The timeout was after the second Devils goal, although the Rangers were doing well that stretch between the second and third New Jersey goal.

The key was mostly whether they were behind.

Goals shots and blocked shots when the score was tied:
Rangers - 6 (all in 3rd period)
Devils - 12 (8 in 3rd period)

If you include blocked shots they took, so their opponent blocked them, it is:
Rangers - 10 (9 in 3rd)
Devils - 19 (13 in 3rd)

All of this play was at even strength, no penalties were called when the game was tied.

Looking at even strength play with the Devils up, here are the numbers when the Devils had the lead:

Goals, Shots and Missed shots
Rangers - 30
Devils - 14

All shots, including those that were blocked
Rangers - 40
Devils - 21

The Rangers played well when they were behind, doing far better than most teams do in that situation. Even taking score into account, it's more than fair to say the Rangers controlled play. They still got beat pretty handily the 18 minutes or so where the score was tied.

applicable in any situation really

It was Politics. And, hard as it is to believe, he's even worse there.

did anyone on the rangers make a guarantee yet?

politard posts shouldnt count for anything, similar to those terrible omg omg omg threads

and tbf, neither do i. and i haven't played organized hockey for a while now, and never played at a super high level, so if anyone wants to disagree with me, then go nuts. but even still, i can't imagine that a NHL team would play a super enough system where the weak side D-man can't leave his spot on the back post when he spots danger nearby. i know coaches hate 2 D chasing behind the net, and for good reason, but sometimes it has to happen.

and as you can see, it almost worked out. if Richards stops the pass from getting through, or even easier Hagelin just ties up Carter the goal doesn't happen. the system has accounted for 2 D behind the net, but it took even further breakdowns for the goal to happen.

"any" is going too far. i see what you're saying, but that's really where the breakdown started. MDZ was double-teamed, Girardi couldn't help bc of the change, and none of the other Rangers recognized this as a problem. but it's not a problem if MDZ can win the footrace and knock the puck around to Girardi.

yeah, i agree. Richards, as the center, just has to make a choice somewhere in here. do something, anything, and everyone else can read-react off of that. if he helps MDZ in the corner, Girardi & Hagelin probably take the net/low slot area. if he takes Carter/the front of the net Hagelin might help in the corner with Girardi, or sags to the net/low slot area.

i mean if you look at it again Hagelin is actually in good position to help MDZ if he keeps skating (though it's not really his job):



but then either reads Girardi going over there, or that Richards will do something eventually, or that he has weakside responsibility and needs to pick up Carter, and peels off:



but yeah, the biggest problem is probably the lazy, nonchalant play from the center, when he can clearly see a 2v1 situation developing on the forecheck.

anyway, just saw FORMER NHL GOALIE Jamie McLennan predict that Broadway Brad will step up with a big game and carry the Rag$ in Game 6. he's a CLUTCH performer after all, the kinda guy you win with in the playoffs, and all that...

I agree with a lot of your analysis on this play. Only thing I would mention, is that it seems Girardi made the aggressive play of going behind the net at the wrong time. Seemed like it was obviously he was going to get beaten to the puck, but if he left a second earlier he would probably win the race. Nice breakdowns/posts though imo.

i guess i have 'some' credentials lol...i played organized ice hockey as a kid (school varsity, center), midget A ice (center/lw), and hardcore street hockey (3v3, 4v4 in front of the white house w/ backpacks and 4v4 in a rink in VA w/ goalies) in college when i went to GW. hardcore = emergency room visits to get stitched up rather regularly.

one more thing not shown here that i just remembered from the in-game discussion. when girardi went in to help mdz, his stick was not on the ice. if girardi's stick was on the ice, he woulda had a chance at stopping the pass. but yea, not that big a mistake given the other mistakes

so in sum, i blame richards for this. as you said, as center he's gotta make a choice. no choice is the worst thing ever and now thinking about it, i can recall many mistakes i've made in games i cared about and virtually all of them were failure to clear out the slot or failure to adjust properly to a shift in positions.

y'all need to lay off copernicus.

yeah, his resume was a bit much but doesn't require everyone piling on him.

looking forward to game 6. wish i stayed up for the 3rd last night.

nice posting 72o, appreciate the analysis

I still think the Rangers will win it in 6.

Henrik/jerkoff,

.

Man i need to play organized puck again I'd dominate all you pizdas in a heliocentric or geocentric universe.

Can't we all just laugh at Stu Bickel taking some shots last game?

so yea...let's bring it to the street then. street hockey ftw.

that was def the best time of my life. playing roller hockey from 11am-2pm in front of the white house. i'd bitch and moan when we had to stop play b/c some motorcade of a billion cars was coming in and out but i look back and miss every second of it. i even ended up dating an ER nurse b/c i saw her so often to get stitches lol.

oh...and you don't have a choice in which universe we play.

random fact: my HS varsity couch scouted either avery or dubinsky. it was a few years ago i found this out so not sure which but i'm pretty sure it was avery.

Play street ball on the reg no skates come at me.

+1 for to HS

i lol'ed

So much fun to play this way, but so awful to watch as a spectator.

that's silly. who are you, kevin smith? gotta skate. that's the whole point of this game!

if this is what i think it is (a reference to fatty fat fatty), then A+. hilarious

Saw this posted on another Rangers message board...here we go!