213 thoughts on “Game 4. E3- “I guarantee we will win game 4””

  12. Wish the top 9 on the Rangers would mail it in as much as Big Game Brass has in his series.

    Micro game step, Nano game haze, pico game haze, and invisible game Zika need to move their decimal point plenty.

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  13. AV said something along the lines of “you know that guy won the masters after not getting many looks. He was a professional. He had some real good competition. But he went out there and knew he had to be better. So let’s go out there and try that”

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  28. Hope you’re right E3 but seeing is believing when it comes to the Rangers. Man how awesome would it be if they played the game like the leafs. No fear, take no prisoners, no regrets!

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  35. Still think first to score tonight will win going away. Rangers crush them or they wilt.
    Olga, if you ask nicely NYR may lend you BGG for a game! Still confused how Chi collapsed like that..

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  41. Must play? Can’t lay 2 duds in a row in the POs at home, can they? (disregard TB and Pitt series…)
    Holden or Klein? Glass or Butch??
    .
    Real question is which of the top 6 forwards will score. Only 2 goals in first 3 games; Nash on the rush and Zucc off his leg.
    .
    Bueller, Miller, Kreider, Bueller??

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  58. Staal’s not coming out unless he requests it, but Klein vs. Holder is an interesting one. I like Klein, but he’s not a big defensive upgrade over Holden, who can give you more offense. What they really need is Puempel and his hat-trick tendencies. 🙂

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  79. 1:35 Eruzione reference with a tip of the cap to Carp who said that Captain Mike believed in free speech except when it came to his speeches, or words to that effect.

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  80. Riddle me this…AV says 4th line best line…AV says top 9 forwards must be better…to prove his point AV benches guy from “best” line that gives continual effort and leaves all top 9 “fat cats” in line up. What the hell am I missing here?!

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  85. Big Game Brass with 2 big Dzone FO wins in #rd period prior to last minute game tying goal, but whatever…bygones and all that…
    .
    Did anyone catch Ott playing with Zucc’s hair during a, ahem, meeting in front of the goal. Hilarious.
    .
    Staal is great says nobody except Salmon Joe.

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  87. Never
    I can’t remember but it was in twitter feed yesterday. Staal let zero entry in game one, game two was nightmare (obviously). Should have sat staal for game 3 imho.
    –
    So either staal isn’t very consistent, julien made an adjustment that AV can’t match, or Montreal players figured out staal is a weak link….did I miss a potential reason for the discrepancy?

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  88. Still no credit to brass, even when he was the ranger go to face off guy in the d zone last year playoffs. Stepan is a defencive and faceoff joke and mailed in every bit the amount of shifts brass did. But hey, according to someone that apparently hates French Canadien players, brass sucks and Stepan is amazing 😉

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  97. Normal team: “Let’s give our most inspiring and emotional guys the ‘C’ and the ‘A’s’.

    NYR: “Lets give the most passive and polite guys the Letters to bring them out of their shells.”

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  98. I tried to post this earlier, but darn computer gremlins got the better of me. I hope I can remember it all 🙂

    The Rangers have to treat tonight like the Islanders treat every game against the Rangers – as Game 7. Tonight is as close to a “must-win” game as you get in a non-elimination game.

    Today was my first day back at work after the Easter break. Naturally, a few people asked me what is wrong with the Rangers. Hey, if I had the answers then I would have AV’s job and the Rangers would not be down two games to one (that’s my story and I am sticking to it).

    The frustrating lack of urgency (for lack of a better term) is a predicament for the Rangers and it is a Catch-22 situation. It is understandable that urgency comes and goes during the course of an 82 game schedule. However, there is no excuse for it not being front and center come the playoffs. Players should not need an extra motivation to bring their “A” games for the playoffs. When players don’t do that, then the coach needs to step in and be more “animative” – and therein is the Rangers problem.

    The team has taken on their coach’s laid-back style. During the regular season that isn’t always a bad thing because of the ebb and flow of the season and fact that other teams are A) Not as good and B) going through their own ebbs and flows. The playoffs are a different animal because the teams are better and the stakes are higher.

    It could be that AV’s laid-back style is perfect for the Rangers during the regular season, but fails in the playoffs when the players, for whatever reason, are not matching the urgency of their opponents. Conversely, John Tortorella’s style beats up a team over 82 games, but might be more geared for the playoffs as long as you not playing the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Jake Guentzel (Jake Guentzel?).

    The first goal is going to be HUGE tonight, especially for the Rangers and their fragile egos. Falling behind the Habs will empty what little oomph the mainly corporate Garden crowd can scrape together between texts. Ideally, the Rangers get the game’s first goal and their first PP.

    Another thing to watch for is how much trouble the Rangers having clearing the puck out of their own end – especially when the puck is between the blue line and the top of the circle.

    They need to work harder and smarter when it comes to winning those battles. Also, need to treat Carey Price like they did Ben Bishop in Game 6 in 2015 – get traffic in front of him and get the big guy moving in his crease.

    Liked by 1 person

  103. They need that strange combination of focus, intensity, and determination while playing relaxed and having fun.
    It’s just a damn game.

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  113. Hard to see how Buchnevich in for Glass would prevent Lindberg and Fast from being the monsters they’ve been (when I’ve watched, at least). It’s a gamble, but not that much of one, and Buch can shoot a little.

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  116. I’m eager to see Buch play in his first postseason game. I’m pretty sure the Habs will go after him every chance they get and I wanna see how he will respond and importantly how the team will respond. Maybe it will help them play more emotionally.

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  117. MSG and Dolan can go F themselves… Cheapest nosebleed seats are 189 bucks. Give me a freaking break. It’s no wonder its a library in there. Sad that a playoff game isn’t sold out… but these greedy bastards could care less.

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  118. I’ve been a buch proponent all season, he better have his head on a swivel if he plays. I just wouldn’t take out glass. It isn’t because of what glass “brings” it’s about a player (glass) giving what he is supposed to give in his 7-10 minutes of ice time getting put in the press box while players like step, Hayes, and z pack aren’t close to playing up to their potential and get rewarded with a line up spot.
    –
    If I’m the coach, I sit one of the three aforementioned centres for buch and leave glass in.

    Liked by 1 person

  119. Thanks Wicky. Considering all of the problems I had with my computer I am glad someone enjoyed it. I was going to turn into a column, but I don’t want to start doing daily stuff because then I feel like I have to do it all the time – so I kept it as a Bonehead bonus 🙂

    I have a feeling the series ends up going six just so the Garden doesn’t have to issue a refund. Did MSG make people buy tickets for four home games even though the only way they could have “home-ice advantage” would be in a ECF matchup with Toronto?

    Remember must-win game to regain road-ice advantage for the Rangers.

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  122. The only problem with dressing Buch in place of a center is that it makes a poor faceoff team even worse – which can be managed if everyone does their jobs properly, and that goes back to the lack of hockey sense.

    Frankly, lines should not matter tonight if i am AV. If I were coach, I’d be looking to ride my best players – even that means shortening the rotation to, say, three lines and five d-men. Hopefully, all four lines and all six blueliners are clicking.

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  127. Isn’t buch a centre technically? Miller takes a lot of draws and he isn’t a centre on any line. I don’t think losing one of the 3 top underperforming centres for a game is much, if any, of a drop off.

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  128. Buchnevich for Glass signals that AV realizes the Rangers need to play an up tempo speed game to win the series. It does not signal that Glass has been bad. Just the style that they have tried to play did not work. Will it work? Is it to late? We shall see.

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  132. The style they played in game one worked. The style they played for 30 minutes in game two worked. An in your face, up tempo style for 1.5 games…then they started sitting back. The demonic forecheck in the first 1.5 games was the difference maker. Montreal reports saying the first game and a half their d men didn’t have time to make plays because of the forecheck. Either the rangers quit playing that style or the habs made an adjustment that AV can’t match.

    Liked by 2 people

  133. Didn’t say buch played at centre, but I thought he was “listed” as a centre (for whatever that is worth).
    –
    Marc Dumont reported today whispers out of New York if the rangers get knocked out in this round AV might be in trouble…duh, ya think

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  139. Wicky,
    If the Rangers were built for how you want them to play, and we’re playing a different style, I would be screaming for them to play the way you want them to play. They are not built that way, and playing one guy who is built that way does not change anything. They need to live and or die with the speed and skill game.

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  140. As many of you guys have pointed out, the Ranger centers are finesse centers (soft if you will), why would you want them to play a game they would not be good at? Makes no sense.

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  141. Bdl
    They played the way they needed to for the first 1.5 games to win. Nothing to do with what I want (other than them to win). Also has nothing to do with the style of play of tanner glass as I stated in previous post.

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  143. I do like the idea of Buchnevich on the PP instead of Stepan. And if Zibanejad won’t shoot it, or can’t hit the net, then he should be off the PP too.

    What I’d do is pull one of the RH guys and put Nash in the right circle or high slot, with Kreider at the paint, and try to get your best goal scorer some PP minutes and some prime shots. Amazing that a team with one legit first-line forward doesn’t use him on the No. 1 PP, and when he goes out there he’s supposed to be for screens only.

    Liked by 3 people

  144. Bdl
    What doesn’t make sense to me is this low skilled, slow mtl team that added 25% new unskilled forwards for their line up at the deadline, that isn’t nearly as deep or fast as this ranger team (this is what everyone most here said). So now we all want buch in to replace a guy that plays 7-10 minutes a night because the rangers are getting out skilled and out tempo’d by this slow, not deep, less skilled mtl team. Lmmfao
    –
    PANIC!!!!

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  147. AV got a contract extension recently, so I doubt he is going anywhere, but losing this series is fire able. IMO they are a deeper, more talented team, and he has been out coached so far. I think the move to Buchnevich was a game to late. And what has been said by many here, getting Kreider away from Zucc should have happened months ago. If accurate, I like the idea of Zucc with Miller, and Hayes.

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  150. That’s the point Wicky. They have tried to play the Habs game. Or the Habs have forced the Rangers to play there game. Either way, the Rangers need to play THERE game. Buchnevich is going to be in the top 9, so chances are he will play a few more minutes than Glass. You are also missing what this lineup does to the new Rangers 4th line. It plays more with Grabner, and Fast on it.

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  151. If our line up is more talented top to bottom (sure looks like it is to me) stands to reason that the less skilled team is out working and out performing the more skilled team. So wouldn’t you want guys that work harder in the line up? Like I said earlier, I’m all for buch in, just not sure it’s the appropriate correction to address the lack of “desire” on the rangers part.
    –
    This more talented team is getting outworked to this point by a far lesser talented group (again opinion of most here). I’d think there needs to be several major changes to the club IF they lose this series.

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  158. I do agree with what I think is you’re overall point about the team. They need to get bigger and tougher. The team is built to much one way, and needs more of a mix of pure skill players, and playable toughness.

    Liked by 1 person

  164. size, physicality, etc., IMO, hasn’t mattered in the series. Rangers competed for five periods, got really stubborn (yeah, I’m looking at specific forwards) and refused to play in the offensive zone in the sixth period, coughed up what would have been a 2-0 lead in the series with 17.3 left.

    and pulled a complete no-show, embarrassing effort, more embarrassing execution, in Game 3.

    and still have a chance to make it a series. If they want to.

    Or they can see how many stamps they have left from last April.

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  168. Carp, my point was if the Rangers losing a series to a comparable opponent is a fireable offense, then the Capitals even trailing their series at any point should be equally fireable. In other words, AV shouldn’t be fired just because the Canadiens win this series.

    I’ve started outlining a postmortem on the team that’s more heart than systems. I’d love for someone to volunteer report cards.

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  175. I was not suggesting Trotz be fired. I was pointing out the absurdity that AV should be fired simply because we lost a series to a comparably good team.

    The Caps should be running the Leafs out of the building every night. Trotz’s use of Ovechkin has been criminal. Also, Brooks Orpik is legitimately terrible. Like, if he was on our team, the fans would ride him harder than any defenseman that has ever passed through MSG, which is saying something.

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  177. Did not say AV should be fired. Said losing this series to a team, IMO, inferior to the Rangers is a fire able loss.
    It has been said that this Ranger team was a retooled team without high expectations. I agree that it was retooled, but I think the expectations should remain high.

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  180. Been thinking about Carp’s favorite playoff topic – momentum (from game-to-game). I am with Carp that momentum is overrated – especially with the Rangers during the last few years. However, I think some “things” do carry over, especially in the Rangers minds.

    The Rangers have one of the most fragile psyches as far as teams go. There is no other way to explain their vapor lock on home ice this season and during their last six playoff games.

    It is one thing to lose at home during the playoffs, but the way they have mailed in most of those losses is telling.

    I have referred back to the movie The Replacements in breaking done the Rangers. Keanu Reeves’ character talks about being afraid of quicksand – the more you struggle, the deeper you sink. It seems that is the way the Rangers react at home. The more they think, the more trouble they get themselves into. Rather than playing to win, they start playing not to lose – which is the worst reaction a team can have.

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  181. I can understand Trotz keeping Ovie’s minutes down during the regular season, but for him to just get 15 minutes of ice time in any game that is not a Caps blowout is beyond comprehension. Could you imagine what this place would be like if Ovie were a Rangers and AV did that to him?

    Then again, if Ovie were a Ranger he would probably be a fourth line center who would be more interested in being a defensive stopper rather than an imposing offensive machine.

    FYI, that wasn’t really a knock on Av. It was more of how things go when players become Rangers.

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  187. Wicky getting eyes fixed so he can see the Ranger team he’s been dreaming of 🙂

    If Buch in BGG out, it is only because pulling any of the top 9 would reek of panic, deserved or not. I’ll also be curious to see the cascade down if AV puts out the KZB line of early season.

    The reason they are losing has nothing to do with style of play and everything to do with failure to execute and failure to do the things that wins games. Passes that connect in stride. No stupid turnovers. Forecheck. Guys in front of the net either to distract or get rebounds. Shooting the freaking puck. Note that all of those are things they failed to do often during the season and were frequently rewarded with a “L” in the 2nd half because of it. As Carp noted, they aren’t losing because of the D or HL.

    As to HL, for a guy that is held in such high esteem, would be nice for him to actually steal a game and not just have a “great” game in losing effort. Think an Andy Pettitte type performance when his team absolutely must have it. Not a “it could have been much worse if he hadn’t been so good” performance. HL needs to be the stopper.

    (sorry I said a family unfriendly word in first try)

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  188. Stepan again today dominates the quotes for the Brooks column. Getting ridiculous. There can now be no doubt that McDonagh asked him to be the beard. We need some people with FIRE wearing the Letters, not Ryan, Danny G, Step, Nash and Staal!

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  191. Orpik would never be a goat here. 1) He’s not European. 2) He lays out some big hits. Sure they’re dirty, high and late, yet the morons who only care about physicality and haven’t recognized the evolution of the game would absolutely love him……

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  194. Orpik stinks.

    Orpik>Mike Green.

    Coos, Stepan dominated Brooks’ columns because Brooks finds guys who will talk to him exclusively after the media herd is gone. So he can write “told the Post” over and over again. But with his exclusives, Stepan says essentially what he said to everybody else, which is normally nothing.

    “I thought we did a lot of good things.”

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  198. Re: Buchnevich for Glass. Other than the goal in game 1 what has he done? He has made a bunch of crunching hits, but did those hits result in turnovers? No, they’ve usually been after the guy has gotten rid of the puck. It’s no big deal.

    That said, I don’t think adding Buchnevich makes much of a difference in their offense. I hope I’m wrong about this.

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  213. Did they credit the linesmen with the 2nd assist on the Habs goal?
    .
    These zebras are horrendous
    .
    Carey Price for best supported Ng actor with a first round PO series. Nash should have plowed thru him or Bette Ryder, should have scored on wide open net earlier

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