249 thoughts on “Rangers move on to second round”

  7. On to the mtl series….I think this was the best coached series by AV since he’s been here. Reminded me of how he coached in Vancouver, until the Rome hit. He out coached julien imo.
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    I thought Nash was great the whole series, along with oscar, skjeL, smith, Girardi, mcdonut, hank, fast, and Vesey.
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    Sideshow bob reared his head a lot, but I thought it was his best playoff series with the rangers.
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    Z pack and Hayes got better as the series went along.
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    Grabner and miller got worse as the series went along (assist not withstanding in game 6)
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    Kreider showed in game 6, not sure why he didn’t in the first 5 games.
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    Glass and buch both acquitted themselves well in their games. (I still think buch in the line up helped z pack and kreider).
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    Klein is either very injured or has just had the bottom fall out. While he wasn’t flat out terrible, he wasn’t very good.
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    Holden has been the 5th best ranger D man in this series to me…he’s playing like a former hot button d man on the blog…he’s either hitting someone or making a mistake. Take the good with the bad I suppose.
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    Did I forget anyone…? Oh yeah, a couple of team “leaders” staal… he’s not really playing any different than the regular season (some say that’s a good thing, others do not…put me in the “do not” crowd). He hasn’t upped his game, if he’s supposed to be a top “2 or 3” d man on any team, he better make an impact, he doesn’t.
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    Stampon…I mean stepan. Bad. He made a great play on the lob clear that ended up being a no Gatorade special at the end of game six. That is his only highlight in six games….6 games. He can’t win vital draws (and didn’t), showed zero effort and hustle and lack of awareness that directly resulted in 2 mtl goals (in a close series like that one, that’s a lot). Lack of pace in his game along with lack of physical willingness and involvement is troubling. Another team “leader” that has not lead by example in the post season…a non factor in a not good way. (If the rangers are silly enough to not trade him before his clause kicks in, time to seriously consider moving him to wing, he’s a not good centre).
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    I think the rangers match up better against Boston. The sens system concerns me a bit. Of the potential eastern conference opponents left, only a hot malkin and the sens system concern me but I think the rangers are the better team top to bottom than any team left in the east as long as they continue to play like they did last series. They can come out of the east!!!

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  9. I think they are better than Pitt. Malkin is scorching right now, but I think the rangers are the better team. On paper, top to bottom, the caps should be better. But since adding shattenkirk their D has been worse and loltby subsequently. If they make it past Toronto, I don’t think they get past Pitt. If they make it that far, I might change my opinion, but at this point I think rangers can beat them both.

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  14. I’m not sure julien had a choice. I mean they obviously didn’t add those guys for goal scoring. Mtl made a point of trading away small players (all regular season the “word” out of mtl was coaching issue “Therrien”, dysfunction, and not big or physical enough…remedied first two issues with one move, overcompensated on the other). I think if they had added just one of those forwards they would have been better off.

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  15. Boston and Ottawa each present their own problems, but I think the Rangers need to do the same thing to both teams. Just finished James Duthie’s book on Brian Kilrea, “They Call Me Killer”. It is a great book with a lot of stories from the HOF coach who won 1,193 games in the OHL with the Ottawa 67’s.

    One of Kilrea’s sayings was “asses and eyeballs”. If you see the d-men’s asses, go in hard on the forecheck. If you see their eyeballs then send one man in to forecheck. It is going to be imperative to do that against the Sens in order to keep them from springing the 1-3-1 trap.

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  22. Ottawa for sure causes more issues. Anderson career record vs rangers is great and sens never lose at msg. Just hope Bruins force a 7th game.

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  25. I got the feeling Kilrea just enjoyed coaching in Juniors more. He also got soured on his two years with the Islanders. Bill Torry et al expected him to be like Al Arbour and he wasn’t. Bryan Trottier and Bob Bourne spoke very highly of Killer who was definitely more of a player’s coach than Arbour. Bourne thought the Isles could have won a couple of more Cups if Kilrea and not Terry Simpson replaced Arbour.

    Kilrea did draw some NHL interest from Chicago and Toronto, Came close to going to the Leafs and working for Harold Ballard – which wouldn’t have bothered Killer because he played in the AHL under the ownership of Eddie Shore. Let’s just say old time hockey under Shore was not fun!

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  27. Finally got to watch the DVR replay I thought they were definitely the better team. Love the Hobbit, the little guy is amazing! Before the series began I didn’t think they would beat Montreal, ok I was wrong. But after game 5 I was convinced they had this. I believe they will make the ECF. Is this the year they finally do it? I voted Hank, Hobbit, Haze, the 3 H’s.

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  31. And that’s the story of the HANKY-cane. The man who focused and has come to play.
    The man the critics came to blame
    For something that they say he’ll never get done done
    Put him in the semi’s and let him go on a run
    The champion of the world.

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  33. Just looked up the information and found six and half Rangers remain on the roster from the 2012 playoff matchup with the Sens: Grardi, Staal, McDonough, Lundqvist, Kreider and Stepan and the half is Zucc. That isn’t a height joke because Mats played 10 regular season games, but none on the playoffs.

    Sens have four and a half players remaining: Anderson, Karlsson, Neil, and Zack Smith with Hoffman being the half because he played three regular season games, but none in playoffs.

    Ottawa also had an 18-year-old centre who played nine regular season games, but none ion the playoffs: Mika Zibanejad.

    BTW, Anderson’s backup was Ranger killer Ben Bishop.

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  37. Montreal would have been better off (against the Rangers at least) bringing in NONE of those pylons. Rangers’ 4th line the way to go in the modern faster game, glad AV remembered it in time. And do mine eyes deceive me or is this Bruins-Senators game as low-tempo as it appears to be relative to the series we’ve been watching?

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  56. Bruins in trouble. Have figure both series end tonight schedule be out and 2nd rd prob start Tuesday I would think maybe west series.

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  70. Minor point, but so happy to now and then hear a competent Anthem singer who shows some respect for the damned thing and doesn’t go off like some kind of wailing walrus of cacophony.

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  79. The Sens have in Karlson what the Rangers didn’t have to face in MTL post-Subban. Danger, Will Smith.

    I’ll take my chances with our 12 vs theirs

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  86. Hilarious side note – The Christian Science Monitor introduced an automatic word change into their publication’s computer that changed ‘gay’ to ‘homosexual’ whenever that term appeared. Tyson Gay, world champion sprinter, ran a record 9.69 100 m, and the Monitor read: ‘Homosexual Breaks US 100 m Record!’

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  87. Big Game Brassard had a great series. Anyone thinking Stepan is half the player is koo-koo. BGB might float a little, but Tiny Game Stepan (“TGS”) isn’t exactly a defensive stalwart. Lots of goals this season, several during this series, have been scored by opposing players with NYR #21 a few feet behind the goal scorer, doing nothing.

    Offensively, not to step on LGS, but there’s no there there.

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  99. I’m pretty sure Sens have home ice. Rangers always have a tough time with Ottawa, but this is playoff hockey Rangers win series 4-2. No more 3-3 after 6. You know I’m right!

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  103. Yes, Sens have home ice.

    BGB tied for league second in playoff scoring. Step close behind with a secondary assist (not sure) and an empty netter for 2 points?

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  136. That was nothing BUT dump and chase and hit and grind, pour pucks to the net, hope for a bounce. An ounce of pond hockey might have made it watchable. Nice bit of skill by Matthews, not much else. Snooze fest.

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  150. I felt bored watching Leafs-Caps. Maybe because I didn’t have horse in the race, it was boring. But i just found the Rangers-Montreal series more physical.

    Austin Matthews may become the greatest American born player to play hockey. He is really, really good.

    Liked by 3 people

  154. Glad the Craps won. Let them and Pittsburgh go beserk on each other.

    The “kids” from Toronto will get plenty of chances in the future to take their shot.

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  155. Good morning, boneheads!
    Both series finished at 4-2 last night, both in overtime. Neither was lopsided, surprisingly. That’s the beauty of it.
    So they are taking another day off and starting to prepare for Ottawa tomorrow. I see a lot of articles on how they need to change their game to adjust. They don’t. I think what they found in games 4,5, and 6 is what they need to go forward. Including the style, the balance between their speed and physicality, and the lineup. In games adjustments will be required, for sure. AV showed that he is fully capable of that. I’m sure he is happy to beat Julien.

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  156. The Captain has turned into something of a snarly shark. Just in retaliation to the Habs or has he turned a corner? Strong and smart as he is, I think he can be whatever he wants to be.

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  157. They better spend some time preparing to attach the zone playing a trapping team. This group sometimes likes to force passes on the rush which will lead to lot’s of counter strikes by Sens. Think the old Derbils’ style without as much physicality.
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    May be a test of patience and smarts, something certain forwards are lacking on this team.
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    Go Rangers; NYR in 6.

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  158. Ottawa will be a tough opponent. A series of contrasting styles. If Kreider and Miller can get cranked up I think the Rangers win in 6.

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  160. I’m no doctor but I find it miraculous that Karlsson says that the doctors told him that his heel will heal by Thursday’s game. What a coincidence. Isnt surgery the only way to treat a broken heel and the magic shots he’s been getting just a way to relieve pain?

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  161. The Rangers are going to have to learn to be patient against the Sens 1-3-1 trap. As distasteful as they will find it, they are going to have play dump-and-chase at some point in the series. They need to make Karlsson go back behind the “icing line” on evry shift and make sure they put a body on him. The Rangers need to wear him down as much as possible if Boucher is going to play him half the game.

    Hopefully, Sean Avery will volunteer to sit behind the Ottawa goal to try and get Dion Phaeuf off his game 🙂

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  163. I can’t decide….if the rangers forecheck (especially karlsson) like they did vs mtl, I say rangers in 6. If they move away from the physicality, especially against a 1-3-1, then I say revenant in 7.

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  169. I think this should be an “easier” series as well. Unless Burrows stirs some carcillo up and boards McDonagh again.

    Anyone interested in calling the Habs about Galchenyuk?

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  170. Nothing has or will come easy to this Rangers team. The 1-3-1 “old devil style” that the Sens play is going to be a lot tougher than what they dealt with in the neutral zone against the Habs. If they didn’t have success trying to fancy boy pass it or beat guys 1 on 1 in round one they sure as hell aren’t going to be able to do it in round 2.
    I’m with Wicky- play the game they played in games 4, 5 and 6 and they should be alright. Lundqvist will need to be better than Anderson and Buchnevich and Vesey need to keep their heads on a swivel with Dion running around.
    Going to be another low scoring back and forth series. Hope they can make the appropriate adjustments.

    Liked by 1 person

  171. And again, what playoff series is ever “easy”? The Sens have skill up front, the best defenseman in the league and a goalie who is usually a Ranger killer. More to worry about than just ” Brassard vs Topo: A Scorned Romance. in theatres this fall”….

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  174. Lev

    As a foot doctor, I can tell you a heel fracture – especially if it’s a “hairline fracture” as Karlsson’s is being called – can heel without surgery.

    I don’t know when he sustained the fracture, but they usually take 6-8 weeks to heel in a healthy adult.

    I’m sure Karlsson has been getting anesthetic/anti-inflammatory shots (a la McDonagh 2015 playoffs) prior to games to make him comfortable.

    But you are right – many heel fractures require surgery and require an extensive post-op recovery and the rehab time.

    I’m sure heel be “fine” against the Rangers for the next series.

    Liked by 1 person

  176. I’m believing the Rangers make it past the Sens. They will have trouble with the 1-3-1 just hoping AV prepares them for it. Rangers in 6. If they come out victorious I hope they get Pittsburgh. I hate Pittsburgh and I would love to see a trail of wounded and beaten penguins on the way to the SCF. No one will give them a chance but I still believe in this cotton candy team! Something will go right this year I feel it!

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  180. pens capitals. might surprise some of you. I honestly believe this is the caps nemesis and if they get buy pens they win cup. that being said since we are still playing i actually would like rangers to play pens in conf finals then caps assuming we figure out sens 1-3-1 trap

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  181. Totally not Rangers related (other than a couple of “fans” would wanted Sutter to replace AV). It is interesting that the Kings are bumping up assistant coach John Stevens to replace Darryl Sutter. I wonder if they got rid of Sutter because they felt they could lose Stevens. Lombardi could have been canned because he didn’t want to go along with firing one of Mrs. Sutter’s boys.

    We should start a pool to see how long it takes Chris Neil to revert to full jackwagon form. Either way we were going to face one, it was either going to be Neil or Brad Marchand. At least we get to face the one that can’t score.

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  182. Eric, Anderson = Ranger killer but regular season doesn’t always mean much. They got the best of him in ’12. Playoffs= different beast. Going to be more 1-0, 2-1, 3-1 games….

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  183. In ’12:
    5 of 7 games were decided by a goal. Rangers scored 4 in series opener and were held to 1 or 2 goals in 5 of the next 6. Each goalie recorded a shut out and Ottawa won in OT twice. Of course both teams are since “revamped”

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  184. Speaking of bandwagoners, Mike Frncesa will have Coach Vigneault on today following the 1:20pm update on WFAN. If you can’t listen live, I am sure they will have it on their web site at some point.

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  185. Eric- this season one game at MSG Rangers won 4-3. Lost 2-0 up in Ottawa around Thanksgiving. Raanta in goal both times. 4/8 game was a throw away obviously

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  209. Time to retire Sam and Joe.

    Put Kenny and Dave on the MSG TV feed. Put Carp between the benches. Unless, they’re playing in Montreal in which case he and Antii Raanta will have to buy a ticket.

    Put Doodie at the desk with Norm and Wicky and watch the fireworks!

    Liked by 2 people

  212. Live TV ad: HI! WONDERING IF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM IS GOING ON THE POWER PLAY OR THE KILL? SO ARE WE! IN THE MEANTIME, CHECK OUT HOW OUR LIQUID TAR SPRAY WILL KEEP A LEAKY ROWBOAT FROM SINKING. YES, THROUGH THE POWER OF….

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  213. That would be my dream job. Not bloody likely. But thanks.

    I think, given his age and whatever health issues he’s had, Amirante still sounds damn good. Better than many others. A herniated donkey sounds better than that jackhole in Boston.

    I don’t think Ottawa uses the great Lyndon Slewidge anymore, dammit.

    1-1 after two, 2-2 after four.

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  215. Anybody wondering how Price’s new contract is gonna look? Yikes.

    Also, did you see the cap-recapture thing today, re: How much the Predators are gonna get slaughtered when WWEber retires before his remaining nine years — yes nine years — are up? Gonna make Lundqvist and Girardi look like bargains.

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  218. Glad for the break until Thursday (for me!) Hopefully NYR “leadership” will stamp out any slacking off against that neutral zone muck quickly. I think BGB will be Big Game Bust this series; meanwhile the Persian Express lights it up. And I do hope somebody lights up that f*wad Neil. So are any of these games on MSG? I’ll admit that Sam is like a blankie for me. Joe on the other hand is that annoying relative you can’t wait to push out the door. I think Sam and anybody else would be a vast improvement. Joe belongs, if anywhere, on the intermission.

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  219. I think BGB is gonna gave a big series. … Rangers gonna need a lot more guys to step up. I think Ottawa is a tougher out than Montreal in this case because of their trap and because the fancy boys don’t like to play agains the trap. They want to make fancy plays.

    This series is all about what the Rangers do, not about what Ottawa does.

    My preview Tuesday … I will link it when they get around to posting it. 🙂

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  220. Loving the new articles Carp, although missing a lot of Carp-isms – my favourite being the Jackwagon or any other player related slurs – piece of Kaleta, WWEber etc…

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  221. You’re probably right Carp but no more 3-3 after 6. Rangers take series 4-2 you know I’m right! And no I won’t be bailing. I might whine a bit but no bailing!

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  223. Glad they’re getting the chance to heal up, but I worry about Hank having almost a week off…. We all know what happens when he goes too long without playing.

    Carp,

    Will BGB have a monster series like THE did against Les Habs? Hope that’s the case 😉

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  224. Good morning, boneheads!
    Two days without hockey…Luckily, the first PO game is tomorrow. That should be a monster series. Can MAF regain his championship form? It doesn’t sound like Murray is returning any time soon.

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  233. Rangers should be well rested and are remarkably healthy right now. Defense is stronger with G-Man turning back clock as well as Skeij replacing Yandle and the physical Smith. McDonagh has found this new “edge” to his game. Hanka is back to his dominating self…

    This is their most realistic chance at capturing Stanley Cup since 1994.

    Pitts-Wash could/should beat each other up.

    Chicago is gone, West is up for grabs.

    Rangers have shown depth of skill as well ability to play “big boy” physical hockey. And that’s without JT, Opie, Haze, The Enigma showing up for an entire series, let alone more than one game.

    Rangers can play any style.

    You’re all gonna kill me, but I honestly believe this may be their year.

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  236. Top of the Morning Boyz!

    Rangers won’t get trapped by the Sens, speed kills, Sens will have their hands full.

    McD will bring the meat and potatoes, the King will have at least 2 shutouts.

    Rangers in 6.

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  240. There you go, Admiral. I completely agree. Still a bunch of “ifs” that need to be answered, but I believe in this team. This year is definitely not the most difficult path to the cup.

    Could use a broken bone or two for #8 and/or #87, though.

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  241. USAToday picks Machine as the Rangers’ potential under-the-radar hero:

    Oscar Lindberg, Rangers, center. Lindberg is the engine that makes the fourth line run. Even though he has only an assist and eight shots in six games, he has been a possession beast — the Rangers control 67% of the shot share when he is on the ice. The Senators’ center depth is underrated, but Lindberg won’t be overwhelmed against stiffer competition, either.

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  244. 115One of the more impressive blogs Ive seen. Thanks so much for keeping the internet classy for a change. Youve got style, class, bravado. I mean it. Please keep it up because without the internet is definitely lacking in integlilence.

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  245. Even though we missed you while you were gone, have enjoyed your early re3u2n&#8rt0;I am thankful and prayerful for his soon reuniting with ya’ll. You have been so courageous and generous.love, love, love your writing

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  246. En fin el tema es demasiado complejo. Puede ser Marc que estas en Matrix, pero yo ya creo que hay mucha gente que se va deatrepsndo en ver que cada vez el circulo de la gente que no cobra prestación social se va acercando a él. Yo tambien te voy leyendo en catalán y en espanñol. nos vemos pronto.Vota el comentario: 0  0

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  248. yes i see what you mean, im growing up in Saskatchewan its the province in Canada with the highest teen pregnancy rate. Its not easy having to see all these girls my age forced to grow up because they cant afford otherwise. There so much that happens drug abuse, child abuse, and mental abuse to these young mothers because that’s how it is around here. So sometimes in some places dead might be way better then a life of hardships.

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