Lets Go Rangers! 2011-2012 season thread

[GordonGecko]

Let's get some offense going this year.

[b_joseph]

2012 will be our year!!!!

[dabomb2045]

Find some offensive difference makers. And come up with a PP that isnt an insult to the game of hockey.

[CanoForPresident]

Richards or bust.

[SLURPEE]

I want Richards, Kreider and Thomas on the team.

Stepan, work on your skating, faceoffs and put some weight on.

Avery get off my team. You too Drury.

Del Zotto, get your offensive game back and learn how to defend.

[trentonthunder]

Fire the management is the first step. Get rid of Gaborik, Drury, Lundquist, and anyone else who gets big money. Finish in last place for three or four years (while letting our young guys develop), draft, draft, draft, and we'll have a Stanley Cup in 10 years.

If not, if we follow the same business model under the current cap system, then continue to expect middle of the pack finishes with early exits from the playoffs. We ARE NOT a player or two from a serious run. No way, no shape, no how.

[Hitman23]

I had to turn it off after the 3rd goal was scored. What an awful game. In a series where the Rangers could have easily been up 3-1 they totally choked when it mattered. How disappointing.

[trentonthunder]

2012 will be our year!!!!

Dilusional...totally dilusional.

[SLURPEE]

Fire the management is the first step. Get rid of Gaborik, Drury, Lundquist, and anyone else who gets big money. Finish in last place for three or four years (while letting our young guys develop), draft, draft, draft, and we'll have a Stanley Cup in 10 years.

If not, if we follow the same business model under the current cap system, then continue to expect middle of the pack finishes with early exits from the playoffs. We ARE NOT a player or two from a serious run. No way, no shape, no how.

What the hell are you talking about?

lol

[CanoForPresident]

I had to turn it off after the 3rd goal was scored. What an awful game. In a series where the Rangers could have easily been up 3-1 they totally choked when it mattered. How disappointing.

Its frustrating for sure, but when you look back at how the season started and what was actually expected from this team and then look at how it actually played out, it makes it much easier to swallow.

Well, at least it did for me.

[Hitman23]

The only comfort I can take out of the outcome is our best player was not part of the collapse. If Callahan was on the team and this happened I'd be more furious than disappointed.

I know the expectations were low, I agree. But as this series went on and I saw how the Rangers matched up well with them outside of the scoring issue, I started to expect more. And I really expected a win today. But you're right though, if I knew when the season started how it would have ended I would have taken it happily.

[b_joseph]

Dilusional...totally dilusional.

Gullible...totally gullible.


And any plan that involves getting rid of Lundqvist is insane/ignorant...both.

[Hitman23]

I can't see how in any circumstance Lundqvist would be a consideration in a trade. When you have an elite goalie you hang on for dear life and try to do your best elsewhere on the team. Because no matter how good or bad your offense is your goalie can carry you further than anyone else. People took shots at him for the goals that have been let up in this series.... I think they forget, for instance, in game 4, he faced like 1500 shots.

[JfromJersey]

The Rangers have some good players and an elite goalie. They are also one of the younger teams in the league. What they need..
A top line Center (Brad Richards).
Another scoring forward (C or W).
An enforcer with some skill.
An offensive Dman to qb the PP.

[AMYanks]

We have a very good coach, a great goalie, improving young players, and buckets full of guts and heart. This idea that they're years away is ridiculous. They were the 8th seed going against the 1st seed, and before the 3rd period Wednesday this series was damn near even.

The organization is deep with 2nd/3rd liners and 2nd/3rd pairing defensemen. It may be time to use that to add a young high impact player, or move up in the draft, or both. If Kreider decides to go back to BC, I would shop him in a package for that first line guy.

[ZYanksRule]

We have a very good coach, a great goalie, improving young players, and buckets full of guts and heart. This idea that they're years away is ridiculous. They were the 8th seed going against the 1st seed, and before the 3rd period Wednesday this series was damn near even.

The organization is deep with 2nd/3rd liners and 2nd/3rd pairing defensemen. It may be time to use that to add a young high impact player, or move up in the draft, or both. If Kreider decides to go back to BC, I would shop him in a package for that first line guy.

You build a contender from the goaltender out. The netminder is one of the best in the world, the D-core is top 10 in the league (if not higher than that). They just need to find a way to get some scoring, and they'll be pretty close to an elite team.

[CanoForPresident]

You build a contender from the goaltender out. The netminder is one of the best in the world, the D-core is top 10 in the league (if not higher than that). They just need to find a way to get some scoring, and they'll be pretty close to an elite team.

I don't think they're there yet. No doubt that they've got the potential to be in the conversation a year from now (especially if DZ bounces back) but at this point, they're a top 15 group at best, certainly not bad when you consider the age of the defense as a whole.

I like that they can (and at certain points this season, actually did) run an entirely home grown group out there. Having an effective, cost controlled group of defensemen is a luxury that not many teams in the league are fortunate enough to have.

[Boogiedown Bomber]

You build a contender from the goaltender out. The netminder is one of the best in the world, the D-core is top 10 in the league (if not higher than that). They just need to find a way to get some scoring, and they'll be pretty close to an elite team.

I agree. Will Richards be our go-to guy if Slats signs him? Yes, he's done well with scoring in the playoffs, and he did have a career year back in 09-10. But, will he do well playing on Broadway?

[CanoForPresident]

^ Why wouldn't he? Aside from a serious unforeseen injury, theres no reason to believe that he'll come here and just suck it up.

Hes not that old (about to turn 31 a week from tomorrow) and he has the type of skill set that will allow him to be effective into his late 30's. This isn't Drury or Gomez we're talking about here, hes been much more productive over the course of his career than either of those guys.

Richards and maybe a guy like Rupp or Eager are the only UFA's we should even consider going after, and thats including guys like Prospal and Fedetenko.

[ZYanksRule]

I agree. Will Richards be our go-to guy if Slats signs him? Yes, he's done well with scoring in the playoffs, and he did have a career year back in 09-10. But, will he do well playing on Broadway?

I certainly think he'd help, but I still think they won't have enough scoring, unless the Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan line steps up next year. Richards isn't all of a sudden going to make them a cup contender, they still need secondary scoring.

[SLURPEE]

They have secondary scoring...

Anisimov
Stepan
Callahan
Dubinsky
Boyle
Hope to get some contributions from a couple of rookies next year (Kreider? Hagelin, Thomas? Grachev)

What they need is a couple of primary/elite offensive players. Gaborik is one. They need another one.

[TheManKnownAsMecca]

Tortorella has signed a 3 year extension with the Rangers.

[ZYanksRule]

They have secondary scoring...

Anisimov
Stepan
Callahan
Dubinsky
Boyle
Hope to get some contributions from a couple of rookies next year (Kreider? Hagelin, Thomas? Grachev)

What they need is a couple of primary/elite offensive players. Gaborik is one. They need another one.

Those guys are only secondary scorers if there are elite players in front of them. I'm not sure Gaborik and Richards are enough elite players to render Callahan, Dubinsky, and Anisimov as secondary scorers. Right now, those guys are the elite players on the team.

[YankeeGalSC]

Fire the management is the first step. Get rid of Gaborik, Drury, Lundquist, and anyone else who gets big money. Finish in last place for three or four years (while letting our young guys develop), draft, draft, draft, and we'll have a Stanley Cup in 10 years.

If not, if we follow the same business model under the current cap system, then continue to expect middle of the pack finishes with early exits from the playoffs. We ARE NOT a player or two from a serious run. No way, no shape, no how.

Gabby and Drury ..yes. Lundqvist...are you crazy? He's half the reason we even made it to playoffs. However, I wouldn't blame him if he sought out other opportunities. He looked very upset after the last game.

[RhodyYanksFan]

While their exit was disappointing, thinking back to the amount of injuries they played through and the low expectations we all had back in October, it was a fun season overall.

We all know that changes need to be made, but I have no idea how many of them will come to fruition. To me, the first order of business is to somehow get rid of Drury's 7.5million cap hit.