It’s also a battle of two of the best teams in Metropolitan Division, and top five teams in the entire league. That’s right, folks. Just a reminder. Because if you listen to some Rangers fans, NY is no match for Carolina. The Hurricanes are the best, and our boys are mediocre. When are they going to get some credit for what they’ve accomplished this year so far?
There is also a little behind the scenes drama of five former Rangers playing for Carolina, Georgiev starting tonight and blah..blah..blah. I think once they drop the puck it will all be just about two points. At least I hope so.
Rangers (26-10-4) vs Hurricanes (26-8-2), 7 pm start, TV-MSG
Projected lineup:
Kreider-Zibanejad-Kakko
Panarin-Strome-Lafreniere
Godrow-Chytil-Gauthier
Hunt-Rooney-Reaves
Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Nemeth-Schneider
Hajek, Tinordi, McKegg-prucha’d
Georgiev in net
LGR!!!!!
297 responses to “It’s Go Time!”
Seems to me that all the former Rangers now with Carolina were pretty much considered offal by the organization.
LGR!
LGR!
I want the shorter Miller who wears the brass knuckles taped inside his gloves.
Ten to one that Smitty doesn’t jump on Reavo’s back. 🙂
Coos, It’s like the land of misfit toys from the Rudolph movie that Rankin/Bass made.
Opie, Couch, Quinn’s son…
Quite the representation of bad Ranger contracts from the past decade too
Buddy Revell?
🙂 well-put
Only exception is Raanta. Solid Ranger. Quality back up. Under the right cap conditions would have liked him back this season.
This is a benchmark game. I think it will require 60minutes of alert hockey tonight. Can the Rangers beat Carolina? Yup you bet they can.
Surprised old #18, TRS, isn’t down there. 5.7 mil against the Cap and almost everyone here and in the dim Press treated him as though he were Bobby Orr.
Loved Auntie. He’s missed.
Hanks hair definitely did not need surgery
Hank combs his hair with Hellman’s mayonnaise.
I’m very happy with Gallant running the show in NY. But Brin d’Amour was the coach I wanted in NY this summer. Youngish, passionate coach who seems to get the best out of his group – including the ex Rangers. Maybe except for beat wide.
LGR!!! Onions Game, to early to crown the Stepan-fetchit’s!!
It’s one game…beyond that, I could literally care less.
Cheapo Dolan should just let Sam broadcast from his toilet.
…love the old NYeze ‘I could care less.’
Step now literally slower than molasses. Thy raced pre-game and the pour reached the far boards first and easily first.
I don’t think the rangers are a mediocre team. I think the rangers are a good team but the canes are a better team today. Therefore I would be shocked if the rangers won this game. I’m not even sure it will be a close game.
And it’s a line brawl…lol
Canes are overrated!
Everybody ready for the D’anger hat trick? 🤣
LGR! I saw a lot of Ranger games in Raleigh. Visits to see my daughter seemed to coincide with Ranger-Carolina games…
I would’ve been happier with Smitty than Nemeth
So does anybody have any rational theories on why Georgie’s playing this one?
hard to believe we won any games without hunt in the lineup
Seems to be all canes so far.
Canes remind me a lot (A LOT) of the lightning 2 or 3 years before their back to back and beefed up roster.
Overrated regular season darlings of the fancy crowd.
Is it this svetchnikov that ovi knocked out?
I’d love to get to Frederick Andersen like we got to Campbell last game.
Geez. Horrible offensive play and possession.
Pete mad at hunt because his boy Chytil got moved down because hunt returned…🤷🏼
We have as many giveaways as Carolina has shots
Ev
Plenty of time
I like Jordan staal
Eerily similar start to Leaves game.
Remember when he was with the pens and suckered Prust along the boards? Yeesh
If you guys could not to leave forwards wide open in front of the net, that would be greeeeeaaaaat.
ha no Wick, rather have Laf or even Goodrow there than Hunt. More so it seems like we could get Barron in the lineup rather than dressing both Hunt and McKegg
I’m guessing Stepan
Yeah, Wick. Plenty of time to deepen the hole lol
Greeeeaaaat
Cheap stick
Informer
That’s a new song
I think they started boy George cuz they knew whoever played was gonna get shelled. Best to keep E-gore fresh for the long haul.
Ev
Indeed…that 0-0 hole is massive 🙄
yay
In. Evitable.
Nah, Wick. I meant the difference in giveaways to shots
Sometimes I think this team should never ever win another game just to make some of you sky is falling chicken littles happy
At least it took them longer than Toronto
James boy trochek with the goal
Ev
Oh, my bad…I thought you meant score
Jesus H Christ. Just zero offense going on for us. None. Zippo. Zilch.
Nemeth again showing why we paid him so much for so long. Wait….
NOT a good road period
What an aho
Lindgren got rocked by the Michigan Man
I feel guilty I’m not there
It’s ok, we don’t care
😉
Maybe this is our new strategy. Play like crap and get dominated in the first and then turn the tables in the second🤷🏻♂️
Ev
He did
This isn’t Toronto. We’re 3 blocks from done.
Bad turnover
Lindgren’s gotta play that better
As usual our opponents have as many or more goals as we have shots in the first period.
Edmonton just called, offered a 6th rounder in 2028 for georgiev
😉
Have they kept the puck, with possession, in the offensive zone for more than 6 seconds so far?
Foxy ain’t no leech in his own end
Craperiod.
no, but Hunt’s hustling out there. almost got back in time to stop that goal! 😉
so far, exactly what I thought, not surprised.
We look like a junior high school team.
He’s not leech but he’s better than leetch defencively.
Lol…I’m rolling
Not much pushback. Zero offense. Canes are a very good team.
I don’t even remember any of the shots by the Rangers other than the full rink shot just now. Anyone else feel the same?
We got 4 shots? When did they add another one to the count???
Carolina is going to score no less than 3 in this game. Remember, Jordan Staal hasn’t scored in 27 games…..
Woohoo! I broke the blog!
Strongly disagree Wicky
No more candy in these canes
For starters leech could hit. Foxy not physical at all
It was this svetchnikov
Fox has looked a little off the last several games or so. His defense has looked somewhat suspect as well as his decision making with the puck. It’s like he’s thinking slower than usual.
E3
You’re prerogative.
Some zone time isn’t such a bad thing
Any zone time is even better
A zone time better still
E3
Lmao..yeah, him and stevens were always vying for the most intimidating…
Lol
Time for the Dryden Hunt top 6 experiment to end.
They throw fish?! Lmao
Anyone know if they do that on their 3 stars all the time?
Hilarious
E3’s zone = the can. Lots of time in that zone.
Someday, Miller will take a man in front. Every goal against, there’s at least five feet open ice between him an an opponent. ANY opponent.
At least, even at his worst, #55 is hanging on someone.
So when did they go back in the bubble? This looks like the best team they played all year. Not that surprised. GG will.play Shesty in a game he can win, but, can’t say that out load.
Coos
Don’t hold your breath
Why can we not forecheck? Didn’t we know that we must HIT and slow down these buzzing bees?
Agree on Miller. He needs one of those collars that shocks him when he leaves the net front.
As the majority of posters tonight go running to the ledge over …2 points
Lmao
Wick feel free to post a montage on every check foxy has thrown – I’ll wait
#8 goes behind the net and #79 follows him. High school juniors know better.
Sam useless when not on site. He misses anything not right on the puck.
Carolina is sticking like glue to the Ranger players in our offensive zone. As usual we back off and escort them into theirs.
E3
I’m sorry…golly gee gosh, I’m sure in leetch’s long career he had a few hits…he wasn’t physical, it wasn’t his game. He was positionally sound and great offencively. Fox is better defencively than leetch was, it’s not a knock on leetch it’s just what it is.
I’m not sure why you are so bothered by it but it’ll be ok buddy, it will…I promise.
Btw, it’s leetch, not leech.
But by all means E3, please do wait.
Goodnight Gracie
AGAIN , Miller takes no one.
It’s the ex-Rangers party!
Black Hawks -Minnesota at 8:30.
Feels like the Vegas game. This team is dead on their feet. Carolina is getting to every puck, they’re glued to every Ranger player and we’re busy backing off and giving them space. Seems like a sound strategy, no?
Coach had better talk to these boys!
Check out game 7 vs 1994 v Vancouver – a monster hip check on Momesso (I think) in what was the most important game in my lifetime…..leech threw quite a few hop checks. He was no Scott Stevenson for sure
Maybe call a timeout when we’re getting outshot 8 to zip and have a goal against.
Georgie isn’t the problem.
Panarin just showed how much he cares tonight with that friendliness shot that never made it through. His body language was “aw, fudge it”
And I’m not so bothered. Really. It’s not like I’m worried about what you think. Relax sport, it’ll be ok
Best Ranger action all game and they go to commercials.
Goodrow. first sign of life.
Win a game, lose a game, win a game, lose a game…. Hopefully that’ll get us in the playoffs.
Canes make very good but don’t like getting hit
Great hit
HIT the miscreants!
Win one, lose one, win one lose one. 26-10-4. Math checks out. 🙂
A good hit and a little mojo
Back in it…….
Woot
Mika 2nd sign of life. Beer me.
well, not surprised at all, exactly how I thought this game was going to go, canes are a better team than the rangers, hands down.
E3
Atta boy…just relax son. You can have your opinion, it really is ok.
Carolina Rap music . OK.
Well, at least they’re physically present…some of them anyhow.
Strome with the football field between his shot and the far post.
GG giving Reaves more ice.
Thx Wicky – much appreciated
Buzzing
Hunt=pretty worthless
Goodrow completely changed the tempo of the game with that hit.
Panarin just needed to lift that. Ugh.
E3
Happy to help
👍
Dimwit Micheletti praising Miller, NEVER notes his deficiencies.
Did I see reaves on a line with Meeka?
Let’s see how lo g it lasts.
Long
Canes are in the Rangers heads. They aren’t this bad.
Coach messaging with Reaves.
Reaves on with THE. Mika again.
Anyone taking bets on when our if the Rangers will throw another hit?
*or
Has McDavid asked for a trade yet?
Reavo in for Kakko…gonna be fun brunch tomorrow
Joe thinks Reaves is out there because Kakko is benched or hurt. Reaves is NOT Kakko’s replacement in either case. It’s a damn message, jerko!
I wish Reaves didn’t sound so well spoken and intelligent. He’d be more scary for us as a stone moronic thug. 🙂
Great backcheck
The rangers have had at least 4 blatant giveaways in the last 3 minutes
Trouba is really giving that kid a rough ride lol
Troubs just destroyed Svechnikov Salmonjoe out to lunch
I hate this team
What’s up with Georgie and freezing the damn puck
Great work by hunt there
And Bobby, that’s not a new thing. The last few games he’s had that problem
Was that hunt that missed the puck there?
SalmonJoe watching on TV just like you and me. They miss 70% of the game.
Yeah deflating goal
Weak call
Is #20 dressed?
Really weak play by the entire Ranger team on the 4th goal. Got to hit the weight room.
NOW they use their timeout🙄
Coos
Enigma is enigma despite his non enigma like scoring this year.
Great timeout
That was an anti-timeout
Reaves on PP
Happy that was the most worthless timeout of all time
A lot of dump and giveaway
Georgie blows. Time to turn this one off
Joe: “Good timeout.”
Black Hawks calling.
Bye.
Not a great decision by Nemeth.
That’s on Schneider
We have to revamp this entire D unit.
Boy George left out to dry
I guess all the rankings were right about us
Chitchow
Coos said pp…lol
Would be a hell of an interesting 7 game series if we had Igor in nets
Schneider went first, Nemeth shouldn’t.
Now we got Pidto. It nerver ends.
Poopoo
Tough to blame defense when the puck is in their zone all night
At least Shesty will be good and rested for an Arizona onslaught.
Hard to blame Georgie for any of these goals honestly.
Hard to imagine two D playing worse that Miller and Trouba tonight, but somehow Fox, and Lindgren are.
Nights like this, I miss Torts’ post game.
Now we get to hear about how the surging islanders are all over the mighty Coyotes
It would be nice if some of the young guns got their heads out of thier you know what and played with a little pace and tenacity next period
My bad, I thought Schneider was at the side of the net and didn’t rotate when nemeth went behind…
They aren’t this bad. Canes are in their heads. They also need to make to make some adjustments to get the puck behind the Canes D that isn’t that great.
Has Draisatl asked for a trade yet?
Hank would be hollering at these guys.
Coos, Georgie’s afraid of being punched
ORF
Do you think the canes are in their heads lol…
Bobby the young guns are probably just wondering if they’ll be Hurricanes by the time they’re 30 years okd
Georgie gives up another goal and Tony D should attack him in the runway again just for old-times sake.
Nemeth yikes. Two goals directly off his inaction and misplay. Though as BDL said, none of them looking very good but might be nice for the other three skaters to maybe do more than alternate between watching and running around like a headless chicken.
Carolina is faster physically and faster mentally. Just harder on the puck all night.
Chytil and a 2nd for Quickie.
There’ll be no miracle comeback tonight. Ozark is calling!
Of course they’re losing to the only good team they’ve played this year.
Carolina is the big dog rag dolling the wannabe new dog. Did nobody in our locker room expect to get bit tonight?
Rangers weren’t prepared for the battle level. That’s on the vets as much as it is the kids.
This is an aggressive post season style that Carolina came out with and the Rangers are having a bad hockey game. Simple as that.
Carolina doesn’t impress me. Their blueprint is one to follow though. Defensive depth. Goalie depth. Center depth. role playing veterans on modest contracts.
Big comeback in the third. Puke it, er, I mean, Book it.
Sam: “What should the Rangers do this third period, Joe?”
“Keep doing what they’re trying to do, Sam.”
And that is also why some of us go on and on about things that go beyond the offensive stats and skill.
Come playoff time this is what the end result looks like most nights if you don’t have guys that can set the tone or match the competition level of the opponent.It’s not about dropping gloves or throwing hits.
Everybody go home. You can’t win a game if you don’t show up. Worst game I’ve seen in many a year. Trap game. This always happens after a game maybe that should have been closer in the scoring. Bottom line they play like this tomorrow night Arizona’s gonna kick their ass
Woot woot
Holland just put Turris on waivers. Cap room for a goalie not named Georgiev ya think?
Talk about failed auditions
Pucks to the net ..simple
Woot woot woot
Good thing Pete didn’t trade McKegg….
Keg McGreg!
It’s the bubble all over again……. All you need to do to beat us is keep us pinned in. Don’t care that it’s 5-3 now…. Ain’t no way we’re coming away with a W with the way they’re playing.
Brindamour is fugly
Well, if they are going to mount a comeback, two quick ones early is the way to do. Start planting some seeds of doubt.
Beer.
Canes took their foot off the gas.
Fugly…Lmmfao
“It’s not about dropping gloves or throwing hits.”
So why did we sign guys who can drop gloves and throw hits instead of guys that can set the tone or match the competition level of the opponent?
I think Rooney is due for a goal, no?
it’s Hunt i want gone Beezle, Kegger can stay on the 4th line
How do we manage to so perfectly deflect the puck right onto a Carolina forward’s stick?
Schneider has wheels. Wow.
If Kakko shot the puck as much as Reavo he could have more points
Nemeth missed…should have lit him up
bobbyo if the entire team shot the puck they would all have more points. Gabriel is just the poster child.
Goodrow is worth the money. Before they all started making the best player on the team the captain he’s the kind of guy who would be a captain.
Schneider’s got a shiner!
Kakko doesn’t shoot Beezle …it’s no mystery anymore
Really Sam?! Thanks for that amazing insight 🙄
Hey…goddamnit…nobody shoots beezle
Not kakko…no one
Miller sucks. He really does.
How does Miller lose that puck? What should be a pretty simple clear the zone turns into chaos
Chytil hold it jeezus…instead, just gives it away
How many posts tonight 3?
Isn’t there a limit to how many players Carolina can have in their goal at the same time?
Well, that’s fitting. Goodnight.
be nice if Panarin and Strome could do a little more than play patty cake with the puck at the point
C3 I’m sorry
From now on I’m just going to apologize to people who can’t get over players they like/don’t like getting traded or signed. So I’m sorry.
Not sure if the Canes just backed off or the Rangers picked it up. Quite a night for TDA.
What took him so long?
….. I stand corrected. THAT…. is fitting. Once again, Goodnight. This team isn’t ready for the big time yet….
Speaking of which, TDA wins this round.
Yeah C3, that’s terrible to hear!
I’m not sure why or what James is apologizing about but condolences, I hope everything works out ok.
as long as you are consistent James! But only one line is a -2 tnte
Tony D makes the Canes great again!
They’ve got high hopes…high hopes…
26-11-4 still a pretty successful first half.
Don’t apologize James…just blame Georgie and Jughead….I won’t post Deangelo stats for a few more weeks as promised
I didn’t realize in the 20+ years of being a hockey fan that it works this way. Pick who you like and who you don’t like and every time they lose a game or the team plays poorly you piss and moan about how it’s the fault of all the guys you don’t like.
Then Rangers fans take offense to being called the most absurd fan base in sports
Bobby print them ASAP. Something about reading the comments here makes me have to go poop. I’ll need some TP
He may make the same salary next year that Gorton gave him. He can score.
It certainly is, Gravy. But they got worked tonight. Had their time and space completely taken away and wilted like a flower.
PS: Package Miller for Miller. Stupid Gorton letting him go for peanuts…. Jackass.
It’s one game and 2 points…
i mean don’t think that’s unique to Ranger fans man, pretty much universal fandom behavior right there
Wick,
It’s not the 2 points I’m concerned about…. It’s the way in which we lost.
The lack battle level and foot speed concerns me greatly. All too often they went east-west D to D in their own end instead of a quick stride/first pass. They were hemmed in early and often.
I guess I just hold myself to a higher standard then, Pete 😜
Wouldn’t be shocked if Drury really does look for a veteran defender
Craig it’s one game ..hopefully a lesson to be ready in first period and for some of the young forwards to increase their compete level
Craig,
Every team…every single one…has bad games over a season. The Vegas game was bad…there are other games…it happens.
Don’t give in to panic of others and the speed thing is laughable if you are referring to skating speed. If you are talking about mental processing speed and sharper passes (the puck can always be passed faster than any skater can skate…ALWAYS), well that has to do with having an off game and not having an off game.
It’ll be ok 👍
In their own end, Wick. In their own end. They KNEW Carolina would bring a heavy forecheck and they had zero answer for it all night long.
Can we trade Georgie now?
Craig
One game, one game. And there are plenty of games where teams plan against other teams “strengths” and they still lose.
It happens over an 82 game regular season.
James every time before he comes to the blog :*
https://media0.giphy.com/media/e6TR9n00dL3JS/giphy.gif
Miller increased his handicap per game from 1.5 to 2.5. You would think he should be getting better. But he’s not. He’s just watching every opposing forward pass him. He doesn’t hit, stickcheck or block any shots. He just stands there watching the other team score. He should buy a ticket. Make him a winger, trade him or let him spend a week in Hartford. When we lose he’s usually the 1st star on the other team.
Unless I counted incorrectly, they scored 1 goal off of a forecheck, the rest were off of odd man rush or power play.
Which is what they do, they are a counter attacking team
That was not close to good enough, but Carolina is a very good team. One game……….forget about it and move on.
They split the two “challenge” games. Shesty wouldn’t have made a difference tonight. They don’t play them again for two months. Let’s see if they make some adjustments and compete better the next time. It’s hard to get upset when they get beat by a team that is clearly better than them at this point. Maybe they can close the gap in two months. They haven’t closed it much in the last two years.
4th goal Georgie has to smother and he just looks lost on point shots with any sort of traffic…not blaming him for loss just that he can be easily replaced
Btw, I don’t blame this or that player for this loss.
I blame Carolina for being more prepared than the Rangers to play this game.
Bobbyo
He can and for less
So they figured out who turned in Anne Frank
Right Wick – the puck moves off their sticks with alacrity, shoot or pass, making them appear to be faster than they really are.
Avery?
I’m not going to let this ruin my weekend.
Kakko and Lafreniere still boys playing a man’s game. Convince me otherwise?
Sad news from islanders. Clark Gillies dies at age of 67. Hell of an islander. The type of player any team would love to have RIP
The guy who finally put an end to Dave Schultz.
Shakira…shakira…that’s not what I’m saying….lmao!
It never gets old
NSFW
Until LOAF and Stromeo get a Josh Anderson type player on their right wing they will be intimidated the playoffs. This is just my opinion of course.
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