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Around the League 15-16 Edition


devilsrule33

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GOOD. I hope they aggressively go after him. I hope they get him.

 

One thing you can say for the guy is that he doesn't miss games.  Now 50th on the all-time GP list with 1344.  If he doesn't miss any games through the end of the season, he'll vault all the way to 30th. 

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Sweet. Haha. 

 

You're starting to reach that bittersweet place for fans...where your team is clearly one of the better teams in the league (and the Rangers have made the playoffs in nine out of the last ten seasons), but eventually you gotta come away with a Cup.  Two losses in the Conference Finals and one in the SC Finals for the Rangers in the last four years.  Right now we Devil fans would love to be in your shoes (this season has been fun for us so far, but I can't see the Devils being anything more than a fringe 8th-seed "contender" at best), but at the same time, getting close a lot is a frustration all its own...the '94-'12 Flyers know something about that (4 Conference Finals losses and 2 SC Finals losses).

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976
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Abdelkader signed 7 years 4.25 per. NTC for first four years

Silly story about him. My girlfriend works at the trader joes in Baltimore and he came through her line.  She had no idea who he was but for some reason said "You look like you play hockey" and he goes "I do"  she got excited because I play and since moving to Baltimore I haven't found a place to play so she asked him where he plays and he said "Detroit" then she asked him what his favorite team was and he said "I guess the Red Wings"  so she said "Oh no go Devils".  It wasn't until later that night she figured out he was an actual NHL player. 

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Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie  57s57 seconds ago

Marty Havlat has left STL for personal reasons. He's on unconditional waivers for purposes of mutually agreed termination of contract.

 

Whoa, the celebration after his goal on Tuesday showed a ton of pent-up relief, like he was desperate for a start like that to stick with a team. There must be some family or spouse sh!t going on for him to leave so suddenly. Hope everything's okay in his personal life.

Edited by DJ Eco
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There have been rumors of Matt Duschene being shopped, and a few talking head types have noted that the Devils are a logical trading partner (but note that they don't say the Devils are involved).

I think the asking price would be too high in that Larsson or Severson would have to go the other way. Duschene is really good, but it's very hard to have a good young defense that can all be locked up for a long time at a reasonable price.

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There have been rumors of Matt Duschene being shopped, and a few talking head types have noted that the Devils are a logical trading partner (but note that they don't say the Devils are involved).

I think the asking price would be too high in that Larsson or Severson would have to go the other way. Duschene is really good, but it's very hard to have a good young defense that can all be locked up for a long time at a reasonable price.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I read that there's good chances he ends up in Ottawa

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You're starting to reach that bittersweet place for fans...where your team is clearly one of the better teams in the league (and the Rangers have made the playoffs in nine out of the last ten seasons), but eventually you gotta come away with a Cup.  Two losses in the Conference Finals and one in the SC Finals for the Rangers in the last four years.  Right now we Devil fans would love to be in your shoes (this season has been fun for us so far, but I can't see the Devils being anything more than a fringe 8th-seed "contender" at best), but at the same time, getting close a lot is a frustration all its own...the '94-'12 Flyers know something about that (4 Conference Finals losses and 2 SC Finals losses).

 

It has become a chore to be a Ranger fan. Fans are never happy. They have won 7 in a row and people still find stuff to complain about. This team isn't a Corsi/possession team. They are getting fantastic goaltending from Lundqvist. I predicted him to win the Vezina. He's gonna. Raanta too has been excellent. The Rangers are an opportunistic skilled team that buries its chances. They struggle to get pucks out which causes trouble. That could be a issue next Spring. But this is a battle tested team that knows how to protect leads and win. I would expect them to be a tough out. 

 

I just want to enjoy the games. Winning is supposed to be fun. Certain Corsi obsessed bloggers have divided the fan base because they continue to critique every negative thing. Girardi is their big target. Granted. He's getting older and isn't the same player defensively. He'll never be a big possession guy because he's not a great skater and faces tough competition. Plus he has wear and tear from all the blocked shots and injuries. But I feel like the criticism has become ridiculous. Even when he makes good plays that help them win, they go after him. To me, these aren't fans. They should turn in their jersey.

 

This is the reason I hate Corsi. Because it has become loathsome. Not everything is based on charts. The funny aspect is possession has always been around. It got noticed with the Red Wings and their puck possession. If you go back to the repeat teams with Fedorov and the Russian 5, they dominated. Of course, you have Datsyuk who is one of the best two-way players I've ever seen. Most would agree that if you have the puck in the attack zone, you have a better chance of being successful. That's based off a strong consistent fore-check. But you still have to bury your chances. 

 

If you have a great goalie who is Hall of Fame caliber, that's the big equalizer. Lundqvist looks like he's determined. It doesn't mean they have the best team. Vigneault still insists on playing washed up Boyle over McIlrath who has looked better when he's played. He also insists on using Yandle on the third pair with Boyle. Yandle doesn't even play a full two minutes on the power play. He's their best offensive defenseman. He should be utilized properly. Pairing him with Boyle is a disaster against strong opponents.

 

If you ask me if I think they'll win a Cup, I would say no. But I did tentatively take them to beat the Caps in Round 2 and make it back to the SCF. It could go either way. The third line is making a big difference. Lindberg is really good. He is terrific with Hayes. Stalberg has been better than expected. AV hardly plays Etem. A guy they got for Hagelin. As for the reason I am not sure this group can win, it's due to all the wear and tear guys like Girardi and Staal have. Over a taxing 82-game schedule and then having to win 4 rounds, that is a lot to ask. Don't forget McDonagh too had a broken foot. They have played more hockey than almost anyone. The Hawks being the lone exception. At some point, it could catch up. 

 

The style they play also isn't suited for the playoffs. The Blueshirts are a skilled team that takes advantage of their greatest asset. Their speed. But in the postseason, there's not as much room on the ice. Refs let teams play more. So that means more holds and hooks. Teams also tighten up defensively. The Rangers like to use the stretch pass for transition. But well schooled teams will take that away by clogging the neutral zone and standing up at the blue line to force more dumps or turnovers. This is why Nash isn't as good a performer in the Spring. He's not the best when it comes to winning those battles in front. On the other hand, Kreider usually steps up. He's struggled so far. But he plays with much more edge than Nash. That might explain his success. He still struggles with consistency. If he ever puts it altogether, he'd be a top power forward.

 

I wonder if this roster is tough enough. They can play with anyone. But they lack that extra physicality or edge which can really aid in the playoffs. I would like to see McIlrath play more for Boyle and Vigneault give Girardi or Staal breaks when needed. Keeping his vets fresh should be mandatory. It's not based on 82. But rather late May and June.

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You've pretty much hit the nail on the head about this year's (and last year's) Rangers. They may very well win the President's Trophy again, and probably deservedly and convincingly so; and then what their strengths are during this season will again probably be their undoing as they make another playoff run.

 

Also, Montreal and Washington have gotten stronger and Tampa Bay is still just as good. 

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