SportsNet Believes Rangers Can Win it All Next Season
One reason Porth thinks New York can win next season are the team's young players will be a year older and more experienced, including Chris Kreider.
This season’s most important youngster on Broadway will be Kreider, who joined the team mid-postseason and scored five goals. Kreider, a 2009 first-round pick, has yet to play a regular-season game but has all the tools to immediately become an effective second-line producer. With Gaborik sidelined from the onset, Tortorella and company will be hoping the Boston College product steps up.
Porth also believes the Blueshirts' style of play could be a factor in NOT winning a Cup next season.
In 2011-12, the Rangers were a committed bunch and essentially played playoff-style hockey for six months. This discipline earned them the top seed in the East at season’s end – great – but how much is too much? Can they afford to expend that kind of energy in the regular season and expect to have enough gas in the tank to get through the postseason?
Once last spring’s playoffs arrived, it didn’t seem like the Rangers could reach another gear since they had played at such a high level from November through March.
Porth's final prediction should have Rangers fans pretty excited.
Nash scores 40 goals, Kreider wins the Calder, and Lundqvist leads the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup since 1994.
- Porth officially has me pumped, what about you?! In all seriousness, the Rangers style of play will be a huge factor next season. If it's still max effort and blocking shots all the way through mid-June, will New York have enough gas in the tank? I don't think so.
- With Nash now on board, perhaps Tortorella loosens the reigns a bit and incorporates some more aggressive, up-tempo attacking offense?
Hate being picked to win it all preseason. These kind of predictions NEVER come true. I'd rather fly under the radar and take it all like LA or Boston did.
@TheNYRBlog Seriously? You post that like the writer is any kind of source about hockey. Read his bio: http://t.co/yZdkPL29
My first thoughts: Of course people will think this during the one off-season where the status of a regular season is uncertain. There better be a damn season.
@TheWrage if the #Rangers increase their offense thanks to guys like Nash & Kreider, they probably will need less time blocking shots...
@TheNYRBlog @chrisruddick Nash is missing piece, but don't see that Cup hoisted next season. 2014? I'll sign for it @Sportsnet
@TheWrage @TheNYRBlog Too early for those kind of predictions anyway. And everything goes out the window in an hour or two anyway sadly.
@TheWrage @TheNYRBlog I think the season rides on Sauer's health, Henrik(obviously), Gaboriks health on return, and young player development
@TheNYRBlog @TheWrage I mainly feel the X-Factor for the season is Sauer. Having him on that blueline would solidify that defense.
@JoeWest297 @TheWrage That's actually a lot of questions. Let's hope they can all be answered.
@TheWrage @TheNYRBlog @chrisruddick @Sportsnet I don't see how we won't hoist the cup 2012-13 season
@TheNYRBlog it's exciting only if there's no lockout. They must play more up tempo to win it all.
I really hope with a more balanced offense, the Rangers mind set changes. Too often the Rangers would be caught down low in their zone, forced to block every shot that ended up back at the point. I can't see their defensive scheme of last year working out consistently for years to come.
@JoeWest297 They shouldn't need too. If they can score more goals. I wouldn't mind seeing them glide to a 4th-5th place fininsh in the conference. who u play 1st in the playoffs means bubkis. see: LA
