Bantering Points: The Not So Slow Road Back
by Brandon C. on Jan 20, 2012 6:00 AM EST
in New York Rangers Links
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PrintAs many of you know, I am against NHL teams' tendencies to bring injured players up to the NHL after injuries without playing in rehab games first.
Marc Staal is a prime example of this, as he returned to the NHL in the Winter Classic without playing any games for the Connecticut Whale beforehand.
Last night, Marc Staal played the most minutes for the New York Rangers, with a total of 24:58 played. That eclipsed even Dan Girardi, who played 24:51.
I worry more than the average fan, but I would have preferred it if the Rangers eased Staal back, first with rehab games, then with minor minutes, then gradually more.
Anyway, here are your questions of the day:
-You can start your own NHL team: Where do you start it, and what five players do you choose to start it?
-Best coach in hockey?
-Is Henrik Lundqvist the goalie you would want going into the playoffs, or would you choose Tim Thomas?
-Does Brandon C. ask too many questions?
As usual, Let's Go Rangers!
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I think he might need his but!
Follow me on twitter @nyybrandonc
Co-Manager/Writer for Pinstripe Alley, Editor/Writer for Blueshirt Banter
by Brandon C. on Jan 20, 2012 8:45 AM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Too early for your jokes Brandon
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
Start a team in Seattle
Nash-Toews-Hall
Keith-Weber
Henrik
Coach: Dan Bylsma
and yes…you ask way too many questions
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
Aruba
Six girls in bikinis.
by It may HAVE to Last a Lifetime on Jan 20, 2012 10:17 AM EST reply actions
Green Bay, WI
Landeskog-Nugent-Hopkins-Yakupov
Karlson, Meyers
and of course the KING!
Kovy? Ewwwwww
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"Oh, that sensible and sober* Rangers fan guy who is cool, actually" - Dominik, Lighthouse Hockey
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by George E. Ays on Jan 20, 2012 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
Kovalchuck?
Really? Man i could think of about 100 different LWers to choose from
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
Kovy with Kessel seems like too much
Neither one of them want to pass the puck. WIth a different RW I could see it though. I always thought Hank and Kovy would be a good pair. Kovy isn’t big on D, but Hank is stopping the odd man rushes he lets happen anyway, and appreciating the help on O that Kovy gives.
Also, if you’re going with George’s idea of just taking 5 players, not necessarily for a line, I think Kovi might be one of the best to drop back onto your second line, with whatever two scrubs you line up for him, and he’s still gonna pot 40 goals.
by BuckarooClub on Jan 20, 2012 6:59 PM EST up reply actions
I like this question.
Definitely Green Bay.
Toews-Stamkos-Seguin-Hall-Weber. (I dunno why anyone needs to 2D to start a team, I’ll sign them later)
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"Oh, that sensible and sober* Rangers fan guy who is cool, actually" - Dominik, Lighthouse Hockey
*Statement has not been verified nor regressed
Dan Girardi has something to say about having 2D.
@DigDeepNYR
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
Blueshirt Banter
Quebec
Toews
Giroux
Stamkos
Doughty
Carlson (WSH)
Lundqvist
Babcock
by MyFavBaseballSquadron on Jan 20, 2012 11:45 AM EST reply actions
Giroux is a smart choice.
@DigDeepNYR
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
Blueshirt Banter
For those curious about the ESPN Insider article posted the other day about the Rangers expected slump, it’s up on Hockey Prospectus now:
http://www.hockeyprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1234
Blueshirt Banter - Where Rangers' Fans Matter
Tracking the Rangers - Numbers don't lie. They just don't agree with you.
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"Oh, that sensible and sober* Rangers fan guy who is cool, actually" - Dominik, Lighthouse Hockey
*Statement has not been verified nor regressed
eh
I think that the stats will prob indicate a drop off a bit, do I think well lose 6 more games then the first half, possibly. But consider this, Marc Staal is back, Lundqvist is hot (but maybe he’s hot because he’s been rested), we have considerable depth at defense and even on offense to an extent, were winning games at even strength, we have been able to roll 4 lines to keep guys fresh most of the season, Biron has been hot but I think you can credit our defense for some of the success we’ve had back there
I could continue but I think a lot of predictions are arbitrary in what stats are chosen and how it translates into pnts. Id like to know how 12 pnts was the predicted drop, do we lose the rest of our divisional games, what teams are we losing to?, there are so many factors that to use three or four to predict is nearly insane. Maybe they predicted two differnet slumps, but can they predict who will win the cup, who is going to win the presidents trophy, why play the game if we already know who is going to do what. What about mistakes, most goals are created through mistakes, what makes them so certain the rangers will be on the wrong side of the.mistakes.more.often now?
I know ill get some cherps from stats guys but the game is a game for a reason, its not all about numbers.
by nhl_legendz on Jan 20, 2012 10:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
What teams are going to improve according to the stats? Too often the stats are used to predict downturn, rarely do we see the latter, where a guy writes a piece on a team that is going to blossom and take the league by storm, thus my reasoning for saying you have to take these predictions with a grain of salt.. remember all the hoopla about corsi and fenwick and how our production was unsustainable, but here we are, sustaining..
by nhl_legendz on Jan 20, 2012 10:18 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
It’s a lot harder to have a good team be unexpectedly bad for this long of a stretch than it is for a bad team to run hot.
Also, if you look at our Fenwick/Corsi, it’s improved every game, but the ‘puck luck’ involved with shooting/saving is trending down at the same time. We’re sustaining because one is keeping up with the other, but it’s a lot harder to manufacture winning streaks without that puck luck, thus…losing 3 of 5.
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*Statement has not been verified nor regressed
by George E. Ays on Jan 21, 2012 9:18 AM EST up reply actions
Lundqvist is hot
He’s posted a solid .913 over the last 4. He’s not hot right now.
Id like to know how 12 pnts was the predicted drop,
Says it in there. Expected 15 goals fewer and 15 more allowed. 30 goals = 10 pts. The other two comes from a potential dip in 1-goal games.
do we lose the rest of our divisional games, what teams are we losing to?
Stats do not look at this kind of minutia. If they did, we’d all be rich.
Blueshirt Banter - Where Rangers' Fans Matter
Tracking the Rangers - Numbers don't lie. They just don't agree with you.
Twitter: RangerSmurf
"Oh, that sensible and sober* Rangers fan guy who is cool, actually" - Dominik, Lighthouse Hockey
*Statement has not been verified nor regressed
by George E. Ays on Jan 21, 2012 9:13 AM EST up reply actions
I knew u would help clarify a bit, tho hank might not be hot stat wise, he’s hot. Most of the goals allowed were high percentage shots hank nor any other keep would be able to keep out, so tho the stats may say he’s cooled down, I don’t think he has at all, thus him being hot.. as for the differential in goals translating to wins or loses, I don’t know how you can relate the two.. other then goals win games.. maybe we will score 15 less goals(would make sense because the nhl is defense heavy the second half and there are more one goal games) and the 15 more allowed(what happens if half of those come in one night). I just think these predictions are quite arbitrary
by nhl_legendz on Jan 21, 2012 8:10 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
On goal differential and wins/losses:
Excel tells us that the equation for the line is y = 0.3415x + 91.447, which means that on average, a team with a goal differential of 0 will finish the season with 91 or 92 points, and that every extra goal is worth about 0.34 points. Since 0.34 is about 1/3, we’ll say three goals is roughly a point and six goals is roughly a win. It’s that simple.
Obviously, that’s not an exact rule. Teams with a goal differential of +6 will sometimes finish at the predicted 93 points, but sometimes they’ll be at 98 and sometimes they’ll be at 85. That’s where that other equation on the chart comes in, the one that says R2 = 0.90154.
In this case, the R2 of 0.90 means that 90% of a team’s expected point score comes from their goal differential and 10% comes from other factors; the dots are pretty close to the line, but not right on it. We can’t say from this what those other factors are that move some dots a little bit above or below our trendline. There might be a lot of them — luck, total goals per game, how early a coach likes to go with an empty net, clutchness, determination — but we know they’ll add up to about 10% of the reason why a team finishes with a certain number of points.
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Tracking the Rangers - Numbers don't lie. They just don't agree with you.
Twitter: RangerSmurf
"Oh, that sensible and sober* Rangers fan guy who is cool, actually" - Dominik, Lighthouse Hockey
*Statement has not been verified nor regressed
by George E. Ays on Jan 22, 2012 8:33 AM EST up reply actions
OOOOh, statistics.
Looks like my final from last semester :)
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
alright
I sort of understand it now, thanks again George. Where do you find all this info? Am I just lazy.. lol. I still believe well do better then our prediction but regardless if its right or wrong, we have improved not only drastically from last yr, but steadily throughout the season. Nice to finally be recognized throughout the league as a contender.
by nhl_legendz on Jan 22, 2012 4:08 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Follow the right people on twitter, and those articles find you (hint, that author is one of those people).
Everyone wants their team to be the one that defies logic. Sometimes they are. More often than not they’re not. I hope as much as anyone they’re wrong, but that’s an underdog to happen.
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Tracking the Rangers - Numbers don't lie. They just don't agree with you.
Twitter: RangerSmurf
"Oh, that sensible and sober* Rangers fan guy who is cool, actually" - Dominik, Lighthouse Hockey
*Statement has not been verified nor regressed
by George E. Ays on Jan 22, 2012 7:58 PM EST up reply actions
Have to go with somewhere in Wisconsin, Milwaukee or the Bay. The Badgers are hugely popular, and I could see an NHL team garnering a lot of support ala Minnesota. Either there or Seattle.
What 5 players? Toews, Weber, Stamkos, Lundqvist (though possibly Quick due to being over 4 years younger), Giroux (though maybe a Seguin or one of the young Edmonton snipers or Tavares).
Hitchcock, right now. Best turn-around in the league at this point with what he’s done with that group. I mean, Brian fucking Elliot, really?
Henrik. I think he does more with less.
Yes, you’re an insufferable douche, like me.
New Orleans
I know, not a lot of support for hockey but the fans are ravenous there, so if they do get behind a team it would be INSANE and very drunk.
Parise (leader)
Malkin (power/talent)
Seguin (youth)
Girardi (shut down/reliability)
Garrison (PP)
Quick (only because he is 25 and Henrik is edging over his half career point)
Coach? Zombie Lester Patrick, brought back from the dead with cajun voodoo.
Spend the rest of the money on the ice cause it would be shit down there in 100 degree heat.
I’d start my team in Hartford and Hank, Malkin, Girardi, Chara,.and Tim Thomas would be my five.
best coach? I’m biased, but I have to go with Torts
by chris-9999 on Jan 20, 2012 2:14 PM EST via Android app reply actions
I would start my team in.............
…….Green Bay sounds like a really good hockey city.
For Canada I would check out Hamilton or Windsor. Windsor would make a great rivalry with neighboring Detroit.
I would have Jordan Eberle, Jonathan Toews, and Carl Hagelin. That’s right. I said Carl Hagelin.
On defense I would have Shea Weber and Dan Girardi.
In goal Henrik Lundqvist as primary; Glenn Healy as back up. OH wait… Tuuka Rask as back up I meant to say.
Coach? Joel Quenneville but I would have no problem with John Tortorella. I also like Laviolette.
I can’t really make decisions.
San Diego. Wouldn’t have many fans, but I love San Diego and I want to live there and I love it and yeah, just San Diego.
Tavares, Stamkos, Toews, Hall, Weber
King
Follow me on twitter @nyybrandonc
Co-Manager/Writer for Pinstripe Alley, Editor/Writer for Blueshirt Banter
I live in Huntington Beach and go to SD often
Love it but youre 100% right, there wouldnt be many fans at all
Portland
Malkin-Datsyuk-Giroux
Weber-Karlsson
KING
"Just reload my weapon, you know?" - Artem Anisimov
"We are going to come to Philadelphia, and we are going to win." - Mr.Sather
"I'm not a screamer or yeller. If I would try to scream and yell at people, it's not what I'd naturally do. So if I tried to do that, it would be awkward, I think." - Eli Manning
Location: Milwaukee
5 Players: Toews Stamkos Malkin Weber Henrik
Coach: Trotz/Byslma
I chose these players with age in mind.
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
You took my idea!! ..anyway...
-You can start your own NHL team: Where do you start it, and what five players do you choose to start it?
1. Jonathon Toews
2. Drew Doughty
3. Hank Lundqvist
4. Shea Weber
5. Steven Stamkos
@DigDeepNYR
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
Blueshirt Banter
Oh. And
Seattle.
—
Dan Bylsma
@DigDeepNYR
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
Blueshirt Banter
By the way I picked five players on the nose, not my starting 5 and a goaltender.
@DigDeepNYR
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
Blueshirt Banter
Anchorage, Alaska
Kovi-Toews-Geno
Weber-Keith
Hank
On their own, That team might not seem great, but it seems like the perfect mix for …
Coach: Scotty Bowman
Another guy takes Kovalchuk? Yuck.
I like going with Keith. I had to go with Doughty over him because he is 6 years younger.
How do you not have Dubi on team Alaska btw? ;)
@DigDeepNYR
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
Blueshirt Banter
Same way you don’t take Scott “Bagel” Gomez
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*Statement has not been verified nor regressed
by George E. Ays on Jan 20, 2012 8:25 PM EST up reply actions
I take Russell Crowe for team Alaska.
And put them in Mystery.
And if there is no town named “Mystery” I will rename Anchorage, Juneau, or Nome. Because really, who is going to notice?
@DigDeepNYR
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
Blueshirt Banter
No one since right now the entire state buried under the Great Wall of Snow
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
Not true
Anchorage would give you a much better climate then Edmonton or Winnepeg. Both of those cities are pretty much ice, wind, and plains. Anchorage is on the water, which keeps the temp pretty moderate, despite it’s northern location.
by BuckarooClub on Jan 21, 2012 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
That's the beauty of being in AK
I think you’d get all the boys willing to come home cheap as FA’s. Dubi, Gomez off his buyout. Matt Carle, and, best of all, the ’King" of backup goalies… Ty Conklin.
Say what you want about Kovi, but he would be a weapon, not a defensive liability, on a Bowman team. Look at some of the guys he’s won cup with. I think he could use Kovi.
by BuckarooClub on Jan 21, 2012 11:13 AM EST up reply actions
Sure, but you don’t think there are better guys out there?
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
As far as pure, individual skill goes, I think Kovi is the one of, if not the best.
by BuckarooClub on Jan 22, 2012 10:23 AM EST up reply actions
Well I suppose that’s arguable, but there’s much more to hockey than pure, individual skill.
Unless of course you believe that somehow, someway you could turn him into a team player that will contribute in a positive way. If that’s the case I’d love to know how, as he has shown no signs of being able to do that in his career.
In fact, he seems to have made the Devils worse.
He’s not a bad player by any means, but if you could pick any 5 players in the NHL to be in your team, it shocks me that he would be one of them.
Zherdev has more skill than Callahan. Just remember that.
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
Having that front three
is basically a 5 on 3 in their defensive zone
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
I wonder
if fans of other teams would all pick hank as their goalie to start a team
by Prustyballs94 on Jan 20, 2012 9:30 PM EST via Android app reply actions
another note I don’t think I’ve seen anyone take Crosby
by Prustyballs94 on Jan 20, 2012 9:34 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
We’ll because health is an issue, and with concussions you never know.
If health wasn’t an issue EVERYONE would pick Crosby.
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
If his head wasn’t a jumbled mess right now I’d take him for all five spots
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
by Kevin Power on Jan 20, 2012 10:10 PM EST up reply actions
exactly.
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
Long Island **
I’d start a pro team in Long Island. Huh? What ? What you mean there already is one?
How about OK City- they seem to support basketball.
I’ll go Stamkos, Toews, Parise, McDonagh (yeah – I said it) and Weber
Lundquist
Trotz
"Shoot the Puck Barry, Shoot the puck !" Bill Chadwick
by RangerFanInChicago on Jan 20, 2012 10:59 PM EST reply actions
Huntington Beach, CA so I don't have to relocate (or we could do Laguna on 2nd thought)
Malkin
Kopitar
Stamkos
Doughty
Hank
Coach: Messier
going to seattle with...
Weber
Perry
stamkos
morrow
keith
Ruff’s having a bad year, but he’s still my coach for most consistently doing the most with the least.
i’ll take Lundqvist with me. or 1 of the kings’ 2 goalies.
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