Rangerland Forum Information

[Dr. D]

Sooooo will Stepan or Richards be centering Rick Nash John Scott tonight?

[Tex]

'Ances with Wolves.
Get some, Rangers.

[jkman61494]

Sooooo will Stepan or Richards be centering Rick Nash John Scott tonight?

John freakin Mitchell baby!

[Rocha]

Time to get the offense going. Lotsa players need to re-gain their scoring touches before April. Sure, they could battle 'em to a hard fought, tight checking 2-1 win, but let's maybe focus on the offense in these throw away games.

[jkman61494]

Time to get the offense going. Lotsa players need to re-gain their scoring touches before April. Sure, they could battle 'em to a hard fought, tight checking 2-1 win, but let's maybe focus on the offense in these throw away games.

The key is having the 3rd line revert to their forms of last year. That would add a whole new dimension to this team.

[Dunc]

While this isn't a 4-point game like the last one, I don't believe there are any 'throw-away' games.

Now is the time to tighten the screws and batten down the hatches, not when the playoffs come. Now is the time for everyone to take a look at themselves and their teammates and start the ramp up. You want to hit the playoffs firing on all cylinders; the Rangers are clearly not doing that now.

If the Rangers falter, the it will be blood in the water for the teams currently trailing them in the playoff race.

[Leo95]

Cally's out. Hope's he's okay. We cant afford to lose the heart and soul of this team.



Good luck for Scott.

Go Rangers and fuck the hurriances

[jkman61494]

Eric Staal must be looking a lineup card of Prust, Rupp, Bickel and Scott and taking a few hard gulps right now.

[Eric]

Why is that?

[Chris4]

I'm not real good at my team being in first place.

What is the magic number to clinch a playoff spot? If you hit 90 points by the weekend, its gotta be comin up soon.. right?

[Rocha]

Not sure who's taking Callahan's place on line 2. If it's Dubinsky, now might be a good time for him to pull his head out of his ass. With their 2nd leading goal scorer out, the team needs you.

[HDH]

Not sure who's taking Callahan's place on line 2. If it's Dubinsky, now might be a good time for him to pull his head out of his ass. With their 2nd leading goal scorer out, the team needs you.

I know we've repeated it a bunch of times, but would you ever believe that a pulling-away-in-first-place Rangers team would have Bickel, Boyle, Prust, Rupp, Mitchell, John Scott, Fedotenko, Stralman, and Hagelin in the lineup on March 1st?

[ak996]

Not sure who's taking Callahan's place on line 2. If it's Dubinsky, now might be a good time for him to pull his head out of his ass. With their 2nd leading goal scorer out, the team needs you.

Feds.

[jkman61494]

Not sure who's taking Callahan's place on line 2. If it's Dubinsky, now might be a good time for him to pull his head out of his ass. With their 2nd leading goal scorer out, the team needs you.

I know we've repeated it a bunch of times, but would you ever believe that a pulling-away-in-first-place Rangers team would have Bickel, Boyle, Prust, Rupp, Mitchell, John Scott, Fedotenko, Stralman, and Hagelin in the lineup on March 1st?

Which tells me
1) We're probably not going to win the Cup this year but...

2) The team is doing very well now but has room to improve. We might sustain more injuries on offense next year, but we should be able to have A LOT more depth with over $5 million coming off the books.

3) Just an aside, but not fair to put Hagelin in that group, ha. The guy has top six forward potential, something none on this list have. I fall more in love with the guy every day. I know size wise he might compare to Prucha, but the dude is much more fesity and really shows no fear to get involved in this forechecking system.

This post has been edited by jkman61494: Mar 1 2012, 02:40 PM

[Mike B.]

3) Just an aside, but not fair to put Hagelin in that group, ha. The guy has top six forward potential, something none on this list have. I fall more in love with the guy every day. I know size wise he might compare to Prucha, but the dude is much more fesity and really shows no fear to get involved in this forechecking system.

I think Prucha's problem was that he was way too feisty for his own good.

This post has been edited by Mike B.: Mar 1 2012, 02:49 PM

[jkman61494]

3) Just an aside, but not fair to put Hagelin in that group, ha. The guy has top six forward potential, something none on this list have. I fall more in love with the guy every day. I know size wise he might compare to Prucha, but the dude is much more fesity and really shows no fear to get involved in this forechecking system.

I think Prucha's problem was that he was way too feisty for his own good.

Haha. You may be right. But despite the similar frame, I just don't see Hagelin getting lined up like he's the duck in Duck Hunt. I remember two things about Prucha. His sick wristers on his rookie season and him getting laid out it seemed every game.

Not only has Hagelin avoided that kind of carnage, I see him giving it back to guys now. I think it was the Buffalo game where he got in a scrum then just allowed himself to get carried into the boards, drew a penalty and smiled right through his mouth guard. It was the kind of thing I remember a guy like Esa Tikkanen would do.

[Rocha]

Not sure who's taking Callahan's place on line 2. If it's Dubinsky, now might be a good time for him to pull his head out of his ass. With their 2nd leading goal scorer out, the team needs you.

Feds.

Really? I mean, he's okay, but this seems like a good time to put Dubinsky in a "rise to the occasion" spot.

[HDH]

3) Just an aside, but not fair to put Hagelin in that group, ha. The guy has top six forward potential, something none on this list have. I fall more in love with the guy every day. I know size wise he might compare to Prucha, but the dude is much more fesity and really shows no fear to get involved in this forechecking system.

Kinda like Mr. 60 points Mats Zuccarello, huh?


(I think Hagelin is better, but right now he's just ok. At the start of the season I don't think anyone would have put him as a major and enduring part of the lineup. I think everyone would have expected Thomas, Bourque, or Newbury to be where Hagelin is now instead.)

This post has been edited by HDH: Mar 1 2012, 02:56 PM

[jkman61494]

You may be right, but while there are physical parallels to these players, the pedigree of Hagelin is much different, which is why people should be a bit less surprised at his emergence. Zucc's never played in North America. I honestly don't recall if Prucha did either in Hartford, but regardless, he had no idea how to avoid open ice hits.

Hags played 4 years at a blue blood hockey university and had success there. I think that's a huge difference. I agree that most here looked at a guy like Thomas as our potential rookie breakout.

But having watched the rookie tournament this summer on tv, I noticed 3 things. 1) McIlrath was very ordinary. 2) Erixon was solid but not spectacular and 3). Hagelin looked like a men amongst boys with his speed and puck control. I thought he had a good shot to make the team and am happy to see him make the most of it.


I agree about Dubinsky by the way. At this point, give the guy a shot on the 2nd line. It's not like Boyle and Prust aren't familiar having Feds as their wing man.

[Ebase]

3) Just an aside, but not fair to put Hagelin in that group, ha. The guy has top six forward potential, something none on this list have. I fall more in love with the guy every day. I know size wise he might compare to Prucha, but the dude is much more fesity and really shows no fear to get involved in this forechecking system.

Kinda like Mr. 60 points Mats Zuccarello, huh?


(I think Hagelin is better, but right now he's just ok. At the start of the season I don't think anyone would have put him as a major and enduring part of the lineup. I think everyone would have expected Thomas, Bourque, or Newbury to be where Hagelin is now instead.)

The upside on Hagelin was considered top-6. It wasn't like he was obscure playing in Michigan. There was a good amount of buzz on him. Most saw Thomas going back to jr.

[ak996]

Not sure who's taking Callahan's place on line 2. If it's Dubinsky, now might be a good time for him to pull his head out of his ass. With their 2nd leading goal scorer out, the team needs you.

Feds.

Really? I mean, he's okay, but this seems like a good time to put Dubinsky in a "rise to the occasion" spot.

Dubi's a checker. Don't you know this?

[Rocha]

Not sure who's taking Callahan's place on line 2. If it's Dubinsky, now might be a good time for him to pull his head out of his ass. With their 2nd leading goal scorer out, the team needs you.

Feds.

Really? I mean, he's okay, but this seems like a good time to put Dubinsky in a "rise to the occasion" spot.

Dubi's a checker. Don't you know this?

I assume that's what someone else called him in his defense? If that's the case, then playing like Brandon Prust should get him paid like Brandon Prust, but currently high pockets makes 5x more than his linemate.

[Greatone]

Not sure who's taking Callahan's place on line 2. If it's Dubinsky, now might be a good time for him to pull his head out of his ass. With their 2nd leading goal scorer out, the team needs you.

Feds.

Really? I mean, he's okay, but this seems like a good time to put Dubinsky in a "rise to the occasion" spot.

Dubi's a checker. Don't you know this?

I assume that's what someone else called him in his defense? If that's the case, then playing like Brandon Prust should get him paid like Brandon Prust, but currently high pockets makes 5x more than his linemate.

Leeds said that we don't know if the coaching staff told Dubinsky to be a checker this year which would lead to his production drop off. Since we arent in the room and all.

[Sed]

[Knight of Dight]

[leedsy99]

Leeds said that we don't know if the coaching staff told Dubinsky to be a checker this year which would lead to his production drop off. Since we arent in the room and all.

No. For a fact, I know that no one told Dubinsky to be a "checker." Because that's retarded. Anyone here play coached hockey? Anyone ever have a coach tell them, "Welp, looks like you're a checker. Go check people"?

What I said was maybe the coaching staff gave Dubinsky a different role on the team, placed him with different forwards, changed the way that they distributed his icetime, and asked him to be more conscious of his defensive game at the sacrifice of some of his production/offense. Because the coaching staff doesn't give a fuck how much money he makes. All they care about is winning games. And I'm sure that the general manager of the team isn't going to insert his cigar into the workings of a first-place team and say, "Listen, I'm taking a bath on this Dubinsky thing -- can't you roll him with Gaborik every now and then, get his stats up so I can flip him in February for Rick Nash?"

Because I'm not sure if you guys know this, but with a roster of 12 forwards, you aren't allowed to play them all at the same time. At the most you can play six of them, though teams will almost always opt to play three at a time. Which means that SOMEONE has to play with guys like Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust and Mike Rupp and John Mitchell and Ruslan Fedotenko and anyone else who qualifies as a professional hockey player that doesn't have the gifts to score in every single game. And just because Brandon Dubinsky plays with these guys sometimes, and plays pretty well with them -- what with the winning and all -- it doesn't necessarily means that he's a douchebag playing like a crippled kid. Maybe he's just doing his job, just like his coaches told him to.

[Mike B.]

No. For a fact, I know that no one told Dubinsky to be a "checker." Because that's retarded. Anyone here play coached hockey? Anyone ever have a coach tell them, "Welp, looks like you're a checker. Go check people"?

Actually, I think John Mitchell has always wanted to be a checking forward.

[Greatone]

No. For a fact, I know that no one told Dubinsky to be a "checker." Because that's retarded.

Well lets go to the video tape.

You don't have access to the practices and decisions by his coach. For all you know, the coaches decided that his best role was as a defensive forward with third-line minutes, rather than cram him into a position where he scores 20-25 goals but isn't effectively used in the team game. As I showed with the stats above, he's doing quite well with the role that the coaches have given him. The naive conclusion is to just look at his diminished numbers and call him struggling. But as I showed, he's doing okay, and the team is doing more than okay, so why are we blaming him for struggles he's not responsible for?

1. You start this off by saying we don't have access to practice and the coaches decisions so how can we criticize Dubinsky. Then you spend the next few sentences explaining how Dubinsky is doing well in the role the coaches gave him(highlighted to help). So when did you get access to practice and how can you say as a fact that the coaches assigned him the role of a defensive forward with third line minutes? EDIT: Well I mean how do you know that the plan was to have him there and not the team being forced to put him there?


2. I really enjoy how you think a guy that has scored 20+goals the previous two seasons, was in the top-6 to start the season with games on the 1st line and whose lack of goal scoring has been discussed by Torts(why wouldnt he just say he is in the role he wanted him?) was likely/was told by the coaching staff that his best role would be on the 3rd line as a defensive forward. Like all off-season Torts envisioned Dubinsky in a scoring, top-6 role and then the lightbulb went off about 15-20 games through the season and thought "holy shit, Dubinsky is best suited for a checking role!". Because Torts totally knew Carl Hagelin would capably replace him on the second line. Which makes sense since Hagelin didnt make the team out of camp.


To recap. We, those who criticize Dubinsky for not producing like he should be, are naive and uninformed because you feel that it is a huge leap of faith to assume Dubinskys expected role on this team was to be a 20 goal top-6 forward and not a 6 goal third line "defensive minded" forward.

You don't have access to the practices and decisions by his coach.

Its called common sense.

This post has been edited by Greatone: Mar 1 2012, 07:42 PM

[Rocha]

Winning half of 6 shootouts is 3 more points, Joe, not 6.

[toph]

zzzzzZzZZzzzzZz

[toph]

Winning half of 6 shootouts is 3 more points, Joe, not 6.

I think he meant half their overtime losses.

[Sed]

Winning half of 6 shootouts is 3 more points, Joe, not 6.

*snort*

[Rocha]

This game is brutal.

[Greatone]

Now I know the response that is coming. "The Rangers are in first!" "How can you complain!?"

The majority of people bemoaning the lack of production from Dubinsky can separate his individual expectations versus actual production against the overall team performance. Is Dubinsky doing well as a third line guy who does the dirty work and helps weardown the other teams scoring lines? YES. Thats not the issue. The issue is that Dubinsky was COUNTED on to be a 20 goal scorer and Torts was forced to move him down the lineup because he was not producing.

Yes the Rangers are in first. But that doesn't mean the lack of production from Dubinsky hasn't hurt the Rangers biggest weakness -- offensive production.

[Rocha]

Winning half of 6 shootouts is 3 more points, Joe, not 6.

I think he meant half their overtime losses.

OK, but that's still 3 more points, not 6.

[Mike B.]

Speaking of Dubi, Maloney is absolutely ripping him a new one right now about that penalty.

"STUPID, STUPID, Dubinsky!"

[Greatone]

Dubinsky was told by the coaching staff to play the role of Ryan Hollweg

[toph]

Winning half of 6 shootouts is 3 more points, Joe, not 6.

I think he meant half their overtime losses.

OK, but that's still 3 more points, not 6.

They have 13 OT/SO losses. Half is 6.5 points. Or, 6-7 points.

Edit: This argument shows how awful that first period was.

This post has been edited by toph: Mar 1 2012, 07:45 PM

[chopchop]

Saved by the bell ...

[Knight of Dight]

Now I know the response that is coming. "The Rangers are in first!" "How can you complain!?"

The majority of people bemoaning the lack of production from Dubinsky can separate his individual expectations versus actual production against the overall team performance. Is Dubinsky doing well as a third line guy who does the dirty work and helps weardown the other teams scoring lines? YES. Thats not the issue. The issue is that Dubinsky was COUNTED on to be a 20 goal scorer and Torts was forced to move him down the lineup because he was not producing.

Yes the Rangers are in first. But that doesn't mean the lack of production from Dubinsky hasn't hurt the Rangers biggest weakness -- offensive production.

I think the fact that he became a third-line checker the year after pouting until he was given a 4.3 million dollar contract is what has people upset with him. He's being paid to score goals, and he is absolutely not living up to his end of the bargain.

[Rocha]

Prust passes the puck straight to a Hurricane unforced in center ice, then Dubinsky takes a dumb penalty back in the D zone. Come on with this "they're checking players" crap, all three players on that line have sucked all year. They are not coming close to playing up to the standards they set for themselves last season, nor is their level of play at all worth their ice times.

[Rocha]

Winning half of 6 shootouts is 3 more points, Joe, not 6.

I think he meant half their overtime losses.

OK, but that's still 3 more points, not 6.

They have 13 OT/SO losses. Half is 6.5 points. Or, 6-7 points.

Edit: This argument shows how awful that first period was.

Oh, I thought they had 6 OT/SO losses.

Hey, question to Marc Staal about his brothers! Did anyone know he also has brothers in the NHL? Pretty wild.

[Leo95]

Dubinsky was told by the coaching staff to play the role of Ryan Hollweg

He'll need a haircut.

[TeamStewie]

Dubinsky was told by the coaching staff to play the role of Ryan Hollweg

He'll need a haircut.

And a lobotomy.

[Mike B.]

What's the under/over on number of shifts Dubinsky plays for the rest of the game? 1.5?

[Rocha]

At least Sam & Joe have been calling Dubinsky's penalty what it is, a dumb play and bad penalty. A refreshing bit of fresh air from them.

[toph]

Has he become dumber or is he overcompensating?

[Dr. D]

Boy howdy, I can't wait to watch these two teams play in a couple weeks at the Garden.

I've made trips to the Garden each of the last three years, and every time I end up seeing Carolina. What the hell? Do they know that I'm traveling 700 miles to see my favorite team and want to punish me with the Hurricanes?

[Rocha]

What's the under/over on number of shifts Dubinsky plays for the rest of the game? 1.5?

Mitchell just took his first shift. Good.

[Nilan 666]

MITCHELL! EYE ON THE SANDWICH! Sorry that plays in my head every single time.