Good morning, boneheads!
Wooohhhooo! They beat the Devils! I hate the Devils. The word “hate” isn’t something I love having in my vocabulary. This team from NJ is one of those occasions when it’s fully applicable. So, in case some of you haven’t heard the story, I will tell it again.
I moved to NJ at the end of 1994. Lived in Essex County, right next to West Orange where most of NJ players lived. Most of my neighbors, friends, and random people around me were Devils fans. My son’s friends and schoolmates were Devils fans. We moved back to NY in 2002. You can only imagine what kind of environment my son and I lived in, and what kind of abuse we had to endure during these years of Devils’ domination. So, yeah, I hate the byfuglien Devils!
One positive thing. During summer months plenty of Devils players played tennis in West Orange. I used to be 4.5 tennis player then, and I used to play against them as much as I could. Singles, or doubles with my adolescent son. He ended up playing for college varsity eventually. The Devs could run the ball, they were fit, but were average at tennis at best. We used to toy with them and try to embarrass them as much as we could. I remember we played against Zelepukin ( remember him? he was playing in Philadelphia at that point ), and some other Russian guy whose last name escapes me now ( I think his first name was Gennady, and he never played in the NHL, but played for Philadelphia’s AHL team). The amount of frustration and Russian curses we got out of these two is something I will never forget 🙂
Well, bad news? I am not 4.5 tennis player anymore. Good news? DEVILS STINK!
Click here to read Carp’s game review.
297 responses to “Rangers-4, Devils-3”
“Fan base” never chased McDonuts out of town. Where do you come up with this stuff?
joke, right?
LOL Heard a lady reporting sports on radio an hour ago, and she says: “The Islanders were upset last night by Tampa.” Media is absolutely loaded with nitwits. They all wanted to be Hollywood Stars, but couldn’t, so they go into either Politics or “News.”
Probably to strong Coos. A trade they had to make, but people here were killing him.
When he trades Zucc, the bottom line is Gorton has to come up with 2 legitimate top 6 prospects (one drafted, one yet to be drafted) AND a top 6 DMan.
Thoughts?
Not me.
I predicted it to the T, bolts resign him, he goes back to being mcdougle behind Herman, and he’d eat minutes for the next 4 seasons.
But he couldn’t have done that here. He didn’t have the support around him. And there was no way to bring in that support. The rangers were handcuffed with that team. They had everything but the finisher and bc of the cap and raises couldn’t keep the team together and bring in that final piece. They tried for a couple years by trying to add that guy at the deadline on a deadline caphit. But it never hit. It’s a shame they were one piece away.
Haha spellcheck is getting out of control
Well, Dog, big, big things were expected from #27. He was always good but never grew into the Superstar we anticipated early on. Poor management/pairings and injuries did him in.
Will any Captain on a losing team ever say to a post-game reporter: ‘Stop asking me the same stupid questions!’ ?
THE basically said that one night, in cloaked terms, to Dave M. and shortly thereafter, Dave declared that Kreider was not Captain material. Guess Dave thinks a Captain should just admire his repeated, never-ending dimwit questions.
Papa
Yeah, gorton says it’s called free agency!
Never said Howden, Hajek, and Lundkvist are or will be busts. Just saying Gorton got the short straw!
PB,
Your saying the zuc return needs to be
Top6 prospect
1st round pick
Top6 rotation dman
Don’t think you can get that without taking back salary. Rangers took on spooner and belesky in that Nash trade
If we had kept Stralman for Mac to play alongside may never have been a need to trade him. But our D had to and still needs to be completely rebuilt. Until that happens we aren’t going anywhere. Oh yea we need some more scorers too!
All I’m going to chime in with is let’s take another look in 3 more years at that trade.
Mac wasn’t traded because he declined he was traded because just like Yandle he wanted a ton of term.
So yeah, let’s see how he’s working out at 32/33 y/o while 23 y/o’s Howden and Hajek are stepping into bigger roles.
Zucc is top line right wing on perhaps the hottest line in hockey. His return should blow the Nash return out of the water.
James, Bells chime, people opine.
Papa only problem is that Zucc had as Many points from October til January as he’s had over the last four weeks.
(Most) GMs aren’t that done. Decent prospect and a 2nd is probably the most they’ll get
Au contraire, James. Donuts gave us a large discount last contract he signed here. Talent-wise, if injury free, he can still be a factor even at 35+.
Stralman comment astute, P.
Still don’t know why Boston traded what they did for Nash. Even if healthy he was never gonna be a difference maker in the playoffs. Outside chance we get a 1st for Zuc, but still think Grabner return is more likely. If Gorton is smart he would just get the best prospect (closer to NHL ready the better) instead of insisting on a pick
Yea Coos things really started to unravel once they let Stralman walk. Genius move by Sather
If Gorton was smart?
Question is: Are Haze and Zucc over-achieving because of pending contract dollars and location, or….or what? Happenstance?
Except for a couple or three astute talent evaluators, this was very anti-Stralman at the time.
Coos, there is no such animal as overachieving.
Coos, in the end Mac was the most wasted captain of all time.
Never had the opportunity to play with a steady and effective partner once Stralman was gone. Had a coach that felt the best way to utilize him was as a tourniquet to halt the bleeding beside him on defense instead of providing him with the support that most too dmen get the luxury of.
Management should have stepped in and stepped up but instead chose to continuously attempt the same nonsense with guys like Dan Boyle and Shatty while trying to squeeze blood from a stone with Girardi and Staal because that’s what the preference of the coach and his system
Stralman almost begged to stay.
Bullseye, James
Papa – they’ll keep it up? Could be. Therein lies the story. Have to be Nostradamus to know.
Must admit that I miss the excitement of Nash and Grabs on the PK. Always a threat for a shorthander.
The Ranger D compliment at the time now comprises 50% of the top teams Top 6. Obviously, the Ranger compliment of forwards didn’t measure up to the current level of the Bolts.
team’s
Let’s see if Hayes even returns to how he was performing pre injury. Zuc is on a streak that isn’t sustainable long term unless he truly has become a different player over night. Let’s hope he keeps it up a couple more weeks and then we trade him
Well, Gorton gets great ink and accolades from Carp and ‘those in the know,’ but frankly, I don’t see it. Haven’t given up on him yet, but….
I’m not a big stralman fan, he’s a good d but I think he’s been in some good situations with the rangers (guys then in prime) and Tampa.
Before that, he couldn’t stay on a team.
Just overrated in my book, but keeping him would have stopped some subsequent not good moves imo.
Hindsight 20/20
50% of what salary? I honestly would replace our entire top 6 on D next year if it was possible, but it ain’t
As for replacing Stralman with Boyle, as Ranger fans we can only hope that was a Slats decision by himself and Gorton had nothing to do with it.
Jpp
one piece away?
Orr or Gretzky in their prime?
He is steady Wick and that is a good thing to have for a stronger partner. By himself he isn’t all that special and wouldn’t ever want him to be the guy obviously
Papa I admit whole heartedly that I didn’t appreciate Stralman much aside from his playoff performances the final two years
On a différent note, glad to see one of the dirtiest punks in the league at least got fined for his dangerous on the ice garbage usually does.
We shall see how the drafting plays out but haven’t been impressed with most of Gorton’s trades or free agent signings especially. Biggest mistake was compounding the albatross of bad D salaries with Smith (and Shatty but can’t say I saw that turning out so bad) instead of just riding out Girardi’s deal and buying out Staal instead.
Pete
Agreed
Pete
they should have ridden Staal’s and G’s contracts another couple of years and stayed far away from Shatty.
But if Shatty never signed here there would have been plenty who thought he should have. Most don’t get to see a guys warts until they see him up close on day to day basis.
McD playing well now and was a good Ranger but in 2 years that contract may not be looking good
Yeah, that $5000 fine sure will teach Kucherov a lesson.
The Crystal Balls are out today.
I am one who most definitely undervalued Stralman.
Stralman too, though no Bobby Orr, had himself a relatively formidable slapper and on net.
The Smith signing was far more egregious to me than Shatty. Current play aside and whether or not the singing made sense at the time, Shatty signed here at below market in $ and years. Whereas Gorton overpaid Smith in $ and years!
—-
And Alex I disagree in that they should have cut bait with Staal instead of Girardi, but agree they could have waited longer to do so.
But according to AV Stralman couldn’t handle the PP Coos!
I will be at the 25th Anniversary game on Friday. Will Neil Smith?
Against the thinking of many here, I feel that AV was a minor charlatan.
Love that walrus in net. Looks a bit like Chris Christie.
Any smart cookies out there have any good examples of guys resigningwith a team that sold them off at the trade deadline?
When we mention Zucc or Hayes or McQuaid coming back July 1
Or last year people mentioning resigning grabber or nasher as UFAs after selling them off
I can’t think of a good case of that occurring with any team but I may just be brain farting
Vermette did it with Arizona at least once.
Roman Polak did it with the Leaves.
I’d take mcwuaid back on the cheap if we can ditch some of the other deadweight. Time to move on from Zuc and honestly Hayes as well (as he won’t be worth his contract).
It was a great deal for Zona and Vermette. Vermette to Chicago for Klas Dahlbeck and an R1 (Ryan Merkley). Vermette wins Cup and comes back to Arizona a few months later.
I’ve said I’d be happy to take back McQuaid for a low price for one season ($2m?) or forego trading him if he wants to sign an affordable extension. I would not say no to Zucc this summer if he wanted to come back for 1-year at around 3m. Hayes? Nah – I’m banking on getting a nice extra conditional piece in his trade if he signs with whatever team trades for him – plus we need to move forward with our young centers.
I hear you on Zuc and I guess he wouldn’t be blocking anyone yet since it’s pretty much just Kratsov in the pipeline on the wing and who knows if he even is NHL ready next year. Of course not sure zuc would take such a short deal as would be the same trade drama again next season
Wonder what Zucc will get in dollars and term on his next deal?
MSL and Deharnais are two smaller guys whose game fell off pretty suddenly at the end.
I’d be surprised to see Zucc getting more than a 2 year deal.
We won’t know till after deadline. We should assume Chytil will be a center post-deadline and next year. So unless we add some wingers at the deadline, we’re going to need SOMEONE behind Kreider, Buch (and even he’s a question mark) and potentially Kravtsov. We might still have Vesey and Names going for top-6 minutes, plus Fast. It’s super fluid.
If we still have Names and Vesey, and one of our trades brings back a promising winger…I’d probably pass on an affordable Zucc reunion.
We all know Fast is a top 6 guy next year Dave!
Why limit him to top-6?
Is there some hockey tonight? Hockey Night in NYC? Cause I’m feeling pretty manly after chopping wood this afternoon. If you don’t have a Gransfors Bruk maul you owe it to yourself to get one.
That’s true Dave. Top 3 and then double shift him on 3rd line
Point on the 2nd PP unit too.
My two cents: don’t tread water at RW position. You’re light throughout the organization at that position. Start replenishing. You’re going to have at least one of Chytil, Buchnevich and Kravtzov in the RW mix. not nearly enough if it isn’t at least 2 of them.
James
Great article about McQuaid wanting to stay.
Thanks
Same lineup so tony d sitting
Man, Tony must’ve really mouthed off at practice…
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