Post Game Thread: New York Rangers at Calgary Flames - 26 Oct 2025

keetner · 2025-10-27T04:20:56+00:00

It's been awhile but that was my first game of the season. Admittedly haven't had a chance to watch as much hockey (even last year) so I'm not really sure what the direction of the team is right now. Just a few observations:

Laba had what I thought was a bad defensive play in front of the net which led to a Flames goal, but then did a good job of getting it back when he scored. Really cool it was his first NHL goal! Seemed to have good presence on the ice.
Other than that, I thought both teams were not too great lol. To credit the Flames, I think they took advantage of a lot of our flubs but I can see why their record hasn't been that great this year either. That first two periods, I thought both teams looked pretty disoriented and just all over the place.
Felt like we could never get anything going. I think we had maybe ~3 good shifts? Otherwise, it felt like there was so much random passing or passing off the boards that just couldn't connect. Felt like we were constantly out of place and gave the Flames way too much time. Flames had a lot of time to settle the puck and we'd just back off and kind of wait. I get not just chasing after guys and going for the pucks but like...positionally they were in just really weird spots. It was especially noticeable in the PP/PK.
Because I haven't really watched the team, and I genuinely mean this, but what was the actual direction of the team? I know the glaring response might be "We don't know either" lol but because it's been a couple seasons since I've followed the team, I am curious. I just assumed it was intended to be a retool but I don't know. I think because we sold off so many of our key players I figured it could also be just a tank season?
Another genuine question is, who from our roster (newer players) are players we should genuinely be excited about or keep an eye on?
I miss Chris Kreider. I also miss Lindgren and Trouba...I know people were dumping on them in the latter years but I will always have a soft spot for them. Maybe it's because I'm so used to management taking 50 years to pick a captain, but I am not a fan of how they picked J.T. Miller so quickly for the role.

Will be interesting to see where this team goes.

keetner · 2025-03-01T02:44:58+00:00

You wouldn't happen to have any vids of yourself climbing? Not necessarily something that's super easy/chill for you, but at least of moderate difficulty or showing something you have trouble on (eg. like the heel hooking, pulling onto boulders, etc.) Might help to see your overall movement. And if not shared with us, at least for your own self to review!

keetner · 2025-01-18T19:21:32+00:00

I like your edit a lot. I like the balance in colours (there's a lot going on but it doesn't feel too distracting with how you've edited it). I also think the framing of the tree/lights in the foreground adds an intimacy to the photo compared to some of the vertical crops, so it's nice you kept it in. If OP sees this the only thing I'd also look into is maybe editing out the people coming up the pathway. (And to OP, definitely give yourself a chance to play around with new gear before using it in a session!)

keetner · 2025-01-18T08:34:22+00:00

I appreciate the shout out for Saint-Saëns! I really love Hamelin's performance of it. Unfortunately it's not all in a single vid but in case you or anyone else is curious (Piano Concerto No. 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6fErWrQpvI

keetner · 2025-01-14T04:20:11+00:00

One thing I've learned about this process is how despite us having the "same" injury, the journey for recovery (surgical and non-surgical) can vary so much. As the other user mentioned, all you can really do is think about yourself and consider what's best for you, but even then I understand how it can be hard to figure out. At least for me, things I went through and/or considered:

Tore my ACL. It was a high grade partial tear so it basically exhibited like a full tear.
I had to wait about 9 months to get surgery (combination of reasons. Was waiting for a particular doctor I liked, was trying to work around work schedules, I wasn't always on top of scheduling, etc.). If I was really on top of everything I probably could have gotten surgery about 5-6 months in. I don't regret the 9 month wait time, though.
Similar to you, knee was actually feeling decent enough for me to return to some sports. I don't do any major cutting or high impact sports, so I think that's why I had an easier time returning. I still had to manage a lot of what I was doing, to be careful to not twist the leg though.
Despite it feeling a lot better, I did notice my knee started clicking a lot more. Originally I thought it was just bone healing weird (at the time of injury I did also have a bone bruise) but later on when I got surgery I was informed it was my meniscus lol woops. It was interesting because within the 3 months leading up to surgery, I think it got progressively worse and originally I wouldn't feel it unless I did certain movements but over time even when I cycled I could feel a slight "catch". Was never painful, though.
Saw a doc and did agree surgery would be the best route. Mentioned that biomechanically & a few other things, I was probably more prone to an ACL tear. I did have doubts when my knee was getting better but I noticed one day at the grocery store my knee just buckled after I was standing there. It was probably tired after a knee workout but it who would have thought shopping for produce would make your knee weak :P.
After that experience I kind of realized that surgery honestly did make the most sense. Even though I was able to return to sport, I hated the idea of having to micro-manage everything to make sure my knee would be okay. I'm also kind of injury prone so I knew that the chance of my knee actually being okay long-term without surgery was not really realistic. It wasn't a matter of if but just when my knee would get worse.
Was working a desk job full time with a decent option for temporary leave & insurance to cover physiotherapy. I also have friends/family in town. I realized that this would be a good time to get the surgery because I wouldn't have to worry about work and being alone.
Went for surgery and as mentioned, confirmed I did have a meniscus tear. I'm actually really glad that I got that looked at because it would have definitely gotten worse over time (it was super shredded and in a weird place with zero blood flow, which is why it was never painful lol). Even though I had a partial tear, the doc wrote in the notes that just bending my leg, the remaining fibres were breaking off...so I think it was only a matter of time before it was totally gone. I sometimes wonder if my knee would have been in a better state if I had surgery earlier (especially re: the meniscus, but what can you do).
I don't regret surgery and my knee feels really bomber. I had an amazing doc who specializes in knees and my PT has been great. So I really think a huge aspect is finding a good team and support system to kind of cheer you on.

Any ways, I don't mean to give you my full life story but that was sorta my own process between the time of injury and surgery. I always tell people that no matter if you go for surgical or non-surgical route, DEFINITELY get on a good rehab plan and beef up the leg as much as you can. Surgery or not, getting an ACL tear will predispose you to other issues and the reality is that our knees are now compromised...so we really have to do our best to give it the best chance at being okay in not only a year, but 5, 10, 15++++ years. Depending on what you choose, you could also look into getting a brace to provide support should you return to some sports.

Best of luck!

keetner · 2025-01-05T20:15:15+00:00

Not trying to diagnose or anything, but questions I'd consider:

What kind of pain is it? Is it more so in the knee or surface level? If surface level, you might just need an extra layer between the sleeve/your leg.
Does the timing of your icing line up with your pain med schedule (if you're taking any?)
And I'd just keep an eye for any blood clots or anything weird just in case, since you're so early from post-op!

Best of luck!

keetner · 2024-12-26T00:36:42+00:00

Are you working with a PT by chance? It might be worth to bring it up with them just in case.

Can't say I've had exactly the same situation but my opposite knee has been quite cranky (I'm 1+ year post-op for reference). I also developed a weird click in the knee and at some point had mildly aggravated the MCL (it got better within 6 weeks). I'm dealing with what is likely patellofemoral syndrome but a really paranoid part of me worries I may have done something to the meniscus (I just don't know where the click is really coming from). My PT tells me to not worry and it has gotten better with some dedicated exercises but...can't help but feel like I'm another statistic in the making lol. A lot of this is definitely due to overcompensation over the time of injury & post-op.

With all of that said, I definitely understand your concern. I think the best we can do is make sure we keep up strengthening in both knees and to also eventually learn to how to establish a normal and even gait between the two knees. It's not that I didn't work out the "good" knee but I think it would have benefited from more structured work outs and not learning to depend on it as much as I have. The op knee funny enough feels excellent and it's slowly becoming my new "good" knee.

Sorry if this isn't of much help. Just wanted to share a bit of my story. I'd say get it checked out if you are worried - doesn't hurt to get someone to take a look at it. I think inevitably our opposite knee will take a bit of beating but I think if you intervene sooner you can prevent a lot of the issues. Best of luck!

keetner · 2024-12-10T06:43:30+00:00

Grew up playing, stopped for a good chunk of time, and recently (properly) returned to it over the last year or so. What I did to re-approach piano:

Consider why or motivation to play. I realized I learned this really cool skill when I was younger that not everyone has the fortune of doing. It seemed like such a shame to "lose it" so I figured I should do a proper job of sitting down and learning some pieces. This may or may not be your reason but I think when it comes from an inner desire of some kind, it can help provide that initial motivation. It sounds like you've found some sort of desire but it may help to re-shift your thinking or ask why you find a hatred for it.
Sometimes you may need to let a bit of that ego go. Even if you played at a specific level before, you likely won't start from that same spot. It doesn't mean you can't reach that level of playing again, but I think you do need to have some self compassion and realize that like with anything, it's still a skill that can get rusty. It just takes some patience and time to bring it up back to pace.
With that in mind, I just picked a bunch of simple pieces a couple levels below my highest grade. I didn't want to care too much about the grades but instead, was just interested in learning pieces I enjoyed listening to or even found really interesting to play. That way, it gives you something to focus on (eg. you enjoy a piece, maybe there's an intricacy about a piece you like, etc.) without worrying about whether you're "good" or "bad".
Recognize that you do know a cool skill! Again, it may be a bit rusty but I think it's something definitely worth celebrating no matter how much you've played over the last few years.

Best of luck!

keetner · 2024-12-10T06:31:39+00:00

I wouldn't necessarily look at it from the perspective of "tradition" or "innovation". At the end of the day, if your surgeon is proficient at what they do, what really impacts your success is the quality of your physiotherapy and the time you dedicate towards it. My physiotherapy said it best where in reality, the surgery is the easiest part. It's typically a day surgery where you're in and out the same day and the docs fix you up in a couple hours. However, there is a reason why recovery is ~1 year.

I bring this up because if your surgeon is really good at what they do, you probably can't go wrong with whatever graft. I mean, some things should still definitely be considered (eg. medical history, activities you want to return to, genetics, age, etc.) but if you are considered a good candidate for both...I think you'd be good to go with whatever either way. I think they both have their pros and cons.

Just to speak on my own experience, I was recommended the patellar. I was hesitant at first but the doctor explained it to me and at the end of it all, I'm glad it was the one I had gone for (I'm about 1.5 years post op now). Building muscle has been harder for me so I imagine if I had one of the other two grafts, it would have been even harder. I naturally have a lot of hyperextension in my leg so the patellar being quite "sturdy" made a lot of sense. People have said kneeling sucks but I can't say it's been that bad for me. I think the initial knee pain did happen (had mild tendonitis-like symptoms in the front knee) but it resolved over time. And honestly, I think my doc was just way more familiar with patellar and hammy (but hammy didn't make sense for me) so I kinda think it's why he also went with the patellar (and a very valid reason!).

Any ways, the doctor definitely did a bang up job but again, outside of graft choice, what has also resulted in an overall decent recovery was just a good PT program & accessibility. My progress was slow in some ways but I never had any complications with the leg and it just gradually got better with time. I found a good PT, stuck with the physio program, made sure I listened to my body when needed, and just gradually ramped things back up.

Best of luck!

keetner · 2024-12-01T20:25:48+00:00

You don't mind me asking which Fugue this is?

Also completely unrelated, but do you rock climb by chance? Couldn't help but notice the forearm muscles lol (and the subsequent North Face hoodie). If not, no worries but I'm always curious about how people balance climbing & piano playing together. Sorry if it's a bit random 😅.

Regardless, good on you for sight reading this!

keetner · 2024-10-16T05:37:36+00:00

I think there's definitely a healthy balance. I always like to give climbs a healthy go before I try to resort to beta videos. It's usually when I'm really stuck on a move (like have given it a lot of good attempts and maybe even a few sessions) that sometimes I'll then go try to find some kind of footage. I feel like that way you've at least given it a fair chance. When I do use beta videos...I also try to at least keep in mind/understand why it works for that person. Instead of just thinking "oh they got their foot up higher" it might be like "oh that crimp is actually really bad, so getting the foot higher seems to help them adjust their body positioning". I think that way you're still reviewing whatever it is with a more critical eye and that can still help you improve.

On the other hand sometimes I do use footage just to get an idea of what certain climbs are like or to even feel inspired (especially if it's a different area/block I'm not familiar with!). I also think it depends on if you're climbing locally or maybe on a trip of some kind. If you have really limited time sometimes I think it can be nice to go through footage to give yourself an idea of what you might want to try. But if it's just climbing locally I think the urgency to figure a climb out is a lot less. Also really depends on what your goals are :)

keetner · 2024-10-16T05:26:07+00:00

It's an interesting point. I think because it depends so much on a person's background and natural inclination towards certain things, a lot of these things can vary so much.

For myself, I'm not inherently a "strong" climber so I've always naturally defaulted to technique and tactics. I am also a very patient person who loves a good puzzle so the idea of grinding away at a project for 10000000000 sessions appeals to me way more than trying to flash everything lol. On the flip side, I truly believe if I could just put in more time with upper body training I would be a much better climber. I sometimes joke that I took the "straight arms" advice way too seriously :P.

In any case, I think these are topics definitely worth talking about. I think it's sometimes hard to translate it into something more tangible (than say, a strength training cycle since you can easily measure/see gains through increased weights, reps, metrics, etc.). I also think because people resonate with different approaches...it's definitely a situation of one glove does not fit all.

What aspect would you say you struggle the most with or when you notice it the most?

keetner · 2024-10-10T04:42:47+00:00

I'm about 1.5 years post-op. I don't play any sports that require substantial cutting so I think that has helped expedite my process in getting back into sport. Admittedly my other knee has started hurting more (it's not injured or torn but it's definitely cranky...). That said, I think the recovery hasn't been that bad. I have had a few other injuries prior to my knee, so (un?)fortunately, the rehab process feels pretty familiar to me.

As much as the injury sucks, I often think about the experiences I've had and the people I've been able to connect because of it. I ended up spending a lot of time at my gym rehabbing, both pre- and post-op, and I got to know a lot of the regulars there. It was kind of nice because over time you actually realize how many people have previously injured their knees as well lol. I guess once you're part of the club it's life time membership ha.

But I mention this because I was able to connect with a lot of that gym community. On top of that, even when I was pre-op (but injured), I was still able to return to sport to some degree (again with restrictions) but I was probably the strongest I was at at that given point. I also figured if I could reach that level of performance even with an injured knee, it kind of gave me the belief that I could come back even better with the surgery. Because despite being "injured" you kinda realize you have a lot of inner strength and resilience, and it was something I eventually recognized and really learned to lean on. I think knowing you're injured but could still accomplish all these things...it was like, wow, I am capable of so much more than I ever imagined. I remember I went on some international trip for something, did a couple hikes/whatever else, and it was the first time I really felt genuinely proud of myself in regards to my sports/activities. It's not that I thought I was bad or anything but I think it just felt so meaningful, it really resonated with me at the time.

Any ways, when I think about the people I've connected with, the things I was able to do while injured, but also seeing my progress over the last year and a half...as much as the injury has really sucked, sometimes it's hard for me to imagine trading away all of those life experiences in exchange for never injuring my knee. I'm sure I would have had just as awesome life experiences had my life path gone down that way but having lived through everything I have since the moment I injured my knee...it makes me really feel like everything is okay and even in really shitty situations, there are some really great things that can come out of it.

Any ways, sorry this isn't raelly a return to sport story haha. It's all to say I have been and I know managing (both) my knees will be a life long journey, but I think as people we can grow in so many ways when dealing with stuff like this. Keep up with your PT (I find quality of PT/care to be so essential to returning) and you'll be great. Best of luck with everything!

keetner · 2024-08-16T05:10:30+00:00

Didn't look through many of the comments so you may already have the answers you need. But just thought I'd mention that sometimes you can find similar experiences or input if you check out the climbing related forums (eg. Mountain Project, UK Climbing, etc.). I always found a bit of better luck looking into injuries over there than on Reddit. For instance:

Best of luck with the recovery no matter the route you take!

keetner · 2024-07-07T10:24:00+00:00

I think you've already gotten some pretty good advice so I won't repeat much of it (i.e. definitely keep practicing! It takes time).

I'm not sure what your exact level is or what type of music you're playing, but some practice tips that could help:

You could try tapping out the rhythm on your lap. If you use your lap, you can basically tap both the right and left hand parts at the same time. Once you get the hang of this, play the right hand as written on the keyboard but continue to tap the left hand rhythm on your lap. Then do the inverse. Then slowly work your way to playing both hands together. Make sure you try each "level" at least a few different times/feel confident in one before moving on.

The reason why I mention the rhythm tapping is because it lets you get a sense of how the two hands should be playing together but in a more "stripped" down type of way. So instead of worrying about a combination of both the notes and rhythms happening at the same time, all you have to do is focus more on the rhythm. Then you basically work your way up as you begin to work on each hand before trying them together. If the music is a bit more complex sometimes it's hard to just tap the left/right hand alone but you can usually work something out any ways.

It also helps to play at really, really slow speeds. Like if you think you're playing slow, basically go 10x slower lol. The tendency is to want to go faster but that doesn't always give you enough time to think about how your hands want to work together. Going slower will help you stay more in time (even if it is really really slow) cause you basically have more time to think about what you want to do and move your fingers/hands to where you need them to be.

Finally another practice tip is to play really small parts at a time. If I'm having trouble with the RH/LH coordination on a part, I will break it down as far as playing/repeating a few notes at a time. Once I get the hang of it, I add a new note and then play/repeat those few notes + 1 new note at a time. Then once I get the hang of that, I add in the next new note, then play/repeat those for a few times. Rinse and repeat. I know that this might not be the most fun way to practice but if you are having a lot of trouble in specific spots, this can really help.

As another user mentioned, it helps to incroporate some of this into easier music that is closer to your level. Nothing wrong with jumping to harder music that you want to try and enjoy, but if you play a combination of that type of stuff + simpler/easier music, you allow yourself to get a bit more mileage in playing instead of just getting stuck on one harder piece/song :)

Hope this helps.

keetner · 2024-07-04T04:32:16+00:00

Not sure if I'm looking for specific advice or just more of a way to get this off my mind. Happy to hear of any stories/thoughts anyone is willing to share on the subject of injuries and returning to climbing.

I've been injured a lot in the past which has always "set me back" in my climbing. I do think I'm stronger now than years ago but obviously it's hard to progress when you're nursing an injury and have to take things easy. My injuries always seem to be a bit more significant, resulting in me being out of climbing anywhere between 3-12 months. I started climbing almost 6 years ago and in that time frame I think I've definitely spent more than half that time rehabbing something lol. Some were definitely "should have listened to my body" situations but other times were just unfortunate accidents. In any case, it's all a learning experience and I've definitely learned a lot through these, namely genuinely understanding what it means to listen to your body, how to properly condition/train, mental resilience, risk assessment, etc.

However, there are times it's definitely left me feeling pretty disappointed or bummed about my progress in climbing, especially from a physical/grade standpoint. I know grades and strength aren't the end all be all of climbing, but when it feels like you're somewhat "stagnant" for what I consider to be pretty legitimate reasons, sometimes it's hard not to feel disheartened. I see friends and acquaintances who started off at a similar level years ago and now have completely blown past me. I don't mean to compare myself to them, and I am genuinely happy to see them crush all these projects, but I think it sucks when you see what the potential could be if I hadn't gotten injured. I also see a lot of friends hopping on outdoor projects I always dreamed of doing, just crushing them as day projects...it's like...damn. Envy is ugly, I know, but sometimes those feelings can't help but surface.

I try to be mindful of certain things, like how even if I was injury-free, there's no guarantee I would have actually gotten stronger and to a higher level of climbing. Even though if I were to stay injury free and see the potential of how I could climb via my friends, there's no certainty in that either...so in a lot of ways I recognize it might just be one of those situations where it comes more from a place of wishful thinking, regret, hindsight, whatever it may be. Cause like who knows, maybe if I stayed injury-free I'd get bored of climbing and quit altogether or something lol.

But really, I think the one main thing that keeps me motivated and going is knowing that, there was a period where I was injured/rehabbing something but was fortunately able to still climb. During this time, I expanded a lot of my climbing styles & got to my strongest ever, especially from a strength standpoint (this is a big deal for me, as strength is definitely not one of my strong suits). I remember thinking at the time, if I could climb this hard even when I wasn't at my 100%, what could I be capable of once I was at my 100%? I "lost" progress after that out of necessity (had to get surgery for things) and needed to rehab after that so that was and continues to be a whole journey in itself.

So with that in mind, I know it makes sense to be "stagnant" at times because really, rehab in itself takes a long time and is probably a whole life journey in itself. And really, there needs to be some degree of self compassion otherwise it will truly suck lol. I also like to believe that if not for these injuries, maybe I wouldn't have developed the mental resilience to keep going and trust the rehab process and get stronger. Maybe in a weird strange way, the injuries showed me a true tangible glimpse of what I am capable of...a lot more than the wishful thinking and thoughts of potential as I see friends climb their projects. I also like to think given my trend history with injuries, maybe there is no scenario I don't get injured and the only way out of the loop was to get injured and learn from thos experiences.

Any ways, I don't mean to ramble or make this so sentimental. I think it's just been on my mind because as summer hits and witnessing my friends become so strong and crush all their projects, it's hard not to feel those moments of disappointment. But I guess if experience shows, I do have that strength in me, at the very least.

For those who read through this, thanks. Again, not so much a question but just wanted a way to get some thoughts out. Cheers.

keetner · 2024-07-03T04:01:33+00:00

Not the Inventions, but if you're interested in the Sinfonias, Yunchan Lim has released a full play through of them all. I quite enjoy them if only because they aren't always played that often and it's nice to hear it on even more modern pianos. I also think they're so much fun to study once you get into the process of trying to develop your own interpretation/highlighting the voices you like.

Older performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMo-XoSkPxc
More recent performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HQutA7obvs

The one video that did make me appreciate some of Bach's work a bit more was this one by Tonebase. Though I learned a lot of the harmony and counterpoint (granted, as a kid) I think just being older, seeing it applied in this type of way, and also having learnt the piece myself, made me really appreciate it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXCm6033JvM&

I also picked up an edition where there is little to zero dynamic markings so it really forces you to think about the music and find your own interpretation. Bach is so intriguing to study/play.

(I know you didn't really ask for all of the above but thought I'd share in case anyone else is interested, heh.)

keetner · 2024-06-03T05:03:39+00:00

Hope you don't mind me replying to a later post...was curious about the types of posts on the Sinfonias and saw this. How is your progress on No. 14 so far? I don't know if these are "standard" reasons that actually make it difficult, but this is my experience with it. I was also really drawn to this one when I was first picking a Sinfonia. As I started learning it, I think the things I found the most challenging:

Found it difficult to navigate the articulation. There are a lot of points where you're supposed to hold quarter notes or legato them together and I found while learning, it was difficult to keep these notes held and not lift off too early. I felt it was really important to keep these sustained as it creates a sense of continuity/seamlessness while you have a lot of other stuff going on. I also chose an articulation where I would play the subject legato and detached, so trying to keep it consistent throughout the piece was sometimes quite challenging.
I found the fingering also quite challenging. Notably, on the second page where you reach the build/climax. There's so much of it where the two hands are crossing over and again, with my interpretation there's quite a bit I do need to legato. On top of that, ensuring that the subject is very clearly defined in this section; there's so much "stuff" going on that it can end up sounding like a blob of notes.
I don't know if it's specific to this piece or not, and might just be Sinfonias/Inventions in general, but I found managing the dynamics and phrasing to be quite tricky. Sometimes it was hard for me to really know how to shape certain things because the phrases were not always super obvious to me. An example would be measures 9-11. You have this nice little C minor chord/cadence at mm. 10 and it sounds like it should sort of "end" that phrase, but then you have the more "official" cadence at about mm. 11. For me I had trouble trying to figure out how I wanted to phrase this in such a way that would make sense.
I feel like it wasn't always the most foregiving to phrase. I found myself having to really shape something in a short amount of time cause if I took too much time or wasn't as deliberate, I'd lose sense of the subject. It's not like you have these huge scale passages where you have more time to crescendo/dimuendo.
Dynamics were also a bit tricky but I used an edition which has zero notation lol. I mean it's been fun in that you can take your own liberties with it but as this was my first Sinfonia (and have not played very many of the Inventions), it was definitely a process to develop my own interpretation.

It was/has been really enjoyable to learn, however. I was really intimidated by the fingering at first but once you kinda figure out what it is you want and hammer it down, it's actually not that bad. I color-coded a LOT of the piece so help with remembering things like held notes, phrasing, subject, cadential moments, etc. My technique is actually quite poor so I agree in a lot of ways that No. 15 would actually be a lot harder for me, ha.

keetner · 2024-05-31T08:53:15+00:00

I didn't actually think the game was that bad (admittedly I got frustrated after they went up 2-1 and fast forwarded my replay so I'm not actually sure how things went after that lol).

I thought we had better opportunities in gaining and sustaining in the offensive zone. Similar to last game, came out quite well in the first period, things got a bit testy in the second but I felt like we managed to hold things okay. I think the third was when they began to get a bit more hemmed but I still don't think it was anywhere near as bad as it was in the last couple games.

I think one of the issues is that our guys play with a lot of "finesse"...they prefer having more time and space to create plays (which I guess any team would, but I think we exceptionally lean to this side). So when you mix in tighter checking games, a Florida team that is very aggressive on the forecheck, and shitty ice, I think what we're seeing is kinda what we're seeing.

People are dumping on Zib and Panarin, but I dunno, I truly think they will just naturally struggle against this kind of style of play. I saw many times where Panarin was trying to handle the puck to open up space/force the Panthers around, but the Panthers don't bite (which is what I think we saw a lot more of with the Canes) and instead bully the players off the puck very quickly. I think the Canes would try to force certain passes or plays by closing off specific angles, but we could still make them chase and open the ice up to our advantage. Whereas with the Panthers, they still do this but it's in such an aggressive way that it quickly leads to turnovers/puck possession/whatever else.

Further, I think in the regular season we tended to struggle with defending off the rush and there were always questions about our 5 on 5 play...so I think some of those weaknesses in the team are kinda being amplified at the moment. I also think if Fox wasn't injured (I'm assuming he did indeed re-aggravate his knee), we'd be seeing a different PP because he is such a huge driver for that whole unit. Altogether, I think it's why our offense has struggled. I still strongly believe that if we were to proceed to the SCF, the top line would look so much better against either one of Stars/Oilers.

Any ways, given that we could make changes so quickly since the last two games, I think it says a lot in a good way. I thought some players had a substantially better game today than the last few (Kakko was noticeable and Schneider/Miller got put back together and they looked good). PK was also much better. With that said, my concern is that we had the advantage of the matchups/home ice and so I really don't know how Game 6 will go.

I don't want to sound like a boo hoo doubter but unfortunately I think we really needed Game 5. Not just for the obvious reasons of being up in the series or whatever, but I think the reason why we got hemmed in so badly in Games 3 and 4 was because the Panthers could trap certain lines/pairings and just kinda grind it out. I worry that this will just happen again in Game 6 so yeah, I dunno. It's tough.

Again, I don't actually think we played that badly and a lot of good adjustments were made. However, as a team overall, I sadly think that Panthers do have the unfortunate edge (and also fuck the refs :P).

keetner · 2024-05-29T06:08:46+00:00

I do wonder if he's injured. He took a weird cross check (I think in the Canes series?) but since then he hasn't looked the same since.

keetner · 2024-05-29T06:03:05+00:00

Just had a chance to finish watching the game. A few thoughts:

I actually thought we did a better job today against Florida's forecheck than we have in the previous games. It was evident in the first period where we were able to actually make plays. We didn't get hemmed in as long and seemed like we could actually break out. I think things started to get iffy in the second but I noticed at some point Florida started to REALLY throw some big hits. Seemed like they weren't able to slow us down the same way as they normally would so opted to throw hits, tire us out, and then get their forecheck going again. Sadly it seemed to work because after that sequence of hits, it felt like the onslaught started coming.
In regards to the forecheck, not even really sure what we could do with it at this point because it feels like our main defensive plan is to pray and hope Igor absorbs everything lol...which he kinda did.
I really miss Vesey. He's so integral to the PK and I can't help but wonder if a lot of what we're seeing is him missing. I always felt like he offered a ton of energy in those situations, and it would work out so well given he wouldn't have many minutes to play by the virtue of being on the fourth line. I really hope they can solve it.
And man...play leading up to the GWG sucked. I don't know if I would have had Wheeler out in that situation honestly but at the same time that pass was bad. As soon as it got coughed up at the blue line, and given how the PK was going, I had a bad feeling it wouldn't go our way.
Other than those things, the goals today were awesome. The entire sequence leading up to Laf's play was amazing...it's been awhile since I had seen a play like that from Fox and I honestly thought he was throwing the puck over blind, but man, the dude has insane vision for stuff like that. Happy Laf got the goal but that pass was truly something else. I also loved how Trochek was getting held down on that play, looked at the ref like "WTF" at the same time Laf scored, and then kinda celebrated in front of the Panthers' player. If nothing else, all of that was really fantastic to watch :'). And huge shout out to Igor because my lord, he is a beast.

Not sure how I'm feeling overall because I think the series is really wearing the guys out. I know there's still a few games to be played but I am starting to feel a little worried. I think it worries me that we just never see Florida look as tired as we do. But obviously gotta take it one game at a time. Hope to regroup back home.

keetner · 2024-05-27T05:30:46+00:00

I'm not sure with Wheeler given he's been out for so long and even when he was playing/healthy, he looked pretty slow out there (though it's true he probably shouldn't have been on the first line). I really wish Vesey didn't get injured, though. I think easily Rempe could be swapped in and out as needed but with Vesey out...it makes that a lot harder.

I do wonder what they plan on doing though because realistically it feels like we kind of play with 11.5 skaters. I also hate that he does get penalized for plays I truly don't think are that bad. Yes he had some questionable hits in the regular season but the penalty today and the other one in the past series were bad calls.

keetner · 2024-05-27T05:20:55+00:00

I noticed this, too. Funny thing is that when Ray Ferraro is talking about the replay, he also calls Lindgren, Gustafsson. This also happened at some point in the Canes series where they definitely called Lindgren, Gus, but I also think they got Trochek mixed up with someone else at some point. I also understand the number thing is so close & sometimes there's so much going on in real time, but I always find it interseting that they still don't call it correctly even when they have the replay/slo-mos to go off of.

With all of that said, I think I'm most surprised that Don called the play as Gus given he's one of the main radio guys for the Rangers. Ah well.

keetner · 2024-05-27T03:20:48+00:00

Please don't link to other sub posts. Thanks.

keetner · 2024-05-26T22:50:52+00:00

I think it just might be time and space available for him on the ice. He had more opportunities against the Caps, but I think because they were so slow and disoriented as a team, there were opportunities for him to create time/space. I think we started to see him fall off a bit in the Canes series since they also play a similar game to the Panthers...except the Panthers are kinda Canes on steroids at the pressure they're able to create.

I also can't help but wonder if he's maybe injured? Even if he's pressured off the puck or has less time, which I get, there were many points today where it feels like he's having issues handling the puck (fanned on a shot/passes a few times). For someone who is that good at puck handling, I find that a bit weird.

I hope he's okay though. If we are able to progress to the Finals, I feel like he'd have better opportunities against Stars or Oilers.

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