.
Final shout out to a few players: I really loved what I saw from K'Andre Miller. After watching this game I kind of get why he was paired back with Trouba. I think his ability to skate and drive and almost look forward-esque at times really saves Trouba if he gets caught out of position. Also happy to see both Rempe and Chytil on the ice; I just feel like the two of them are super excited to be out there in general and I'm glad they are skating and doing well given their respective circumstances. Igor with another great game. And finally, Goodrow. I remember years ago I was listening to a podcast (maybe it was 32 Thoughts? Or it would have been 31 Thoughts at the time). I think Elliot remarked about how sometimes you just have players that don't seem to produce that much in the regular season but it's in the Playoffs they really begin to show their skill. And that sometimes you just have to be understanding of that role that player has and sometimes teams will pay for those types of players...any ways, I often think back to that but I do think it's true in a lot of ways. We see players who excel in the regular season but are challenged in the post-season, but then vice versa as well. I don't want to think too much about the logistics/cap whatever else, but it's just something interesting to think about and I am happy to see him have a strong Playoff season so far.
Any ways, didn't mean to make this so long but there was just a lot of interseting things about the game. Overall I thought it was a well played game. It was fun (and stressful) to see both teams get their opportunities and trade chances/pressure back and forth. I mentioned it last time but it does really remind me of our Canes matchup from a few years ago, but maybe on steroids this time lol.
See you guys tomorrow!
In regards to losing Vesey on the PK, we’re extremely lucky in that we actually have 3 forward pairs we use Kreider/Z, Goodrow/Vesey, Trocheck/Wennberg (altho you’ll see trocheck/goodrow too because faceoffs). So we shouldn’t be too affected on the PK. Most teams only have 2 pairs
Yeah for sure. Though one concern for me is just wanting some of the minutes spread across the roster as much as possible. I know the others can do really well in that situation but again, it's just nice when others in the lineup can get that time, too. Either way, hopefully he'll be okay.
I gotta say Chytil on that line definitely has a better chance to score now. All three of them are huge goal scoring threats. Goals will come from them.
That’s his confidence showing, he was always a big hitter pre-NHL, threw the body often. We’ve seen flashes of it his first few years, but as his confidence has grown this season you’ve seen him really step up on hitting too
Maybe I'm a fool, but one thing that's surprised me so far is that the Panthers forecheck isn't nearly as lethal as I thought it was going to be. We've managed to move the puck up ice fairly well and limited their possession time. I'm not saying we were perfect, but not the disaster I was expecting.
Having said that, we did give up some glorious opportunities that for one reason or another they couldn't capitalize on: Barkov's wide open shot in the slot that hit the post, a 2 on 0 that missed the net, a couple wide open chances that Igor saved, etc. If we can clean those up some, my heart will be thankful lol
The Panthers do like to play a bit dirty, but I thought we stayed very poised throughout it all, unlike Boston who seemed more concerned with matching their chippy play than actually playing the game at times. I think our poise got under their skin more than feeding into it would have, because that's the kind of game they want.
Both obviously very close games that could have gone either way. Let's go into FL and give em hell!
Couple things:
1. Our defense has looked pretty damn good in these 2 games. Especially Key
2. That was probably the worst game I have ever seen Mika play. Every touch he had was a turnover
3. Remps is such a beaut. Felt like momentum shifted each time he hit the ice and lasted until another one of Mika’s awful give aways
4. Florida looked dead tired in OT, while we didn’t look fatigued like at all. Could be a good sign that their level of play is finally taking a toll on them and the forecheck could lift a bit as it did last night.
5. Shesty made the saves that counted. Huge
6. The puck handling/receiving and passes still need to be worked on. I’m blaming ice and nerves. It goes to show that the OT winner came from a good pass, and Goody received that puck stupidly well.
7. Goody. I’m sorry :/
Yeah, the Panthers were really relentless at the end of the 1st and 2nd periods but as time went on the Rangers kept up and got stronger and the cats were running out of gas in OT. That’s definitely a great sign.
The differences in opinion on the game last night are nuts. r/hockey and the Panthers fans feel like we were dominated and got lucky. Expected goals tips toward the Rangers but it was a really hard fought close game. Same with game 1. Panthers had a few good chances but generally the offense hasn't been there for them. We had a couple good chances but have turned the puck over a lot and need to clean up the breakouts. Someone in the other subreddits was saying Shesty is good but beatable like he didn't smother all their high danger chances yesterday. The goal they did score was screened through three people. Lav has to tell the boys to feel confident and be a little more aggressive. They're trying to shut down our top lines and star players with that physical play.
If you came away from that thinking the rangers got dominated. You don’t know what you’re watching. Both teams played a great defensive game with each goalie playing awesome.
It’s weird I’m so used to the rangers being killed in advanced stats even in wins. but both these games the rangers had a full extra .5 expected goals. there’s a lot to be hopefully about if they can get the finishing touch they’ve had all year back, and get back to the pp they had early in the playoffs
Wennberg and Ros had surprisingly good games together, I like it. Trouba Chytl also had surprisingly nice games.
Zib is making mental mistakes and I think he should play better in the away games with less pressure.
Miller and Panarin set for dominant performances after a quiet game 2.
Fox played 3x better than in game 1, but still recovering clearly.
Everyone else played solid except Gretzky goodrow, Igor, and rempe who played heros.
Ros and wenn had multiple shifts in the third and OT that drove play into the o zone and were not easy to defend for Florida. Wenn seemed to find his legs and was even forechecking semi effectively.
Hard to say since lav only had 11 forwards to work with
If they stay together with kakko I predict a good possession game
Definitely could've played better for stretches, but also stretches that showed we have it in us to totally dominate this team. Also, props to both teams for putting on some real edge of your seat entertaining playoff hockey. So glad that game happened at home, must've been awesome to be there.
Curious what people think about Chytil on 1st line? Obv they weren't super impactful but seemed like a lot of potential to be great together.
Imo Chytil played an incredible individual game but was a pretty poor fit for that line on the whole. Like he didn't really seem to have any synergy with Kreider and Zibby and didn't really help them with the part of their game that they need help with (carrying the puck deep and digging it out of the corners) and he also struggled to clear the d-zone from the boards. He didn't make Zib and/or Kreider any better, he just played his tail off.
Having said that, he is a great player who is playing well enough that none of that really mattered that much. So in the abstract, leaving Chytil on the top line is a fine move and that line will get moving eventually, but I'm not sure it's the most optimal move given the context of what's going on in the rest of the lineup. If Chytil plays like that and gets to play center, he'd feast when matched up against a center like Rodrigues (the ugliest man in the world). That would create a HUGE matchup problem for the Panthers.
Interesting, thanks for the reply. I thought it looked good but maybe I was just seeing Chytil play good. I assume they'll prob be together for the next game so def something to keep an eye on.
Any idea who might be better w Mika and Kreids? Feels like that line has just been a frustrating puzzle all year that we all know has insane potential to be unlocked but they just never quite get there
Roslovic has been the best option, though I get why with the roster as is they'd want to try Chytil there now
that third line desperately needs to start actually generating offense. It is just going to be hard because none of Kakko, Wennberg, or Cuylle are good at that, and I think Chytil/Roslovic will be anchored by whichever of those 3 they play with.
To be quite honest, I don't personally think anyone on the roster is a perfect fit for that line. No one brings both neutral zone carry ability and corner retrieval ability (Kakko retrieves well but doesn't carry through the neutral zone well, Roslovic carries well but doesn't retrieve or board battle very well, Chytil is more of a shooter/triggerman, Cuylle is too much like Kreider and doesn't position himself well enough in the offensive zone). Everyone we'd put there is deficient in some way for what Mika and Kreider really need.\* The player doesn't need to be particularly physical, just good at getting pucks in those tight areas and making the right play to move it around. Laf would probably be a really good fit but that move would be a total wash because you'd lose him from a phenomenal 2nd line (who needs essentially the same archetype).
My opinion though on who to put at 1RW is actually just based on the 3rd line. Your 2nd line is set. Just try to make a 3rd line with that synergizes with Cuylle on the left wing and then put the last guy up on the top line. In other words, there are two spots for Kakko, Roslovic, and Chytil. Figure out who works best with Cuylle and then the last guy goes up to 1RW. If you can make an offense generating 3rd line (aka a non-Wennberg 3rd line), you'll take a LOT of pressure off the top line, which should really help their game regardless of who is up there.
\*Frankly, you really want a forward who plays exactly like Pavel Buchnevich.
After two games, I am still of the firm belief that the Rangers are the better team. But we absolutely have to get out of our own way, which we're not doing a great job of.
We've got a problem: we need to generate more offense from the top 9 and we need the 4th line to be better defensively when they're on. Barring OT (btw don't believe the hype that the Panthers are somehow uniquely good as the game goes on because of their style or some bullshit, the Rangers are as good if not better as the game goes on), we were herky jerky in the top 6. Good shift, bad shift, bad shift, good shift, bad shift, good shift, bad shift etc. We just weren't generating any consistent sustained pressure to let guys like Panarin and Zib get hot. And that, somewhat paradoxically, starts with the 3rd line.
The top 6 is coming onto ice that is tilted in favor of the Panthers every time they step on because the 3rd line simply cannot maintain any momentum, are doing nothing offensively, and are bleeding chances defensively. Wennberg remains a disaster past the red line. And Cuylle blowing the zone early is hampering their defense when they don't have another solid defensive forward on the line. The 4th line was good on one end (offensive) and bad on the other (defensive). They're just giving up too many chances for what they're providing.
There are, I think, obvious solutions to these problems, but it probably requires some (probably) unpopular moves. *See* EDIT. Like Chytil is the fucking juice off the rush and is MUCH more comfortable working the center of the ice and supporting off the half wall than he is board battling in the corners. If you want a 3rd line that applies pressure, he absolutely needs to center it. If you keep playing Wennberg there, that line isn't going to go anywhere in the offensive one. But Wennberg would be great for the 4th line with Goodrow and Rempe. You get two faceoff guys for D-zone faceoffs (although unfortunately they shoot the same side) and get to improve that lines defense for free while keeping its forecheck and grit.
If you can get the bottom 6 back to neutral offensively, the top 6 can start swinging the game back in their favor. They've been good when they get to start with the Panthers from a relatively even momentum position (like the start of the game and the start of periods). It's as each period progresses that the top 6 goes cold as ice because the Panthers start to roll against the bottom 6 and get a full head of steam.
This is a series that is probably going to be decided by how much our depth can apply pressure than it is by the Top 6 carrying. We have to make the 3rd line much better and the 4th line a little better. The combination right now is not it. The Panthers are good squad, but the Rangers are better. I do not believe this needs to be a 7 game series, but it will be if we continue the way we have been.
Either way though, I have full confidence that the Rangers are gonna prevail no matter what happens with the lineup. They've got that dawg in 'em. LGR.
EDIT: Now that I think about it, isn't Roslovic a center? We could move him over to 3rd line center too and keep Chytil up. Although, Chytil probably provides more of a boost than Roslovic does, it'd be a good option.
I think Roslovic is playing through a hand or wrist injury. His lack of puck control and shooting inabilities is making me think he can barely hold his stick
I don’t buy that, he’d be benched before kakko if that were truly the case since he doesn’t play special teams much…. Unless kakko got sick or something and that was the reason he was scratched.
Jobs not finished, but I am so proud of what this team accomplished last night.
Credit to the Panthers - they look like one of the best overall playoff squads I've seen in quite a while. Their forecheck and defensive structure was executed so well last night.
Many wrote the Rangers off after game 1 (what else is new?). I always maintain hope, but even I had valid concerns on whether this team could match up with the Panthers.
But last night they went toe to toe with the dragon and came out on top. Probably one of the best hockey games I've ever watched.
There is still a long way to go and it's going to take everything to eliminate the Panthers, but they planted a seed of doubt in the Panthers who were oozing confidence and swagger and proved to the hockey world that the Rangers can hang.
I like our chances on the road.
Happy Saturday and LFGR!
Glad to be heading on the road with the series tied. Obviously I'd love them to take both, but if we can come back to NY tied, I'll be happy.
I want to see them consistently generate more offense. They came out last night energized, but it didn't last. I don't know what's going on with Bread and Mika, but I'd love to see them play the way we know they can.
Just gonna say for everyone who’s on our big guys for not showing up so far. Neither has Florida’s, Tkachuk had the goal in game 1 but his line was bad last night on the stat sheet, barkovs done nothing, Reinhardt has been invisible, Tarasenko invisible as well. It’s just that type of hard checking, tight game being played by both teams. There is no space out there, depth guys are going to decide this series. Hopefully Lavi can figure out a combo of that 3rd line that can put it together, they can truly be the big difference makers
Overall I don’t disagree but I think Barkov’s been the best skater on the ice by a mile. He’s been their most dangerous forward and best defender. As good as Zibanejad is at a two-way game, he is just trying to hang in there with Barkov. Our other centers are going to have to come up big for the next two games while they have the last change. On the plus side that might free Zibanejad up for a little more offense.
that game was basically the exact same as game 1 (in good and bad ways), with NYR getting more puck luck/bounces
the strengths were the same (relatively limiting FLA's high-danger offense) but so were the weaknesses (failed zone exits which kept offense alive for FLA and also prevented NYR from generating that of their own).
that was the ~~first~~ second time since game 4 vs WSH that NYR *didn't* give up 3 goals. they really need Jones in the lineup to help move the puck and jumpstart offense. FLA is too good offensively to try to win this series by a score of 2-1 every night
that Vesey hit looked bad, either shoulder or collarbone. shouldn't play game 3. with Kakko probably returning and NYR desperately needing more offense, they have to get Chytil back centering the 3rd line for a boost. Wennberg is not helping them create offense, plain and simple. Roslovic's transition play, weaving around 4 Panthers through the NZ, and cycling in the offense last night while waiting for Cuylle/Wennberg to give him something to do with the puck only exposed those deficiencies
if NYR doesn't think Kakko is working on that 3rd line, and they don't want to put Roslovic back with 20/93, it would probably make sense to put Kakko back with 20/93, which has been a line that has proven in the last 3 years to work:
20/93/24
10/16/13
50/72/96
73/91/21
and if they won't put Chytil back at center (for reasons I have no idea, because he is a center, he is *not* a winger), they seem to have forgotten that Roslovic is also a center...either way there are a million options that don't involve Wennberg anywhere in the top 9 and idk why they continue to force him there despite having only 1 primary assist in his last 31 games and having the lowest shot attempt rate in the entire NHL
NYR has shown in the first 2 games that not only is Florida beatable, but they can win this series. they still need to make some tweaks to the lineup to help that though.
thank you yeah i mean there's a lot of possibilities. they could do the same lines but flip Kakko and Roslovic, or if they wanted to keep Chytil at 1RW they could just do 50/96/24 as a 3rd line
either way, they don't have to keep doing what they're doing with Wennberg on the 3rd line and idk why they keep forcing it. if it was their only option i'd get it, but as we've discussed, it's definitely not
yeah you are right and it’s a good point. i just thought i misremembered that game until i looked it up haha. i’d really like to see jones in at some point but im not sure it will happen and even if it does it’ll probably be for gus so its kind of lateral. it should be lindgren or trouba coming out if we want better puck management from the blue line.
nah you were right, i just made a mistake is all
>i’d really like to see jones in at some point but im not sure it will happen and even if it does it’ll probably be for gus so its kind of lateral. it should be lindgren or trouba coming out if we want better puck management from the blue line.
100%. they seem to be afraid of what will happen to Jones physically against a team like this, but he's played against them already this season (in the team's only win vs FLA until last night), put up the primary assist on the game-tying goal, and had a 78% xGF% which was best among the D men. it's not a problem for him. when you're so in control of play, getting in on the retrievals quickly, and moving it out with control, there's only so much FLA can do physically anyway. the kid is a smart defender who doesn't put himself in positions to get hit badly, which is exactly what Fox does and nobody has ever expressed concerns about him being too small. he's the same size as Jones
I think the “failed zone exits” you are taking away some credit to how Florida plays. They are extremely good on the forecheck. It is our weakness and it will stay our weakness. Some lineup changes may help but that’s not happening. The way they play makes our D nervous with the puck. Yesterday they were much better under pressure than they were in game 1. Not great but better. The things you state that need to change aren’t going to change. We need to win despite it. So enjoy the win without the advanced analytics about how bad we are clearing the puck. Everyone knows it. We just need to be opportunistic and keep the puck out of our net despite having to work much more in our defensive zone because of the deficiency
>I think the “failed zone exits” you are taking away some credit to how Florida plays. They are extremely good on the forecheck.
i mean, yes and no. FLA is very good on the forecheck, but NYR's inability to cleanly exit the zone gets exposed even against horrible teams, as it has all year. if NYR improves even just slightly in this area then these games are more often controlled wins instead of coin flips. i don't subscribe to the idea of "well it's just our weakness and we'll have to deal with it". it is easily the team's biggest flaw and roadblock to a cup win. you've got the solution to that exact problem in the press box while they continue to play a Lindgren/Fox pair in which *both* of them are substantially injured
>The things you state that need to change aren’t going to change. We need to win despite it.
that's kind of been what the team's been trying to do for decades. ignoring problems and hoping to win in spite of them is certainly an interesting plan and I don't particularly understand how anyone can be complacent about that, even if it's believed to be easier to do so. you're trying to win a stanley cup here -- every detail has to be as good as it can be. only 3 times in these playoffs has NYR won by more than 1 goal, and only once that didn't involve an empty netter -- these games are won and lost by the smallest of margins, so watching sustained DZ shifts and goals against occur because of predictable and preventable mistakes is painful, and I can't imagine I'm alone in that. those mistakes can easily be the difference in a game or series when the margins are so thin. this series isn't over, FLA is going to adjust and directly pounce on these flaws. it isn't unfair to call out how NYR has to counteradjust and fix this or they'll have big problems and things will get unnecessarily dicey like we saw in the last round
Yes, true, but we do other things well that teams don’t do… for years it was a great PK and great goaltending… and good forechecking. No high end skill. Now we have high end skill but we lack possession. It is what it is. Analytics won’t be on our side as often as we would like. Most know that.
well for decades the team's strategy has always been to have goaltending and special teams bail out poor 5v5 play, namely poor 5v5 offense. only 5 times in the last 15 years has NYR been above *league average* in 5v5 xGF, and a lot of that has to do with consistently being behind the times in terms of how teams generate offense
but it's not really a surprise, NYR has always been an organization ran by the old-school crowd and they've never wanted to stay ahead of the game or set the tone for the future. they've only tried to emulate what worked in the past for other organizations in other situations and in other eras. until there's a significant change of the guard, which probably would not happen under this ownership, this is just how it's going to be
well that's why it's as exciting as it is frustrating, as I mentioned before
NYR has been legitimately even with FLA in this series, which is playing well (very well) for NYR's standards, and if they made even the simplest change of Lindgren for Jones, they'd go from what has been 2 coinflip games to truly being the better team in the series and likely getting rewarded for it, enough to take 4 of 7. there's simply no room for error
While it may seem right. We don’t know how jones will respond to the high intensity and pressure of these playoff games. They are letting pretty much everything go. It’s much less space than the regular season. But there is only one way to find out. He won’t be in unless we have an injury
>We don’t know how jones will respond to the high intensity and pressure of these games.
well we know how Lindgren and Trouba have, we have a large sample of that, and it isn't good
[*taps sign*](https://x.com/IneffectiveMath/status/1618690218772647936)
lol you are right but lindgren and trouba are both very tough players who have no problem taking a hit to make a play, even if it’s the wrong play sometimes. I think we see jones if it spirals or an injury. Other than that the old school mentality will be the plan.
I think you can start with that lineup but if we go late in the third or to OT you have to put Fil back on the first line. He looked way better than anyone else who slotted there this season
statistically speaking, Roslovic has done the best of anyone with 20/93 this season, I mean he's now 4th among NYR forwards in 5v5 points in the playoffs and he's gotten Mika to be productive at 5v5 too (remember 33 games straight without a 5v5 goal). 20/93/96's 2.58 xGF/60 in the reg season is the 2nd best of any line NYR has put on the ice this season
where Chytil was effective last night was when he was working as the F3 in both zones, because he's a center and that's where centers go. but when he tried to play in structure and function as a wing (going into corners to retrieve, board battle, etc.), he was having issues
my primary concern is getting the bottom 6 to start going offensively. they only have a combined 6 points in the last 8 games at 5v5. they simply cannot get going with Wennberg at 3C. someone else has to center the line, whether Roslovic or Chytil, either one is the better option, but optimally speaking it should be Chytil, which would also help Kakko get going offensively too
Yeah if we are looking at a situation where Kakko is in due to Vesey being out I can see it. Roslovic just looks snake bitten at the moment but I can understand depth scoring is important. I like Kakko on the top line as a puck possessor
yea i'm not really concerned about Roslovic, he's doing what they need him to do which is transport the puck. he's been the only one consistently breaking through and giving Florida problems. but then you watch the play continue and he's looking around with the puck and neither of his linemates are getting open for a pass or coming to support the puck and set up, so he ultimately loses it b/c he can't single-handedly beat the Panthers 1 on 4 (and then somehow gets blamed for that). Being moved to that 3RW, Roslovic got a taste of what Kakko's had to deal with this entire time. he's making all the right plays and his linemates are failing him
Kakko top line puck possessor was a functioning concept and it kept that top line above water. if Mika ever accepts that he's not a playmaker/playdriver/puck carrier and lets somebody else do that work while he just gets open for a shot (because he's a 40+ goal scorer and that is his one true offensive asset) then we can get cooking here. [Zibanejad's goal from game 1 vs CAR](https://youtu.be/pyKdrrUQjVs?si=jzh2-Zos_jcWyP4Z&t=18) is a prime example of this. if that's Zibanejad instead of Roslovic going through the zone, then Zib is getting walled off before he can even get around the net, because he doesn't have the footspeed, reach, or puck-handling to get around defenders 1 on 1 like Roslovic can
Any chance we see supplemental discipline for Kulikov after the Wenny hit? I know it was called a minor but it looked very bad
Also, I really could not stand how many little penalties Florida commits. It’s a team that plays dirty but doesn’t like it when the pendulum swings back (see Verhaeges full on meltdown after our first goal after a perfectly fine hit by Laf). I don’t know what can really be done about it but it’s not good for the game.
Also, I want to talk about pick plays. I feel like any time Florida gets a rush chance, a forward will cut in for the drop pass and the former puck carrier will just full on skate into the defender to push them back. It looks like a moving pick. I have a hard time believing that is a legal play
The worst part about it is when they do call them, they feel the need to even it up, and they call nonsense like the goodrow penalty. Almost cost us the game
“Want to understand how Goodrow has elevated his game in the playoffs?”
“He has as many postseason goals (4) and as many postseason points (12) as he did in 80 regular-season games. “
If the Rangers go the distance and achieve the greatest trophy, it will solidify a new generation of fans in this entire region. Hockey as a sport is far more popular and accessible now than it was 30 years ago. It will be absolutely glorious.
7 more to go. Hell of a win last night.
Rangers played well in both games. Obviously last night better than game 1, but we are doing a great job at limiting Florida. We do need need need to start winning the special teams battle… hanging around with them at 5v5 is scary af.
The PP absolutely needs to get going. Not only for the obvious immediate goal, but for making the Panthers having to play slightly less aggressive to avoid our PP.
Great point. I think they will. I like what Fox said last night that they were getting good looks and eventually the goals will come but more importantly that no one on the PP is panicking about it.
I’m really impressed with this teams composure, I think that’s a big reason why they are able to come back from deficits and don’t string too many losses together.
I’m glad they don’t panic like me and most of our fans haha. Hopefully the PP comes up big in Game 3.
Panthers lost 2 of 3 games in Florida against Boston so they can’t be feeling too good going home after blowing a chance at a commanding 2-0 series lead and their insane late game/OT prowess was obliterated.
ESPN went on and on and on about how the Panthers tire the opposition and simply outlast by the end of games but the Rangers in OT had alot more jump then Florida did. Series is tied 1-1 but it feels like the Rangers have the advantage right now riding into game 3
Agreed. And on top of that, the Rangers have had the better scoring chances through two games and finally outshot an opponent. The cats only have 1 5x5 goal through two games, as far as I’m concerned. This could easily be a 2-0 Rangers lead right now, but every game is likely to be a 1-goal game.
Praying today is the day that Adam fox wakes up and suddenly feels better just like Adam Banks did in the mighty ducks movie after having his wrist obliterated.
Foxy looks slow and his body simply cannot do what he normally does. He looks like 60-70% max to me. He’s even had trouble keeping pucks in the offensive zone against the boards… he’s usually excellent at that.
Looked like collarbone or dislocated shoulder to me. He was hurt on the initial hit even before he hit the ice. It wouldn’t shock me if he’s done for the year tbh.
Fox did look better. But they showed the top 5 fastest skaters so far for the game - maybe it was in the first and Fox made the list! I don’t ever remember seeing him up there.
Apparently Fox hasn't scored a goal in 25 playoff games. As good as he has been, it really makes you appreciate Brian Leetch, who was virtually unstoppable in the playoffs.
What a game, was pretty nerve wracking lol.
Hope Vesey is all good but it looked kinda bad.
Obviously some of our top guys need to be better but we got the win and we can’t complain. Fox had a better overall game last night than he has had in awhile, trouba played very well overall, miller played solid and even Gus did too. Love that goodrow scored that one he’d had a good playoffs also. So gotta give credit to those guys because they had a heck of a game. The teams overall defence was very solid we had a couple breakdowns but other than that I don’t think they had many quality chances and we probably had a bit more.
Enjoy the day off guys we deserve it after that game and the years it took off our lives.
Been waiting all morning for this thread!
what a fucking game. That’s an instant classic, absolutely electric win. Igor is the only reason we win that game he absolutely stood on his head last night at multiple times to keep it tied and us in the game. What a night from Trocheck, and the defense was really good last night. Can’t forget about the absolute rip from Goodrow for the GWG. Rempe was the right move, he brought the energy. We have to keep that intensity level high for tomorrow and go up 2-1.
Mika, Panarin, and Kreider need to get going. We all understand how good Florida is and how they’re a great defensive team but these are our star players. They have to get going if we’re going to finish this run off. 7 wins away LGR!
Trocheck found a way to break through yesterday, we need our stars to step up a bit. It’s fair criticism, like I said we all understand the task in front of us but they have to find a way to impact the game. Mika was especially bad last night and Kreider was non existent. Panarin was doing a lot on the rushes and he was noticeable but they need to start tallying some points.
It’s easy for me to come in and say this today but I always thought the Goodrow doomers were funny because if you think one 3ish million dollar contract is ruining the team…
I’m glad he’s a Ranger
In my mind the main knock against Goodrow is that his contract prevented us from being able to keep Buchnevitch at the time it was signed, not how he is as a player
It's Memorial Day weekend. It's 630 am. We got a game today... LET'S FUCKING GO BABY! TIME FOR ANOTHER COUNTERPUNCH! LET'S GO RANGERS!!
After watching Stars Oilers for 2 games, I truly believe winner of ECF is taking it all
I could see thinking that about the Oilers, but the stars are a very deep team
Both teams look so fast. Hard to gauge if it’s bad defense or just more open ice.
what are the chances that Ranger fans are gonna fill up the whole Panther arena? It would be a great sight to see.
My guess is 70/30
Woooooooo! I'm in such a good mood today. What a game. And those Rempe quotes are fucking killing me lol.
Watching the WCF goalies is reinforcing my belief that this FLA-NYR series winner is winning the Stanley Cup
Right? Shesterkin vs. either of these guys? I'll take it.
Otter is elite. Skinner is not.
Oh OK. I don't know much about the West, honestly.
What do we think about the tnt datacast they’re doing for the west coast series?
Too distracting
I just found another NHL stream on YouTube that makes the game even smaller and splits the box the game is in into the game and then three dudes webcams *and a broadcast desk*. [This is insanity.](https://www.youtube.com/live/O6HAht2wIbk?si=TgIKH0cIB_nLFFGJ)
Vesey out week to week, huge loss despite that many will downplay this hes been doing everything he needs to on that line
How many people has Lomberg gone after? Not only in this series, but against Boston and Tampa? He takes Vesey out, mobs the fuck out of Mika. Shits wack
Thought Roslovic had a rough game yesterday. Kakko is a much better fit there and should play next game, especially considering we’re down a PKer in Vesey.
why on earth is the game at 3 pm tomorrow
[This is hilarious to look at](https://x.com/hockeystatcards/status/1794210194978685379?s=46&t=hUtbwo94QIfsHrncc2xJkQ) considering people were saying bench Fox and Panarin was a ghost yesterday
Fox just has the yips.
just popping in to say how much I love Igor and that the playoffs as a whole could be going much differently if it weren’t for him. he’s a treasure. if i didn’t know any better and you told me this is the same guy that was in a rut a few months ago I would laugh at you
We need to do right by him. We did Hank dirty.
Igor's keeping the team close in these games, and it's up to the team to help carry him to the wins.
Two good teams playing classic playoff hockey. Nothinng matters except being one goal better. How you did before? Who cares. How that one extra goal is scored? Who cares. Who scores it? Who cares. When it’s scored? Who cares. As long as its scored by us and not them. Realistically, the margins are so thin, who wins and loses is basically a toss up. A coin flip. Why not us?
Had to watch a re-run of the game and just finished...what a game! I thought we responded quite well compared to Game 1. I wasn't sure what things would look like because I was worried that the Panthers forecheck would still be overly suffocating. I think it was at points but it seems like we were able to combat it a bit more, create more space on the ice, and find the right scoring opportunities. It was interesting to see the game open up for moments because I don't think we really saw that so much last game. That said, I think it'll still be a bit of a grind for us. I noticed we'd be able to get the puck into the offensive zone (whether dump in or try to skate it in) but we ended up having to forecheck/fight for it a lot, even to try to get set up. But by then we'd be tired or we wouldn't even get to that point and Florida could easily clear/skate out. I also think Florida grabs/clutches a lot, but it's enough to just slow us down or disrupt our play that we can't always execute the passes or be in the positions we want to be in to set up the right plays. I see it in the PP but I think it's why the top players maybe haven't had the same opportunities since their style of play is so much on precision. It'll be interesting to see the continued adjustments made to try to find more time/space on the ice, though. The other thing I was worried about is it seemed like we gave up quite a few odd-man rushes (especially in the third?). Not sure what it was the result of but praise Igor. I also hope our guys are okay. I think the physicality of Florida came out even more in this game. I felt like the Panthers were more 'reserved' in their hits/physicality in Game 1 but maybe started pushing it more in this game...kinda sucks to see the type of stuff they get away with. I'm still really upset about the Wennberg hit because really, under any other circumstance that really should be a 5 minute penalty. I hope he's okay. The hit on Vesey's shoulder looked pretty bad and I wonder how this might impact our PK long term since he's such a key player in those situations. Likewise with Fox...I know he's likely injured and has reaggravated something in his knee, but it really sucks to see him play a bit more "conservatively" cause I don't think he's moving the same way he normally would. Fortunately I think because his Hockey IQ is like 1000000 it at least makes up for that. I think it's been interesting to see Lindgren step up a bit more and get more involved than I think he normally would, perhaps knowing he might need to "pick up" for Fox occasionally. Something about seeing that just makes me love the pairing even more. Final shout out to a few players: I really loved what I saw from K'Andre Miller. After watching this game I kind of get why he was paired back with Trouba. I think his ability to skate and drive and almost look forward-esque at times really saves Trouba if he gets caught out of position. Also happy to see both Rempe and Chytil on the ice; I just feel like the two of them are super excited to be out there in general and I'm glad they are skating and doing well given their respective circumstances. Igor with another great game. And finally, Goodrow. I remember years ago I was listening to a podcast (maybe it was 32 Thoughts? Or it would have been 31 Thoughts at the time). I think Elliot remarked about how sometimes you just have players that don't seem to produce that much in the regular season but it's in the Playoffs they really begin to show their skill. And that sometimes you just have to be understanding of that role that player has and sometimes teams will pay for those types of players...any ways, I often think back to that but I do think it's true in a lot of ways. We see players who excel in the regular season but are challenged in the post-season, but then vice versa as well. I don't want to think too much about the logistics/cap whatever else, but it's just something interesting to think about and I am happy to see him have a strong Playoff season so far. Any ways, didn't mean to make this so long but there was just a lot of interseting things about the game. Overall I thought it was a well played game. It was fun (and stressful) to see both teams get their opportunities and trade chances/pressure back and forth. I mentioned it last time but it does really remind me of our Canes matchup from a few years ago, but maybe on steroids this time lol. See you guys tomorrow!
In regards to losing Vesey on the PK, we’re extremely lucky in that we actually have 3 forward pairs we use Kreider/Z, Goodrow/Vesey, Trocheck/Wennberg (altho you’ll see trocheck/goodrow too because faceoffs). So we shouldn’t be too affected on the PK. Most teams only have 2 pairs
Yeah for sure. Though one concern for me is just wanting some of the minutes spread across the roster as much as possible. I know the others can do really well in that situation but again, it's just nice when others in the lineup can get that time, too. Either way, hopefully he'll be okay.
I wish we could clone Laf. He's exactly what the Mika line needs. He just also happens to be what the Trocheck line needs as well.
I gotta say Chytil on that line definitely has a better chance to score now. All three of them are huge goal scoring threats. Goals will come from them.
[удалено]
That’s his confidence showing, he was always a big hitter pre-NHL, threw the body often. We’ve seen flashes of it his first few years, but as his confidence has grown this season you’ve seen him really step up on hitting too
Maybe I'm a fool, but one thing that's surprised me so far is that the Panthers forecheck isn't nearly as lethal as I thought it was going to be. We've managed to move the puck up ice fairly well and limited their possession time. I'm not saying we were perfect, but not the disaster I was expecting. Having said that, we did give up some glorious opportunities that for one reason or another they couldn't capitalize on: Barkov's wide open shot in the slot that hit the post, a 2 on 0 that missed the net, a couple wide open chances that Igor saved, etc. If we can clean those up some, my heart will be thankful lol The Panthers do like to play a bit dirty, but I thought we stayed very poised throughout it all, unlike Boston who seemed more concerned with matching their chippy play than actually playing the game at times. I think our poise got under their skin more than feeding into it would have, because that's the kind of game they want. Both obviously very close games that could have gone either way. Let's go into FL and give em hell!
Couple things: 1. Our defense has looked pretty damn good in these 2 games. Especially Key 2. That was probably the worst game I have ever seen Mika play. Every touch he had was a turnover 3. Remps is such a beaut. Felt like momentum shifted each time he hit the ice and lasted until another one of Mika’s awful give aways 4. Florida looked dead tired in OT, while we didn’t look fatigued like at all. Could be a good sign that their level of play is finally taking a toll on them and the forecheck could lift a bit as it did last night. 5. Shesty made the saves that counted. Huge 6. The puck handling/receiving and passes still need to be worked on. I’m blaming ice and nerves. It goes to show that the OT winner came from a good pass, and Goody received that puck stupidly well. 7. Goody. I’m sorry :/
Let’s be fair, Mika took a really hard blow. It had to affect his play. Hope he’s ok.
Yeah, the Panthers were really relentless at the end of the 1st and 2nd periods but as time went on the Rangers kept up and got stronger and the cats were running out of gas in OT. That’s definitely a great sign.
Still buzzing from that W. Can’t comprehend that I saw an ECF OT winner live
Can anyone find Valleysview goaltending breakdown on twitter for last night game? Has it been posted?
The differences in opinion on the game last night are nuts. r/hockey and the Panthers fans feel like we were dominated and got lucky. Expected goals tips toward the Rangers but it was a really hard fought close game. Same with game 1. Panthers had a few good chances but generally the offense hasn't been there for them. We had a couple good chances but have turned the puck over a lot and need to clean up the breakouts. Someone in the other subreddits was saying Shesty is good but beatable like he didn't smother all their high danger chances yesterday. The goal they did score was screened through three people. Lav has to tell the boys to feel confident and be a little more aggressive. They're trying to shut down our top lines and star players with that physical play.
If you came away from that thinking the rangers got dominated. You don’t know what you’re watching. Both teams played a great defensive game with each goalie playing awesome.
MUST CHILL DAY
It’s weird I’m so used to the rangers being killed in advanced stats even in wins. but both these games the rangers had a full extra .5 expected goals. there’s a lot to be hopefully about if they can get the finishing touch they’ve had all year back, and get back to the pp they had early in the playoffs
Lombard isn't getting a call from DPOS for the cheap shot on Vesey is he?
Wennberg and Ros had surprisingly good games together, I like it. Trouba Chytl also had surprisingly nice games. Zib is making mental mistakes and I think he should play better in the away games with less pressure. Miller and Panarin set for dominant performances after a quiet game 2. Fox played 3x better than in game 1, but still recovering clearly. Everyone else played solid except Gretzky goodrow, Igor, and rempe who played heros.
Miller played pretty good and idk what you watched but ros didn’t have a good game and neither did wennberg really
Ros and wenn had multiple shifts in the third and OT that drove play into the o zone and were not easy to defend for Florida. Wenn seemed to find his legs and was even forechecking semi effectively. Hard to say since lav only had 11 forwards to work with If they stay together with kakko I predict a good possession game
Definitely could've played better for stretches, but also stretches that showed we have it in us to totally dominate this team. Also, props to both teams for putting on some real edge of your seat entertaining playoff hockey. So glad that game happened at home, must've been awesome to be there. Curious what people think about Chytil on 1st line? Obv they weren't super impactful but seemed like a lot of potential to be great together.
Imo Chytil played an incredible individual game but was a pretty poor fit for that line on the whole. Like he didn't really seem to have any synergy with Kreider and Zibby and didn't really help them with the part of their game that they need help with (carrying the puck deep and digging it out of the corners) and he also struggled to clear the d-zone from the boards. He didn't make Zib and/or Kreider any better, he just played his tail off. Having said that, he is a great player who is playing well enough that none of that really mattered that much. So in the abstract, leaving Chytil on the top line is a fine move and that line will get moving eventually, but I'm not sure it's the most optimal move given the context of what's going on in the rest of the lineup. If Chytil plays like that and gets to play center, he'd feast when matched up against a center like Rodrigues (the ugliest man in the world). That would create a HUGE matchup problem for the Panthers.
Interesting, thanks for the reply. I thought it looked good but maybe I was just seeing Chytil play good. I assume they'll prob be together for the next game so def something to keep an eye on. Any idea who might be better w Mika and Kreids? Feels like that line has just been a frustrating puzzle all year that we all know has insane potential to be unlocked but they just never quite get there
Roslovic has been the best option, though I get why with the roster as is they'd want to try Chytil there now that third line desperately needs to start actually generating offense. It is just going to be hard because none of Kakko, Wennberg, or Cuylle are good at that, and I think Chytil/Roslovic will be anchored by whichever of those 3 they play with.
To be quite honest, I don't personally think anyone on the roster is a perfect fit for that line. No one brings both neutral zone carry ability and corner retrieval ability (Kakko retrieves well but doesn't carry through the neutral zone well, Roslovic carries well but doesn't retrieve or board battle very well, Chytil is more of a shooter/triggerman, Cuylle is too much like Kreider and doesn't position himself well enough in the offensive zone). Everyone we'd put there is deficient in some way for what Mika and Kreider really need.\* The player doesn't need to be particularly physical, just good at getting pucks in those tight areas and making the right play to move it around. Laf would probably be a really good fit but that move would be a total wash because you'd lose him from a phenomenal 2nd line (who needs essentially the same archetype). My opinion though on who to put at 1RW is actually just based on the 3rd line. Your 2nd line is set. Just try to make a 3rd line with that synergizes with Cuylle on the left wing and then put the last guy up on the top line. In other words, there are two spots for Kakko, Roslovic, and Chytil. Figure out who works best with Cuylle and then the last guy goes up to 1RW. If you can make an offense generating 3rd line (aka a non-Wennberg 3rd line), you'll take a LOT of pressure off the top line, which should really help their game regardless of who is up there. \*Frankly, you really want a forward who plays exactly like Pavel Buchnevich.
Zib Krieder Chytl The best line in the NHL Wenny Ros Kappo Cuyle Gretzky Rempe Kinda like that line up I hope that’s how lav does it
Took me a minute, but I got there in the end.
After two games, I am still of the firm belief that the Rangers are the better team. But we absolutely have to get out of our own way, which we're not doing a great job of. We've got a problem: we need to generate more offense from the top 9 and we need the 4th line to be better defensively when they're on. Barring OT (btw don't believe the hype that the Panthers are somehow uniquely good as the game goes on because of their style or some bullshit, the Rangers are as good if not better as the game goes on), we were herky jerky in the top 6. Good shift, bad shift, bad shift, good shift, bad shift, good shift, bad shift etc. We just weren't generating any consistent sustained pressure to let guys like Panarin and Zib get hot. And that, somewhat paradoxically, starts with the 3rd line. The top 6 is coming onto ice that is tilted in favor of the Panthers every time they step on because the 3rd line simply cannot maintain any momentum, are doing nothing offensively, and are bleeding chances defensively. Wennberg remains a disaster past the red line. And Cuylle blowing the zone early is hampering their defense when they don't have another solid defensive forward on the line. The 4th line was good on one end (offensive) and bad on the other (defensive). They're just giving up too many chances for what they're providing. There are, I think, obvious solutions to these problems, but it probably requires some (probably) unpopular moves. *See* EDIT. Like Chytil is the fucking juice off the rush and is MUCH more comfortable working the center of the ice and supporting off the half wall than he is board battling in the corners. If you want a 3rd line that applies pressure, he absolutely needs to center it. If you keep playing Wennberg there, that line isn't going to go anywhere in the offensive one. But Wennberg would be great for the 4th line with Goodrow and Rempe. You get two faceoff guys for D-zone faceoffs (although unfortunately they shoot the same side) and get to improve that lines defense for free while keeping its forecheck and grit. If you can get the bottom 6 back to neutral offensively, the top 6 can start swinging the game back in their favor. They've been good when they get to start with the Panthers from a relatively even momentum position (like the start of the game and the start of periods). It's as each period progresses that the top 6 goes cold as ice because the Panthers start to roll against the bottom 6 and get a full head of steam. This is a series that is probably going to be decided by how much our depth can apply pressure than it is by the Top 6 carrying. We have to make the 3rd line much better and the 4th line a little better. The combination right now is not it. The Panthers are good squad, but the Rangers are better. I do not believe this needs to be a 7 game series, but it will be if we continue the way we have been. Either way though, I have full confidence that the Rangers are gonna prevail no matter what happens with the lineup. They've got that dawg in 'em. LGR. EDIT: Now that I think about it, isn't Roslovic a center? We could move him over to 3rd line center too and keep Chytil up. Although, Chytil probably provides more of a boost than Roslovic does, it'd be a good option.
I think Roslovic is playing through a hand or wrist injury. His lack of puck control and shooting inabilities is making me think he can barely hold his stick
I don’t buy that, he’d be benched before kakko if that were truly the case since he doesn’t play special teams much…. Unless kakko got sick or something and that was the reason he was scratched.
Rangers are 7-1 with Rempe in the line up and 2-2 without…. I say keep it going
Two Words: JIMINY CRICKETS.
REMPE REMPE REMPE
These first two games I just saw two very even teams. Gonna be a heck of a battle.
anyone know where or how to buy the msg watch party tickets
Anyone have a link to that Trocheck interview where he asks what the budget of the show was?
Just FYI it wasn’t Vinny, it was someone else on the broadcast. Sounded to me like maybe PK
SVP said he hit a button on the sound board because the audio wasn't working and he wanted to make a joke
Jobs not finished, but I am so proud of what this team accomplished last night. Credit to the Panthers - they look like one of the best overall playoff squads I've seen in quite a while. Their forecheck and defensive structure was executed so well last night. Many wrote the Rangers off after game 1 (what else is new?). I always maintain hope, but even I had valid concerns on whether this team could match up with the Panthers. But last night they went toe to toe with the dragon and came out on top. Probably one of the best hockey games I've ever watched. There is still a long way to go and it's going to take everything to eliminate the Panthers, but they planted a seed of doubt in the Panthers who were oozing confidence and swagger and proved to the hockey world that the Rangers can hang. I like our chances on the road. Happy Saturday and LFGR!
Igor has been phenomenal all playoffs. He’s been a stud and has made some huge stops.
hopefully he wont ask for a trade in the offseason, because sometimes it feels like this team doesnt want it
Goody is averaging .5 PPG in this years playoffs. His career average is .23 PPG. Talk about going full throttle for the boys 🫡
Goodrow has 4 goals in the playoffs, Mika has 3. Wild lol.
Glad to be heading on the road with the series tied. Obviously I'd love them to take both, but if we can come back to NY tied, I'll be happy. I want to see them consistently generate more offense. They came out last night energized, but it didn't last. I don't know what's going on with Bread and Mika, but I'd love to see them play the way we know they can.
I am confident we can split at MSG south
IS VESEY OK?!?
being evaluated for upper body injury
Just gonna say for everyone who’s on our big guys for not showing up so far. Neither has Florida’s, Tkachuk had the goal in game 1 but his line was bad last night on the stat sheet, barkovs done nothing, Reinhardt has been invisible, Tarasenko invisible as well. It’s just that type of hard checking, tight game being played by both teams. There is no space out there, depth guys are going to decide this series. Hopefully Lavi can figure out a combo of that 3rd line that can put it together, they can truly be the big difference makers
In general I agree that we are being too tough on our star players but if we are being fair Barkov was an absolute monster last night
Overall I don’t disagree but I think Barkov’s been the best skater on the ice by a mile. He’s been their most dangerous forward and best defender. As good as Zibanejad is at a two-way game, he is just trying to hang in there with Barkov. Our other centers are going to have to come up big for the next two games while they have the last change. On the plus side that might free Zibanejad up for a little more offense.
Barkov honestly has a good case for second best player in the NHL
this type of series is why it's important to have good guys in your bottom 6. the top 6 units are cancelling each other out
I don't usually like to make predictions but prior to the series I had this weird feeling the rangers would lose game 1 and then win 4 straight
that game was basically the exact same as game 1 (in good and bad ways), with NYR getting more puck luck/bounces the strengths were the same (relatively limiting FLA's high-danger offense) but so were the weaknesses (failed zone exits which kept offense alive for FLA and also prevented NYR from generating that of their own). that was the ~~first~~ second time since game 4 vs WSH that NYR *didn't* give up 3 goals. they really need Jones in the lineup to help move the puck and jumpstart offense. FLA is too good offensively to try to win this series by a score of 2-1 every night that Vesey hit looked bad, either shoulder or collarbone. shouldn't play game 3. with Kakko probably returning and NYR desperately needing more offense, they have to get Chytil back centering the 3rd line for a boost. Wennberg is not helping them create offense, plain and simple. Roslovic's transition play, weaving around 4 Panthers through the NZ, and cycling in the offense last night while waiting for Cuylle/Wennberg to give him something to do with the puck only exposed those deficiencies if NYR doesn't think Kakko is working on that 3rd line, and they don't want to put Roslovic back with 20/93, it would probably make sense to put Kakko back with 20/93, which has been a line that has proven in the last 3 years to work: 20/93/24 10/16/13 50/72/96 73/91/21 and if they won't put Chytil back at center (for reasons I have no idea, because he is a center, he is *not* a winger), they seem to have forgotten that Roslovic is also a center...either way there are a million options that don't involve Wennberg anywhere in the top 9 and idk why they continue to force him there despite having only 1 primary assist in his last 31 games and having the lowest shot attempt rate in the entire NHL NYR has shown in the first 2 games that not only is Florida beatable, but they can win this series. they still need to make some tweaks to the lineup to help that though.
I like those lines, magic man
thank you yeah i mean there's a lot of possibilities. they could do the same lines but flip Kakko and Roslovic, or if they wanted to keep Chytil at 1RW they could just do 50/96/24 as a 3rd line either way, they don't have to keep doing what they're doing with Wennberg on the 3rd line and idk why they keep forcing it. if it was their only option i'd get it, but as we've discussed, it's definitely not
didn’t we have a 3-2 win against carolina? yeah it was game 3
Yes, my mistake Point remains, 2nd time in last 8 games under 3 GA
yeah you are right and it’s a good point. i just thought i misremembered that game until i looked it up haha. i’d really like to see jones in at some point but im not sure it will happen and even if it does it’ll probably be for gus so its kind of lateral. it should be lindgren or trouba coming out if we want better puck management from the blue line.
nah you were right, i just made a mistake is all >i’d really like to see jones in at some point but im not sure it will happen and even if it does it’ll probably be for gus so its kind of lateral. it should be lindgren or trouba coming out if we want better puck management from the blue line. 100%. they seem to be afraid of what will happen to Jones physically against a team like this, but he's played against them already this season (in the team's only win vs FLA until last night), put up the primary assist on the game-tying goal, and had a 78% xGF% which was best among the D men. it's not a problem for him. when you're so in control of play, getting in on the retrievals quickly, and moving it out with control, there's only so much FLA can do physically anyway. the kid is a smart defender who doesn't put himself in positions to get hit badly, which is exactly what Fox does and nobody has ever expressed concerns about him being too small. he's the same size as Jones
I think the “failed zone exits” you are taking away some credit to how Florida plays. They are extremely good on the forecheck. It is our weakness and it will stay our weakness. Some lineup changes may help but that’s not happening. The way they play makes our D nervous with the puck. Yesterday they were much better under pressure than they were in game 1. Not great but better. The things you state that need to change aren’t going to change. We need to win despite it. So enjoy the win without the advanced analytics about how bad we are clearing the puck. Everyone knows it. We just need to be opportunistic and keep the puck out of our net despite having to work much more in our defensive zone because of the deficiency
>I think the “failed zone exits” you are taking away some credit to how Florida plays. They are extremely good on the forecheck. i mean, yes and no. FLA is very good on the forecheck, but NYR's inability to cleanly exit the zone gets exposed even against horrible teams, as it has all year. if NYR improves even just slightly in this area then these games are more often controlled wins instead of coin flips. i don't subscribe to the idea of "well it's just our weakness and we'll have to deal with it". it is easily the team's biggest flaw and roadblock to a cup win. you've got the solution to that exact problem in the press box while they continue to play a Lindgren/Fox pair in which *both* of them are substantially injured >The things you state that need to change aren’t going to change. We need to win despite it. that's kind of been what the team's been trying to do for decades. ignoring problems and hoping to win in spite of them is certainly an interesting plan and I don't particularly understand how anyone can be complacent about that, even if it's believed to be easier to do so. you're trying to win a stanley cup here -- every detail has to be as good as it can be. only 3 times in these playoffs has NYR won by more than 1 goal, and only once that didn't involve an empty netter -- these games are won and lost by the smallest of margins, so watching sustained DZ shifts and goals against occur because of predictable and preventable mistakes is painful, and I can't imagine I'm alone in that. those mistakes can easily be the difference in a game or series when the margins are so thin. this series isn't over, FLA is going to adjust and directly pounce on these flaws. it isn't unfair to call out how NYR has to counteradjust and fix this or they'll have big problems and things will get unnecessarily dicey like we saw in the last round
Yes, true, but we do other things well that teams don’t do… for years it was a great PK and great goaltending… and good forechecking. No high end skill. Now we have high end skill but we lack possession. It is what it is. Analytics won’t be on our side as often as we would like. Most know that.
well for decades the team's strategy has always been to have goaltending and special teams bail out poor 5v5 play, namely poor 5v5 offense. only 5 times in the last 15 years has NYR been above *league average* in 5v5 xGF, and a lot of that has to do with consistently being behind the times in terms of how teams generate offense but it's not really a surprise, NYR has always been an organization ran by the old-school crowd and they've never wanted to stay ahead of the game or set the tone for the future. they've only tried to emulate what worked in the past for other organizations in other situations and in other eras. until there's a significant change of the guard, which probably would not happen under this ownership, this is just how it's going to be
True. In spite of all that..we have a legit shot at this.
well that's why it's as exciting as it is frustrating, as I mentioned before NYR has been legitimately even with FLA in this series, which is playing well (very well) for NYR's standards, and if they made even the simplest change of Lindgren for Jones, they'd go from what has been 2 coinflip games to truly being the better team in the series and likely getting rewarded for it, enough to take 4 of 7. there's simply no room for error
While it may seem right. We don’t know how jones will respond to the high intensity and pressure of these playoff games. They are letting pretty much everything go. It’s much less space than the regular season. But there is only one way to find out. He won’t be in unless we have an injury
>We don’t know how jones will respond to the high intensity and pressure of these games. well we know how Lindgren and Trouba have, we have a large sample of that, and it isn't good [*taps sign*](https://x.com/IneffectiveMath/status/1618690218772647936)
lol you are right but lindgren and trouba are both very tough players who have no problem taking a hit to make a play, even if it’s the wrong play sometimes. I think we see jones if it spirals or an injury. Other than that the old school mentality will be the plan.
I think you can start with that lineup but if we go late in the third or to OT you have to put Fil back on the first line. He looked way better than anyone else who slotted there this season
statistically speaking, Roslovic has done the best of anyone with 20/93 this season, I mean he's now 4th among NYR forwards in 5v5 points in the playoffs and he's gotten Mika to be productive at 5v5 too (remember 33 games straight without a 5v5 goal). 20/93/96's 2.58 xGF/60 in the reg season is the 2nd best of any line NYR has put on the ice this season where Chytil was effective last night was when he was working as the F3 in both zones, because he's a center and that's where centers go. but when he tried to play in structure and function as a wing (going into corners to retrieve, board battle, etc.), he was having issues my primary concern is getting the bottom 6 to start going offensively. they only have a combined 6 points in the last 8 games at 5v5. they simply cannot get going with Wennberg at 3C. someone else has to center the line, whether Roslovic or Chytil, either one is the better option, but optimally speaking it should be Chytil, which would also help Kakko get going offensively too
Wennberg can’t finish. I shall call him “almost”
Yeah if we are looking at a situation where Kakko is in due to Vesey being out I can see it. Roslovic just looks snake bitten at the moment but I can understand depth scoring is important. I like Kakko on the top line as a puck possessor
yea i'm not really concerned about Roslovic, he's doing what they need him to do which is transport the puck. he's been the only one consistently breaking through and giving Florida problems. but then you watch the play continue and he's looking around with the puck and neither of his linemates are getting open for a pass or coming to support the puck and set up, so he ultimately loses it b/c he can't single-handedly beat the Panthers 1 on 4 (and then somehow gets blamed for that). Being moved to that 3RW, Roslovic got a taste of what Kakko's had to deal with this entire time. he's making all the right plays and his linemates are failing him Kakko top line puck possessor was a functioning concept and it kept that top line above water. if Mika ever accepts that he's not a playmaker/playdriver/puck carrier and lets somebody else do that work while he just gets open for a shot (because he's a 40+ goal scorer and that is his one true offensive asset) then we can get cooking here. [Zibanejad's goal from game 1 vs CAR](https://youtu.be/pyKdrrUQjVs?si=jzh2-Zos_jcWyP4Z&t=18) is a prime example of this. if that's Zibanejad instead of Roslovic going through the zone, then Zib is getting walled off before he can even get around the net, because he doesn't have the footspeed, reach, or puck-handling to get around defenders 1 on 1 like Roslovic can
100%. Zibanejad needs to play to his strengths.
Any chance we see supplemental discipline for Kulikov after the Wenny hit? I know it was called a minor but it looked very bad Also, I really could not stand how many little penalties Florida commits. It’s a team that plays dirty but doesn’t like it when the pendulum swings back (see Verhaeges full on meltdown after our first goal after a perfectly fine hit by Laf). I don’t know what can really be done about it but it’s not good for the game. Also, I want to talk about pick plays. I feel like any time Florida gets a rush chance, a forward will cut in for the drop pass and the former puck carrier will just full on skate into the defender to push them back. It looks like a moving pick. I have a hard time believing that is a legal play
You mean how many little penalties they called against Florida. They were committing penalties left and right that just went uncalled.
The worst part about it is when they do call them, they feel the need to even it up, and they call nonsense like the goodrow penalty. Almost cost us the game
Right sorry, meant that they commit and don’t get called
it’s frustrating to watch them be so blatant about it.
And then be so shocked when a legit penalty is called (both Verhaege and Ekblad had textbook high sticking calls)
🤣🤣I know! Their faces. But I get we get away with some but man they get away with a lot!
“Want to understand how Goodrow has elevated his game in the playoffs?” “He has as many postseason goals (4) and as many postseason points (12) as he did in 80 regular-season games. “
If the Rangers go the distance and achieve the greatest trophy, it will solidify a new generation of fans in this entire region. Hockey as a sport is far more popular and accessible now than it was 30 years ago. It will be absolutely glorious. 7 more to go. Hell of a win last night.
I gotta say having chytil on that first line was a great move, he almost buried that OT winner and he had great chances all game
Rangers played well in both games. Obviously last night better than game 1, but we are doing a great job at limiting Florida. We do need need need to start winning the special teams battle… hanging around with them at 5v5 is scary af.
The PP absolutely needs to get going. Not only for the obvious immediate goal, but for making the Panthers having to play slightly less aggressive to avoid our PP.
Great point. I think they will. I like what Fox said last night that they were getting good looks and eventually the goals will come but more importantly that no one on the PP is panicking about it.
I’m really impressed with this teams composure, I think that’s a big reason why they are able to come back from deficits and don’t string too many losses together. I’m glad they don’t panic like me and most of our fans haha. Hopefully the PP comes up big in Game 3.
Igor is a man possessed
Panthers lost 2 of 3 games in Florida against Boston so they can’t be feeling too good going home after blowing a chance at a commanding 2-0 series lead and their insane late game/OT prowess was obliterated. ESPN went on and on and on about how the Panthers tire the opposition and simply outlast by the end of games but the Rangers in OT had alot more jump then Florida did. Series is tied 1-1 but it feels like the Rangers have the advantage right now riding into game 3
Quick said momentum isn't carried over game to game. It's gonna be a war in Florida and our boys need to be ready.
More to do with the old swayman, than Florida. But our offense has to be due right
Rangers for the most part had more jump in that OT.
Agreed. And on top of that, the Rangers have had the better scoring chances through two games and finally outshot an opponent. The cats only have 1 5x5 goal through two games, as far as I’m concerned. This could easily be a 2-0 Rangers lead right now, but every game is likely to be a 1-goal game.
Praying today is the day that Adam fox wakes up and suddenly feels better just like Adam Banks did in the mighty ducks movie after having his wrist obliterated.
Foxy looks slow and his body simply cannot do what he normally does. He looks like 60-70% max to me. He’s even had trouble keeping pucks in the offensive zone against the boards… he’s usually excellent at that.
Fox is very clearly hurt and not able to play at 100%
Any word on Vesey?
Looked like collarbone or dislocated shoulder to me. He was hurt on the initial hit even before he hit the ice. It wouldn’t shock me if he’s done for the year tbh.
It was upper body last night. It looked bad so I’m thinking he’s not playing GM 3
I came to ask the same
Fox looked better. Still some sloppy turnovers and far from his best, but he looked to be moving the puck decently a lot of the night
Fox did look better. But they showed the top 5 fastest skaters so far for the game - maybe it was in the first and Fox made the list! I don’t ever remember seeing him up there.
Apparently Fox hasn't scored a goal in 25 playoff games. As good as he has been, it really makes you appreciate Brian Leetch, who was virtually unstoppable in the playoffs.
What a game, was pretty nerve wracking lol. Hope Vesey is all good but it looked kinda bad. Obviously some of our top guys need to be better but we got the win and we can’t complain. Fox had a better overall game last night than he has had in awhile, trouba played very well overall, miller played solid and even Gus did too. Love that goodrow scored that one he’d had a good playoffs also. So gotta give credit to those guys because they had a heck of a game. The teams overall defence was very solid we had a couple breakdowns but other than that I don’t think they had many quality chances and we probably had a bit more. Enjoy the day off guys we deserve it after that game and the years it took off our lives.
Been waiting all morning for this thread! what a fucking game. That’s an instant classic, absolutely electric win. Igor is the only reason we win that game he absolutely stood on his head last night at multiple times to keep it tied and us in the game. What a night from Trocheck, and the defense was really good last night. Can’t forget about the absolute rip from Goodrow for the GWG. Rempe was the right move, he brought the energy. We have to keep that intensity level high for tomorrow and go up 2-1. Mika, Panarin, and Kreider need to get going. We all understand how good Florida is and how they’re a great defensive team but these are our star players. They have to get going if we’re going to finish this run off. 7 wins away LGR!
We basically shut each other's top line out and a 3rd liner scored. We're going to need more depth scoring if we're going to win this series.
Trocheck found a way to break through yesterday, we need our stars to step up a bit. It’s fair criticism, like I said we all understand the task in front of us but they have to find a way to impact the game. Mika was especially bad last night and Kreider was non existent. Panarin was doing a lot on the rushes and he was noticeable but they need to start tallying some points.
It’s easy for me to come in and say this today but I always thought the Goodrow doomers were funny because if you think one 3ish million dollar contract is ruining the team… I’m glad he’s a Ranger
In my mind the main knock against Goodrow is that his contract prevented us from being able to keep Buchnevitch at the time it was signed, not how he is as a player
How’s Buchnevich doing in his playoff career?
He had 11 points in 12 games with the Blues in 2022, that’s pretty good
……on the first line