It’s Go Time: Game 6, Round 3 !

FLA leads series 3-2
01 June 2024 8:00 PM EDT
Amerant Bank Arena
TV ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC

Tonight the Rangers face elimination for the first time this post season. Their backs are up against the wall and there will be no more games if they do not suck it up and win tonight. Being a nervous Nellie I’ve had the Rolling Stones ‘The Last Time’ in my head all day. But here’s the thing – the main lyric “this could be the last time” implies that it might not be the last time! Cetainly we have seen the team overcome obstacles many times this season, but this will be their most formidable challenge to date.

Lineup wise – Laviolette does not announce lineups this series until the players hit the ice just prior to puck drop. However, based upon the morning skate it appears that Rempe is out, Brodzinski is in. Wheeler is not good to go. VC skated, but with a non-contact jersey. It appears Chytil is also in. Reports are that Brodzinski worked on PP2 as well. He certainly has fresh legs, is relatively fast and at 6’1″ 215 lbs, not a small guy though not known for big hits.

LINES ARE UPDATED

Where everyone slots into the lines at game time is still speculation, especially after Chytil started on the Zibanejad line and finished on the Goodrow line after not skating for portions of the second period on Thursday. No word either on the defensive pairings, though it seems likely they will go with the same as on Thursday. Whether they continue to use the new man on man structure? 🤷‍♂️

Keys tonight: the broken record – forecheck, limit turnovers, better defense. There may be finer points to each of those but at the end of the day all that matters is the overall execution. Beyond that, the Rangers must take advantage of any power plays and score a few goals. Tonight would also be an excellent night for Shesterkin to record his first playoff shutout.

On this date in history: No significant Ranger history (yet) on this date.

Zebras tonight (from Scouting The Refs):


Final NYR lineup

1st line ⊳ Kreider ⋄ Zibanejad ⋄ Wennberg
2nd line ⊳ Panarin ⋄ Trocheck ⋄ Lafrenière 
3rd line ⊳ Goodrow ⋄ Chytil ⋄ Kakko 
4th line ⊳ Cuylle ⋄ Brodzinski ⋄ Roslovic

1st pair ⊳ Miller ⋄ Schneider
2nd pair ⊳ Lindgren ⋄ Fox
3rd pair ⊳ Gustafsson ⋄ Trouba

Starter ⊳ Igor Shesterkin
Backup ⊳ Jonathan Quick

Healthy scratch: F: Wheeler, Rempe, Edström 
                 D: Ruhwedel, Jones 
                 G: Domingue 
                 And a cast of AHL callups
Injured: F Vesey (upper body)
In the Cooler: none

Long-term IR: none

Author: Beezle

I am the new and improved Beezle

383 thoughts on “It’s Go Time: Game 6, Round 3 !”

  14. All year long when adversity reared its ugly head the Rangers managed to chop that head off and get right back to winning. They can do this….they can. They have to.

    Liked by 2 people

  39. Florida’s taking point blank, in close shots. And we’re vying for space on the point. What is wrong with this picture??

    Like

  89. Florida has to be feeling pretty good. I’m not feeling to good right now.

    I don’t care what kind of season they have next year. What does it matter if when it counts their big guns turn into limp biscuits?

    Liked by 4 people

  98. Panarin is playing and has been playing in this series like he is afraid. Zibanajad the same. Where is their heart? For crying out loud leave it on the ice. If they don’t I have to say they are cowards.

    Liked by 4 people

  106. Trouba playing his way off this roster. Great guy from all I’ve read, great captain for all I know, but the mistakes are adding up. Two more periods to step it up, keep it at zero when he’s on the ice.

    Liked by 2 people

  107. Does the high stick have to lead to a goal in order to challenge it or can it happen at any time prior to the goal as long as it never left the zone after? And when did it happen? I had no clue. There’s nothing here to find out.

    Like

  108. don’t like it but Subban is 100% right

    i know Gravy why do they do that?, just show it … betwwen that and pivoting to a player shooting snot rockets rather than watching the scrums, its pathetic

    Liked by 2 people

  109. I’m as big a fan of this team as there is, but I can find nothing to grab onto. Their total lack of courage, grit and effort is unacceptable to this 55 year Ranger fan.

    Liked by 6 people

  133. So here is the deal. The puck was clearly hit with a high stick in the offensive zone. The same player retrieved the puck but in the neutral zone. From the rule book:

    Goals will only be reviewed for a potential “Missed Game Stoppage Event in the Offensive Zone” if the puck does not come out of the attacking zone again between the time of the “Missed Game Stoppage Event in the Offensive Zone” and the time the goal is scored.

    Liked by 1 person

  134. Rangers not hitting it anything for that matter. Bob hasn’t had a difficult shot to save yet. He’s never screened.

    Rangers dump it in the zone and then it comes right back to theirs. Absolutely zero ice time in the offensive zone this period.

    Liked by 2 people

  139. <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Story of this series:<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#NYR</a> <a href=”https://t.co/2djLISnC0R”>pic.twitter.com/2djLISnC0R</a></p>&mdash; p – Justin (@justinc_99) <a href=”https://twitter.com/justinc_99/status/1796371017939788104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>May 31, 2024</a></blockquote> https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Like

  145. So on the goal, the refs missed the high stick which would have stopped play, but it can’t be challenged/reviewed because the puck went into the neutral zone prior to the goal. Had the puck managed to stay in the offensive zone it could have been reviewed and goal overturned.

    Liked by 2 people

  182. Not that it is an excuse for stupid plays but do think Trouba is still injured and like Fox not able to make plays he might otherwise make. Of course, many players are hurt at this point in time …

    Liked by 1 person

  187. It don’t look good…..but we didn’t when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.

    I know…..old Animal House line……but I suspect lots of us are feeling pretty bad right now.

    Liked by 1 person

  192. Finally kicked my dinner guests out so now I can keep two eyeballs on this game. Judging by the way I see them walk into the locker room I’m afraid this will be their last game. Such a shame.

    Like

  194. Panthers with the two best skaters every game, Barkov and Forsling. Rangers with a slight edge in goal. Still in with a chance, but three big opportunities (Brodsinski, Roslovic and Zibanejad) didn’t go in, and you sense Florida won’t allow any more with their usual strong third. Going to need a greasy one.

    Like

  206. panthers have 3 players in tonight’s lineup who are homegrown draft picks. Barkov, Lundell & Eckblad.

    Rangers have 8 homegrown drafted players in tonight’s line-up

    Liked by 2 people

  238. at least some more ozone time…. But again, shots are mostly one and done. All 5 panthers standing in front of “Bob” Islanders-style

    Like

  241. Tick tick tick. I wonder if the Rangers had a last meal…. because the execution is coming unless they pull a rabbit out of their hate with some alacrity.

    Like

  263. well, Artemi, Mika and Chris, DON”T tell us it’s the coaching. We’ve made those changes. No, no. It’s you guys. You guys. Time for change. Period. Great season, and thank you for that!

    Liked by 1 person

  264. Game set match. What a shame . What a waste of another great goaltender. I am thoroughly disgusted.

    Big changes better come before next or the results will be far worse than this year. Trades need to happen. They need players who don’t piss in their shorts in the playoffs. They don’t have too much of that now. I don’t think I need to name names.

    Three losses in a row like 2012 and 2022 when they had control both times. Despicable really.

    Different season same awful movie. I for one am tired of the same crappy ending.

    I am acrimonious . Not because of losing…but because of the gutless way they did it. Winning doesn’t occur simply because you stepped on the ice. You have to fight to win.

    The new phrase should be either…No Fight in New York or No Heart in New York.

    Liked by 4 people

  267. I think they are getting beaten by a better team.

    that’s it.

    All eyes will be on Chris Drury to make some moves to make this a better equipped playoff team.

    Like

  305. What an absolute waste of a season for the Rangers. Proves the regular season is pretty much meaningless.

    All I can hope for right now is that a Florida team falls flat in the Finals.

    Liked by 2 people

  308. Too little too late again. This group can get 100 points a couple of more times and end this way again or try to change the core to go for it and risk falling apart. I wonder if Drury will let this ruin his 4th of July.

    Like

  313. FLA was the better built playoff team. Not sure what changes NYR can make. The guys they can move Kreider, Trouba (if he was injured) are the types of players you need in the playoffs.

    Liked by 3 people

  314. Great season, Laviolette gets off to a good start, like Gallant. Got stuck too long on the Rempe good-luck charm, but good to see four lines go after it tonight and compete for more than a period. This was more about the Panthers being good than the Rangers being bad. They should waltz the final. Off to one last ledge cleanup, see you in October!

    Liked by 1 person

  319. With history as our guide as far as Lavy is concerned…. it’s likely downhill from here.

    Might want to make Pecan head coach or even Messier. This team needs a coach that demands accountability. Where was that in this series…..on a missing person poster.

    Like

  323. I really feel depressed. I held it together through this series thinking they were going to somehow find another gear. It never really happened. This sucks, again.

    Liked by 6 people

  332. Bread rolls off in two? more years, that’s a doable deadline deal if he’ll agree to go. Mika’s contract will haunt us for most of the younger core’s prime years though.

    Like

  333. Vally saying the Rangers need to learn. Ummm……I don’t mean to be Debbie Downer here….but that learning should have occurred in the last two years. At this point they must have cement in their heads. They aren’t going to learn anything now. There 30+ year olds need to be sent elsewhere.

    Liked by 3 people

  338. If you can’t change the core…you cant get it done when it counts. Everybody has to buy in and play the same way. Florida showed us how it’s done in embarassing fashion.

    Liked by 2 people

  341. Thanks for being here to bounce my negativity off of you boneheads. I really appreciate that. And thanks for other people’s optimism because it helped keep me sane this season.

    My father is pretty much the only Ranger fan I know down here, so having you guys around makes the season more enjoyable.

    Liked by 9 people

  348. Drury clearly needs to make some bold and ballsy moves to address the teams lack of grit, battle, heart, skill, size and compete in the summer. They had no response for the Panthers physical grit in this series.

    Liked by 6 people

  357. One coaching change I’d make right away is: get a new strength coach. Panthers were not physically the bigger team but they were definitely the stronger team. We got out muscled by a mile

    Liked by 6 people

  364. They really better be busy at the draft sending those players I mentioned earlier flying elsewhere. They have already proved three times that they don’t have the intestinal fortitude to win the big games or even show up for them.

    Make those trades, grab some first round picks, prospects and cheaper hungrier players. If it can’t be done….well then we are in for the same feature film again and again ad nauseum.

    Liked by 3 people

  369. We know what to expect from this group. We have seen it for three years running. Do Drury and Dolan just want to play it back next season? That is the safe thing to do. We will know soon. If they say they were close and a break or two could have made a difference we know nothing much will change. I suspect that’s what will happen. I don’t think they will roll the dice

    Liked by 2 people

  373. I don’t know people are surprised. I’ve been consistent saying rangers way to soft to win a cup. Drury needs to make changes, get more grittier on wings and defense.

    Like

  374. Need to find a way to move mika or make him a very expensive third line center. just doesn’t look like he has the will to be a force in the playoffs and hard to see that getting better as he ages.

    get people like the physical element trouba brings, but $8m/yr to be a bottom 6 defensive liability not a recipe for greater team success or cap flexibility

    shuffle out kakko/chytil if u can, but hard to trust they’d bring in the right type of guys back.

    miller deserves be moved, but could live with him playing a full year with schneider on 2nd pair

    Like

  376. Deep down I don’t think many of us thought NYR were better than FLA, so the result isn’t a shock. As the series went on, there was no obvious or consistent play that changed that perception. We just hoped they would score enough or Igor would steal a few more.

    Liked by 4 people

  377. I hate that I don’t have the ability to just enjoy the accomplishments of their regular season. I just can’t turn a blind eye to the glaring fact that if not for our goaltender, there’s no way we make it this far. This was supposed to be our crack at the cup… the season in which mistakes of the past were learned from and we were a seasoned veteran team. Yet, I didn’t come into this season with excitement. I knew they were good enough to make the playoffs, but when it mattered most I couldn’t help but think that grinding opponents down just wasn’t in their DNA. I was right…. it wasn’t. It isn’t.

    Way too many holes on this roster, and what’s worse… we’re stuck with some of the biggest offenders. Good luck getting Mika to waive is NMC, and I don’t even think Drury would go that route. Panarin…. turns out, shaving his head can’t transform him into a heavier player. I don’t even know what to say about Trouba at this point other than he’s gotta go. Players have figured him out and it’s become much harder for him to line someone up skating across the middle. What else does he offer, not to mention his foot speed is just atrocious. We’ll most definitely have to eat salary for someone to take him. Kreider has the heart, but he just doesn’t play to his size. He should be a wrecking ball out there, yet the most aggressive he gets…. is throwing mouthpieces. Lindgren…the guy’s a warrior, but, he’s too small. Chytil…. the epitome of what ails this team- not made for the post-season. Speaking of which- Fox… plays too small when it matters. Injury or not, this is what we’ve seen out of him in the playoffs. I can’t say this loud enough: SOMETHING FOR MILLER WHILE YOU STILL CAN. It’s time to cut bait with Kakko… he is what he is at this point. I also fear that Gabe Perreault will be the “forward” version of Fox… soft as dr’s cotton. We need to get mean up front. Florida deserved to win and it’s not even close. They are the blueprint, and I just don’t see how we can replicate that with the awful contracts we’re stuck with.

    What’s worse is that we’re 100% wasting Shesterkin’s prime. It’s Henrik all over again, isn’t it….

    Liked by 3 people

  378. Craig, hard to argue too much, but it’s about balance. The Black and Blueshirts were one of my favorite teams, but ultimately not enough skill to score enough. I think they can win with Bread and Mika if they surround them with the right players.

    And never have to apologize for having a great goalie, you need that to win too. Question becomes what to do with Igor after next season. Hard to spend $8-9M on a goalie when they need other critical positions filled.

    Liked by 2 people

  379. Igor is gonna get $10-11m/yr, which isn’t great but can make work with a rising cap….BUT it means Trouba has to be off the roster when that new contract kicks in

    Panarin just isn’t ever gonna be the same player in the playoffs given his size and doesn’t play as fast as say kucherov who has had no issues in the playoffs.

    But less of a concern than Mika in my opinion as his ineffectiveness means we are a one life offensive team until proven otherwise

    Liked by 1 person

  381. It’s over for another year. As negative as it sounds I knew it all alone. Since we all know the 2 elephants in the room are not going anywhere, Disco Mika & the Loaf. Drury must find a way to protect them. Kreider Vermont Lafreniere should be the #1 line next year. Find a way to get Alex Tuch on RW with the DJ and Krusty. Then rebuild the 3rd and 4th lines starting with Cuylle and Goodrow big and nasty. Trade Miller at the draft, he sux and always will. Keep Schneider, the rest of the D is a cluster bomb. The only way Fox will ever be effective in a war-zone is with an extra large badazz partner. Just venting, I presently have no hope this organization as any idea what it takes to win the prize. In my eyes they remain the cotton candy crew. I’ve seen this show before. The Minx has Spoken!

    Liked by 1 person

  382. Valley’s chart is consistent with the eye test. For the series they played the Panthers even in the first period, started to tail off in the second and completely collapsed in the third. Lavy and Drury need to have answers for why this happened. There have to be changes unless they think the outcome is ok. Some may be Xs and Os but why were the systems ok in the first, but not in the third? The players, if they are honest, know if they just wore down and/or when FL upped their game the Rangers didn’t have the ability or the will to answer. Schneider is the only guy who struggled last night that we can say it was youth and he will learn. Is it better training, better management of TOI during the season or different players? They were close. 28 teams were at home watching them. They need to start planning right now to get better.

    Like

  383. Craig – your 8:36 post is spot on. I couldn’t agree more with every one of your points.

    Gravy – I agree with you that most of us thought that Florida was the better team. Even though I thought that Florida was the better team because they were built for the playoff style play, but the real disappointment was the lack of compete level by most of this team and the total domination of this President Cup winning team. They should be embarrassed for being so badly out played in every game. I think Igor will be looking to go as a UFA in 2 years, he doesn’t want to be the next Henrik. He will be another HOF player with no cups if he stays with Rangers. I also agree that the Rangers cannot afford to pay him 8-9 million with all the other roster problems they have.

    Like

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