Sandy's NY Ranger "Go for the Cup" Thread Rangers Dirty Tactics

Good observations, brothers11 .
This would be the most difficult matchup to date in the playoffs for New York, for many reasons.

I will have Devils-Rangers preview up a bit later on in the day, as the series kicks off tonight.
You pretty much hit on the main points in your post, but I will also put in other reasons why this series should be great (and difficult) for both teams.

Eastern Conference Finals 2012
New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers
Series Preview

Ahhh, Devils-Rangers.
We all know the history of these teams. We know the animosity, the great games in the past played, the really ugly ones played as well. Some for the ages, some for NHL Fights.com, some for regular season points, some for playoff supremacy.

No matter WHERE in the standings these two teams are, the games are anything but dull.
This series will be par the course for NJ-NY, I believe, and the fact that they are meeting at the highest level outside of a Stanley Cup Finals series, will just make things doubly exciting.

The series will mark the toughest opponent yet for the New York Rangers, and for the Devils it will mark yet one more chance for them to show the New York Metropolitan area media that it is THEY, not the Blue Shirts, who are, and have been consistently, the best team in the market the last 15 years or so.
Since my NHL viewership (around 1994-1995), the Devs lead the Rangers in Stanley Cups 3-1.

And this season, New York has emerged as a favorite, while New Jersey has made it to the Eastern Finals, despite many feeling they wouldn’t even make the post season.

Here is both teams’ chance to take one step closer to possibly notch themselves another Stanley Cup…..

What to expect on offense:
You know, I could go on and on with stats about this team has done this, this team has done that…and I WILL touch up a bit on some stats, but when it comes to rivals such as these, many times, you can just take those stats, and throw them right down the garbage shoot. They little to nothing. Not when its Devils-Rangers. Same could have been said of Devils-Flyers, and Flyers-Penguins. There are just some teams, that when they meet, the games take a life of their own, and simply CANNOT be defined and pigeon-holed by mere stats.

Let’s just say, to this point, the Ranger offense has been adequate. Doing just enough to get the job done, and on nights when they don’t produce, they lose low scoring games. We’ve seen that against Ottawa, we’ve seen that against Washington.
The Rangers, traditionally a high scoring, offensive team, has gone more defensive, low scoring, and, ahem, more ‘playoff-like’.

New Jersey? Traditionally a defensive system team, with low offensive output (though very opportunistic usually), ALWAYS playing a post season-like style….yet this season, and especially in these playoffs, the offense has been dialed up a notch or three.

Seems to me the traditional roles of the teams have been reversed a bit…..and both to each team’s success thus far this season.
Both teams have scoring stars: Marion Gaborik, Brad Richards, Artem Anisimov, Ryan Callahan, and Kris Kreider for New York…
Zach Parise, Patrick Elias, Ilya Kovolchuk, Danius Zubrus, and Adam Henrique for New Jersey.

Whose stars show up offensively? Each will have their challenges facing the other’s defense, and especially, each other’s goaltenders.

I will give a slight edge to New York in offense on this one. Yes, I know, New Jersey has more goals scored, and their PP has been much more effective than New York’s, but NY has also faced much better defenses in Ottawa and Washington, than New Jersey did in facing Florida and Philadelphia.

For the stat-heads:
New Jersey GPG- 3.00 , New York GPG- 2.07
Still, I give New York an edge in pure goal scoring ability…they have more stars overall in their lineup to do that, stars that admittedly have yet to fully show up, but are there nonetheless…..the New Jersey goal scorers, while getting the job done, have faced inferior defenses and goaltending to New York in Rounds 1 and 2 thus far.

For the Power Plays, I shift the edge a bit in New Jersey’s favor. Why? Simply, because while New York does have the overall edge (albeit slight) over NJ in terms of overall scoring ability, the Devil PP has been pretty consistent all year, and has done very well in the playoffs thus far.
Stats:
NJ- PP% Season- 17.2%, Playoffs- 20.9%
NY-PP% Season- 15.7%, Playoffs- 15.8%

What to expect on defense:
Here is where the main “role reversal” has taken place. In season’s past, one could always count on New York playing offense at the expense of some defense, and New Jersey taking little to no chances on offense, and sticking a strict defensive/trap style.

Not so this season, and certainly not in these playoffs. The Rangers, under John Tortorella, have committed to an overall team defense, while still encouraging an attacking style, while New Jersey, still has their defensive systems in place, are now more prone to take chances, be more aggressive in the neutral and offensive zones, and be more active, rather than re-active overall when moving up ice.

This has led to New Jersey giving up more goals than usual this season, but the trade off in offensive chances has more than made up for it.
Both teams have a VERY good defense for the season:
NJ GAA/pg- 2.5 , NY GAA/pg- 2.2….this is pretty much a wash…

But in the playoffs:
NJ GAA/pg- 2.33, NY GAA/pg- 1.88….edge to New York, although being fair to NJ, they DID tighten it up from the regular season, AND they did face more a more offensive team in the Flyers in Round 2, and a good Panther PP in Round 1, which inflated their GAA numbers just a bit.

Again, slight edge overall, NY Rangers.

Penalty Kill?
NJ-Season- 89.6% (tops in the NHL), NY-Season- 86.2
NJ-Playoffs- 73.9% , NY-Playoffs- 82.6%

Numbers indicate an edge to New York, however here, I give an edge to the Devils. Why, if the numbers favor New York?
Again, keeping in mind NJ played stronger offenses in the first two rounds over NY…and keeping in mind the NY PP has been less than stellar overall, I think the NJ numbers there may be closer to what they did during the regular season, which is to say upper 80’s

Team Toughness:
An absolute wash. I give no edge to either team here. New York may have lead the NHL in fighting majors, and are known as an overall aggressive team, but New Jersey isn’t too far behind them in those departments, and certainly, because IT IS NY-NJ, the aggression factor is ratched up SEVERAL notches here.

Both teams have guys that hit hard, fight hard, and can play an overall ‘bully’ style games.
What we will see from these two in this series is anyone’s guess. Straight hard hockey? Hopefully. A disaster of a series like Philly-Pittsburgh? Hopefully NOT…
Perhaps a combination of the two.

No matter how you slice it, when you get Devils players such as David Clarkson, Ryan Carter, Eric Boulton, and Cam Janssen on the ice with Rangers players such as John Scott, Brandon Prust, Mike Rupp, and Stu Bickel, sparks are gonna fly….how much ice time these guys get will remain to be seen.

The fisticuffs aren’t as important in the playoffs as they are during the regular season, but again, this IS Rangers-Devils, so normal rules don’t apply.
While I give no edge in team toughness, I will say the team that can keep their cool the best will be the one to grab an edge over the other.

Goaltending:
Ahh, and here we are. The absolute single most important area that may determine who goes on to the SC Finals.
Martin Brodeur vs. Henrik Lundqvist.
Old lion vs. young lion. Future HOF’er vs. Want-to-be future HOF’er. Multiple SC Champion vs. Not-yet-SC Champion. Perrenial Vezina candidate and winner vs. CURRENT Vezina candidate….but not yet winner.

For sure, it would be easy to say the Rangers have the edge here. And play during the season and the playoffs would dictate that is indeed the case.
King Henrik has done everything you want from a number one goaltender and more….so far, with more still to be accomplished. In his prime, playing the best hockey of his career at the moment.

But let’s not quite discount the veteran 40 yr old former champion.
Marty Brodeur HAS done it all. From being on contenders, to winning Cups, to capturing Vezinas, to breaking and holding various goaltending records.
He may not have played to his own high standards this season, but he still has played well enough (his team wouldn’t be in the East Finals if he hadn’t), and he has always been known as a big game player, rising to the occasion when the stakes are the highest.

Also, by many accounts, he simply does NOT LIKE the Rangers. He gets fired up for these games during the regular season…and now he sees the same team in the way of another, perhaps final, Stanley Cup run for him. Marty will be ready.

I am going AGAINST convention for this season (and against my fan rooting interest) and say NJ has the edge in goal in the playoffs. Crazy I know. It’s just Brodeur has seen it all. Nothing is going to rattle this man, he has played the best, beaten the best, has been beaten himself by the best….give me a game 7 with everything on the line, and I had ONE goalie to pick from, it would be Marty Brodeur.

King Henrik will have his chance to dethrone King Brodeur, for not only these playoffs, but in the future, with records as well. Henrik has outdueled Craig Anderson and Braden Holtby (another possible star in the making), but now he is opposite Martin Brodeur.
And no offense to Anderson and Holtby, but they simply are NOT the goalie measuring stick that Marty Brodeur is. If King Henrik really DOES want to be king, he needs to beat Brodeur, IMO. Plain n simple.

Other factors:
Rest.
New Jersey has had plenty. New York has gone through two full 7 game series. NJ SHOULD have more jump in their game….whether or not ‘rust’ has set in, well, we will see. Again, its NY-NJ…fatigue, rust, stats…all that could just as well be thrown out the window….

Pressure.
All on New York. They are the number one seed, they have the team with the young guys who want to prove themselves (though they DO have some former SC champion players and coaches), and they are the media darlings of the NY Metropolitan market.
New Jersey should be looser, should be more care-free…they are the underdogs, not supposed to be here…and again, they have Marty Brodeur in net, and pressure is a non-factor for him.

Coaching.
John Tortorella – Peter Deboer. SC Winning coach vs. less accomplished coach, albeit, quite an intelligent man himself, as he holds a law degree AND has much experience coaching at the AHL level.
Take all that for what you will.

Venues and Crowd.
Both MSG and the Prudential Center will have rabid fans for both sides. No arena will be quiet, fans from each team will find their way to the other’s arena (40 min drive between I am told), both places will simply be RAUCOUS! No edge either way, no matter where they play…could be a home game for either team, whether in Manhattan or Newark.

And there we go, fans.
Enough talk, analysis, stats, and any other mess….its time for hockey, its time for the Eastern Conference Finals, its time for Devils-Rangers.

Choose your sides fans (fan of Brodeur myself, but going New York as I have all season!!), and let’s get it on TONIGHT, 7pm EST!!!

Mon, May 14, 2012
Eastern Conference Finals, Devils at Rangers, Game 1: Final: NYR 3, NJD 0
Rangers lead 1-0

And New York draws first blood...not only on the scoreboard in the game, but in the series as well.
A defensive struggle through most of the game, the Blue Shirts broke through in the third period on two laser beam shots by Dan Girardi and Chris Kreider (a PP tally to boot)....Artem Anisimov added the empty netter.

The game was much, much closer than the 3-0 score would indicate, as Henrik Lundqvist robbed New Jersey of at LEAST 3 or 4 what looked to be sure fire goals, and of course, the Ranger D did what they did the previous two rounds: harass opposing shooters, block shots, and hit'm hard as they try to make plays.

Brodeur and his Devils played a good game themselves, unfortunately for them, with nothing to show for it. Marty himself, at times, looked like the 20 something version of himself as he scrambled, snatched, and dove for pucks and really did his part in keeping New York to the minimal amount of goals they did get.

It's a position the Devils seem quite familiar with (being down early), New York knows this, and I am sure they are expecting the same intensity in Game 2.

And whaddya know, the Ranger PP broke through with a 1 for 4 night....VERY important for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that they haven't been real impressive the first two rounds with the man advantage, and given the aggressiveness of the New Jersey Devils, it would serve New York well if they can put the fear of taking penalties in New Jersey, should the PP FINALLY start clicking regularly.

Not too much of the anticipated rough stuff went on (other than the usual hard play)....and that is a good thing. I don't mind a bit of extracurricular, but as long as this stays FAR away from what Pit and Philly did in Round 1, and the craziness that went on at times during the regular season between these two, then it is a good thing.

Both coaches know that skill, defense, and goaltending will win the series, and any vendettas can take a back seat.
Then again, we are only in Game 1, and given some of the volatile personalities involved...well, who knows...

I don't see anything too different that either of the teams would do for Game 2. Like I said, I thought both played good games, both had good pressure on each others goal at different times....the difference simply was two great, hard, seeing-eye shots that beat Brodeur, and Henrik Lundqvist bent, but certainly didn't break and gave the Devils nothing, when New Jersey looked like they should have had a couple themselves....particularly on some of the turnovers the Rangers had in their own zone.

Very well played game, exciting, full of drama....I want more of it for Game 2!
And even though I am a fan of Marty Brodeur, I'd like to see the Rangers put another one on the series board and head into Newark up 2-0.

If the Devils have anything in them (and I suspect they have lots), they will break through sooner or later. I don't anticipate a short series, and if it only goes about 4 or 5 games, I will be very surprised.

Rangers have had the better of the Devils throughout their head to head playoff matchup history (4 of 5)...will this hold true to that as well?

We will see.
Game 2, MSG, Wednesday night!

This will not be a short series... NJ was coming off a week long lay off, and the game was a lot more even than the final score. IMO, if you are a Rangers fan I would think you want this to end quickly... If they advance, they will most likely run into the buzz saw that is Brian Quick and the Kings, and I wouldn't want to run into a team so hot, coming off 3 straight 6/7 game series.

Absolutely this should not be a short series.

And you make some good points, however, if you are either NY or NJ, you aren't even THINKING about the SC Finals at this point.
You are just focused on the team across from you at the moment, and however long it takes to beat them is however long it takes.

Fatigue certainly can play a role in the Finals, but who is to say the Coyotes won't extend their series to about 6 or 7?

I am supporting the Rangers in the these playoffs, but even I have Los Angeles as the odds on favorite of the Final Four teams.
But I think a team like the Rangers are simply built to play long series, they expect it, AND they have some guys who have NOT played in every single game thus far, and could be used to rest certain others if it really comes down to that.
Add to that that New York is a relatively young team, have lots of jump in them, and I think they will be just fine even if the NJ series takes them to seven.

There were many times I thought they looked tired and worn in the Ottawa and Washignton series, only to see them come back fast and strong....if this were, say a team like Detroit, with many older vets, it would be more a concern, but until fatigue actually costs them games, I wouldn't worry as a Rangers fan as to how they will hold up.

I have a feeling this will be a 5 or 6 game series in the rangers' favor. They have owned the devils since Lundqvist is came in

Point #1: True, but us fans can look forward.

Point #2: Brian Quick and his teammates, who are playing as good as any team I've seen in years, right now.

Point #3: I don't care how they are built... they do not have the offense prowess to beat Brian Quick right now, as good as the other goalies have been playing (all 4 remaining goalies are performing at a very high level, even Holtby was playing extremely well)... but none of them are close to Quick right now.

New Jersey is a different team right now... it is like DeBoer knew NJ would make the playoffs, and held off the style of play they would really use, until the playoffs, I never seen their forecheck so aggresive, and effective as it has been in the playoffs... the first game, they just seemed to have cooled off from a week long lay off... IMO, this will be a 6 to 7 game series, no matter who wins.

*Jonathan Quick

LOL

Yes, guys...us fans can afford to look ahead.
But the teams won't.
Not even LA, who right now, are absolutely dominating the Yotes....and to make matters worse in that series, Phoenix had meltdowns of epic proportions in Game 2.

I put LA as the odds on favorite right now of the Final Four...even over New York....simply because they just have every phase of their game working right now.

And while I agree JONATHAN Quick is lights out at the moment...you have to wonder...has he really been tested yet?
One would have thought either Vancouver or St. Louis really would have tested him...and to an extent they did.....but LA faced no real adversity in those series, and so far, face none against Phoenix.

Should LA indeed make it to the Finals, Quick and the Kings will face adversity in the form of either the Rangers or Devils.
A friend of mine is worried about the fatigue to New York (and with good reason), but until it proves to be a detriment (which, it hasn't yet), I am not all that worried about it.

I also have some friends who think the Finals may not be as exciting due to some of the teams left....then again, these guys are Northerners and have somewhat a biased against sunbelt teams like LA and Phx, and are NOT NY or NJ fans....so I take that with a grain of salt..

How can ANYONE not think the Finals would not be exciting!?

All FOUR current Final Four goalies are SC contender worthy, all four play a quality defensive game, and all four teams have players, who, given the right circumstances, can ABSOLUTELY cause excitement on the ice.

To be honest, even if my supported Rangers don't get further than the Eastern Finals, I gotta call these playoffs as a whole, VERY successful...some of the best in years.
And whomever wins the Cup will whole heartedly deserve it...no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Exactly why you don't go on the Internet when you should be sleeping. Lmao! Only reason I could think I made that mistake... My name is Brian. Lmao!

Cept you did the same thing yesterday during the afternoon....lol...
But I digress...hah..

Stoked for Game 2 guys....

As I said, Game 1 was closer than the score indicated, and I wonder what the teams will do different for game 2.
They shouldn't have to do much of anything different from where I sit....obviously, Brodeur would like to NOT have tightrope shots find their way to the net, and the Rangers would like their PP to function better, but overall, I think both teams were on point.

I am pulling for New York all the way on this one...just a shame that if they do win, they'd have to do it at Brodeur's expense....conversely, if Brodeur were to go on to get one last Cup (keeping in mind that I am a fan of his), it would have to be at the expense of my supported NY Rangers.....oh, the ambiguity...lol.

I know, I know...you NY Metropolitan locals don't get it. You guys say: "hey, it's either ONE or the OTHER!!"
But I am not a native New Yorker (or Jerseyian...is that a word?..hehe), so I don't share in that deep rooted animosity that seems to exist between Rangers-Devils, or for that matter, Rangers-Islanders, Devils-Islanders either...so there....

LOL, wow... the worst thing is, I knew his name for awhile, since there was talk last offseason of NJ potentially trading for one of their goalies.

don't sweat it....they sound the same

LMAO

Wed, May 16, 2012
Eastern Conference Finals, Devils at Rangers, Game 2: Final: NJD 3 , NYR 2
Series Tied 1-1

Will just keep this one short n sweet fans….been a bit busy as of late, but didn’t want to miss posting after a game….

And there we have it ..the "push back" we knew was coming from the Devils.

NJ didn't play badly at all in Game 1, but came up short, and in this game, for the most part, it was all Devils as they dictated most of the pace, and much like the first game, the scoreboard really wasn't indicative of the actual game.

New Jersey for the most part, dictated the pace, the play, and at times, almost seemed to will their way onto the scoreboard.
Rangers had their PP going, but oddly enough, in a losing effort…and Marion Gaborik, apparently had disappointed Coach Tortorella enough, so that his ice time was severely limited, even through PP opportunities.

David Clarkson’s goal in the third was the backbreaker for New York, as the Devils pretty much shut down any opportunities NY would get after that.

Both teams have shown the other what they are capable of…..whether in winning or losing efforts.
What will they show this afternoon when they meet again…this time at the Prudential Center in Newark NJ?
You can bet both teams, once again, will have fans on hand….and I don’t expect any let ups by either side.

Both Henrik Lundqvist and Marty Brodeur have looked outstanding, and truthfully, it has taken great shots, and some lucky ones too, to beat either of these guys so far.
Game 3 isn’t what I would call ‘pivitol’ just yet….after all, both teams seem to be filled with confidence that they can beat the other….but I am pretty sure both sides would rather be the ones up 2-1 than down, after this game is said and done.

Will Marion Gaborik show up for Game 3? He better…he has been FAR from impressive overall in these playoffs….and he is being shown up by rookies Chris Kreider, and even Adam Henrique on the opposing side.

Game 3, Newark NJ, starts in just over two hours fans…

Prust out for one game. I agree with the call, but the inconsistency of what is called, reviewed and the suspensions, or lack thereof, is a joke. Looks like Dubinsky could return tonight. He struggled this year, but we all know what he brings to the table when he is on his game. A fresh set of legs that can contribute could be a HUGE spark for NY.

what a shitty game 4. I told my wife just a few minutes into the game that they looked like they had no interest in competing for 60 minutes last night. I don't know what it is but they seem perfectly content just splitting wins.