Rangers vs. Blue Jackets… It’s Go Time!

You might have thought that I would wisely use my time during the break to set up a go time thread in advance, but then you would have forgotten the HAV nature of this blog.

Staal and Fast back in. Clendening and Lindberg out.

243 thoughts on “Rangers vs. Blue Jackets… It’s Go Time!”

  26. Silver lining: two straight games the Rangers playing hard in the first period on home ice. May pay off some day if they get used to it.

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  44. You could see how determined the Rangers were not to give up a 4 on 4, sat on their heels, broke down. Can’t fault Lundqvist too much there, but no help either.

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  47. That’s not even funny… Again and again! Hank is making kid’s hockey mistakes. We have now one of the less reliable goalie in league.

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  60. Until this team gets a Nolan Patrick it’s the same old story! And I don’t care how well Lundqvist can play at times he’s just not that good anymore!

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  68. Starting to think rangers could have a bad second half and not make the playoffs and if the rangers some how make the playoffs, it’s one and done from my point of view, don’t care who they play.

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  69. Earlier this season, 3-0 was not that big a deal for the Rangers. Win or lose, they would keep it coming. Now you look at those 4 on 4’s, where they’re laying back, afraid to attack, it feels as if they’ve lost their nerve.

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  72. Just saw the rest of the goals. What the hell?! Most consistent goaltender up to this point in probably the history of the league. This year he’s like a box of chocolates cuz ya never know which Lundqvist you’re gonna get.

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  80. They had some great games this year but too many stinkers. I want to watch the games not continually delete them from the dvr without watching. Pathetic. But, hey, at least we know we’ve got a coach for an extra two years!

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  87. Jackets stunk in the first, then remembered they were a good team. Rangers were good in the first, thought they’d arrived. Almost makes you pine for the days when they started off asleep and grew into games.

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  90. Strange and embarrassing game. Highest density of wrong decisions in offence, defense and neutral zones. Poor Raanta. Klein should’ve being trade after last season. Hank should play in Retired Sweden Veteran League.

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  98. AV is the man we’re in good shape for the next 3 years! Move Fast to the 1st line that will turn things around! Sorry but this cotton candy team has no gravel!

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  103. I was bummed this afternoon when I realized I’d have to miss the third period. Not so much. Checking in tomorrow AM to see if there are some fellow posies on the ledge. Shocking performance.

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  121. Well, at least we know they will come out in the third hitting everything in sight and dolling out a plethora of face washes post whistle because they are pissed and actually give a damn….right?!

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  130. Sitting at the game with my daughter both wearing Lundqvist jerseys. Guy behind me (really drunk) screaming obscenities at him at the top of his lungs. I turn around and give him my schoolteacher look. “Oh um excuse my language Ma’am.” Me -“don’t let it happen again”. He gets up and moves. Only thing that has given me a glimmer of joy this whole game. 😁

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  141. Hey! Yoooo! What do you say!! So, by now I’m guessing you guys agree with me about this goalie, Bachagaloop Jones. Time to trade him and his eight gazillion dollar cap hit.

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  188. Good morning Boneheads! I think the best way to get rid of Lundqvist is trade him to Pit for Fleury. At least he will get his ring as a back up! Because he isn’t getting one here. Of course the pens would never make that trade, but Lundqvist for 5 more years and AV for 3 is disheartening!

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  189. Nice job having your team prepared after the break!
    Torts team seemed pretty ready right off the opening FO!

    I was sitting right near the boards on the goal line. First few minutes Torts’ boys had some cracking hits. Really set the tone. AV boys had a different tone.

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  190. Enough body blows early and a couple of Softquist specials leads to a 6-0 margin to a division rival.
    What the F is Miller doing on a line with Fast?
    How come Lindberg is not playing over Pumps or Puree?
    3 more years of AV’s whistle to whistle pillow talk

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  191. Noble, actually the Rangers dominated the start of the game. Shots were 5-0 and all of the play was in Columbus’ zone. Then jones scores a softy, a shot he threw at the net probably just so Columbus could get a SOG on the board, and of course Lundqvist blows it completely. That gave Columbus a foothold.

    Of course, what completely ended the game was Zuke’s penalty, changing what should have been a PP into a 4 on 4 in which we gave up two goals, the second of which was softer than melted butter.

    Garbage.

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  192. Went to this one as a birthday present. Should have regifted. The 2nd period may have been the worst period of Ranger hockey I have ever witnessed in person with the 4 on 4 setting the tone. You could see when Raanta climber over the boards he wasn’t mentally ready to play. Not sure why they put up a stinker every time they come back from a break. No more home games and practice every day the rest of the season.

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  195. I didn’t get a chance to watch that s**tshow. What can you do if you’re the Rangers? They can’t send Lundqvist to the minors. They can’t trade him. They can’t release him. All they can do is either sit him or else play him and hope he gets over it. This is why eight year contracts in a sport as demanding as hockey are crazy.

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  196. @RR2 and maybe some Adderall too. I can kind of excuse Auntie’s performance as just coming back from the injury and having to jump in like that. HL is looking more and more like Kevin Weekes. Stops the tough shots and misses the easy ones. Team has to play with same intensity they brought in third the whole game. Granted, CBJ probably coasting a bit there but sometimes we seem to sleep walk as a group. Group sleep.

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  197. A team can’t consistently win when they lack confidence in their Goalie just the facts! It must always feel like an up hill battle. I will say it again no matter how well he will play at times Lundqvist will never be same! Rangers are toast without a top notch Net-minder!

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  201. I stand corrected RR2 average would be an improvement. But AV isn’t losing his job over bad goal-tending the gum chewer just got a 2 year extension and the guy can’t keep a line together for 1 game! One Period!

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  205. What Hank is going through, Richter went through in 95. You have Hank, who can’t stop the puck, and Raanta a career backup coming of injury. Not sure there is a good solution right now.

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  207. Miller has been one of the leading scorers on this team and one of the few non passengers in most games, so you reward that with fast as a linemate?! I mean he clearly has some chemistry with sideshow bob, why not give that a go?
    –
    What happened to the “A” on stepans sweater? Do they rotate it? Did he lose it?

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  208. Charlie
    I’m blaming the coach for the team not being amped up and ready to play, not because hank has become a very pedestrian goalie with a non pedestrian goalie contract.

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  212. Not because I know sort-of work there … but this could be good news for a lot of youse:

    MSG NETWORKS REACHES AGREEMENT WITH NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE FOR DIGITAL RIGHTS TO LOCAL NHL TELECASTS

    New York, NY – February 1, 2017 – MSG Networks Inc. (NYSE: MSGN) announced today that it has reached an agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL) for live streaming rights to New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres games. In the coming weeks, MSG Networks’ unmatched lineup of exclusive local live NHL hockey games will be made available to customers of participating operators on MSG GO — MSG Networks’ live streaming and on demand product.
    “As the outlet for more live local NHL games than any other RSN in the country, we are pleased to partner with the NHL and our teams to provide hockey fans with additional ways to view our games,” said Andrea Greenberg, president and chief executive officer, MSG Networks. “With the addition of the NHL, MSG GO will certainly be a premiere mobile destination for hockey fans in the region.”

    “With this agreement, MSG Networks once again demonstrates what it means to be an excellent partner for our clubs,” said David Proper, executive vice president, media and international strategy, NHL. “Together we share a vision for serving our fans, who are extremely passionate about their teams. This agreement for live streaming on MSG GO is all about fulfilling demand and providing our fans with the type of access they want in the way that is most convenient to them.”

    In addition to MSG Networks’ live, professional game coverage, MSG GO includes pre- and postgame shows, as well as episodes of MSG Networks’ award-winning programming. With MSG GO, fans are able to access upcoming schedules, and set reminders on their personal devices for games on MSG Networks.

    MSG GO is currently available at no charge to subscribers of participating television providers who receive MSG Networks as part of their pay television subscription. Subscribers with a supported smartphone or tablet can download the free MSG GO app by visiting the App Store or the Google Play store. On computers, customers may visit MSGGo.com.

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  220. I believe it was Papa who noted that Henk was going down to his knees too quick. While he was ‘screened’ on some of these point shots, it is hard to catch the high ones when you are collapsing to your knees. If he stayed upright, these shots are caught waist high.
    .
    SN said going down

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  221. He’s done that his entire career.

    On the first goal, he doesn’t even go down until the puck is behind him. He just totally did not know that it had been shot and did not see it. Not tracking the puck well, at all.

    And what’s the excuse on the third one where he just flubbed it?

    Also, great work by DeKlein on that play.

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  223. One thing I have noticed about Hank is, he does not seem to fight through the screens at all. Oh well, I’m screened, I hope the puck hits me. Previous to this season, he was very good at it. Like RR2 said, he is not tracking the puck.

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  230. Andrew Cuomo’s ‘Buffalo Billions’ project should have started by allocating a measly ten million to a couple of hockey players on the Sabres.

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  232. What’s the history with Corsi, Carp? Glad things have been too crazy this week to have seen the game last night. woof. Thought Lundqvist was out of his ‘slump’ and things would settle down when Staal got back? Hey did you guys hear Jesper Fast is getting a contract extension through 2019-20? 🙂

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  233. IDK what to make of the goalie situation in St. Louis btw. It’s kind of interesting. They trade Brian Elliott thinking Allen is the guy. Allen has had issues and meanwhile Elliott is out in Calgary stinking it up to the point that he hasn’t even been able to beat out Ocho Cinco for the starting position. Go figure

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