Good morning, boneheads!
I loved this game, and can’t wait for Carp’s review! They looked overwhelmed in the first, pretty much everyone, especially the kids. That includes Georgiev, Pionk, Skjei, Andersson, Chytil, and on, and on. But I loved how they all recover…and won 2 periods, 1-0 each. And, at times, they overwhelmed Washington.
Pretty much everyone got involved, and got better. Zuccarello had a very tough game last night, they needed him, he wasn’t there. Spooner disappeared too. Namestnikov got better once the game advanced, but I wonder now if he is worth extending. I liked how Pavelec stepped in too.
You can see why they thought Andersson could be ready last year. He is going to be a very solid player for this team. So will Pionk. I think Chytil may have the best hands on the team already. He still has to work on his 200 ft game.I believe the next 6 games may determine what they do i the offseason. And I can’t wait until Wednesday.
Lastly. I am an old school, I know. But Kuznetsov with that circus move when the game was 4-0? Not too long ago he would’ve ended up on his gluteus, if not taken a beating. And he would’ve had multiple sticks to his ribs for the rest of the game, and multiple smelly gloves to his face.
Now I am going to read the comments, it’s well over 400. Good thing I have a little time.
UPDATED: Carp’s game review from the Athletic.
121 responses to “Rangers-2, Capitals-4. The kids are OK!”
Thirst!
Sire Father!!!
I agree regarding Kuznetsov, thought the same thing when he did that bush league move but the rangers are and have been as soft as that smelly brown stuff for a while. I also agree I wouldn’t extend Namestnikov, I would trade him in the off season.
Первый.
Oops, I thought I was first. Oh, well.
TBH, if Pav didn’t stand on his head, the score could have been 9-2.
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Andresson can play, started playing the body in 2nd and then good things started to happen.
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Zucc with a letter is a joke.
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Haze had a really bad first period and is another floater who only bends his knees to skate hard every third or fourth shift.
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Shea had another rough game, along with Staal. Zika has back in soft shoe mode.
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Cheadle led with SOGs and has some skill, not afraid to shoot, which is a good thing.
Don’t be so fast about writing off guys like Namestnkov, and Spooner. They are still going to need veteran forwards to play next year, and some guys need some time to adjust to there new surroundings. I’m not saying give them 4 year deals, but maybe a few 1 year show me contracts.
Carp is late with his review 🙂
Read the comments. Glad a few people felt the same about Kuznetsov. My guess? Old schoolers.
Forgot to mention. Vesey had a strong game too. The kid tends to rise to the occasion, he’s got some pride. I’d give him more responsibilities.
LIAS!
Zucc had a 2 minute and 30 second shift at the end of the game. He just refused to come off the ice. Of course he made a wish pass from behind his own net, and fell down at the same time.
Vesey has been very good since the sell off. The results haven’t always been there, but the effort and the chances have been.
I’m not writing them off, BDL. I like Namestnikov, not so much Spooner. Namestnikov got better as the game progressed. But I wonder whether they better off spending some money on UFA’s with grit and skill, short term instead. Even if it’s more money, because they’ll have no issues with the salary cap for the next couple of years. I think the next 6 games is a big audition for most of the RFAs
I like Spooner a little better than Namestnkov. I do like them both. Spooner is a good depth forward, who can play up and down the lineup. Gut feeling that Namestnkov will be a lot better next year.
Gorton asked for Namestnikov, Spooner was more of a salary cap transaction. I think Namestnikov is more suited for center than Spooner. But I think, surprisingly, the center position might become a little crowded next year.
C’mon, Carp! I don’t have all day to wait 🙂
Here you go, just appeared 1 min ago. Updating the post.
Post updated, Carp’s review is up.
Spoon and Names are perfect middle six forwards for another tank next year, which is my preference.
Little too good for a true tank perhaps SN. And believe Spooner has 1 Rfa year left, Names two. 1 yr deals only unless they move Hayes and spooner, then you could give Names a 3 yr deal. Sure he is still pissed he went from Tampa to here, can’t really blame him as far as this season goes.
Pete, Namestnikov has 1 RFA year left also. Eve though he was 19 when he signed his first contract, his ELC signing age was 20, so his contract couldn’t slide. He is completing 6th year of his pro contracts.
pete – a Buttman Tank means out of PO picture by March 5 instead of March 29, so not a ‘tank’ per se, but not trying to make a first round exit.
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and how does Garth Snow still have a job?
Good morning Boneheads I had a rough night with this virus so I didn’t chime in during the game. These crappy starts need to cease. Haze needs to work on his speed skating over the summer paging Pam Underhill. Miller for Namestnikov was not a wash, JT is the better player IMO.
Exactly, SN. How did the Fishsticks manage to get eliminated first?
Been a little too long for the virus, St. Pete. Are your docs AHLers? 🙂
I think the Rangers may win two more games the Canes and isles (masters of the tank) and finish with 78 pts. If Tavares resigns with the tire fires he’s a stooge!
Hopefully the NKOTB will get a bit more ice time as the season winds down so we can see what they can really do. Giving Andersson only 10 mins is ridiculous, get the kid out in all situations 15-18 mins, get Chytil on the PP and find out what you’ve got before you run out of games!
This is going to be the longest summer with the most roster question marks in recent Ranger history.
Not to mention the axe hovering over AV’s head
Lot’s of these guys getting auditions; VC with more prime PT, Spoon and Names to assess whether they should offer bridge deals or something longer.
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After very small sample has Lisa with a pro type game and a willingness to play North-South. Cheadle with lot’s of skill, long wingspan; probably needs a good 10 more lbs of muscle to play an entire NHL game slate.
Lisa should be penciled in as 3C with Cheadle possibly needing more AHL which may depend as much on what they do with their RFAs and what brass sees the window for a rebuild / retool / redesign / reboot / regress…
Had the same thought about St. Pete Eli’s virus as ILB2001 and the only time MD was after my name was when I lived in Maryland for a few years. Gorton tends to move quickly. AV’s fate should be set in the next coupler of weeks.
Someone had mentioned the scrum that McLeod got in at the crease. Was disappointed he was alone among 5 Caps. They need to stick up for one another better than that.
Zucc ruined everyone’s night by scoring.
St Pete Doc’s are Hav’s ilb lol. It has only been a week it snuck up on me last Tues. My wife had the same thing and it lasted 2 weeks.
A week is ok, sounded longer. Time flies.
Yes it does ilb. It seems like everyone I know has had this flu even if they received a flu shot.
Re post
I miss the days when a guy would skate leisurely down the ice at the end of the game and do a tap in (no, not her) to the empty net…then get his aasen kicked for not shooting it in from the blue line
Repost #2
Other than the andersson goal…and mom, best part of the night was McLeod getting in a scrum at the caps net midway through the second period and chytil quickly scurrying to the bench, gilmour a few feet away looking petrified…at least buch skates in to alleviate the caps 4 on 1 scrum.
Embarrassing
Zucc sux
Cheadle was great in boogie nights.
Brooksie with a great article about firing AV. The only writer in the city who has the you-know-whats to write that…
Welcome to the NHL, kid!
Color me less impressed with the kids last night. Capitals took their foot way off of the gas after racing out to the 4-0 lead. Example: Kuznetsov went for the lacrosse goal early in the 2nd period. We were already defeated. If it wasn’t for the extended PP time in the third, the ice time for the Caps would have been a lot more balanced overall.
That said, they were fine for a group of kids. They flashed their potential. Andersson sure looks like he could be Stepan 2.0. Smart, solid, dependable 2 way center who is a half step slow. An important player, no doubt, but as we learned first hand, you can’t win with him as your #1C.
Chytil is much more intriguing. He has that true #1C potential, albeit on the low end of that scale. I’m thinking someone like Ryan Johansen (in terms of value only, not style of play).
I’m kinda disappointed Lias didn’t chuck that puck into the stands. A loss is a loss!
And that Kuz move reminded me of Tomas friggin Hertl going all hot-dog on Marty Biron all those years ago. Hertl didn’t play after that – because they knew someone would absolutely cream him, as he deserved. That’s the game that effectively ended Martin Biron’s career (but started Cam Talbot’s), and we all had to endure another month of NHL articles lauding Hertl’s “unbridled enthusiasm” for the game. To me, I think he just read one too many Billy Mumphries stories.
Chytil’s still growing, too. Look at his neck on draft day vs his neck in the pre-game pics. He’s gonna be a bull. I agree – first line potential, but on the lower end of the 1C spectrum – but that’s better than anything we’ve had since Michael Nylander. You gotta love that skill and that frame.
Cheadle’s dad is 6’4″ and mom is 5’10″‘ (6’1″ with the fro)
Only 18.5 yo (DOB – 9/5/99)
Cheadle was also quite good in Crash.
I like him as the War Machine.
ILB is back.
Wick hates Chytil
Doodie hates Lias
And all is right in the world again!
😀
LMAO @ the Fletch reference, SN. kudos
Had to attend wakes last night as well as Sunday for two separate people down at George T Davis funeral home. I’ve come to realize that the majority of people that I’ve known from New Rochelle who have died have all wound up having wakes there. Anyhow, I got to stop in for a Corona and a couple tacos at Mr Taco on North Ave afterwards. Nice to see at least one of my favorite dives still there and completely unchanged.
Meh does not equal hate
I don’t hate him. He’s fine. I would have picked a different player with higher upside. But he’s fine. If he turns into Stepan, great. If you redid the 2008 draft with the benefit of hindsight, Stepan is no worse than 10th, and as high as 5th, depending on what you think of various players. I’d probably slot him 7th overall, but as the 2nd best forward behind Stamkos.
So if the same pans out for Andersson, great.
For reference, I’d go:
1. Doughty
2. EK 65 (I think he’s a better player than Doughty but the foot injury he’s dealing with concerns me long term)
3. Stamkos
4. Peter Angelo
5. Carlson
6. Josi
7. Stepan
1. Stamkos
2. Karlsson
3. Doughty
4. Josi
5. Carlson
6. Pietrangelo
7. Danny Kristo
8. Stepan
Funny, but everyone I know ends up at Lloyd Maxy’s. People are just dying to get in there.
To me, Stamkos isn’t enough of a self-generator to justify going over the two defensemen. He needs a complimentary player to maximize his value. Josi is not strong enough at ES to go over the other two D. Pietrangelo/Carlson is a coin flip. I lean Pietrangelo for not having Ovi to pump up his PP point totals, even if Vlad is also an amazing player.
Also, how could I forget Danny Kristo?! Oh, right, quite easily.
Confused about the term ‘Undertaker.’ A hockey player, a person who works in a cemetery, or someone who bets on low scoring football games?
As with Marchand the Rat, going back in history, seems a lot of players who, after establishing themselves as tough and dirty start to put up sweet numbers. Could it be they are given a wider berth?
coos, some examples?
Wicky!
Sean Avery?
Coos, the parking over there still sucks. That area looks exactly the same even with some updated store fronts.
Avery never put up numbers.
I don’t agree (but don’t entirely disagree) with you on Stamkos. But a guy that can pot 50-60 and should score 1000 points in his career, to me, puts him above the 2 big dmen.
Good argument on the other defensemen.
And I still think there’s time for Monte Kristo to establish himself as an upper echelon forward.
It’s been a very long time since he’s potted 50 or 60. And he had a future hall of famer feeding him the puck.
Marchand is unique. Dirty as hell and doesn’t need to be. The positives: he can score and he can take a hit (and will have to continue to–marked man). The negatives: just about everything else. The game doesn’t need him, does just fine when he’s serving his suspensions. The Department of Player Endangerment, give them credit, believes in fifteenth chances.
Terry ‘O’Reilly, Lucic, Bobby Clarke, Milbury, Gordie Howe, Evander Kane, Chris Neil, Andrew Shaw, Iginla, Ovi, Crosby. And a lot more where they came from. And I might throw our own Messier in there. You might say some of them are/were not ‘dirty, ‘ but if not they came damned close.
Avery for Capt!
George sent down.
Sent to Georgetown. Congrats. Hard to get into these days.
was at the game
1st goal everybody went to the middle especially hayes. IMO directly related to him being center all year.
BDL
bring up Ringo
Had a nice little run, promising asset.
Who’s Ringo?
Ringo is our next Starr.
Norm
he’d beat the opponents like a drum
Ringo could also beat Marchand by a nose
Oh, that guy. Star of Thomas the Tank Engine, could help move the negative needle down the stretch.
But how many of those guys became productive AFTER establishing themselves as tough? Most of those guys were already productive. I’d even argue some became LESS productive (Lucic, Shaw).
Seriously, who is Ringo?
Are tough/dirty guys given a wider berth?
I dunno. Just a personal observation over the years.
The best example is another Bruin, Cam Neely. The reality is most guys would have to cut their teeth in the bottom 6 unless they had star written all over them. Neely was a bruiser who developed into a bonafide power forward.
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Traded by Canuckle-heads after scoring 51-53 goals in 200 games and went to Bs 344-246-590 in 534 GP. Still had high PIMs but became a point+/game player including in 86 PO games; 55-32-87 (for Bos).
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Neely was traded along with a draft pick (1st choice, 3rd overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, used to take Glen Wesley) to the Boston Bruins for Barry Pederson. OUCH!
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On May 3, 1991, during Game 3 of the 1991 Prince of Wales Conference Finals, Neely was checked by Ulf Samuelsson, and injured on the plays. The injury kept Neely out of all but 22 games of the next two seasons, and Neely would only play 162 NHL games for the remainder of his career after the hit because of knee trouble.
Ulfie would be another one, except he was a defenseman.
Nystrom for a few years
The truth is…you’re the weak, and I am the tyranny of evil men..But I’m trying, Ringo…I’m trying real hard to be the shepherd
I still don’t know who Ringo is
Hoo Hoo Are You?
Before my time, but wasn’t Vic Hadfield a bruiser who got put on the top line and turned into a player? Adam Graves…wasn’t a rat or dirty player, but he was a hard-nosed kid (who, at the time of his acquisition, was thought of as inferior to the player given up as compensation – Troy Mallette) who developed into a player.
SN, you cut out the best part of that article on how Neely later took a full time gig driving a big rig and experimenting in the world of bi-sexuality. “See Bass” as he was known to his friends found entertaining in his later years by hangin’ with the boys and sipping on boiler makers.. : D
Chris Nilan’s Montreral years. Once had ten (10) penalties in one game, still an NHL record to be sure.
James – ok, didn’t read the entire book, seems like a missed a couple of interesting chapters.
Busy day at work. Just catching up.
RR2.0/Doodie- Andersson might bring a lot of the same skill set as Stepan, but his compete level, willingness to go in the dirty areas, throw a check and take a hit seem to make Andersson a (potentially) superior player to Step.
That said, I was surprised it took Lias so long to get up off the ice last night when he clearly wasn’t hurt.
Marchand would be the best player on this team instantly…including goalies.
But oh no, can’t have a guy like that because he plays rough in a physical game…lmmfao
I don’t get why some people watch the nhl, I really don’t.
I mentioned it the other day, but if folks don’t like physical, rough hockey, don’t watch the nhl.
It’s the one that says bad mutha Fokker on it
Marchand wouldn’t role at playing on the 5th floor if he were to become a Ranger. Air is much to thin.
Role? Wtf
Are you questioning Stepan’s compete level or his willingness to take a hit? That guy took a beating for us. He only missed one game after Prust broke his jaw and played the rest of the playoffs drinking his meals through a straw. How many other times did he get absolutely creamed and still kept coming back? He may not have been a physical player but don’t even begin to question that guy’s heart.
How role spooned outta tolerate is a mystery
Not trying to bash Lias for not getting up right away. Teenager playing in his first NHL game. He needs someone to tell him we don’t do that here the way Mess told Kovalev.
Wicky, Marchand would be the best player on a lot of teams. And there’s a difference between physical play and dirty play. He crosses that line far too often, especially for a player of his immense talent.
Stepan spent no time in the dirty areas.
Do the caps have the market on players with last names that start with “O”?
Stepan idea of a body check was to slow to a halt, lean in, and gently rub up against the opposing player. Then, skate ever so slowly away as fast as he couldn’t.
RR2
Not enough of a difference to diminish his value imho.
I have no issue with players that cross the line as long as they answer the bell.
Why have a line if you can’t cross it?
Went hard to the corner here.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/derek-stepan-says-hes-fine-hit-behind/
E3 said ‘role’ dirty rub fast
Speaking of Step getting drilled, where’s Belesky?
Oh, I just rememebred: he finished the game when his jaw was broken.
SN, being bad in the AHL, although apparently not as bad as Smith. I wonder who the smart handsome man that runs a HAV was that said signing Smith to a big contract based off of one good playoff run was a mistake.
Step=Passive
Move on
Prust blew his once considerable Garden rep heritage with one ill-conceived and dirty Step attack, far as I’m concerned.
Step did a lot for this organization. Not his fault that he’s not a true 1C. He was a good 2c. Was never particularly physical, but he played 5×5, PP and PK. The team missed him desperately when he got hurt.
I thought his compete level fell off last year which made Gorton’s decision to move him that much easier.
Step never had an ounce of nasty available to him. His buddy Donuts did, but I think it was coached out of him.
Coos- Lol. I don’t disagree .
Why are we even talking about Stepan he’s a Coyote nothing more nothing less.
Move over little dog
A big old dog is movin in
Lias Andersson!
Doodie @ 345pm= 1000% correct. Dislike Stepan if you want for whatever reasons you want but NO ONE should question his heart. I’ve talked about that stuff before. He was literally drinking meals through a straw until 4th of July weekend that year. He also came back early from the broken ribs and got criticized for his play when he returned. Questioning his heart would be like questioning Girardi’s…moving on…
Wicky, Marchand’s value is 0 when he’s suspended.
Mork was suspendered. Nanoo Nanoo.
You gotta like Zucc even if you don’t like him.
https://www.tsn.ca/last-place-nhl-team-has-18-5-per-cent-shot-at-no-1-1.1039608
lottery odds slightly different than last yr
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