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New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals

cw said:
Zee said:
L K said:
Nik? said:
gunnar36 said:
hey all John Mitchell haters....
i guess he is not so useless after all?

What an interesting ax to grind.

Nothing says proven wrong like 31 AHL games and 63 NHL games since leaving the Leafs with 16 points in those NHL games and 1 assist in 12 playoff games.  And man, a guy getting 4-5 minutes a night in the postseason is sure a guy to rue missing.

He's a -2 in 12 games as well, really ripping it up.

He's a 4th line faceoff specialist. That seems to be pretty much all they use him for. He's the only Ranger over 50% on faceoffs (55%)

I'm fairly confident that you could remove Mitchell from the Rangers and it wouldn't make a lick of difference.  They would find someone else to play that role easily.
 
cw said:
He's a 4th line faceoff specialist. That seems to be pretty much all they use him for. He's the only Ranger over 50% on faceoffs (55%)

At the same time, he's only taken 40 faceoffs through 12 games - or less than 4 per game on average, so, "faceoff specialist" is a little generous. He's being used as a 4th line centre, period.
 
bustaheims said:
cw said:
He's a 4th line faceoff specialist. That seems to be pretty much all they use him for. He's the only Ranger over 50% on faceoffs (55%)

At the same time, he's only taken 40 faceoffs through 12 games - or less than 4 per game on average, so, "faceoff specialist" is a little generous. He's being used as a 4th line centre, period.

I agree. A guy getting only 6 mins/game is a real fringe forward. It's too bad. I had slightly higher hopes for him.
 
Sarge said:
The hack to the face or the hack in general?... Because I see something more than a defensive manoeuvre.

It's a little over aggressive, but, at that point in the game, adrenaline is pumping. I sincerely doubt his intention is anything more than getting inside position on Hagelin and maybe knocking him to the ice. My guess is, in addition to pushing him back a little, Ward wanted his stick there to get in Hagelin's way, but was a little too forceful with his swing and . . . well, you know the result. I really don't see anything malicious there.
 
Sarge said:
The hack to the face or the hack in general?... Because I see something more than a defensive manoeuvre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc1mtfAYS3s
Ward's motions were of those of a guy who thought the opposing player had a step on him, when in fact he didn't.  Ward isn't watching Hagelin at all.  Ward's arms and torso push back hard and fast on a body that wasn't located or moving the way he thought.  He's swinging his body to push back on Hagelin to keep him away from the puck, and meets no resistance.

Ward would have to be the dumbest person in the world, seconds from a crucial 1-goal victory, to actually try to high-stick an opposing player.  There are deliberate high sticks and there are careless ones.  This was a careless one at the worst possible time.

That's the way I see it.
 
bustaheims said:
cw said:
He's a 4th line faceoff specialist. That seems to be pretty much all they use him for. He's the only Ranger over 50% on faceoffs (55%)

At the same time, he's only taken 40 faceoffs through 12 games - or less than 4 per game on average, so, "faceoff specialist" is a little generous. He's being used as a 4th line centre, period.

While I agree I do think something has to be said about the fact that he was out there taking that faceoff. In OT, with about 30 seconds to go on a PP and in a crucial game is not a situation where most 4th line centres will see the ice. He was out there to win a big faceoff and he did.

But with that said it's not like he won the faceoff and then made a great no look saucer pass. He won a faceoff back to the point, the wingers got in front of the net and a point shot went through. Mitchell did his part, which was win the faceoff, but he wasn't instrumental in the goal and the reason he was counted on to be out there is more a statement on how the other Rangers' centres are crummy on the draw.
 
Scoring seems really low in these playoffs (aside from that first Flyers-Pittsburgh series).  Ovechkin certainly hasn't been anything special offensively, but he has 9 points in 13 games so it isn't like he has completely disappeared.  And to be honest, given that the two series Washinton has faced so far are Boston (stingy defensive team) and New York (stingy defensive team) I don't think it is all that shocking.  Not that New Jersey isn't a defensive team, but I think you might see a little more scoring if the Capitals are able to pull off the comeback and win Games6 and 7.
 
That's a great kill by the Caps. At the end of the last play there were 2 Washington players looming over Lundqvist with nary a Rag player in sight.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Well that seemed like pretty clear-cut goalie interference.

I have no idea what constitutes that anymore.  Hagelin was tied up with Holtby's right leg it looked like to me.

Game 7 should be a doozy.
 
Ovechkin is beginning to look like the Tiger Woods of hockey.  W/o the championships. of course.  He didn't go anywhere near the net on the last shift.  Ridiculous.

On another note, Fedotenko sure has a knack for being on winning playoff teams.
 

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