Rangers Recap: Streak Ends at Three, Rangers Fall to Thrashers, 6-4

I hope AA’s injury isn’t serious. The loss wasn’t too worrying: saw some good forecheck and some real fight at the end of the 3rd.

If you didn’t watch the game, and are counting on this to fill you in, let me straighten out a few things for you.

Eventually, Bryan Little went coast to coast while dancing around the Ranger defense, ultimately ending up all alone against Biron when he slid a backhander through Marty’s legs

Little didn’t skate through the WHOLE defense. He got past Avery in neutral ice, and came in 1 on 1 with Staal. Staal attempted a flailing poke check (his body positioning had his stick WAY to far in front when he started the poke check) and then turned to the outside to chase, rather then turning to the inside to cut off the path to the net after he got beat. Another myth about this goal (although Nick didn’t mention it, the commenters did) was that “Staal was caught flat footed”. Staal was not caught flat footed, and he been it would have been inexcusable. The play was moving towards him, through Avery, and Staal had two chances to shut it down, and he didn’t get it done.

Niclas Bergfors took advantage of a Marc Staal turnover by lugging the puck down ice and sniping the corner on Biron to re-gain the lead for Atlanta, 3-2 at the end of two.

I took Staal to task on the LIttle goal, but I’ll stick up for him here. You can’t call this play a turnover. It was a soft, crappy, pass from Stepan that hopped past Staal. It got caught on the flashing, took a jump, and there wasn’t much Staal could do. Those are the breaks, and on this play, they didn’t go our way.

Todd White slid up to the first line between Brandon Dubinksy and Ryan Callahan. He capitalized on a lucky bounce off the back boards that landed on the tape of his stick

This is completely ignoring that what did a great job of positioning himself. I’ll agree there’s always some luck involved on a rebound, but White put himself EXACTLY where he should have been, so as long as that puck came to his side of the net, he could capitalize. I’ve written off White as the price we paid to get rid of Brashear, but seeing how he set up on that play makes me wonder what else he can do. Give credit where credit is due – that was a heads up play by Todd White.

About two minutes later Sean Avery’s hard work along the boards would pay off, as his quick-thinking wraparound beat a sliding Mason to tie things up

I love Aves, and he did work hard to create the opportunity, but if you wanted to call a goal lucky, this is the one. If Mason were a HALF SECOND faster, he would have had it. As it was, it hit off Mason and went up and in. I’m not trying to take away from Aves hard work or the goal itself, but I think it’s wrong to add no disclaimer to this after crediting White’s to luck.

Michael Del Zotto had a night to forget. His outlet passes were off the mark, he was guilty of numerous turnovers and he also coughed up the puck on the empty-netter as well. He is young, so this is routine, but I have to point it out just because it had an impact on the game

None of our D looked fantastic, but calling out MDZ in full paragraph is uncalled for. If you want to talk about a defenseman who had a night to forget, it was Marc Staal. MDZ missed the big breakout pass that could have sprung Avery, but it was by inches, not feet, and it was A 90 FT PASS. MDZ could have been sharper, but he looked like an ALL STAR next to Staal. Rerading the turnover on the empty netter, your right, it was his fault. However, he had the right thought there. He didn’t flinch under the pressure and throw the puck up ice when we only had about 40 seconds left. He tried to thread the needle and put the puck in a position where we could set up one last scoring opportunity. He didn’t pull it off this time, but he learned from it, and I don’t think throwing it deep would have gotten us much more then a one goal loss, instead of a two goal loss.

This Biron Stuff is the WORST though

Marty Biron was not bad in this contest. I know some people will attack him for the ones he should have stopped, but to me, there was way too much activity in front of his net.

Biron got beat on the glove side all game long. Pucks weren’t coming through traffic, or getting buried on rebounds, the were glove side high shots that he didn’t get to. I don’t understand what the “activity” in front of the net you are blaming his play on was. He was holding his glove low and back on every goal he gave up. It has to be in front of him if he wants to make those glove saves.

Anyway, Biron made some key saves in the game that allowed for his team to make the comeback.

I don’t see how Biron’s play had ANYTHING to do with the teams comeback. He let in two soft goals to start the period, that CAUSED the team have to make a comeback, but other then that, we kept the puck of ice for most of the end of the game.

Just my opinions. If you didn’t get a chance to watch the game, and are counting on this recap, I hope it helps give a better picture of what really happened.

Except the read on Del Zotto. Stall was horrible but MDZ was erratic and created turnovers all night long:

I’m getting really tired of hearing stuff like this:
 
“He is young, so this is routine, but I have to point it out just because it had an impact on the game.”

Huh? Talk about making excuses for the guy’s lousy playing.

Aside from that there are still some encouraging signs. Avery has been outstanding. He showed up ready for pre-season and has kept his intensity through the first eight games. Same goes for Dubi and Cally and Stepan and Boyle and, until he got hurt, Anisimov.

But if we want to remain competitive for the long haul we’ve got to do something about this D and the problem ain’t Rozi. I’ve made my feelings about this pretty clear so I’ll just leave it at that and hope for a turn around until something happens.

d

Plenty of blame to spread around.

MDZ had a ghastly turnover in front of the net. The D in general weren’t in synch with Biron who chooses to play the puck more than Henrik ever does.

Blame goes to the offense for constantly shooting the puck into shooting lanes that were blocked (credit the Thrash for getting in front of them). It also goes to the forwards on the breakout through the neutral zone and into the attack zone for positioning themselves so poorly that puck carriers were to go 1 on 2 or outnumbered situations.

Blame the defense for thinking 90 foot outlet passes are going to work more than a handful of times per game.

There is such a way to lose as a team as there is a way to win as a team. Last weekend they won as a team, tonight they lost as a team too.

Staal played pretty bad tonight, just think that needed to be emphasized. MDZ was right there also.
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The Bergfors goal was a soft let in by Biron, Byfuglien’s shot was hard but Biron saw it all the way, it hit his chest before going in but he should not be that far off the post with a shot from there. I would not say Biron played good at all, nothing like his first game but I agree the defense did not do him any favors tonight. Bad D or not, 5 goals on 25 shots is not a good night in net away way you slice it.
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Avery was good again and Dubi had a good game, I saw a lot of effort out of EC and he and White were good with faceoffs (EC 12 w 8 L/ White 7w 2 L)

1. I would get back to playing Sauer in place of Eminger, I just have more faith in his abilities.

2. It’s easy to say this in hindsight, but I don’t really think Torts should have started Biron tonight. Why night play him in Toronto again, which is the second of a back-to-back situation?
His decisions on when to play backup goalies tend to mystify me.

This is already starting to creep back into the discussions this season. It was a major problem last season, has made brief appearances in several games this season, and although I wasn’t awake for the full 60 last night it sounds like neither were the Rangers.

If Torts doesn’t nip this in the bud quick I could see a lot more discussion about it in the future.

Had the worst game of his Ranger career last night.

Hello BSB residents. This is my first post, just couldn’t hold it any more.
The worst game Staal has had thus far. Second and third lines played terribly despite Avery’s hard working goal.
MDZ needs to improve his deffensive skills ASAP (or, maybe, get scratched for 1-2 games).
We are going nowhere if keep losing to the teams like Atlanta, Toronto, and Islanders.

This isn’t the first clunker we’ve seen from this team this season, certainly won’t be the last. I’m not going to let it spoil how overall improved I think they are over last season (so far anyway)

I like the moxie they showed battling back, like Lombardi said “You didn’t lose you just ran out of time”

Rangers made a few mistakes that just killed them. It happens. Like I tell my daughter every night when she goes to bed “Tomorrow is another day”

win 3 lose 1 i will take that over win 1 lose 3