2 Guys 1 Cup : A New York Rangers Podcast

Shots On Goal Are Cute, Goals Are Cuter

• 2 Guys 1 Cup • Season 5 • Episode 113

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We break down a 2–1 OT loss that showcased elite structure and a stubborn scoring drought. Strong defense and fourth-line energy clash with a top six that can’t finish, while contracts and no‑move clauses limit options.

• tighter neutral zone, fewer rush chances allowed
• top six struggles at five-on-five
• fourth line drives forecheck and late shifts
• power play hesitancy and lost zone time
• aging core and no‑move clauses reduce flexibility
• Schneider’s elevated minutes and Robertson’s stability
• debate on Trocheck usage and line balance
• early trade window possibilities under cap constraints
• metrics show they’re close, results say not yet
• schedule outlook and realistic 1-1-1 vs 3-0 paths

“Most likely next Wednesday… hopefully after two more wins and maybe some goals”


SPEAKER_02:

Well, that was uh certainly something to watch and something to behold. Um yeah. That this team is playing as good hockey as I can find as as I can remember at any time going back to the Elaine Vigno years. And it's it's a struggle and it's a challenge, and I think that they will be better for it come the next several months. Let's put it that way. Um, Rangers just dropped two to one in overtime. Zabanajad with the game on his stick. We all saw what happened, it goes the other way. You knew as soon as Zabanajad lost the puck what was gonna happen going the other way. It is what it is. And here we are, Rock. How are you, my friend?

SPEAKER_01:

I'm good. I've just I was uh had the privilege of being at the home opener and the game against Edmonton, and the only time I rose from my seat was to take a shit or a piss. So it's been uh it's been a very fun season to say the least to start this one. Um but I'm not surprised. So this is where we are. I I'm not surprised, Sean. I mean it it I knew the goals were gonna become were gonna be hard to come by. I have don't have any faith in a lot in some of the guys that are on this team. Panarin looks lost, Miller looks lost, LaFronnier looks lost, Cooley looks lost, Zabinajan looks lost, and you know, you it's not from a lack of effort, they're just not that good. You got guys on the other end, other side of 30, and and and father time, I think, is just starting to creep up with these guys. I just don't, they're not top flight players anymore. They can't play 20 minutes a night. And I just think that at this point they're putting their eggs in the in the baskets of the same guys that lost them and quit on them last year. So I'm sorry, I can't get excited about you know, score a fucking goal. That's your job. I mean, when was the last time Panarin went what the first six games of the season without a goal? And what does he have? One point? Two points. Two points. I hate Chris Drury, and and for our friend Sean, who wants to complain about Panarin, about Zabinijad, about this guy, and about that guy, Sean, the guy to complain to are the current GM and the previous GM. They are the problem. They are where why we are in this position today with running it back and running it back and running it back and not changing anything, and where why we stand in this position today is because of the previous general manager and the current general manager that handed out the no-moving clauses like candy, and now you're saddled with guys that shouldn't be here. Chris Crowder should be here. He should be here. And you and I talked about this last year. He should be here. You and I both said he was hurt, but they had to trade him. So if you want to sit here and cry and complain about people, we all said Chris Crowder was a unicorn. That when he was gone, you were gonna miss him, that he was gonna be hard to replace. I understand it's been four games, but you had no choice. You had no choice. You did have a choice whether to give Parson an extension, you still have a choice whether to give Vacanine an extension. You didn't have to give those guys extensions when you did. You could have let it road it out for the year, could have offered him a qualifying offer and told him to go fly a kite. But he felt the need to lock these guys up to two-year deals. And again, I can't knock Parson because he's the only one that freaking scored tonight. But at some point, two points in two games. I mean, you gotta score goals. I mean, Khanashiri, as great as he's been defensively, he's gotta put up some pucks in the net, he's got to create some kind of offense.

SPEAKER_02:

He is, he's doing his, he's without a doubt doing his job. His job is to go is to go get pucks, go retreat in the corner.

SPEAKER_01:

He should be on the third line. So in his defense, maybe the right person to pick on.

SPEAKER_02:

When Trochek gets back, you know, there'll be an adjustment in the top six, whether Zabenjad stays in the middle and Trochek goes to a wing, or vice versa. Yeah, you know, one of one of the two will be playing center, and one of the two will be playing wing in that top six. But Shiri to me is is completely doing his job. He's gonna do his job.

SPEAKER_01:

He's again, we're not putting up points. You gotta put up some points, gotta give you something. If you're playing in the top six, you gotta give him something.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, the whole top six needs to get some points. It's not I'm not Connor Shiri is the last person out of the six I'm gonna pick up.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm just saying, I'm just saying that um it's just frustrating to watch this because well, let me ask you. Almost 40 goals this year, and now he stopped shooting again. Now we're passing the guys in the corner instead of shooting from the slot. Again, we're doing this overpassing bullshit. Now, granted, their defense shit, their defense has been great, and uh, and again, it's very difficult for me to sit here and complain because you see the effort. And Jim Schmiederberg from Blue Shoot Underground in his post-game recap against Edmonton the other night. He sat back in his chair and he laughed and he and he's chuckling to himself, as was my me and my my buddy Brian at the end of the night, because they're showing effort. It's not from a lack of effort, it's not for lack of trying. They've shut down McDavid, they've shut uh, other than this two-on-one, they shut down uh Matthews tonight. They're doing what they're supposed to do, but at some point they need to score goals. I just don't think they have the horses up front to play this style and and and to go far because I don't think the top six that they have, even with Trochik, who's I I've said it repeatedly, is not a tick's top six player, even when he comes back, it doesn't matter. They don't have the top six guys to produce playing this style.

SPEAKER_02:

They don't are the chances there.

SPEAKER_01:

Are they there though, Sean?

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

We have some sad carrick and edstrom are getting breakaways and two-on-ones, but no one else is.

SPEAKER_02:

Because they're exploiting they're exploiting matchups, breakaways, and the other all lines aren't. Because they're exploiting matchups. The tougher defensive matchups are obviously going against our top six.

SPEAKER_01:

I don't know. I saw them playing against Matthews tonight. I saw them play, they played against McDavid a few times the other night. Right, those guys aren't shut down players, those guys are looking for offense. The best wait wait, wait a minute.

SPEAKER_02:

He's the best player in the league, yes, but they're looking for offense.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, so you're telling me that they would have a better matchup playing against um Callie Yoncroke and uh a defensive forward? I don't agree with that, but anyway, what were you gonna say? Carrick, Rempey and and and and Edstrom have been their best line by a country mile. If if Sam Carrick was talented at any stretch as far as goal scoring, him and Edstrom should have 12 goals amongst the two of them.

SPEAKER_02:

You're not wrong. Um, the fourth line has been has just it's been tremendous. Uh, and and I'm glad that Dave actually mentioned it during the broadcast toward the end of the game, where he said, you know, here we are in a tie game with you know a little less than four minutes left. And the carrick edge shrimp rempi line is out there. He goes, You would have never seen this in either of the past coaching regimes. So I don't know how much of that is Sullivan in his philosophy, or is these guys they're just earning it, they're making it impossible for you not to play them.

SPEAKER_01:

No, they are, they've been absolutely fantastic, and they have been great. It's it's not, I mean, great is an understatement, Sean. They have been ridiculous.

SPEAKER_02:

He's compared them to the um what what was they called what did they call them on the islanders? The Suzekis, Matt Martin, and uh I don't remember cluster fuck line. Yeah, whatever.

SPEAKER_01:

Whatever they were called. But no, that's a good that's a good comparison. Yeah, I mean, but they gotta they've gotta put some goals in. I mean, I understand character post. Um, and again, they struggle against these big goaltenders, these six foot six, six foot four, six foot five goalies, and it's been one right after another, with the exception of I guess Lingrid. They've all been big goalies and they've struggled against all of them. So um how how big is Montambo? Oh, he's well, I'll tell you, he they struggle against him too. It's either feast of famine with that guy, either light him up or he's 6'3.

SPEAKER_02:

So see if we get Mont and Bow, or if we get that.

SPEAKER_01:

I guess it's a big goalie compared to John Van Biesbrook, but I mean, I don't know. Uh I don't know anymore if that's considered a big goaltender. It's just frustrating. I listen, you know that the crazy part about it is I'm yelling and screaming, but I'll be honest with you, I was at peace after the loss. I wasn't even upset about it because I don't expect anything. You don't expect anything. What I do get upset about is people getting mad and annoyed at the wrong people. Like I said, you want to get mad at anybody, and this goes for you, me, any other podcast, any other Ranger fan. It has nothing to do with Zabinajad, Panarin, Fox. It's it has all to do with the fucking general manager. And I'm not just blaming Drury, I'm blaming Gordon too. They both gave out these no movement clauses like nothing. Well, this is what happens when you hand out no movement clauses because guys are going to get old and that you can't move them.

SPEAKER_02:

So let me ask you this since that's the point you're bringing up. Who's on this roster that you don't want on this roster? That's a no-move clause. He's been great.

SPEAKER_01:

He has not been great, Sean. He hasn't been great. He hasn't finished, he's not been great. All right, I disagree. He has a short-handed goal. I've saw him got muscled off the puck by who the hell's the guy Benoit on their team? He's huge. I don't care. I saw him win. He could be big and stink. I I mean, he just he gives you nothing. I was at the Eventon game. I didn't, I forgot he was on the team. He gave us nothing in that game. He'll go granted, he'll score the short-handed goal or he'll score the power play goal. But against these good teams, you don't even notice him on the fucking ice.

SPEAKER_02:

And he's always on. He leads the NHL in shots on goal. Like the NHL, not just the range. He leads the entire league. That's not shots attempted, it's shots on goal. He leads the entire league in it.

SPEAKER_01:

So to say he's not generating options other than the Lingren, other than the Lingren shot. Give me another memorable play that he's made in the game.

SPEAKER_02:

I gotta be honest, I I have missed too many minutes of Ranger hockey so far, and I'm playing catch up every fucking night because of all these seven o'clock games.

SPEAKER_01:

Sean, he can play great once if he doesn't produce on the score sheet. I get it. And it's pointless, useless last time. I'm sorry. Okay, but then we're not winning away. I've already said, I've already been on record, so I can't go back on it. You're not winning a championship with him in your top six. I've already said it. Okay. You're not. He's not strong enough on the puck, and he's played small down to these bigger, stronger teams. And you need you need guys, he's not a playoff guy. He's not a playoff guy, and he's getting older and he's getting slower, and he doesn't move as fast. And you know, you could play great against Buffalo and against Pittsburgh and against all these other crap teams, but when the when the chips are on the table, he doesn't come up big. It's been a while. We've seen this story before. I don't care about games eight one through eighty-two anymore. I don't. We none of us should. It should be how we built this team to make the playoffs. To win a play to win a playoff round, to win four playoff rounds. He is not a fourth playoff round player.

SPEAKER_02:

It's something that we have fundamentally disagreed on.

SPEAKER_01:

We have a one.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, we have a one with him being with him being our top center. He's no longer our top center, so that changes. I agreed with I agreed with you on that part.

SPEAKER_01:

They're flawed. They're flawed in a lot of ways. Too many question marks, too many what ifs, too many Hail Marys. And I said that who start the season. Who's the team that's not flawed? Who's the one? But they're what well this I'm talking about as far as trying to win a championship. Yeah, who's the guy in the teams in the teams in the metro? Right? Who's who's not who's who's their top 10 player? Panarin. He's at a top 10 player in the league. Of course he is. No, he's not. He was third in the heart two years ago. What is so what Fox was in the was a top three defenseman two years ago as far as the NHL was concerned. Now he's not even in the top 50.

SPEAKER_02:

And uh nobody kills Fox more than me. Doesn't matter. And he's been he's been I didn't think he was that good tonight.

SPEAKER_01:

He's been very good this year. He's been better this year. He's definitely been better this year. Definitely definitely has a chip on his shoulder. And it's hard for me to like I said, it's not about the effort. They're giving you effort, and as a fan base, that's all you want is effort. But at some point, you gotta score. Like at what point? It's like say it's like going to somebody and you're paying for dinner, right? And they tell you thank you. Every night you pay for dinner, man. Sean, thank you. Sean, pay for dinner the next night. Thank you. Thank you. Say thank you every night. And you're appreciative of the thank you. But it'd be nice to say, hey, bud, pay for fucking dinner one night, asshole. That's how it feels. That's how it feels. I feel like I've gone out to dinner for how many nights, and all I've been getting is a thank you and no reciprocation. I mean, that's kind of the way I feel. And it's frustrating because you want to shit on them because they're not scoring, but you want to praise them because oh listen, they held Edmonton to one goal, they held Washington to one goal, they held Toronto for the most part to one goal. I mean, five on five, they gave Toronto nothing. Power play goal and a three-on-three goal. I mean, you want to be positive about these things, but it's sometimes um, at some times, uh you gotta you gotta score at some point. And you see their faces, and the opportunities are good, but they're not great. It's a bit of jet shot against Glingrin. That's a great shot, you know. But but you're dependent like the Gemminton game. And Sam Carrick with Sam Carrick and Edstream were your best players on the ice. There's a problem. That is a problem. If those are your two best guys, they hit your best up, Braden Schneider hit the point. He's your fifth defenseman on this team. We can just we can decide where he technically is, but in your lineup, he's your fifth best defenseman right now. He's playing in your fifth slot. Carrick hits the crossbar, he's your fourth line center. The guys that are putting that are doing these things are not the guys that should be putting up those type of having those type of opportunities. Your top six is generating nothing of substance. That's a problem. I mean, wait, hold on, I gotta answer this guy's question. You can't freak out all the time about no movement clauses. I don't freak out all the time about no movement clauses. I'm fully aware, but I'm not freaking out about them. I understand them. Chris Kreider is my favorite ranger. It broke like like Hank, it broke my heart when they traded him. Broke my heart. Broke my heart. But I knew they had to do it, just like they had to buy out Hank. I'm I'm realistic about it. But there is a contingency of fan base that keeps saying they traded the wrong person. They traded, oh, they should have traded this guy. They should have traded. Well, you can't. Like I said, the only way Mika leaves the Rangers is if he agrees to leave. That's it. And that's it. And I'll tell you, sad a lot, because it ain't happening for at least two or three more years.

SPEAKER_02:

He's retired.

SPEAKER_01:

He might wind up being your third a third line player at some point, but he is on this team. You need to get him off the top six, out of the top six. He wants to kill penalties, fine. You want to play him on the power plate, fine. Five on five, he's useless. He's useless. He's a special teams guy. Sorry, I carry got carried away. What were you gonna say?

SPEAKER_02:

The results are in.

SPEAKER_01:

What the five game evals?

SPEAKER_02:

The five the six game evals are in.

SPEAKER_01:

It's just I'm not surprised. Get him all the high and score in preseason either. No preseason, not indicative, but you saw no Panarin, no cheat JT Miller against crappy lineups. They still couldn't score. They still couldn't manage more than one goal a game.

SPEAKER_02:

Again, they're still feeling that way. Like at this point, I think Miller is starting to starting to come around a little bit. But Panarin's still there's something, there's something off with Panarin, and it's clear.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, he's worried about his contract and getting every fucking last.

SPEAKER_02:

I don't think that's it. I think it's I'm being facetious.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm being facetious. I'm being facetious. You never know. There's a lot of people around. Maybe they hurts, you know, they hear you, they don't know. No, please. They hear me, then they have they have they have big they have uh other issues in life.

SPEAKER_02:

But um but there's something there, and again, we're we're gonna do the same thing we did with Cryder last year, where we killed Creider last year for playing and playing hurt and hurting the team because he was playing hurt. So, what what do we do with Panarin? Do we do it do they sit him until he's fully healthy? Does he play his way through it?

SPEAKER_01:

You know, it's it is a shame to if I go well, Igor's not had doesn't has not nearly had to be as great as he normally is. Correct. But the fact that he's given up one, I mean, obviously gave up two goals tonight, but obviously under the what you know what the circumstances were. Yeah, you hate to waste what could possibly be a Vesna trophy season. And if he keeps up this pace, I mean he might win the heart trophy, especially if they make the playoffs, based off of the numbers with what we've seen. Um, but uh but anyway. And they're never gonna lose, and they're never gonna completely rebuild. And we've heard the story time and time again, but I will tell you this at some point, if this continues and it starts creeping now into, you know, now we're we're in eight, we're in mid mid-October. If this starts creeping into late October, late November, early December, maybe starts going into the new year, maybe you have to start sitting back and saying, you know, maybe we need to figure something else out. I'm just I'm just saying at some point, and they might make trades earlier than later. Alien Freeman said it on 32 Thoughts that you might see trades earlier than later because you can't accrue salary kept space the way you could, the whole fucking legalities and how they completely demolished the trade deadline. It's completely destroyed it. Um ruined everything. This league just makes it so they make it so hard for it to be attractive to it to a fan base. I mean, they've just kept I mean, just to save these meaningly I'm not gonna get into it now. But anyway, I was gonna start going on to something else, but I'm not gonna leave it alone. Well, there you go.

SPEAKER_02:

Um I see I have a completely different view because I'm you're looking more at individual players and saying this guy and that guy and this guy and that guy. I'm looking at the way that the game is, the way that the system that they're playing, the success that they're having defensively. Um they're not an East West team anymore. They've gotten full buy-in from all four lines to not be an East West team. They're all trying to get the puck low to high cycle, get pucks to the net. And it's an adjustment. It's an adjustment because and and the one who I think is the where I can't figure it out because at times he he looks very good, and at times he just looks a step slow as La Ferniere. And someone made a comment today about his skating ability, and you know, you I saw you comment about it on uh on Twitter as well, you know, with uh you know John Tabaris coming out, the skating coaches, and this and that. I don't think it's his physical skate, I think he's just mentally just like a step behind like is there's it's he's not comfortable in who he's playing with. Um I don't think it's and I don't think it's the personnel, just for whatever reason, it's he's just not in the right spot at the right exact time. There's no flow, especially on the power play. He looks like a power play.

SPEAKER_01:

It looks like there's four guys that are playing with the he is not, and this is gonna come off really bad. He's not talented to play on power play one. He's not talented. I don't agree with that. That part I don't agree with. I don't think he's talented enough because when he gets any type of pressure, he loses the puck and it's out of the zone. He doesn't know how to play under pressure. Um, he uh I don't know how to explain it. He just does and even Trochik's the same way. I'm like, I don't feel comfortable with them when they had the puck on the power play to make a play because it's like they have a grenade on their stick, like they can't get rid of it fast enough, they have no patience with it, and all of a sudden they have pressure and the puck's out of the zone. So again, I don't know where where he fits in. Um I I again I I don't know. I don't know what you do. I just don't I don't like this top six. I didn't like this top six last year, I don't like this top six this year. Um, I don't know what to say. I don't I don't know what else. I mean, I'm I'm repeating myself because I said all this stuff over the summer, and what exactly what I've said uh over the summer is how I feel today. You did, but you did not expect the play on the ice to be. No, I and the one thing I will say, I'll give credit for, and I and I will give a couple of of things that I that I did say was I thought Susie started off the season great, better than I expected. Um, I don't like him in your top four, but you know, if they had were able to find themselves a top four defenseman and slide him down to play in the bottom three, now I think you got something. That being said, Matthew Robertson has been fantastic. He has. He's been fantastic. And if all you're asking him to do is play solid defense, well, guess what? Now you got your number six defenseman for at least the next two seasons at a very reasonable price, right? And back and put a point. So you got a guy that could probably play here for maybe seven to ten years and make probably less than nothing on your blue line, relatively speaking, for what it is.

SPEAKER_02:

Right, and back and goes down to being your seventh defense guy. So when Susie comes, so they've made, like I said, and they said this during the broadcast was this was a decision that was made in the early summer that Schneider was gonna be used this way, where on paper he's gonna be part of the third rotation so that they play everyone righty and everyone lefty. Between special teams and other opportune times late in games, he's gonna get more minutes and he's gonna play quote unquote top four minutes. And he did again tonight. I mean, he played the third most minutes on date. He played 19-17, and then Borgan played 16 and a half.

SPEAKER_01:

What did Robertson play?

SPEAKER_02:

15.

SPEAKER_01:

See, Robertson played more than him against Edmonton.

SPEAKER_02:

Robertson played 18 minutes and Schneider played 16. And Vatkin only played 13, uh, just under 14 minutes.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, they're they're sheltering him. I thought he was better tonight than he was against Edmonton. Yeah, um, I did think he was better. Um Tage Thompson. If they could ever get a Tage Thompson show, oh my god. That team will never trade with us. Brian Atard. Oh, yeah, but he's another one that needs to relax with the Eichel thing. And I love Brian, and I have the utmost respect from him, for him, but I mean it's it's it's been documented, right? It's been documented, and and and we it's not just from us, no, we're hearing it from other people, people that are much more up in the know than we are. They weren't trading him here. And the shitty part about is, and again, you want to blame anybody, blame the the the the podcast that put up the billboard, yeah. But no one wants to blame them for this. No, they actually have more, probably more followers than anyone else now because of that, which I think is ridiculous. But God bless, anyway.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, yeah, no, Tash Thompson ain't happening, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

But uh to your opinion, it's getting traded though, and that's gonna probably happen sooner than later.

SPEAKER_02:

But I hope that they don't must. I mean, listen, if they get something of of substance for him, sure, but what value does he have right now?

SPEAKER_01:

Apparently, a lot there's a lot of interest for Elliot Freeman to bring him up, bring him up. I know obviously there's a lot of interest in him. I mean, good, then then sell hot, then sell whatever's you know sometimes people think that they can resurrect the player, but you know, I've seen I've seen too many former first-round picks get traded multiple times and never pan out.

SPEAKER_02:

No, I and I don't remember if it was you or someone else that mentioned it. He goes, his skating just it I said this when I watched him play in juniors. I said, unless he unless his shot is elite to beat NHL goalies on a regular basis, he doesn't offer anything else, he's not big, he's not fast, he doesn't have good puck handling ability. I never understood that pick. But he was but he was just a he was a great goal scorer at that level. So unless that shot is great enough to beat NHL goalies the way he beat juniors goalies, he's either a 30 goal scorer or he's or he's not gonna be in the league. And right now it's looking more and more like he's not gonna be in the league. Now I've I've moved past so here's the thing like with all the jury stuff. You got I I just I have to move forward. I can't delve on the past and the whole the Gensel thing and and everything. I don't talk about the Gensel thing.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm I'm talking about all the prospects that have been here that have completely gotten have got they've gotten zero value out of multiple. I mean, to believe it or not, they probably got the most out of Keandre Miller. Yes. Shocking, I mean, I mean, of all the of all the first round picks and prospects and players, they got the most for Keandre Miller. I don't know if it's because he was a defenseman, I don't know if he played top four minutes. I I don't know. I I don't know the the whole I guess because he was probably the most established guy. We got a few years. Heel wasn't healthy. I mean, you still were able to get him heals on off to a burner too, by the way. Another one with three goals in four in four games. They didn't want to trade him, but you got a gift to get. Yeah, I mean, we got our captain. Miller has Miller has not looked good. He hasn't look good either. I don't know what hit the weight of the captaincy, and yeah, that wait till that whole thing starts, Sean. Because that's gonna start. No, I'm telling you right now, that's gonna start. He keeps not putting up any points. That's gonna start. That's gonna start. I don't agree with it, but I think that's gonna start.

SPEAKER_02:

How many points does he have, actually?

SPEAKER_01:

I know he scored, like he scored one deflection goal.

SPEAKER_02:

Did he have a three-point night against Buffalo? Miller has three three points. Yeah, three points, one goal and two assists in five games.

SPEAKER_01:

Who got the assist on Parsonin's goal? Schneider got one of them. I don't know who got the other one. Maybe Radish.

SPEAKER_02:

Schneider, or just Schneider. Just one assist. Yeah, so parsonin's tied for uh for fourth on the team in scoring. That's crazy. He's played in two games. He's played 19 minutes.

SPEAKER_01:

One thing I'll tell you right now, he's gonna play it, he's gonna play Sunday, Saturday. That could that that that could be a game they could I could see in them getting blown out in. Because that's Another that's a young team that I don't know. That's a game I could see them.

SPEAKER_02:

We're playing so fast that I don't think these young teams are gonna bother. Truth, I mean, the pace that they're playing at is great. Yeah. You talk about oh, that they're 32 years old. Who gives a shit? That they're playing at a great pace.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, they'll still be fair. Yeah, I mean. And they're playing, they're playing with guy with with key guys for the I mean, two two key guys that are aren't in the lineup right now. Two guys they were gonna that were gonna play in their top six in their top four. So that's I mean, that's that's something to be impressed. It's just frustrating because I I I don't know.

SPEAKER_02:

I just think I just think that the the last three games, the last three games, Washington game, tonight, and Edmonton, we've outchanced the opponent in high danger in high danger chances. Yeah, we've outshot the opponent. So each of those games again, we're not metrics people, we're not claiming to be metrics people.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, but Sean, at some point you have to say to yourself, are you being goalied or are you not executing well enough? Oh, I mean, you can't be goalied every game.

SPEAKER_02:

Correct. But again, if this if this if this was a stretch, if this was a three-game stretch, and listen, they lost in overtime tonight, so this wasn't a shutout. Correct. So we'll use those two games in a row. Um, yes, I get the anomaly that we also got shut on an opening night a week previous to all this. So it's a cute headline.

SPEAKER_01:

And that game is worse. That was the worst game they played all year.

SPEAKER_02:

So I thought the first two periods were okay. That third period was dreadful with no push, with zero push, zero push. There was nothing. It was just zero push. All the play was in our was in our own zone third period. That was the game that got me alarmed. And I'll be honest, you saw a lot of the same against Buffalo until Igor stood on his head. Yeah, and that's a game that Igor stood on his head, won the, you know, kept us.

SPEAKER_01:

They were not good the first period and a half against Buffalo.

SPEAKER_02:

Right. And then they and then they came around and they they blew it open in the in the third period.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, Susie scored, I mean, to make it 2-0, and then it kind of all opened from there, right?

SPEAKER_02:

But um but the Pittsburgh game in Pittsburgh, they were great. Yes. I get again, Washington, they dominated the whole game against Washington.

SPEAKER_01:

They dominated the whole game. They were good against Edmonton. Well, they were what I'm gonna so I'm gonna tell you. So obviously, I sit higher than you at the garden. Um, so I can really see the play develop from where I was. What they're doing, what they did against Edmonton, and and this was the book on them. This was the book on Edmonton. Don't let them come through the neutral zone with any type of speed, right? Sean, they were like the iron curtain, and they lined up. There, they had their three guys and their two defensemen, and they did not let them come through the neutral zone or enter the zone with any type of speed. McDavid tried every which way under the sun. He kept trying and trying and trying. And I said, watch, look what they look at what he's gonna do. Boom, knocked off, knocked off the stick by the blue line. And it was like a clinic, it really was. It was a defensive clinic by stretches, but again, like I said, being defense is great, and you need that, and that's that is what what how teams that's how the devils won in the 90s. Uh, you need all that, but you also need to have the horses up front that are gonna be able to put the puck in the net, and we have enough guys that are both scorers on the team. Up front, I mean, again, we we think Panera's dealing with something, we think Miller's dealing with something. Those should be the two guys you shouldn't have a question about. The other four guys, meaning Mika, uh Cooley, La Frenier, and whoever the fourth person is, whether it's Trochik or Shiri, those are the guys you have to say, hey, wait a minute, mate, those are not the guys you're gonna depend on for points. I mean, truly depend on for points. They're not your quote prototypical go-to guys, they're your second, they're your next tier down. If your top guys, and I've said this and from the day one from this podcast, if your top guys are not your top guys and aren't putting up the numbers that need to be put up, you're not winning.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, that's why the record is what it is.

SPEAKER_01:

If Panarin doesn't put up points, this team doesn't win.

SPEAKER_02:

But that's why the record is what it is compared to the play on the ice, tells a different story. They're not getting the finish and production from Zabanajad Miller. See, I still put Zabana Jad in that conversation.

SPEAKER_01:

He's not a top-tier guy in my eyes.

SPEAKER_02:

I still put him there with Miller and Panarin.

SPEAKER_01:

No, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_02:

You need him to put a Miller's 100-point player.

SPEAKER_01:

Zabinajad's never been a hundred-point player. Tom said, well, he's been 90. Well, I mean, what one time, yeah, I guess it's been a while, but yeah, I agree. Miller was a 100-point player two years ago.

SPEAKER_02:

He's still their third forward. If you go through the pecking order of forwards, he's the third guy.

SPEAKER_01:

But Sean, that doesn't bother you. I mean, but take off take off. Please do me this one favor for one time. Take off, take the Jabinajed jersey or Jabina Jed rose colored glasses off for one second. Does he scare you? Does he really scare? Honestly, with your going up against him in a playoff series, does he scare you? Does he scare honestly? I mean, dead honest with you. I I think I've been I'm I I don't proche.

SPEAKER_02:

I think he has an I get your point. I get your point. The answer is no. He doesn't he doesn't scare me the way that Miller.

SPEAKER_01:

He doesn't.

SPEAKER_02:

But his but what he does overall, but what does he do overall?

SPEAKER_01:

He's a specialty teams player, he's not a five-on-five guy. He's good on the power play. Very good. He was good on the power play, he's not been as good recently, and he's good on the on the penalty kill. But you know what? I'm gonna say what I said before. You can hire Blair Betts to kill penalties for a lot less money. When they used to say that about Rick Nash. Oh, don't worry, he kills penalties, but you're not paying him to kill penalties, you're paying him to score goals.

SPEAKER_02:

So Benijed's five-on-five numbers were good last year, though. Were they? I don't know. Yes, yeah, we went over that uh two shows either last show or two shows ago.

SPEAKER_01:

You're probably right. Last year, to my as far as I'm concerned, Sean, nothing counts after the new year because they were already eliminated in my mind. They could say whatever they want on paper. Oh, we might have, oh, we had a chance, oh, we had this, oh, we had that. No, you had nothing because you came out against freaking a shitty Boston team and lost. Then you came out against Pittsburgh without Crosby and Malcolm and lost. You got trampled by the only team you could beat was the freaking Islanders. So, and you boss to Philly. I mean, come on, no, last year. I don't want to hear that they had a chance, they had no chance in fucking hell. They were still alive on paper, but up here, they were already, they already were thinking about where they were going on vacation. And thankful, and thankfully that that did not fester into this year because that's definitely not no, no, no, and and again, it's very like I said, coming on tonight, it was a very like it was very hard for me because I want to be mad at them, but I don't. But like I said, and I explained to you before, it's like getting like going out to dinner and being getting and telling someone telling you thank you a million times and not and them not picking up the bill. I I just it's very hard for me to sit here and be like, you know, one game, fine, two games, fine, but five games, I mean four out of six games.

SPEAKER_02:

See, open, yeah, six games. So opening night was opening night. You're not wrong. They avenged that by going into their building and blowing their doors off. So they beat this.

SPEAKER_01:

This is what it is. They're a little bit they're snake there and they blew off Pittsburgh. They haven't beaten anybody good yet. They still haven't beaten anybody good yet. No, I get that, but to me played well, we've out we but we've played well is played well. What's the expression whore uh uh close enough is is good when you're playing horseshoes or playing with hand grenades, hand grenades.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, I I get it, but I'm trying to predict going forward for 82 games. So I'd say you you know I'm the most optimistic guy, right? I'm always optimistic, correct? Correct.

SPEAKER_01:

I know I know things were bad.

SPEAKER_02:

I know things are bad when you're not optimistic, right? Which isn't often, but I'm more in once in a while. I came into this when we did this whole thing over in the offseason, and I said I still think this team, you know, from for lack of other for lack of better reasons that the metro is just not that great, that all the Rangers have to do is play to their the back of their hockey card, and they're gonna be their playoff team. I am way, way more encouraged by what I'm watching, especially the last three games, to forecast how this team is gonna carry on the rest of this season and into the postseason. Because if they continue to play this way, it's like they're setting the the they're setting the blueprint, and they're all getting used to this blueprint of playing a totally different style of hockey than they played the last two head coaches. You know, with Quinn, I think he said it, and then Gallant went a different way, and La Violette just, you know, Laviolette cashed in as well.

SPEAKER_01:

Sean I don't hear anything negative about Laviolette. But I'm saying trophy, and then the next year they were all butthurt over Truba and they decided to quit. So it's not the coach. I'm not blaming the coach. I'm not blaming the coach. I'm saying I don't blame Galanth either, by the way.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm saying that they played, they played a different style. Correct. They played an op they played to win games 5-4 and 4-3 with those coaches. We're trying to win 2-1 games right now. That's the way we're playing. We are not allowing the opposition to do anything.

SPEAKER_01:

Did Pittsburgh win 2-1 every night? I'm asking you. I'm just I'm just they're not Pittsburgh wasn't built to win 2-1. When Pittsburgh won, the Florida Panthers weren't in the league. I'm not really worried about the teams. Are you really worried about the Florida Panthers right now?

SPEAKER_02:

That style of that style of hockey is what's won the last two cups. So this is a copycat league. And listen, I'm not counting Florida out.

SPEAKER_01:

No, I'm not. I'm I'm but I'm just saying my point is that Florida has players that the Rangers don't have. Or had players. I mean, obviously Barkov and Kachuk are are out for time, but they don't have either one of those type of players. You know, JT tries. I I don't I don't think he's at the he's he tr he's like a maybe a a Kachuk light. Um he's not throwing the body around at all. I mean he's definitely hurt, and and you know, and and it doesn't help, and I was saying this to someone the other day, like all these players are getting hurt. Well, they're playing every other night, which is great for you and I. I mean, this is awesome. I mean, I think since the home opener, I think they've only had one night where they there was a two-game, two-night break. Every other night they played. They play Saturday night, and I then they play Monday night. Right night. So they're playing every other night. I'm sorry, guys are gonna get hurt. Guys are gonna get hurt with the schedule. I uh it just but just not they're not conditioned to play every other night. So it's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02:

It's a condensed schedule.

SPEAKER_01:

It is, it's so, I mean, it's like I said, it's wonderful for you and I, but as a hockey fan, I mean, guys are going to get hurt because they're not giving their bodies a chance to recover. So it's the guys are gonna be playing hurt, and I don't know about the quality. I don't know what kind of quality we're gonna have out there. Now the other thing, how many games has Toronto played so far this year? Because I'm wondering if they're catching these teams like early. I mean, the Ravens have already played six games.

SPEAKER_02:

Two, three, one, three, two. So they played five.

SPEAKER_01:

Toronto's played five games? All right, so that's a that's so the Ravens played one more game than them.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I think we played one more game than most teams.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. We played opening, opening night when there was only two games opposed to things. So right. Listen, what I will say, and you know I'm not aware, I'm not the positive person of the two of us. It is positive that they've taken two very good teams, one team that won the the Metro last year in Washington, whether we think they were a paper tiger or not, and Toronto, and they outchanced them, outshot them, outplayed them, and they outplayed Toronto in the third period. And you know, it took an unfortunate situation, and that's what we'll call it, by Zabinijad for it for them to lose that game. And that's what it took. It was a it was a game of inches, and unfortunately, they they blinked.

SPEAKER_02:

So um I'll ask, I'm gonna ask this of you, and I'm gonna ask this to all the listeners also. Would you rather be two, three, and one with what you've seen so far this season? Yes, I know what you're taking or take the first six games from last season on our record.

SPEAKER_01:

And I'll be perfectly honest with you, I'd rather be two, three, and one. I did not like. I did not I I Sean and I'm not and again, I came on here and I want to preface this because I know I maybe came off and came off a little bit brash when I first came on. I was just kind of maybe just emotional from after, like I said, uh feeling feeling uh like I was being taken advantage of in the the first five games of the season. And again, that's what I felt like. But I'm I'm more satisfied and more at peace with these five games, opposed to the first five games of last year where I felt like I needed to take a shower afterward. Because I felt like I felt guilty, I felt dirty, and I felt like I didn't deserve what I was getting. You know, the Jonathan Quick game last year against Detroit. I mean, how many of those games did we see last year where they had no business winning any of those games, with the maybe the exception of they didn't win opening night because they lost to Utah or Phoenix, whatever they were called at that point?

SPEAKER_02:

Was that six to five tonight or something?

SPEAKER_01:

They went on a little bit of a run. I think they I think they beat Dallas, and I mean, and there were all games where Igor had to stand on his head, right? And on the quick for that matter, both of them. So to be fair, I prefer I prefer the way they play this year because I see a legitimate trying in these games. I see guys hustling, I see guys skating, I see four check. It just not you're just not getting results.

SPEAKER_02:

So now once the puck starts going in the net, if it starts going in. Okay. When it starts going in the net, you'll you're gonna see the results, and that's well, yeah, right. Guys playing to the back of their hockey card.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct, correct. And you just hope that they don't start sacrificing defense or offense.

SPEAKER_02:

And and that's that's the only thing that could sync this team is if they start to that's how you know if they feel the pressure that run and gun style again, like they they've done in the past, where if they ignore the coach and they ignore the system and they become individuals again, saying, I need to get my numbers.

SPEAKER_01:

Like like you said, and like we've talked about, they've always got a first-year bump from a coach, and it's happened with every new coach they've had. So yeah, it it's just the way it is. They got they'll get the buy-in now. And you know, they might even make the playoffs, you know, and I think I think it I think it could go either way, Sean. I mean, I really believe that. I mean, if if Panarin doesn't sit here and tell me if Panarin, we need Panarin to be 120-point Panarin, not 90-point Panarin. We need JT Miller for this team to truly be successful. We need uh we need 90 point JT Miller, not 70 point JT Miller. We need everyone to play closer to their uh career high than their career low or their career average or their career median, however you want to classify it.

SPEAKER_02:

I think if they play, if they continue to play this style and keep the games low scoring, it's less about the points and more just about like the percentage of our goals that are being scored, are they coming from the top six? I think that becomes more important. Like if we're winning a lot of our games 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, like a lot of for the most part, lower scoring games. We're not having those six to one blowouts where they're wheeling, you know, wheeling and flying all over the place. How many games have more than five goals?

SPEAKER_01:

A ton. How many games are the last year? I mean, they must have did they didn't they set a record? I don't remember if they set a record. But you don't tell me. So I'm on the train going home the other night, and the train is like a morgue, and it wasn't as crowded, and I'm surprised it wasn't as crowded as it was. And I'm sitting there, and I just start laughing to myself. I'm like, how is it they're always on the wrong side of history? First team in initial history to get shut out three. I mean, it you you gotta at some point you gotta say to yourself it's just it's just incredible. And I'm sitting there and I'm saying to myself, and now, all right, it's the first period zero, zero. Second period, one nothing. And I'm saying to myself, I'm walking down to the bathroom. This is the first time I had was able to stand up through the whole game. And I'm like, are they gonna get shut out again? I'm saying, nah, not three games in a row, not three games in a row. It's like I I feel like Quinn from Jaws. Not not three barrels, he can't go down with three barrels. That's what I felt like. I was like, they're not gonna get shut out for a third straight game. It's impossible. I felt like Quinn standing on the bow of the um SS. Uh what the hell is the name of the boat? Oh god. I can't think of it. Was it the minnow? I don't think SS Minnow, but it was whatever his boat was. Standing at the bow with the rifle on my shoulder, just in complete bewilderment that what I just saw in my lifetime. It's incredible. It's incredible that they're always a footnote and they'll probably have a decent season, but that's still gonna always be remembered as and you know what? Hopefully, hopefully, when we're watching the parade video, we'll be we'll be able to talk about that.

SPEAKER_02:

That'll be the start of it. That'll be the start of it.

SPEAKER_01:

It's just like well, too we talked about Terry Yake. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, yeah, I mean, let's it's the centennial. They want to do special things this year. There's a lot of a lot of special things that they have planned, and this was an unplanned special thing to uh set a record. Unbelievable. So so be it.

SPEAKER_01:

You know that the crappy part is they you know, with talk going back with the the trade deadline and and everything else, is like, you know, the year they won the cup, and again, not to keep rehashing '94, but I really think you know that Larmer trade really changed the complexion of the team as well. And it just it's just really crappy nowadays that you don't see those type of trades anymore. Those those three for two trades, those those blockbuster trades that really shake up a lineup. You you just don't see those type of moves anymore. Um and uh sometimes they need they need to happen. Like the balance of the lineup isn't there, and you don't have the players internally. And as you just noticed, like guys are getting claimed off waiver left and right. Have you noticed that? Like every day, a guy, another guy is getting claimed off waivers, you know. Um, and that's the way you're gonna get players. You you're just throwing against shit against the wall to see what sticks.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, they've seen, I mean, good the you know, Gustav Forzling was another one of those waiver claims when it happened that was just like, well, okay.

SPEAKER_01:

You never know. You never know, you never know what you're gonna get. Um, I can't ever, I don't think the Rangers have ever claimed anyone off waivers that turned out to be Gustav Forzling. No, well, that I mean that clearly happened. But you never know. Happened to I mean, I like I said, I think the one guy that comes to mind that was on the scrap heap that the Rangers resurrected his career was Strollman.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, he's really, I think, the closest guy. I mean, that that went from a PTO to two long-term contracts with Toronto and with Tampa Bay. Oh, excuse me, with uh with Florida and with Tampa Bay. So uh let's uh let's go through the schedule. When when do you think when do you think you'll be able to come back next week? I'm running out of steam here. I hear you. Um I think maybe we go through the schedule really quick and see what we got coming up. I don't know when you have hockey next week, and I'm sure there's gonna be nice with the game. They're playing every other night. I think they play Minnesota Monday, I think they play San Jose Wednesday. Again, it's another every other night. I'm playing every other night. Oh, someone said to me the whole league has condensed schedules, scratch that excuse off the list. I wasn't making that excuse, I was making that excuse for injuries, not for for the way they played, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Not for performance.

SPEAKER_01:

As for a league-wide, guys are getting hurt left and right. That's why guys are gonna get hurt. So that was a strictly a ranger uh related um comment. That was a league related comment. That guys are just gonna get hurt, it's just gonna be the way it is.

SPEAKER_02:

Wednesday is probably it will be the uh the best day for me if you're able to do that. I should be fine.

SPEAKER_01:

I don't I don't I don't think I have anything going on next week. So what do we got into Wednesday? So it's just Edmonton, so it's uh uh uh uh Montreal, Minnesota, and I guess we would have to come after the San Jose game on Wednesday.

SPEAKER_02:

San Jose's Thursday. I'm gonna I'm gonna go to the I'm going to the San Jose game.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. So then we only have two games?

unknown:

Yep.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh wow. See, you get your you get your nice little rest here.

SPEAKER_01:

Wow. Well, we'll get two games in between, so they'll give off Tuesday, Wednesday between Minnesota and San Jose.

SPEAKER_02:

They play Saturday and Montreal, yeah, Monday against Minnesota, and then they don't play against until Thursday.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. All right, so I was wrong. I thought they played, I thought they played Wednesday. Okay. And then I mean all three of those games are winnable games in my. I mean, what this is what I'm gonna tell you what's gonna happen. You ready? Overtime loss in Montreal, win against Minnesota, and a letdown loss against the San Jose Sharks. I can completely and giving up four goals in that game because I'm going. So I'm gonna go one-one and one in any order.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, three and no, three and no.

SPEAKER_01:

I knew it.

SPEAKER_02:

Let's go.

SPEAKER_01:

Why not? Why not? Show him a tap it.

SPEAKER_02:

Let's let's get let's get the train going. All right, guys. So uh let's wrap this up then. So we will see you guys uh most likely next Wednesday. Sounds good. Um hopefully after two more wins and uh you know, maybe some goals and rock will start feeling it, you know. A couple of three couple of three-one victories get uh get Rock rejuvenated here.

SPEAKER_01:

I'd take a one-nothing victory. I mean victory.

SPEAKER_02:

They needed to see the puck go in the net.

SPEAKER_01:

Hopefully the Parson goal got them got them excited. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. You knew it was gonna be somebody obscure, too, right? You knew that was coming. I thought it was gonna be I thought it was gonna be Rempi. I thought it was gonna be Carrick the way he's been playing, and he's been fantastic. He's been unbelievable. Yes, good show. Yep. All right, guys. Have a great night later. Oh, so we did an hour.