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00:00The dangerous part of last night against the Sharks is that's going to happen all year
00:04if you don't button it up and really get attentive to the details.
00:10There were positives.
00:12You saw Mika one-timer goal in the power play.
00:15It was a nice power play goal.
00:16A couple times that's connected after what felt like an entire season of it never connecting.
00:24What is up, up in the blue seats, fans?
00:27We are back with another episode of Your Favorite Rangers podcast from the New York Post.
00:33As always, it's Molly Walker and former Rangers favorite Brian Boyle.
00:38Some of you might have seen the Post release a statement on our dear colleague, Larry Brooks.
00:43He will be taking a leave of absence to address a medical issue.
00:46So if everybody could please keep Larry in your thoughts and prayers, that would be much appreciated.
00:53Send him all the love and well wishes, and I am sure he'll be back with us.
00:57Very soon.
00:59But the Rangers have played four games since we last spoke.
01:02They went 1-1-2.
01:04The two overtime losses were to the Maple Leafs in Toronto, and then the Sharks last night at MSG.
01:11They are still winless at home.
01:14But at least last night, they were able to break open offensively with five goals.
01:18So we'll whoop-de-do that.
01:21Brian, I can't tell you how many people have asked me if there's a world where you can lace up the skates and go out there and get this team a win at home.
01:31So you think you could do that?
01:33You know what?
01:34A funny story.
01:35We have a charity game on November 1st.
01:38The coaches for my son's program all play a big charity game.
01:42There's four teams.
01:42I haven't skated a bunch because I've been down here in Jersey working.
01:45I hopped into practice with my 10-year-old team, and I was doing some of the drills.
01:51And, you know, that was Tuesday.
01:53We're recording this, yeah, Friday.
01:55My hips are still cooked.
01:58So we're going to see how those respond.
02:01Took a long look in the mirror on Thursday, being like, what happened to you, you old man?
02:07Where have you gone?
02:08Yeah.
02:09Yeah.
02:10So that's where I'm at.
02:12And this league and these little young whippersnappers are just too fast.
02:18So I apologize.
02:19As much as I'd love to.
02:20I think you could do it.
02:21I think you could do it, honestly, Brian.
02:23I really do.
02:24I think you could go ahead and hit somebody right now.
02:26I need a 10-foot stick.
02:29All right.
02:30So starting with a 6-5 overtime loss to the Sharks, for me, I think aside from the opener,
02:36this was the most alarming loss for me for a few reasons.
02:40I mean, the last two, really, but focusing on the Sharks game here.
02:44Number one being it was a pretty slow start for them.
02:47I mean, they were down 3-1 going into the second period, and it was another super late goal
02:53right before the horn.
02:55I think Celebrini scored with like 8.2 seconds left or something like that.
02:59And 2-1 and 3-1 are just so different.
03:02And it's a gut punch every single time.
03:08I mean, then they go and they do it again at the end of the second period, too, to the
03:13same player.
03:15We were just saying before we get a body on him.
03:17You've seen the way he's playing tonight.
03:19Get a body on him.
03:20But obviously, that one allowed the Sharks to tie it up 4-4 before the third period, before
03:26Will Smith won it in overtime.
03:29But I was also concerned with J.T.
03:31Miller's assessment of the team not respecting their opponent enough.
03:36And I get it's the Sharks, but this team hasn't done anything yet this season that would
03:40warrant them to act that way, if that's true.
03:43What stood out to you in the Sharks game?
03:45Yeah, zoom out and yeah, I agree with you.
03:50Game one was a stinker and whatever.
03:53That's basically an eternity ago now.
03:56Yes.
03:57I was really concerned with their game against Minnesota.
04:01They really didn't get much done at all.
04:02Minnesota just looked faster, looked a little stronger, more determined.
04:07And so not great.
04:09And, you know, Mike Sullivan said as much.
04:12This one was sloppy and it was 3-1 and it was, like you said, yeah, a gut punch.
04:19At no point, though, was I like, this game's going to end 3-2 or 4-1.
04:23It's going to, it's going to break open.
04:26Just keep going.
04:26It has to.
04:27And you saw, it did.
04:29And then you think, all right, you're a veteran enough team to sort of learn your lesson.
04:34And then the second period, that breakdown again.
04:36And what I saw on that one, even the first one too, like there's a little bit of luck involved.
04:45And right now you have to be so committed to very small details when it's not going perfectly.
04:50That the first period goal, you just have to exit the zone.
04:56You have to clear the zone.
04:56You have a lefty on the right side.
04:58Get it out.
04:58And Cooley.
04:59You had Sherry out in the neutral zone.
05:01Maybe to forecheck if it did get out, expecting it to get out.
05:04I'm okay with that because he's a winger.
05:06And then Carrick just changed.
05:08I think he was going above the puck to get the chip, to maybe chip it again.
05:12It didn't get chipped.
05:13Maybe he thought they had possession to go back.
05:16And even after all that, okay, a couple mistakes.
05:20They still had numbers.
05:22But Macklin Celerini got a shot off.
05:26It goes off for Robertson again for his second assist of the game, putting it in his own net.
05:32But, I mean, that happens too.
05:34And you just wonder, like, that could have been avoided.
05:36The bad bounce could have not happened at all.
05:39And so, what I liked about them when they weren't scoring was their structure and attention to detail.
05:46And there were some bad bounces that I guess you just put your hands in the palms to the sky and be like,
05:50hey, like, this is what happened.
05:52And it's not going to happen like that all year.
05:55The dangerous part of last night against the Sharks is that's going to happen all year if you don't button it up and really get attentive to the details.
06:06There were positives.
06:07You saw, you know, Mika one-timer goal in the power play.
06:10It was a nice power play goal.
06:12The couple times that's connected after what felt like an entire season of it never connecting.
06:18Yeah.
06:18I mean, and this year he could have eight or nine because he can still snake bit.
06:21I mean, that's a big positive.
06:22Igor continues to be, you know, he's given up some, but, like, what are you going to, you can't really fault him for any.
06:30No.
06:31Will Smith can shoot a hockey puck.
06:34That was.
06:35Though can Macklin Celebrini.
06:37That was one of my takeaways.
06:38Macklin Celebrini can flat out play hockey.
06:41And he's going to get a long look if he continues this two-way play for the Canadian Olympic team.
06:48He's going to get a long.
06:48I don't know if he's going to make it, but he's going to be sniffing around.
06:51And that kid is a superstar.
06:54What a release on him.
06:56Yeah.
06:56It's, like, electric.
06:58It's instant.
06:59It's impressive.
07:01And where you can get it off through traffic and how he plays, it's impressive.
07:07Now, I'll say this.
07:10When you want to play with structure and you want to play a certain game, there's an understanding that the team you're playing against also plays with such structure.
07:19And I don't know if San Jose really does.
07:21They might go rogue a little bit.
07:22And it's hard to play and get much done.
07:27So you have to play a more patient game.
07:29That's hard to do when you haven't scored.
07:30You've scored one goal in four games at home.
07:32So I can sort of see it.
07:35And, look, I'm not making excuses.
07:36I just think that this team exercised some demons in scoring last night.
07:42They got a point last night.
07:44They're still not where they want to be.
07:46I know Mike Sullivan doesn't think they're where they want to be.
07:49Still early.
07:50Some answers.
07:51It is still very early.
07:52And there's a lot of teams, good teams, playoff teams that you think are going to be playoff teams that are figuring themselves out right now.
08:00I mean, look at Tampa.
08:02They can't win.
08:03They were at home.
08:03Lost to Chicago.
08:05Yikes.
08:06So we're not there yet.
08:09Yeah.
08:09No, definitely not.
08:12I liked what Sullivan had to say last night.
08:15I maintain that I feel like Sullivan really just – he has a really good pulse on this team and what they need.
08:23And I just feel like – I mean, I asked him a question last night about the two late goals, which is a question I have asked in different variations to so many different players.
08:34And Peter LaViolette on multiple occasions last season, and I asked him what he attributed it to, and Sullivan gave a very, very pointed answer.
08:43He called it, it's just a lack of awareness, situational play, managing the game the right way, controlling those situations is how you win.
08:53We obviously have to learn how to win, which I totally agree with.
08:57I feel like that's something that this team needs to work on is finishing, closing out games more than anything.
09:04And that's a problem that I feel like has carried over from last season.
09:09Grade A on the third period with like nine seconds left.
09:12Yeah.
09:13Yeah.
09:14You got to buckle down.
09:16Just happened twice.
09:17Yeah.
09:17You got to – right?
09:18You got to – I mean, the way that JT Miller was saying, I think it was after the Minnesota game, got to bear down.
09:25Yeah.
09:26Bear down in those situations.
09:27Sullivan was also asked if this is a wake-up call as the team is now going on this Western Canada trip.
09:35And he said, it should be.
09:37It should be because I look at our last two outings and that's not the game that we want to put on the ice every night that we think will give us a chance to win.
09:45That's for sure.
09:46You can't play two-thirds of the game or half of the game and think you're going to win consistently.
09:51The last two games, that's what we did.
09:54I mean, this is nothing new for this team.
09:57You know, that's kind of been an issue for them, not even just last season, but also before they were a bunch of games, regardless of how good they were overall.
10:07They always had this problem that would crop up where they just wouldn't give 100% for an entire game and it would get away from them.
10:15Yeah, a little lapsed in certain areas.
10:20That's just, that is, it's got to be frustrating because it's one play here and there, right?
10:27And guys can play so well.
10:29It's just how it's going right now.
10:30You have to, look, it's the results.
10:34The results matter and you are kind of what your record says you are.
10:39That's where they're at.
10:40I just think, you know, they have the ability to be so much more than that.
10:45And this is where, you know, this is where Mike Sullivan is going to earn his money because it's, he's got a great way of, you know, sort of putting the antennas up of everybody and also empowering them to, like, he can simplify different spots.
11:03He can talk to the players and whether it's the lines, bring a line in.
11:08If he's going to move lines around, bring a line in.
11:10This is exactly what's expected of you.
11:13And just do this and this will check this box and make sure this is what your focus is in the next couple of games.
11:19And then the next line will come in and then he goes right down.
11:23And some of that is across the board.
11:25All the lines will have to deal with certain things that is non-negotiable for the whole team.
11:30But then he'll simplify it, especially guys who might be, like, searching, you know, I'm not playing great.
11:36This isn't me.
11:37I want to do more.
11:38I want to do this.
11:39He'll simplify it to give you, you know, a better understanding or just a singular focus where you can kind of lock everything else out and just try to work on that.
11:48Then you go to practice, then you get on the road, and then you do it.
11:51So I'm confident that that's something that they'll do.
11:55There's a couple of guys that are – there's a couple of new guys that are just still trying to figure out their way or figure out the chemistry of whether it's their deep partner or some of their line mates.
12:06But I think by and large, I mean, they've played a lot of good minutes.
12:10Yeah.
12:10It's in there.
12:12It's just – it's annoying when the fans can't go home happy.
12:15When you're at home, you've got to get some dubs.
12:17Yeah, and this is where I think team mentality is going to be the most important thing for this Rangers team.
12:26I think I wrote it as a column after the season opener, which obviously was a dud, that, you know, their team mentality is what hindered them so much last season.
12:40It was just a soft victim kind of team mentality.
12:44Yeah, defeated.
12:46And I totally agree with you where they have every right to think higher of themselves than what their records show because of their body of work that they've put forth so far.
12:58It's just a matter of sticking – you know, riding it out, sticking with it, and not letting the doubts creep in, keeping the confidence up, because that was detrimental to this team last season.
13:11It just, like, weighed so much heavier on them than a regular loss would just because of the mentality, it seemed.
13:18And so I feel like that's where you said Sullivan and also JT Miller, you know, and I think JT really, you know, if you've listened to any of his post-game press conferences,
13:30he tells it exactly like it is and exactly what he's thinking, and he does not hold back.
13:36And I think that's a good thing for this team.
13:38I think that he puts things into perspective.
13:40He's got a way with words in that kind of way.
13:44I think that's a positive for this Rangers team.
13:47He knows, too.
13:48Like, he's just honest, I think, and he knows that it's the New York Rangers, so Rangers fans aren't dumb.
13:56They've been, you know, a lot of them's great-grandparents were fans of the Rangers.
14:00That's the greatest part of playing in New York.
14:02These people have been fans of this team for 100 years, literally.
14:04And he's, you know, if his teammates are listening, too, sometimes you can use the post-game scrum to just be like,
14:11look, this is what we are.
14:13Not offending anybody.
14:14This is just what we are.
14:15This is the problem.
14:16Or this is what was good in the game.
14:19This is who I like.
14:20You can do a number of different things in those, and the fans get to hear about it.
14:25He'll tell the truth, though.
14:26That guy's not going to beat around the bush.
14:29Yes, and we love that about JT Miller over here on the media side, for sure.
14:33All right, a positive in this Sharks game was Taylor Radish, hat trick.
14:40Now he's got four goals in nine games.
14:43He's plus three, too.
14:45What have you seen from Taylor Radish to start this season?
14:48I feel like he's someone that we really haven't touched on a lot.
14:51He's kind of been on that third line.
14:53Yeah.
14:54Yeah, he's a solid pro.
14:56And so maybe I am more sensitive to sort of Taylor Radish because when it's, when you're like a bottom six guy and your team's, it's not going perfect for your team.
15:11And you've got some shiny toys that are trying to develop in the minors.
15:16And you're not really lighting up the score sheet because it's just not your role.
15:20You're not, like, on the power play.
15:22You're not putting a ton of patience to do certain things.
15:24Like, you could play really solid hockey for a month.
15:27And people would be like, what are we doing with this guy?
15:30Right.
15:30Like, he doesn't.
15:31And so, you know, a great example is playing against a team like the Sharks, who might play a little free wheel and who might not have the perfect structure.
15:40Fun team to watch.
15:43But he was stubborn in how he played.
15:46His first goal was a great forecheck.
15:48It was a misread by Will Smith kind of going down.
15:51He gets it at the blue and the puck's rolling.
15:53The best part of that first goal was him just handling the bouncing puck at the blue line at MSG.
16:00And, like, I love Madison Square Garden.
16:02I love playing there.
16:03The ice, not perfect.
16:05Horrible.
16:05I've heard.
16:06Not great.
16:07It's on the fifth floor.
16:09It keeps coming up.
16:10It's above a train station.
16:12Just this, you know, the math.
16:15It's not mathing.
16:16Yeah.
16:17So, I mean, and that's big at home to score a goal.
16:20Anybody to score a goal at home right now was big.
16:24And so, it's him.
16:24And it's, who's it?
16:25Oh, 14.
16:26Nice.
16:26And then he gets another one on a great release, on a great play, where it's an odd man rush.
16:31He wants to pass.
16:32He wants to pass.
16:32He puts it in a perfect spot.
16:33And then, I don't know if there's a better feeling in the world than barreling down the wing
16:37and taking a slap shot shelf, blowing it by an NHL goalie, and being a hat trick goal.
16:44Yeah.
16:45Like, that must have felt unbelievable for him.
16:47Yeah.
16:48All just, you know, good.
16:51Well, the first goal is a smart goal.
16:52I kind of got a little lucky.
16:53And then the next two were just beautiful goals.
16:56So, I'm happy for him because, you know, he could go eight or nine games without another goal.
17:00He could score next game.
17:01Or he could get hot and maybe his role changes because the talent's there.
17:04He's a second-round pick.
17:06But he's settled into this sort of role.
17:08I think that's a pretty good sign for the Rangers.
17:14You know, they've had top-end talent for a little while now.
17:17And, you know, with the emergence of the fourth line, which we can get into, kind of got shifted.
17:21But, you know, like Mike Sullivan knows that fourth line can do what that fourth line can do.
17:27If you get a little from that third line.
17:30A secondary scoring.
17:31Now you have the depth.
17:32And they haven't had a ton of that in the past.
17:35He had some Will Cooley last year.
17:36And then now he's kind of elevated.
17:38So, it's like who's still in his spot.
17:40Now we can – that makes the team better.
17:42So, that's a big night.
17:44And people should be excited because hat-tricks aren't easy to get in the NHL.
17:47No.
17:48Only a second in his career, I'm pretty sure.
17:51He has one of you?
17:52Yeah, it was a second.
17:54Oh, wow.
17:55Good for him.
17:55Number two.
17:56Yep.
17:57I should know that.
17:57That's my – go to my job.
17:59Yeah, it's okay.
18:01That's what I'm here for.
18:03It's funny that you mentioned the ice.
18:05I remember sometime last season watching an opposing team get onto the ice
18:11and hearing the guys being like, yeah, this is terrible.
18:14Yes.
18:15One step on just being up.
18:16Terrible as always.
18:18The boards are a little funky.
18:21Yeah.
18:22We saw that on the fifth goal.
18:25Mm-hmm.
18:26The game winner.
18:27Mm-hmm.
18:27Sorry.
18:28Sixth goal.
18:30Three goals?
18:30Was there 11 goals?
18:31There was 11 goals in total.
18:33Sixth goal for – the 11th goal.
18:36The sixth goal for Shane.
18:37The final goal.
18:39It cycled down and it just kind of stopped and Celebrini reacted.
18:43It was unbelievable.
18:44Yeah, it really was.
18:46Yeah.
18:47Ah, C'est la vie.
18:49All right.
18:49Another positive, kind of positive, not really a positive, Matt Rempe,
18:54Ryan Reeves, fight night at the Garden, Sam Rice.
18:57Yeah.
18:58Yeah.
19:00It's actually funny because we were talking to Rempe earlier in the day
19:03and he was talking about how his goal coming into the season
19:07was to gain the trust of the coaching staff,
19:09and it's so clear that he has.
19:11I mean, I said it during training camp after that Devils game that Matt Rempe
19:17had won over Mike Sullivan in that moment in the span of that 16-minute game.
19:22But he – it's so clear how much more Sullivan trusts Rempe
19:28than Peter Laviolette ever did.
19:30I mean, between the power play two reps, the increased ice time,
19:34and he's working with it.
19:37You know, he's improving and we're finally getting to see what it looks like
19:43when he gets regular shifts, which I think is something that we all were kind of hoping to see
19:48because it wasn't – he wasn't getting any of that.
19:51And you couldn't tell what he was as an actual player rather than just this guy
19:55that comes in and fights.
19:57Yeah.
19:58I mean, it's been – it's impressive.
20:00And hopefully it's not, you know, too long-term.
20:03He had to leave the game.
20:04And that's big boy hockey.
20:05That's a veteran guy who was going to fight on his own terms.
20:11And Ryan Reeves – that was why Ryan Reeves is who he is.
20:16I mean, he got to get a good lick on Parson and then decided –
20:21I mean, his gloves were off before he even knew if Rempe was next to him.
20:24And that's just an awareness that Ryan Reeves has.
20:26He's a smart –
20:27Yeah.
20:27He's a smart individual.
20:29Rangers fans know him.
20:31And, you know, he kind of made Rempe think about it for a little bit,
20:36then got a lick in on another guy, then, you know, fought the big man
20:39and did well early.
20:41I think the impressive thing for Matt Rempe is he took – he took a couple early,
20:45which probably is what caused him to leave, but hung in and got a few himself.
20:51Mm-hmm.
20:53So I just – yeah, I got a lot of respect.
20:56It's not easy to do.
20:58And he has gotten better.
21:00It is a lot – it's great for your confidence, but physically,
21:06the actual physical motion of playing becomes a lot easier if you get four
21:10or five shifts a period as opposed to one or two or three.
21:14Mm-hmm.
21:14It's just – it's like doing a workout and then sitting down for 25 minutes
21:19and then getting back into a high-intensity workout.
21:22And you just – your leg sees up a lot quicker.
21:25When you stay moving, especially as a big man, you can start doing things.
21:29And then you'll see more patience when he gets into positions with the puck
21:32because he has reps.
21:33He's right – you know, early in the air, he's hurrying things a little bit
21:36because you get so excited you have a scoring chance.
21:38Right.
21:39You can kind of bring your heart rate down a little when that puck comes
21:42after more reps.
21:43So hopefully it's not long-term because he's a big element for them.
21:46Yeah.
21:46Yeah, no, he was talking about how it allows him to feel the game better,
21:49you know, more involved.
21:52And I feel like we've been able to see that from him.
21:56I really do feel like he looks like a different player out there.
22:00Think about the ice.
22:01Like the first five minutes of a period in the middle, five,
22:05in the last, whatever, it's – it gets worse.
22:08So if you haven't touched it in a while, then you go on the ice.
22:10First of all, you're cold, and then you're like, this ice is terrible.
22:13Yeah.
22:14People don't realize, like, you step on bad ice for the first time.
22:16If you're going through it, each shift, it gets a little worse.
22:19It's like you can feel it.
22:21If you sit there forever and then you have to go on, you're like, what is this?
22:24And then when you're 6'9", it's probably like, I'm going to get an ice cup.
22:29And for him, too, he was, you know – he's such a ball of energy, too,
22:36that in those circumstances, when he did get his chance to go on the ice,
22:41he was erratic, you know, because he just wanted to do something, you know,
22:45wanted to make an impact, wanted to – you know,
22:48and that probably played a role into the, you know,
22:51the hits that were a little out of control and things like that.
22:55Playing a whole game in one shift.
22:57Yeah, right, right.
22:59It's not easy, but I think that Sullivan showing, you know,
23:05that he has trust in him.
23:07And, I mean, it also is beneficial for the lineup as a whole
23:10because it just balances out the ice time a little bit.
23:14I think that was a really big emphasis for Mike Sullivan coming into this season.
23:18And I feel like we've seen that on the ice time sheets,
23:21it's just balancing the ice time out because, you know,
23:25managing workloads of certain players that double on both the power play
23:30and the penalty kill, you know, you need to be able –
23:32you're only dressing a certain amount of guys.
23:34You need to be able to trust them.
23:35It's so fast.
23:36What's the point?
23:37You know, what's the point if you're not going to trust them and not play them?
23:40It's so fast, too.
23:41The game is so fast.
23:44You can't play three lines.
23:45You can't hammer down on two guys, especially center ice.
23:49So it's – yeah, it's a good approach.
23:52We've seen – I think we've seen more energy.
23:55We've seen more structure.
23:56They've looked – they looked more like themselves from two years ago
24:00than what we saw at the end of last year.
24:03Yeah.
24:03Well, the Rangers did make a call to Hartford, and it's Brennan Othman,
24:08which is a very notable recall.
24:11If you guys didn't see, Sportsnet's Elliott Friedman reported that Brennan
24:16Othman was drawing interest around the league because there's a belief
24:20that his time in New York is coming to an end.
24:24So instead of maybe Brett Berard or Gabe Perrault,
24:28the Rangers might want to be showcasing Brennan Othman a little bit here.
24:32Perhaps that's one of their dual reasons for getting Brennan Othman up here.
24:38But it doesn't really – it's not an encouraging sign for Matt Rempe
24:42if they're making this recall.
24:44So we'll see.
24:47A long travel.
24:49Yeah, yeah.
24:50They're crossing the border.
24:51Yeah.
24:51Yeah.
24:52We talked about that sort of with, you know,
24:56I think Robertson's call up when they went up to –
24:58No, it was Mauro Scott.
25:01Sorry, Mauro.
25:02Yeah, Mauro Scott.
25:03Yes.
25:03And what's going on here?
25:05Is everybody dinged up?
25:07Anyways, yeah, you need insurance.
25:09You need some bodies.
25:10Yeah.
25:11You know, you get there, what if someone's sick?
25:14Mm-hmm.
25:14And then what if, you know, so, yeah, that's a smart play.
25:18And for Othman, you know, they're not scoring a ton down in Hartford either.
25:25Yeah.
25:25It's been a tough start for Hartford.
25:27Yeah.
25:30See if you can add a spark.
25:31Look, at this point, you never know when it kind of clicks,
25:34but if you just go in with, like, I got nothing to lose.
25:37Yeah.
25:38And things could bounce your way, and it could take off.
25:40It could be just between the ears.
25:42Yeah.
25:42No, I think Othman needs a little bit of that, you know, what's there to lose.
25:46You know, it's so hard for these top picks.
25:50I can't even imagine the pressure, the internal pressure, you know,
25:54just the feeling that you should be, what you should be doing and what you're not doing.
25:59So, I mean, yeah, if you're an intellectual player, if you're, you know, between the years a lot,
26:05that's going to, it's going to impact you.
26:07And, I mean, for Brendan Othman, he went from being among the last cuts in training camp,
26:13the previous two training camps, to he was sent back pretty early this season because there was just nothing there.
26:22And when you got a guy like Noah Laba, who just took the bull by the horns and, you know,
26:27made it impossible for anybody to ignore him, it was a pretty easy decision for the Rangers to make there.
26:34But, yeah, I mean, like you said, it's kind of, you know, why not?
26:38Why not now, you know?
26:39I get it.
26:40Like, he's a high pick, but that's over and done with.
26:43Like, you can't change where you're picked.
26:46You just get to figure out your roles.
26:48That's how you can be an effective NHL if that's the goal.
26:51Like, that's someone who's come through in a pretty good draft and was drafted higher than people expected.
26:57It took time, and everyone knew it took time.
27:00They weren't really rushing me.
27:01But, you know, I was 22 when I figured out the American League.
27:05It's different, and it's humbling when you get up and you're like, all right,
27:11I'm lighting up the second best league.
27:13They're going to put me in a spot.
27:14And they're like, no, you're a penalty killer now.
27:16Never killed a penalty in my life at forward.
27:19That's what I did, because it's like, you're not a top six centerman.
27:23Right.
27:23And I was like, that's okay.
27:25Let's figure this out.
27:26Face-offs and blocking shots.
27:28And let's say they're traded for me, because we played against Artie Nisimov in Hartford.
27:34And, you know, their line was lighting it up.
27:38And I just went against him the whole game.
27:39And it was – that's – so, you never know.
27:43You're going to catch a break.
27:45It's – you're going to change.
27:47It's all about competing.
27:48Yeah.
27:49Being competitive.
27:50And adjusting.
27:51He might need to adjust his game to the role that he's filling.
27:54100%.
27:55All right.
27:57Another positive.
27:59Matthew Robertson.
28:01Yeah.
28:01This has been a really surprise development for the Rangers, I feel.
28:06I mean, not only has he done well since entering the lineup when Carson Susie went on IR, but
28:12when Susie returned, Sullivan opted to keep Robertson in the lineup over Erho Bakunainen.
28:20And that was really, really telling for me.
28:22I mean, I think Robertson has more than held his own at times through these first games of his.
28:27And, I mean, I sat down with him before he scored his first goal in Montreal.
28:31And, I mean, he really is – I mean, he's beaming in such a way that, like, you could just tell how hard he's worked for this
28:40and how patient he's had to be.
28:42I mean, he told me he's waited a very long time for this.
28:44And he's just really grateful to have the opportunity.
28:47But, I mean, he has seized it.
28:50I'm trying to – I mean, over a couple hundred American League games, right?
28:54And he was in the WHL for quite a while.
29:01Yeah, it's not easy to make it into the NHL.
29:05And you've got to keep that –
29:06Especially a defenseman.
29:08Yeah.
29:08And keep that – you have to believe in yourself.
29:11Like, you have to be your own advocate and understand.
29:15Like, yeah, I'll do – I'll change.
29:16I'll do whatever you need me to do.
29:17But understand you're – you've got to be a killer.
29:20You've got to – like, you've got to go out and do it.
29:23And years of being told, all right, not yet, not ready, not good enough, is not an easy thing to do.
29:31So it's always a great story when a guy can come up and stand out.
29:36Like, he looks solid.
29:37Unfortunately, a couple went off of him and went in the net.
29:41Yeah.
29:42I don't blame him for that.
29:43It's a stick broken in half on one.
29:46There was a bit of a circus act going on in front of him on the first one.
29:50The second one, it's just celebrating off his skate lace and then elevates the puck into the net.
29:55Like, he's right on him.
29:57There was no gap.
29:58He didn't get walked.
29:59He didn't get turned around.
30:01I like his game, and I'm happy for him because it's a great feeling, and he earned it.
30:07Like, he's earned these games.
30:08A hundred percent.
30:09You're not guaranteed anything.
30:10You play one game, you're an NHL-er.
30:12So keep earning it.
30:15Yeah, I remember during training camp him saying how you have your doubts when your chance just isn't coming.
30:22I mean, if you think about it year after year, they would call everybody up but him.
30:27It felt like it just felt like he was never even a thought, honestly.
30:33But it's here now, and he's done well.
30:35I feel like what I really like about his game is he closes opponents out on the perimeter really, really well.
30:42Like, he's a big, strong guy that can really overpower certain guys in this league, and he's shown that.
30:48And in that Montreal game, he took a puck, a bad bounce at the blue line trying to keep the puck in, and it sent the Canadians on an odd man rush, and it ended up in the back of the net.
31:00But Sullivan talked about how it didn't rattle him.
31:04He just got right back to work, wasn't phased.
31:07And, you know, how tough that is for a young player, especially under his circumstances.
31:12So I imagine it was really, you know, it stood out to Sullivan a lot that he recovered from that kind of play and just wasn't phased for the rest of the night.
31:23How contagious could that be to a group that, you know, they've gone through things.
31:27And last year, it spiraled so badly.
31:31Like, a guy with that kind of character?
31:34Mm-hmm.
31:35You can't tell me that's not a great thing for the group.
31:37It's what they want.
31:38Yeah.
31:39Perfect.
31:40So good for him.
31:41Igor's been lights out.
31:42Mm-hmm.
31:44That's the most.
31:46Lights out.
31:47Yeah.
31:48That usually happens, though.
31:50But, like, oh, it's good to see.
31:53I just, I wonder if, you know, if Gavrikov can kind of get a little bit more acquainted and adjust it.
32:00I don't know if he's dealing with something, too.
32:03It looks like, you know, he's playing through something.
32:05He's just, I know how good he can be.
32:08If you get that sort of sorted out on that top pair.
32:12Blake Schneider.
32:14Like, the defense could become a big strength there if you just, everybody's slotted where they need to be.
32:20I took to Gavrikov, too, in Montreal.
32:22And he said that he didn't feel like his, he said, not great with his assessment of his own start.
32:29So, I think that, yeah.
32:29Yeah, I don't know.
32:30I mean, that's not a secret.
32:31He needs to do a little bit, give him a little bit more.
32:34Definitely.
32:35But it's helped Adam Fox.
32:36Whatever he's doing is Adam Fox has been better.
32:39Yeah.
32:39He looks more like Adam Fox again.
32:41Definitely.
32:43So, it's frustrating how they've, their home stuff.
32:46But, hey, look at, they're pretty good on the road.
32:49Even that Toronto game.
32:49Like.
32:50Yeah.
32:51They just couldn't bury.
32:53Okay.
32:54Tough one in overtime.
32:56I'll tell you what, there's a lot of franchises right now.
32:59I'll be like, what the hell's going on?
33:00No, it's true.
33:02I've seen so many writers, like, retweet my stuff and be like, what a weird team.
33:08What a bizarre, like, start to the season for the Rangers.
33:12But there's a lot of it.
33:14It is.
33:14Because us covering all the teams at the NHL Network, people are like, what?
33:19And then some of these up and coming teams are maybe ahead of schedule or overachieving.
33:24And everyone's like, well, they're going to have to come down, right?
33:26And they're going to figure out their game, right?
33:28And all these different.
33:29I don't know what the hell's happening.
33:30Yeah, who knows?
33:31It's entertaining.
33:32It was like 79 goals last night.
33:34Jesus Christ.
33:35It's crazy.
33:36We'll take it.
33:37We'll take it.
33:38The more the merrier.
33:39All right.
33:40I think that's a good place for us to start.
33:42I am heading onto the road.
33:43Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Seattle.
33:47Nice.
33:47So, the good news is the Rangers are going back on the road.
33:52So, are you going to do a thing where you're eating?
33:55Oh, I'm always eating on the road.
33:57Yeah.
34:00Vancouver, what a town.
34:02I know.
34:02It's supposed to rain the entire time we're there, though, unfortunately.
34:05So, I hope I still get to see some pretty melons.
34:09Oh, bummer.
34:11All right.
34:12Like and subscribe.
34:14Comment down below.
34:15What do you think about the Rangers start?
34:16What's your biggest concern so far?
34:19Who is standing out to you?
34:21Let us know.
34:23And we'll chat again next week.
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