Not quite. Kunitz-Sid-Horn started the season together. Dupuis spent most of his time this season on Malkin's right. Remember, Geno was coming back from a slight injury so the lines were

Kunitz-Crosby-Hornqvist
Malkin-Sutter-Dupuis

Then when Malkin got back to full strength it went

Kunitz-Crosby-Hornqvist
Comeau-Malkin-Dupuis
- Victoro311

Johnston tried Hornqvist with Malkin, it didn't work out nearly as well as Crosby with Hornqvist. Right now we have too many right wings (Hornqvist, Comeau, Perron, Bennett & Downey) that simply cannot play the left side.

Where exactly is Burkle skimping on spending exactly, that he should be spending more?
- PensFan1103

I don't mean skimping on the spending. I just think that you cant look at things in such a black and white numbers perspective in hockey. Analytics are fine and they have their use, but they aren't predictive.

And I feel like since he came on, more of the moves have been less about creating a team balance and instead looking at guys on an individual basis and hoping they would just mesh.

Maybe its more on the GM than him. But I feel like ownership has been way to meddlesome as of late and its made the team look like a mess from the outside looking in.

I would expect anecdotal evidence from you. He's been taking a huge relative percentage of Ozone faceoffs (+43.35%). By far the highest on the Rags blue line. Why do you think that is? Probably because AV wisely knows he has to protect him from defensive duties.
- jfkst1

Because he's our best offensive defenseman

Again, Staal, McD, and Girardi are responsible for the defensive end. They're going to get the bulk of the starts in that end. Yandle was brought in to provide offense. You can call it being sheltered but he's just playing his role.

Right you are. Dupuis was still used at times with Sid and Kuni and I think he would of slid in and out of top line RW duties all year had he stayed healthy. I still stand by my initial comment though, Horny was initially meant to play with Malkin when acquired.
- MattStrat

I miss Duper. Dude was the heart of our team.

Oof.


Dan Rosen @drosennhl · 2h 2 hours ago
The Rangers have scored 7 even-strength goals in this series and Daniel Winnik is minus-6. You do the math.

Because he's our best offensive defenseman

Again, Staal, McD, and Girardi are responsible for the defensive end. They're going to get the bulk of the starts in that end. Yandle was brought in to provide offense. You can call it being sheltered but he's just playing his role.
- rangerdanger94

He gets less dzone starts than Boyle and Hunwick, but I guess they are more responsible for the defensive end as well...His usage is a much an indictment on his defensive abilities as much as it is a testament to his offensive acumen. He's an excellent offensive dman that is a defensive liability.

Yes but Yandle is a bottom pairing defenseman? Give me a break.
- rangerdanger94

Who said anything about bottom-pair? Just said Letang is better. That's all.

Damn dude, you must be all tensed up for Game 5 tonight. Chillax...

I don't mean skimping on the spending. I just think that you cant look at things in such a black and white numbers perspective in hockey. Analytics are fine and they have their use, but they aren't predictive.

And I feel like since he came on, more of the moves have been less about creating a team balance and instead looking at guys on an individual basis and hoping they would just mesh.

Maybe its more on the GM than him. But I feel like ownership has been way to meddlesome as of late and its made the team look like a mess from the outside looking in.
- thickman1178

Name a single move made by Burkle. Because from my perspective Lemieux has made several deliberate moves with coaching such as Fleury's old goalie coach and Tocchet that seem to be much more meddlesome.
Bowman's reliance on analytics has been a competitive advantage for him.

That might be true, but it's also true that Letang plays for the Penguins about as much Sasquatch or the Lochness monster.

- Pete V

True dat. That's why I'm not a big Letang guy.

Like all our other skilled guys, he runs hot and cold. Also injured way to much... also like the rest of our team.

Letang had a really good year this past season though. Shame he got hurt.

This is the curse of the Pens organization. We've been consistently blessed with the worlds most talented players over the past 30 or so years (Lemieux, Jagr, Crosby, Malkin) yet 3 of the 4 have experienced health issues. And Jags...he's just nuts

Who said anything about bottom-pair? Just said Letang is better. That's all.

Damn dude, you must be all tensed up for Game 5 tonight. Chillax...
- 87_71_11_29

Ignoring your obvious ignorance on data, Yandle is a liability defensively akin to a bottom pairing dman.
- jfkst1

Because he's our best offensive defenseman

Again, Staal, McD, and Girardi are responsible for the defensive end. They're going to get the bulk of the starts in that end. Yandle was brought in to provide offense. You can call it being sheltered but he's just playing his role.
- rangerdanger94

Lets talk more Penguins and less Rangers today, eh? Could give two poops less about a D vs D debate right now, especially when ours is decimated.

Ignoring your obvious ignorance on data, Yandle is a liability defensively akin to a bottom pairing dman.
- jfkst1
- rangerdanger94

Ah gotcha

Sh*t..look who you're quoting dude. Why even bother?!?!?

Oof.


Dan Rosen @drosennhl · 2h 2 hours ago
The Rangers have scored 7 even-strength goals in this series and Daniel Winnik is minus-6. You do the math.
- rangerdanger94

So just keep Winnik off the ice tonight and we shut you guys out!

Sweet!!

He gets less dzone starts than Boyle and Hunwick, but I guess they are more responsible for the defensive end as well...His usage is a much an indictment on his defensive abilities as much as it is a testament to his offensive acumen. He's an excellent offensive dman that is a defensive liability.
- jfkst1

God I hate Boyle. But I digress.

Yandle's zone starts are skewed because he doesn't play PK often and plays seemingly every shift on the PP. add into that that AV is famous for starting offensively gifted players in the offensive zone and that with Staal and McDonagh and Girardi taking the defensive assignments of the oppositions top offensive forces, you have a formula that leads to high offensive zone starts. Again, nobody here is saying Yandle is as good as Letang on either end of the ice. Just that his reputation of being terrible defensively isn't as accurate as you may think.

Name a single move made by Burkle. Because from my perspective Lemieux has made several deliberate moves with coaching such as Fleury's old goalie coach and Tocchet that seem to be much more meddlesome.
Bowman's reliance on analytics has been a competitive advantage for him.
- jfkst1

Sure, Ill just give Burkle a call and ask him which moves specifically were his. Ill get back to you on that.

I have no idea what he has been behind and what he hasn't. I know I read the article on him and he outright said he expects everything to run as a business and will evaluate the team as such. And I just don't think you can do that with a hockey team.

So just keep Winnik off the ice tonight and we shut you guys out!

Sweet!!
- 87_71_11_29

Now theres a gameplan! We can bring in CFA!

Ah gotcha

Sh*t..look who you're quoting dude. Why even bother?!?!?
- 87_71_11_29

It's not an opinion, it's a fact. I know how much you dislike those. AV deploys Yandle like a 3rd pairing dman.

Wow, I was pretty sick last game, but this is the first Im hearing about this one. McGuire is an even bigger piece of poop than I had thought. That guy shouldn't be between the benches if he cant do his (frank)ing job without being a douchebag.

What in the world would have compelled NBC color commentator Pierre McGuire, during Game 1 at the Garden and in between the benches, to raise his right arm to call attention to a referee while Steve Downie was crosschecking one of the Rangers in front of him?

It requires reading body language, but McGuire looked disgusted by what he was witnessing and his motion was suggesting to the ref something like, ‘Hey, are you seeing this?’

The network, of course, didn’t air this. But it could be seen on the in-house feed at the Garden, which is available to media covering the event.

It's not an opinion, it's a fact. I know how much you dislike those. AV deploys Yandle like a 3rd pairing dman.
- jfkst1

You realize Letang starts in the defensive zone less than Yandle, right?

Really disappointed Pouliot isn't a go tonight. Should be playing 7 D and using him as a specialist.

If he's healthy, not dressing him is dumb.

That's the biggest thing. If J.Staal isn't there, you have to put either Crosby or Malkin out against stiffer competition. They can't feast on favourable match-ups anymore like they did because you no longer have a third guy who can dominate possession against elite talent and not feel a ton of pressure to score.

Jordan Staal is the best in the league at what he does. I don't know that $6 million is the right number for him, but it's certainly no less than $5 mill.
- BINGO!

agree with this.

Malkin knows they're playing tonight, right?

Says the guy comparing Girardi to Lidstrom. And I didn't say he is a bottom pairing dman. However, he does need to be sheltered like one. Which is the inherent problem in comparing Yandle's talent to Letang's.
- jfkst1

Actually he said that Letang is no Lidstrom (defensively).

WTF enough of the Dman trashing. Yandle isn't anywhere's near the turnstyle you guys are making him out to be, and us NYR fans aren't saying he's Bobby Orr. All we are saying is that he's a very good offensive threat and a good PP man ( I know...I know..not right this minute), w/ some defensive missteps here and there. Pitt D..even when healthy don't come close to matching NYR D as a WHOLE. THis is a team sport and the NYR defensive corp. is top 1, 2, or 3 in the league. IT aint me saying this..Just ask every F***ing commentator on NHL, ESPN, THN, on an on and on.

Most teams can only use 1 dpair to match against Crosby or Malkin lines, and then pick there poison. NYR has 2 top notch pairs to shut down a teams 2 top lines...PERIOD

Most teams can only use 1 dpair to match against Crosby or Malkin lines, and then pick there poison. NYR has 2 top notch pairs to shut down a teams 2 top lines...PERIOD
- rrentz

Cool story. Go talk about it in your thread.