It's my first time listening to you guys and I'm really enjoying your podcast I don't give a s*** if you bring Scotty Bowman in here okay can you bring in Terry sawchuk to play goalie the bottom line with this team is they are f****** soft and I've been watching soft hockey since 1973 with a few exceptions I am sick and tired of watching this garbage tired of soft f****** hockey from Mika and from other players sick of it this team hasn't had a number one center since Mark messier that's 30 f****** years ago

I've been watching soft talking guys since 1973 Chris Drury is a complete in basalt who can't put a team together he's clueless you have to build a team he knows how to play defense knows how to cycle knows how to consistently play in the other team's end knows how to play gaps this might be the worst Gap team I've ever watched they also are horrendous for checking team you cannot play and run around your own end let your goalie stand on his f****** head everyday and also tonigt Igor can't be giving up that goal at 2:22 to Connor

This team's lucky they have such great goaltending without that they would be in big trouble, probably not even making the playoffs!

K Andre Miller is a concern for me too.He is a younger defenseman who makes some great plays sometimes, however there is a lot of times where he is way out of position and you are left scratching your head wondering what just happened.

Let’s see what they look like against the best in the league right now.. better step it up so they don’t get embarrassed

Doesnt he start really slow every year?

Yep, still need playoff-level injury depth and a willingness to bench a broken player in favor of a skater who is not injured.

I do also think we need to factor in the fact that the Rangers are the reigning President Trophy winners. Every team uses games against us as "measuring sticks" for themselves to gauge where they are. We are probably getting teams best efforts (or close to it) on most nights. Last year we struggled against SJ, CBJ, Buf ...etc. When teams have little to play for or no way to win the Cup, the Rangers are their Stanley Cup game. So yes, we have sucked, but also yes, some of these teams are playing above expectations. I've been advocation for the Rangers to just squeak into the playoffs and then go on a run.

Mika is sneaky. He'll end the season with 70pts and be an absolute nightmare on most nights. Very strange.

This is where management is pivotal. Trouba has already come out and said this is the last chance for this core. If that's the case, do the Rangers go into another on the fly rebuild or do they stay course. I think this is where the whole Igor contract comes into play. Do the Rangers want to pay 12 million to Igor who has probably 6 or 7 elite years left with a team that they don't believe are good enough to win S, but good enough to make the playoffs? If Drury does not believe in the future core, do the Rangers decide to rebuild from the bottom up?. Personally, I think Rangers will give Igor 12M, but do I believe the Rangers will win a SC in the next 7 to 8 years is leaning No. The reason why is because our pipeline of players outside of Perrault,Ottoman and Berard is pretty bare. Do we believe in the next core players Laffy, Chytil (Hopefully), Kakko,Fox, Miller (?). It will be interesting to see what this off-season brings if the Rangers don't win it all. I will have to say, this season feel eerie similar to the season when the Rangers lost to the devils in the 1st rd. The prior season made it to the ECF, all the talk was be ready for the playoffs and then when the playoffs did happen, Rangers crumbled. The Rangers cannot be thinking about Spring time, because if they do. Another 1st rd exit will occur

I also think there is some kind of "human nature" staying in one's comfort zone that is affecting the first line. They have not been challenged enough to do more by the organization till now as needing to step up and change in order to get more of those marginal benefits that are needed to succeed in tightly contested competitions. This juggling this early makes me think that Laviolette is really trying to squeeze as much juice out and even willing to sacrifice a few Ws against lesser opponents to figure it out. As a fan that carefully inspects the ebbs and flows of the season, this is the first time - at least that I have really noticed - that the coaching staff is "going to the lab" to see if they can unpack some more potential. Each game against tougher opponents, till now the caps and the panthers, and soon the jets, are really going to expose the weaknesses to the organization in a way I don't believe has been as prominent till now, being the last year of this core + GM to really prove they can get to the next level. Note, that the weaknesses are glaringly obvious to the fan base and sagacious observers like yourselves. When I say "till now" really mean in terms of institutional perception. tldr; the players have run out of excuses with this coach and GM and its time to answer the bell.

Paul Bissonnette, not that I think he is always right, mentioned on chiclets (or TNT I can't remember) that Zibby doesn't have legs anymore. He can't move his feet. It feels like there is some kind of lingering injury. Maybe we will never know.

Edstrom has been good

Keep putting out the same players and expect different results ?

Matt Gilroy jersey 🤔

Seems like Zbad coughs up the puck if is someone sneezes on him

One of the most intelligent team podcasts. Thanks, Nick!

Why do you talk like your top and bottom row of teeth are glued together

Great analysis, Nick, as always! Thanks for your contribution, much appreciated. Please continue these informative episodes. All the best, Dennis...and LGR!

I’m not as comfortable w the loss to Fl as u guys ..yes they got off to a bad start …they need to show they have an answer to the Panthers ..they were out played in the playoffs and they were out played the other night ..didnt really have an answer to being smothered

Bro how are you loving Fox and Miller. I cant stand Fox man. His play his style of play dosent mean a single thing in the playoffs. He gets pushed around , overpowerd. And theres no time in the playoffs for how he likes to slow the game down and take time to make the great pass witch he does reg season. But he also gives up alot. I mean the Rangers are offensvly are top heavy thats there bread and butter They dont need a D man to rack up these points every year and dont mean jack when the seasons over. Dudes to small for a powerful D Man to clear the net in playoff hockey.. he gets cleared out of the way. Hell get burnt. Or over powerd. We dont need his offensive talents to win a cup. We havent And playoffs dude is a non factor. Point blank. Im good w a a really solid stay at home persay d man.. than fox Am i the only 1 that this drives crazy

Love the fair assessment of Kakko. The 3rd line is fun but are they a 3rd line of a cup winning team? Im not sold that they are. IF, Kakko is traded, Id look for someone to slot in the 3C role, who can score but also is a defensively responsible and a pain to play against. Now slide Smith down to play with said player and Cuylle, while putting Fil on 20/93’s wing. For me what they bring is more important than the name. But if the Wild drop out, Im calling for Hartman. Package starts with Kakko, choice of Othmann/Berard, and anything else needed that isnt on the current roster or Gabe Perreault.

Mancinis play does give them a bit more room with giving up a D. But as said its 5 games in..

Great podcast, excellent analysis, but please lose that Mutts hat 🧢! LGR, LGY!

LGR hoping Smith and Zbad find some Chemistry and Kakko can get it going LGR

I would also say Kakko looks just a bit faster than for example last season. His not "flying" around like McDavid, but he seems just a step faster. I would also hope Lavy would give the 3rd line just a bit more, like ozone faceoffs, maybe a minute or two more playing time, etc. Just abit more..

Until they sort out playoff injury depth, they will keep circling the drain in May. Whether it is coaching or culture, they have to stop playing injured guys when they visibly suck.

I’m very shocked Schneider-Trouba been good at 5v5. The interesting thing as well is they are better on offense and defense when not with Laffy, Trocheck, panarin

I do like the balance we have on our lines right now. I think the 4th line will improve and will be trusted more with Vesey on it. Carrick, Vesey, Edstrom with Brodz rotating is a pretty good group. Rempe should play the year in Hartford.

Kreider is going nowhere, 75 points at 6.5 is a steal. Mika on the other hand….

Young guys are making team and some who will be up here soon. Last year they were the fourth youngest team! Please don’t compare them to the Hens 🐧 . I’m sure they are younger now with Eddie and Mancini on the team.

Shitsterkin dose not deserve it where does he show up he has blown 2 two nothing series leads Igor is the most overrated player in the NHL

Chris Drury sucks as GM just like he sucked as a player

Shitsterkin is a problem what are you people watching

as a large market team I sure hope the Rangers hold to their guns here..I am so sick of this era of greedy players 😡

If Igor won’t accept 11 million which I think is bat shit crazy, trade him! He obviously would rather have money than be a Ranger.

Really 11 million isnt enough. How about the list of 15 teams then Igor.

The salary cap going up makes no difference. Everyone will be asking for more money when the cap goes up. You guys are acting like the cap will go up and the salaries will stay the same.

As a neutral fan, a lot of this reminds me of Horvat to the Isles and Lou giving that contract right across town. In an ideal world, the contention window is bigger but what choice does NYR really have at this point? The Rags basically have to do this with the roster they chose and personnel decisions they made. If he's traded, you're most likely not getting the compensation back to help this team win a Cup because the other roster players are simply not good when it comes to the playoffs and if he walks, well, you're talking about a situation similar to what happened to Calgary a few summers ago with Gaudreau (RIP) and Tkachuk. They're going to get it done, it'll probably sting, but if any Rangers fan blames Shesterkin being greedy then they're out to lunch. The Trouba/Zibanejad contracts are bigger issues to your guys roster's building than anything Shesterkin receives in a deal. Great players being paid is never the issue to roster building, the issue comes when bad players get overpaid Love the podcast guys, keep it up, one of the better hockey podcasts I listen to keep tabs on league teams.

meh, they are "right there", until the lack of playoff injury depth rises up, again. And again. And again.

You know I would do? I would send him to down to AHL and of course he wouldn't clear waivers. It would be fucking HILARIOUS! Some shit team picks him up. San Jose or Calgary or something. He'd have to move out to the middle of no where. Play to en empty arena, where only three die hard season ticket holders shout "IGOR" off key in a horse voice. He'd be so dejected. It would be a visionary move like old Iron Mike used to do. Man I miss him. Fact is with Igor we are not winning a cup. Without Igor we are not winning a cup. Igor has a better chance somewhere else. But I would like to see him sent down and not clear and wind up in fucking Anaheim, hiding his head in that dumb duck's jersey as he tries to get dialed in to an empty arena.

Either way the Rangers are not winning the cup for the next 8 years. Having a 12M goalie isn’t winning you a cup. Let Igor walk. I would much rather a rebuild. Igor is a band aid on a bullet wound. My issue isn’t Igor my issue is the core is rotten you will not win with this core and signing Igor for a rebuilding team isn’t winning a cup. The formula is dogshit I’m done watching an elite goalie get shit on because we don’t have cup caliber defense or offense just a goalie hiding what this team truly is. It’s time this team looks it self in the mirror for what it truly is . Terrible. It’s rebuild time this is what you get for trading for the number 1 LW in the start of a rebuild. An incomplete rebuild means an incomplete cup run.

Great show gyts. LFGR!

It does not matter cause relying on special teams does not work in the playoffs. Big difference. One of the major reasons Panarin and Mika does not show up in the playoffs. Kreider is not overpaid, he scores goals in the playoffs while others are missing

Great analogy guys💯👌👍

Shersterkin was offered to be the highest paid goalie in the league and he still rejected it .. either a terrible agent or he’s just plain greedy how much is enough …..way to try and handcuff the team salary cap

Thanks, guys! Great interview, he's a true legend and a very nice human being. Much appreciated!

The Rangers better put his name up in the rafters with all of the other legends.

I love Sam! He will be missed! Great show guys, can't wait until you have him back.