OT: NY Rangers 2023-2024 Thread

[RU Cheese]

Great to start the season with a win. I thought they were outstanding the first 39 minutes of the game. Legs looked sluggish and play seemed to be in slow motion at times, but the neutral zone play was such a breath of fresh air - have been calling for it and haven't seen it in years.

Laf was very good. Not the best player on the ice but he was involved and kept his feet moving. Agree kinda got hosed on the assist.

I thought they dodged some bullets on the PK. Aside from all the penalties in the 3rd, I was really confused / had no idea what they were doing at times with 3 guys all up high.

Cuylle was outstanding.

Only took Gustofsen one game to scratch heads and question wth is jones

 

[mdh2003]

One concern I noticed with the top line is that in a game with a decent amount of power plays, Kakko kind of gets lost because Kreider and Mika get separated from him on the pp so it takes a while before they are all together at even strength.

The obvious fix - swap Trocheck and Kakko on the PPs. Not sure how that works with the dynamics of either unit.

 

[krup]

The obvious fix - swap Trocheck and Kakko on the PPs. Not sure how that works with the dynamics of either unit.

I think they value Trocheck as the faceoff guy for the first unit.

 

[KnightKnight]

Meh tonight.. I think if Lindgren plays they win. 2 goals called back is rough too. Zac Jones just appears to be still not ready. I'd rather see Harpur as the 7th.

I do appreciate that Laviolette didn't panic by switching the lines up like Gallant would have done which resulted in the Cullye goal.

Rutgers won so its all good

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

Rangers look like a totally different team this year.

It is still mind blowing to me that gallant didnt have these guys practice for 2 years

 

[phlop87]

FYI The pre-sale tickets for the outside stadium series went on sale yesterday. You can get them via the Islander's website

 

[krup]

Rangers look like a totally different team this year.

It is still mind blowing to me that gallant didnt have these guys practice for 2 years

They are definitely better defensively. Amazing what a system, and not having a stiff as your 6th defenseman, can do.

I thought last night’s game showed the difference in coaches very starkly. The Rangers had no life in the first period and under Laviolette they just worked harder and turned it around in the second. The Gallant line blender would have been cranking up at the first intermission.

 

[ClassOf02]

How about that Jonathan Quick, eh?

 

[krup]

How about that Jonathan Quick, eh?

I would say “how about that Benoit Allaire”?

Quick wasn’t just bad in camp, he was bad for a while on the Kings, but Allaire works with him and he starts playing better than he has in years.

 

[zappaa]

Laf is playing well and showing some jump.
Still need to see a non disappearing act against tight checking teams.
On another note, I’m now amazed at the speed and elusiveness of Jack Hughes, he’s right there with McDavid!
You’re looking at 120 points if he stays healthy

 

[miker183]

I would say “how about that Benoit Allaire”?

Quick wasn’t just bad in camp, he was bad for a while on the Kings, but Allaire works with him and he starts playing better than he has in years.

I was hopeful that Allaire would be able to turn Quick's game around. He doesn't need to be great, merely a good backup.

So far, so good. Allaire is one hell of a coach.

 

[krup]

I know that, with the exception of Zap and maybe a few others, most of us never played these sports at the highest levels. However, sometimes the people that did and run things now can be oblivious to things even a fan could see.

Years ago, there was about a decade where it was obvious to almost anyone that the Flyers were a team that could win a Cup if it wasn’t for their goaltending, yet they never made the bold move to acquire a proven one.

Recently, the lesson has been staring everyone in the face that you can’t compete for a Cup when you don’t have at least a decent bottom six group of forwards, yet the people running Edmonton are going to waste McDavid’s prime by worrying about who can play wing on the top six and signing guys like Kane and Hyman instead of compiling a competent bottom six.

 

[ClassOf02]

5-0 on the west coast trip!

 

[phlop87]

5-0 on the west coast trip!

First time in their history they went 5-0 on a road trip

 

[mdk01]

First time in their history they went 5-0 on a road trip

Aside from the year the Garden was being renovated how many 5 game road trips have they had?

 

[miker183]

Gut check win by the Rangers last night..

 

[miker183]

Adam Fox placed on LTIR. Like it or not, we are going to find out about Zac Jones.

 

[zappaa]

Laf with 0 assists, Kakko with 2 points, Fil with no goals and unfortunately now injured.
Yup, 8-2 with tremendous goal tending.
Won’t work in the playoffs with those 3 in top 6.

 

[RUInsanity]

Laf with 0 assists, Kakko with 2 points, Fil with no goals and unfortunately now injured.
Yup, 8-2 with tremendous goal tending.
Won’t work in the playoffs with those 3 in top 6.

Its early November, 10 games in, and the playoffs are 72 games and 5 months away. Just sayin.

 

[zappaa]

It’s early November, 10 games in, and the playoffs are 72 games and 5 months away. Just sayin.

Rangers with awful gap and zero forecheck.

 

[mdk01]

Is this 6 out of the last 7 on the road?

 

[zappaa]

Is this 6 out of the last 7 on the road?

I don’t care if it’s 10 in a row.
You ATTEMPT to forecheck and close the neutral zone gap.
There were no Rangers in the picture on TV as The Wild skated through the neutral zone all night… forwards backing up as if they were defenseman.
Kakko can’t advance the puck and plays on the top line

 

[miker183]

Despite injuries to some really important players, Rangers are stringing some decent wins together.

New system is helping, but they need to get better at it. Major lapses for decent stretches that will hurt them if they can't lock it down. The good news? Outside the PP, the top line hasn't started to click yet.

Still a long way to go.

 

[krup]

Going to see the BC-Maine game tomorrow night (they also play tonight).

BC is ranked #1 in college hockey and has a bunch of players just picked in the NHL draft last summer, including Rangers 1st rd pick Gabe Perrault (1 goal and 10 assists in 8 games).

Maine is pretty good too, ranked 13th.

 

[miker183]

Going to see the BC-Maine game tomorrow night (they also play tonight).

BC is ranked #1 in college hockey and has a bunch of players just picked in the NHL draft last summer, including Rangers 1st rd pick Gabe Perrault (1 goal and 10 assists in 8 games).

Maine is pretty good too, ranked 13th.

Keep us posted on Perrault. Hearing he is doing a good job of driving the offense.

 

[mdk01]

Going to see the BC-Maine game tomorrow night (they also play tonight).

BC is ranked #1 in college hockey and has a bunch of players just picked in the NHL draft last summer, including Rangers 1st rd pick Gabe Perrault (1 goal and 10 assists in 8 games).

Maine is pretty good too, ranked 13th.

ECAC hockey was so much fun, especially the tournament in the old Boston Garden .

 

[krup]

Keep us posted on Perrault. Hearing he is doing a good job of driving the offense.

I am watching the first game on ESPN+.

Perrault is on a line with two other first rounders and they are dominating every shift they are on the ice. Maine’s 1st line has Carolina’s first rounder and his brother and they are dominating when they are on.

Perrault looks really good with a primary assist on BC’s goal and could have had a couple more but fur Maine’s goalie playing well.

1-1 at the end of 2. Really entertaining game, hope tomorrow’s is as good.

 

[mdh2003]

ECAC hockey was so much fun, especially the tournament in the old Boston Garden .

I went to my first beanpot many, many years ago while still in college. My friend and I thought we got a deal on some cheap nosebleeds. I preceded to see exactly half of the ice live, the other half on the TV mounted on the beam that obstructed my view, lol. That old Boston Garden was quite the lovable shithole.

 

[mdk01]

I went to my first beanpot many, many years ago while still in college. My friend and I thought we got a deal on some cheap nosebleeds. I preceded to see exactly half of the ice live, the other half on the TV mounted on the beam that obstructed my view, lol. That old Boston Garden was quite the lovable shithole.

There was a solution to that for the ECAC semi finals. With 4 teams playing people arrived late for the second game and left early after the first. Move around and you always would find decent seats

Loveable shitbole? Try the summer when they were trying to get a pro box lax league going. It wasn't air conditioned.

 

[krup]

I am watching the first game on ESPN+.

Perrault is on a line with two other first rounders and they are dominating every shift they are on the ice. Maine’s 1st line has Carolina’s first rounder and his brother and they are dominating when they are on.

Perrault looks really good with a primary assist on BC’s goal and could have had a couple more but fur Maine’s goalie playing well.

1-1 at the end of 2. Really entertaining game, hope tomorrow’s is as good.

Maine hung on for a 3-2 win. Perrault had the primary assist on both BC goals, and definitely looked like the slick passer he was described as at the draft.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

When was your last loss, in Newark last season? You guys are sizzling hot

 

[krup]

Just got back from the second Maine BC game. BC won in shootout that went 8 rounds, but Maine played great against them, I think the shootout goal was the first lead BC had all weekend.

I can’t tell how Perrault’s speed and skating relate to what is needed at the NHL level (looked fine here) but holy crap is he skilled with the puck. He scored the first BC goal with a nice wrister over the goalie’s shoulder, and scored a shootout goal on a beautiful deke that kept BC alive, and just a ton of beautiful passes all weekend. I think the Rangers got a steal.

Very impressed with his linemates Will Smith (Sharks) and Ryan Leonard (Caps) as well, but that makes sense because they were top ten picks. Cutter Gauthier (4th by the Flyers in 2022) wasn’t as noticeable.

 

[Mod9a]

In college Cutter Gauthier is the best of the bunch. There’s a reason he was the #5 pick

 

[krup]

In college Cutter Gauthier is the best of the bunch. There’s a reason he was the #5 pick

Like I said, he didn’t stand out like the other 3 did during the games, but Maine played really well and is tenacious on their own ice. Gauthier physically already looks like a big NHL forward, though.

BC is so stacked that “Gauthier was drafted 5th” is not a definitive argument to say he is considered their best player.. They also have Smith (4) and Leonard (8) drafted this summer in the top ten, and Perreault went 22 after being mocked in the top ten. Ridiculously stacked team.

 

[Section124]

Love the college hockey talk in this thread. I’m a Quinnipiac guy and have seen BC, UNH and Maine this year. All good teams. So many good teams this year it’s hard to say who is #1 right now.

 

[krup]

Love the college hockey talk in this thread. I’m a Quinnipiac guy and have seen BC, UNH and Maine this year. All good teams. So many good teams this year it’s hard to say who is #1 right now.

The first Maine game I went to was against Quinnipiac last year. Quinnipiac was obviously better than Maine last year, but the goalie stood on his head and Maine won 4-0.

It’s a great home rink advantage in Orono. Maine hockey is way bigger than Maine football up here.

 

[Section124]

The first Maine game I went to was against Quinnipiac last year. Quinnipiac was obviously better than Maine last year, but the goalie stood on his head and Maine won 4-0.

It’s a great home rink advantage in Orono. Maine hockey is way bigger than Maine football up here.

My brother lives in Otis and I was at both games in Orono. Too bad I didn’t know. That was the worst loss for QU last year and Ostman was impressive. I was at the Quinnipiac-UND series the week before so that was a lot of travel for me those 2 weekends.

 

[krup]

My brother lives in Otis and I was at both games in Orono. Too bad I didn’t know. That was the worst loss for QU last year and Ostman was impressive. I was at the Quinnipiac-UND series the week before so that was a lot of travel for me those 2 weekends.

I don’t have much to measure by. The atmosphere at Maine for hockey is great. Are there a lot of schools that get into hockey like that? It reminds me of when basketball was played in places like the Barn.

 

[mdk01]

I don’t have much to measure by. The atmosphere at Maine for hockey is great. Are there a lot of schools that get into hockey like that? It reminds me of when basketball was played in places like the Barn.

A lot of New England schools. Bowdoin was in the past. All the Boston Beanpot school. UNH. RPI. Dartmouth.

 

[ClassOf02]

Good comeback win tonight in a game with some interesting officiating. Ugly play in the 2nd period, but came back to force OT late and win the SO. I’m really impressed by Gustafson. Nice to see us racking up points without Shesterkin, Fox, Chytil, etc.