2021 NHL regular season thread

Did your brief relationship with her have its ups and downs?

 

A few

 

As much as I want it to be entirely the Rangers being the greatest team in the history of the universe -- and with Mika playing like Mika again finally, they really are a good team -- the Flyers are really struggling. They have two goalies who can't stop a puck and their defense gives up a ton on the rush.

I am getting all I can ask for now as a Rangers fan. Shesterkin is back and was in goal last night. Mika is back to himself. And a few of their younger players are really starting to take the next step. Buchnevich is earning himself a pay day on his upcoming contract. Adam Fox is technically so sound on defense and sets up a lot of the offense with some insane passes. Kreider is solid and great in front of the net. Whoever you put next to Panarin looks all world, and even though Ryan Strome benefits from Panarin, he actually isn't just resting on that and is a pest on the forecheck, goes to the net, and has a bit of skill.

I love what they have. They roll out Buch-Mika-Kreider, followed by Kakko (this has rotated a bit)-Strome-Panarin, and then they do different variations of a "kids" line with Kakko or Gauthier-Chytil-Lafreniere. Their defense is light years beyond where it had been, with K'Andre Miller looking like a future star, Trouba playing well, Ryan Lindgren being way better than anyone would have anticipated, and Adam Fox quickly having become one of the best in the league. They even have their 2018 first rounder, Vitaly Kravsov back from the KHL where he had a breakout season, and we'll get to see what he has soon as a winger.

They are going to have to play well to get a playoff spot. They gave up too much in the first few weeks of the season and that division is really good. But at least it is fun to watch now. If they do get into the playoffs, they are not a team anyone should want to face.