The Rangers Road to the Stanley Cup

[LawMan]

I was looking at the standings this morning and realized the Rangers, through dumb luck (or if you're a conspiracy nut brilliant gamesmanship) have managed to earn themselves a much easier path to the finals than any other team in their division.

The Rangers have basically locked up the top wild card (6 back of Penguins and 11 up on Boston) which means they'll cross-over (out of the Metro) and play the Atlantic Division champion- currently Montreal who the Rangers have 2 more points than. So their path to the Eastern Conference Finals is beat Montreal, then beat one of Ottawa/Toronto/Boston. Then in the Eastern Conference Final they'll play a team who has had one, if not two, very difficult series'. Had the Rangers come 3rd (or 2nd) in the Metro their path would be beat Pittsburgh/Columbus then Washington.

Well played Rangers, well played.

[lucafen4]

You do know the Habs have dominated them all season. 1st round vs. Mtl... I'm taking the Habs in 5 or 6

[newfcollins]

Habs have dominated much of the regular season against the Rangers the past few years, but lost their playoff match to them (although Price was injured by a Ranger).

Also, by getting the 7th spot, they won't have home ice advantage at all unless they play the other wild card team in the Eastern conference finals. Although they have been better on the road this year.

[hockeyrobot]

Regardless of who has dominated who....I would take that route over the Metro route any day of the week. That can't be argued.

[2014olympicgold]

Rangers are 12-8-3 vs Atlantic teams and 13-12-1 vs Metro teams. They got the easier teams for sure, but lets look at playoff bound Atlantic teams:

Vs Montreal
0-2-1
Vs Ottawa
1-1-0
Toronto
2-1-0
Boston
3-0-0

So even if they get past Montreal, they will face Ottawa/Leafs who they don't have an amazing record against either (even the Leafs series the goal diff was rangers +2, 1 W was a SOW. And -1Goal Diff vs Ottawa). And to face the Atlantic team they have owned (Boston), Boston would have to go through the gauntlet that is Metro, and if they do that I don't want to be facing them.

[ericdaoust]

Playoffs rarely play out the way it should on paper so with this in mind the Rangers will not come out of the Atlantic and one of the other three Metro teams will be in the final.

[agentzero]

I know only one thing: I would not want to play 7 games against Carey Price to try and win 4 of them. I will also say that Julien is a better coach than Therrien, though he has not much more to work with than he did.

If the Rags do play the Habs in the 1st round, then first order of business is to send out Bryan Flynn or Michael McCarron to two-hand Kris Kreider in the neck, paralyzing him temporarily (say a couple of weeks) from the neck down, following which he would make a return to full-health in about 4 months, in time for camp. Then, we can get to playing hockey. I would make sure this happens within seconds of puck-drop, or the second Kreider steps on the ice. He does not cross the Habs' blueline to get within 15ft of Price.

[JagrBomb]

I know only one thing: I would not want to play 7 games against Carey Price to try and win 4 of them. I will also say that Julien is a better coach than Therrien, though he has not much more to work with than he did.

If the Rags do play the Habs in the 1st round, then first order of business is to send out Bryan Flynn or Michael McCarron to two-hand Kris Kreider in the neck, paralyzing him temporarily (say a couple of weeks) from the neck down, following which he would make a return to full-health in about 4 months, in time for camp. Then, we can get to playing hockey. I would make sure this happens within seconds of puck-drop, or the second Kreider steps on the ice. He does not cross the Habs' blueline to get within 15ft of Price.

I would hate to see what damage you'd want caused to Emelin considering he's the reason Kreider lost his balance and took out Price.

[agentzero]

I would hate to see what damage you'd want caused to Emelin considering he's the reason Kreider lost his balance and took out Price.

I've seen the play a hundred times.. That Kreider was barreling at Price at full-tilt speed and I don't think he cared one bit about what might happen to Price because of it. Put it this way, if Emelin isn't there, the way Kreider is going, you think he stops to get out of the way? I don't think so. It was by design (or the famous, "accident on purpose"..). Kreider's concern was not safety for Price.. It was scoring a goal and doing whatever damage in the process.

[Mr. Guru]

Do I think Kredier would have not fallen on a breakaway? Yeah, I'll take that bet any day.

[JagrBomb]

I've seen the play a hundred times.. That Kreider was barreling at Price at full-tilt speed and I don't think he cared one bit about what might happen to Price because of it. Put it this way, if Emelin isn't there, the way Kreider is going, you think he stops to get out of the way? I don't think so. It was by design (or the famous, "accident on purpose"..). Kreider's concern was not safety for Price.. It was scoring a goal and doing whatever damage in the process.

As a Habs fan it won't matter if you've seen the play once or a million times, you're going to see what you want to see.

I can't think of many examples where a player on a breakaway crashes into the goalie with no interference. Kreider was skating pretty fast and the video I posted clearly shows Emelin applied enough force with his stick to cause it to flex to the point where it looked like it would snap. 99 out of 100 NHL players would have made contact with Price in that scenario.

Anyways not here to bring up painful memories, just thought it was pretty low to want physical harm delivered to a player, especially when it isn't conclusive that he hit Price on purpose.

[agentzero]

As a Habs fan it won't matter if you've seen the play once or a million times, you're going to see what you want to see.

I can't think of many examples where a player on a breakaway crashes into the goalie with no interference. Kreider was skating pretty fast and the video I posted clearly shows Emelin applied enough force with his stick to cause it to flex to the point where it looked like it would snap. 99 out of 100 NHL players would have made contact with Price in that scenario.

Anyways not here to bring up painful memories, just thought it was pretty low to want physical harm delivered to a player, especially when it isn't conclusive that he hit Price on purpose.

If you must know, I was far more upset that no one on the Habs tried to bash Kreider's face in after this. Playoffs or not, you do not go near our goaltender, whatever the reason, whoever's fault. If you even whisper near our goalie it's cause for an assault. Man, I miss old-time hockey.

I can't say for 100% sure that Kreider did it all on purpose, but I can say for sure that he didn't care too much about the result for Price and it worked out for him in the end. The way he was skating, I don't see how he could have avoided contact with Price. The game happens so fast. I may not be able to PROVE intent, but I can sure as hell impute it, which is a normal legal standard by which to judge actions between two individuals. If I was coaching the Habs at the time, I would have made sure Kreider joined Price on the IR. As a coach, I firmly believe you gotta send a message that your best players (and most vulnerable players) are off-limits to contact of any kind from the other team; legal or not and contact or not. It's part of game strategy and psychology. At least that way, the other teams think a little before being a bit loose with their responsibilities towards the safety of their opposing players.

[Noddes55]

If you must know, I was far more upset that no one on the Habs tried to bash Kreider's face in after this. Playoffs or not, you do not go near our goaltender, whatever the reason, whoever's fault. If you even whisper near our goalie it's cause for an assault. Man, I miss old-time hockey.

I can't say for 100% sure that Kreider did it all on purpose, but I can say for sure that he didn't care too much about the result for Price and it worked out for him in the end. The way he was skating, I don't see how he could have avoided contact with Price. The game happens so fast. I may not be able to PROVE intent, but I can sure as hell impute it, which is a normal legal standard by which to judge actions between two individuals. If I was coaching the Habs at the time, I would have made sure Kreider joined Price on the IR. As a coach, I firmly believe you gotta send a message that your best players (and most vulnerable players) are off-limits to contact of any kind from the other team; legal or not and contact or not. It's part of game strategy and psychology. At least that way, the other teams think a little before being a bit loose with their responsibilities towards the safety of their opposing players.

Spoken like a true Hans fan. Can't wait to watch nyr 4th line skate circles around montreals. Bergervin going to regret going out and getting king, martinsen and benn at the deadline. Rangers 4th line of Lindberg, Vesey and buch are going to do some damage being on the ice at the same time as those 3. Still don't understand why they felt they had to bulk up for the playoffs. Did no one in Montreal watch how the penguins won last year? Speed, depth and speed. Rangers couldn't match there quickness in the 1st round, that's why they were gone in 4. So what did the rangers do? Loaded up on depth and speed. Anyways, at least there will be a good storyline for this series.

Oh ya, almost forgot

LETS GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!

[newfcollins]

Whether you think Kreider did it on purpose or not, let's not forget that he has a history of this type of play. He ran Fleury, Anderson, Price, Fasth, Halak, etc. And that doesn't include his several dirty boarding calls.

The guy has a history of running goalies. So it's tough to think he didn't do this one on purpose.

[hockeyrobot]

As a Habs fan it won't matter if you've seen the play once or a million times, you're going to see what you want to see.

I can't think of many examples where a player on a breakaway crashes into the goalie with no interference. Kreider was skating pretty fast and the video I posted clearly shows Emelin applied enough force with his stick to cause it to flex to the point where it looked like it would snap. 99 out of 100 NHL players would have made contact with Price in that scenario.

Anyways not here to bring up painful memories, just thought it was pretty low to want physical harm delivered to a player, especially when it isn't conclusive that he hit Price on purpose.

Ya I can't believe people think this is intentional. I don't understand what he was supposed to do?? He was flying and got tripped before being able to make a cut away from Price.