re: Official 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread (LA KINGS WIN THE CUP 3-2 F/2OT)

4-2 final, those road Penguins strike again!

To the brink with the Rags! About as outmatched as a team can be the last 3 games.

good win tonight. Saw a guy on campus in a Malkin Stadium Series jersey. It was lookin' good. Might have to get me one of those (but of Orpik or Letang of course)...

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“Ultimately, the fans can do what they want,” Vigneault said. “I’d prefer right now if our fans were supportive. It might not look it but we’re trying our guts off out there.

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The Rangers — who finally snapped their goal-less drought at 145:30 — were outshot, 27-15, with just four third-period shots on Marc-Andre Fleury. They were (dis)credited with 25 giveaways to just eight for the Penguins.

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We need Torts back. And Gretzky. And Messier.



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Too late, Caps are getting him.

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Baloo and Unluckytiger are literally going to go on a kitten murdering spree if this happens.

Seriously, I looked outside last night and saw locusts and a moon that had turned to blood. Fluery is playing lights out, Neal is playing clean, it's really frustrating.

WTF happened to my Rangers? This was supposed to be a special year after the St. Louis trade????

The best player on the Rangers not named Hank has been a midget named Zuccarello. Nash for Gaborik, Anisimov, and Dubinsky clearly didn't work. Nash has actually played okay just has been taking ill advised shots. Where is the MF fire? I wish just one of our guys could get fired up like PK Subban and at least give a shite.

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Baloo and Unluckytiger are literally going to go on a kitten murdering spree if this happens

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Yeah, the only worse idea is hiring Gretzky as a GM, which has also been floated. Torts would be an awful, awful, AWFUL fit in DC. Laviolette would've been the best, but he's off the board already.

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WTF happened to my Rangers?

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Six games in nine days. They look dead. They aren't even the same team, and the Pens are pretty much beating them to every loose puck and winning every physical better. and let's be honest, the Pens aren't the most physical team on earth. If you're getting beat up by the Pens, it's you, not them.

That said, the Pens are following the blueprint of five years ago: when Malkin decides he's the best player on earth, the Penguins win. He already has won Smythe Trophy and he's working on a second. He's not just the best player on the ice, he's far and away the best player on the ice.

A little too much has been made of Crosby's scoring drought. Sure, he's not finding the twine and he has a negative +/- (further pointing out what a useless stat it is), but he's been getting assists and being generally useful. He hasn't been superstar great, but he's been driving play. He's the league leader in Corsi, though he's also getting favorable zone starts. But Malkin... holy shite. He is The Truth.

Also, it's pretty hard to win when you only take 15 shots.

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Six games in nine days. They look dead. They aren't even the same team, and the Pens are pretty much beating them to every loose puck and winning every physical better. and let's be honest, the Pens aren't the most physical team on earth. If you're getting beat up by the Pens, it's you, not them. That said, the Pens are following the blueprint of five years ago: when Malkin decides he's the best player on earth, the Penguins win. He already has won Smythe Trophy and he's working on a second. He's not just the best player on the ice, he's far and away the best player on the ice. A little too much has been made of Crosby's scoring drought. Sure, he's not finding the twine and he has a negative +/- (further pointing out what a useless stat it is), but he's been getting assists and being generally useful. He hasn't been superstar great, but he's been driving play. He's the league leader in Corsi, though he's also getting favorable zone starts. But Malkin... holy shite. He is The Truth. Also, it's pretty hard to win when you only take 15 shots.

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Yes, yes, yes, I get all that. But this is the fricking playoffs. Man up, drink a red bull, and get out there and kick some arse.

I think the Rangers out hit the Penguins but that doesn't matter. Can we all agree that with the Rangers payroll 15 shots is pathetic? I'm in full meltdown mode. It's not that they aren't trying, it's that what they are trying is fricking moronic.

Hey guys, let's shoot the puck from the blue line and not have anyone in front of the net to deflect. WTF?????? GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


I wish I could blame an external factor. Scheduling happens. It's the Rangers own fault for not working with MSG to coordinate events properly. I wish it were the officiating, or injuries. It's literally that the gameplan is sucking arse at the same time that the Penguins are hot. This is not an awesome combination.

Our D has something to do with that to my friend, Letang is playing lights out, Martin has been superb, and Maatta and Nisky have done what they've done all year.

Letang has been the biggest factor.

We're taking care of the puck, making the smart and correct and simple play. You're not seeing the awful turnovers and terrible reads from round 1. They're making it pretty easy on Fleury and when it's not he's stepped up.

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The Rangers have not, and they hanging Henrik out to dry.

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I think it should be in Henrik's contract that he gets to publicly murder any teammate he chooses when they do this to him.

Not taking anything away from the Penguins stellar play. But you have to admit that at least 51% is a combination of player ambivilance and AV's coaching which isn't putting players in the right spots and taking too many shots from outer space. To be fair, the Penguins D is in the right place, but between the different players involved they should be getting 25-35 shots consistently.

One thing we don't suck at is fan criticism. I can't believe AV is complaining aobut the fans that pay $200 a pop for nosebleed seats to see his team execute a shitty gameplan that isn't working. The team isn't even fired up, with the exception of Hank.

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While we're second guessing... is this the absence of Callahan?

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IDK. Callahan isn't worth $6.5M+ / year, which is apparently what he wanted. Callahan has like 2 good years left the way he plays. If that. There are guys with heart that remain on the team. AV is telling them to take the emotion out of it, which is leading to the intensity of a pre-game warmup.

Most of these guys are experienced players with playoff experience, they know what to do but are being held back.

You can play this game with all of the roster moves. Was it smart to let Prust go to Montreal? Let Gaborik, Anisimov, and Dubinsky go? Is Nash really worth it if he can't produce in the playoffs and all he does is that lame move where he spins and shoots? Is he a fricking one trick pony or can he get close to the net and deflect once in a while? Should McIlrath be in the minors when nobody on the team has the balls to stand up for a teammate? Is Hagelin going to skate at mach 4 and overskate a puck again?

Are Stralman and Klein worth more than McDonaugh, Staal, and Girardi because they don't make any mistakes but don't do shite?

If they hadn't traded Del Zotto, would the Rangers be better off because they would have had much more rest with all of the times he mistakenly brings the puck behind the blueline causing an offsides?