Brainstorm with me for a minute.
Prospal Christensen Gaborik
Dubinsky Anisemov Callahan
Wolski Stepan Zuccarello
Prust Boyle Avery
That looks pretty solid to me. It's time for underachieving guys to step up so lets take a closer look at what's really going on.
Since this website is dedicated to being a Rangers rant, lets get the good shit out of the way early. Wolski Stepan Zuccarello. There aren't enough good things you can say about this combination. A trio of young talented hard working players who give you everything they've got every time they are on the ice. In my eyes, clearly the best line when Callahan and Dubinsky went down. If not for these guys, the Rangers would have easily slipped out of a playoff spot. Great things to come if the Rangers can keep this line together for the future considering the average age on this line is just over 22.
Prust Boyle Avery. For a line whose total overall cap hit is under $4 million ($3.2625 to be exact), this has been by far the most enjoyable line combination the Rangers have put out there for me since Barnaby was on the team. These guys battle for every single loose puck, block shots, take the body, and the best part of all, they can all drop the gloves. Prust fighting guys who have easily half a foot on him? Guy is invaluable.
Prospal Christensen Gaborik. Holy crap. Gaborik has looked like a fish out of water for months. This guy hadn't been able to get anything going at all after scoring 42 last year along w/ 44 helpers. Granted he has had absolutely no support at all, but even on the powerless play the guy just doesn't look comfortable. If he doesn't get the talent around him, he will never thrive in New York with the system that Tortorella is trying to implement. Prospal and Christensen? I guess we will have to wait and see. Prospal in my eyes looked superb against the Devils for a guy who missed 50 games. Hopefully he can get Gaborik the puck in some scoring positions. Christensen I have never been a fan of. Unless the game is going into a shootout, he is just another body. But for a line whose overall cap hit is just over $10.5 million ($10.575), they must be the offensive juggernaut that the Rangers have so desperately needed.
Which leads us to by far the most intriguing line combination of them all. Callahan Anisemov Dubinsky. Without a doubt, Callahan and Dubinsky are the faces of this team for years to come (along w/ Lundqvist adn Staal). They are exactly the players you want in coach Tortorella's system. Callahan lead the team last year with 285 hits which was good enough to put him 4th in the NHL (1st on the Rangers by 107). These two players kill penalties, play the powerplay, and work hard every single even strength shift. The two future captains of this team (name one C one A I honestly don't care which one is which).
Arten Anisemov. Oh boy. There is not a single player on the Rangers who has frustrated me this much. 22 years old. 6' 4" 200lbs. 28 points in 56 games. Respectable numbers for a second year player. I've never seen a guy whose 6'4" get pushed off so many pucks. If there was ever a Ranger who could impact the team by stepping his game up, its this guy. If (and hopefully when) Anisemov elevates his game to the level it should be at, this line combination with Callahan and Dubinsky will easily put up 60 points a player. He needs to bulk up and use that big body of his to dominate the offensive zone. Can he break out sometime soon? We can only hope so. If and when he does, the Rangers will have 4 line combinations that opposing defenses will have to worry about.
So basically what I've said is Anisemov and the entire top line need to step up. But let me end with this. As I said, this team is Callahan's and Dubinsky's. It's time they take control of it. These two need to stop being the leaders of the future because the future is now. Take control of this team and assert yourselves as the leaders you were born to be.
Anisimov has all the makings of being Datsyuk Jr. in my eyes, but what he lacks is strength, confidence and consistency. If he can get it together (and I'm starting to think he may be one Torts looses patience with) hes going to be a damn good player.
ReplyDeletePeople keep saying Gaborik is struggling because he has no set-up man, I say bullshit. He put up 42 goals last year, which tied a career high in which he established in Minnesota playing with Mikko Kouivu, who happens to be a damn good center, and playing with Gaborik got him the same amount of goals he scored playing with Erik Christensen. Hes always been known as a player who creates his own opportunities, and now because of his struggles it suddenly becomes an issue of him not having a top-flight center. Don't get me wrong, a top-flight center would only make him better, but we're talking about a guy who, consistently in the past, put up outstanding numbers without an outstanding center. No excuses from Gaborik, step your game up already pal or pack your bags.
Tort's system is obviously not the right fit for Gaborik, and I think Gaborik's displeasure for the style of play the Rangers are looking for shows in his attitude on the ice. That's why I am calling for Brad Richards. With that top tier center, the system wouldn't matter. The two of them would create their own offense.
ReplyDeleteAs I said originally, Anisemov and Gaborik need to be kicked in the ass and you know who needs to do it? Callahan and Dubinsky. Take control of your fucking team boys. Assert yourselves as the next captains of this franchise.
ReplyDeleteSomething else I'd also like to point out: remember when Gaborik was with Minnesota and he scored those 5 goals against the Rangers and was a threat every time he touched the puck? What about the year before he came to the Rangers, when he missed the entire season and came back for the last 17 games and put up 23 pts and didn't look at all out of place, in fact he looked as dangerous as ever. Bottom line is that he doesn't even look dangerous or threatening out there anymore. He's become irrelevant just like every other big name player who's come to the Rangers.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree with you more.
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