Yes, fourteen years. That's how long its been since the Savior from the West came to New York to lead the Rangers to the Cup, after Cup after Cup. You remember the quote. Hopefully I get it right, it's from memory: 'If I had the money the Rangers have I would win the Cup every year.'* So here he is, the Stealth GM, fourteen years later. Not only no Cup but it seems we went backward this year. If the goalie on the Bruins doesn't trip over his own laces, the Bruins sweep us. So add the six years from 1994-2000 and we are now in a twenty year draught for the richest team in the NHL.
But the Stealth isn't the only culprit. He is abetted by the Absentee Owner and aided by the most disagreeable of all people, the Ranger coach. The coach declared after the game that he bears some responsibility for not making his best players play better. Play better? He makes them worse. He destroys them. Marian Gaborik, two time forty goal scorer, derided, humiliated. Criticized while hurt, shortened ice time and eventually traded to Columbus.
Brad Richards, all star player. The coach's buddy, good friend. With friends like this you don't need enemies. Relegated to the third and fourth line and then the ultimate indignity. Benched during the last two playoff games. Richards is gone next year and that is his good fortune. Probably sign with Pittsburgh and haunt us all year long.
Rick Nash, the ultimate power forward. One goal in thirteen playoff games. Torey Krug, the Boston rookie, scored four goals against us. You know how coach disagreeable could have made Nash and Richards and Gaborik better? Leave them alone. Who saw this game yesterday and didn't think that Rick Nash was more concerned about not being torched or not blocking a shot than he was scoring a goal. I believe he got two shots on goal.
So we have the Stealth GM going out and spending all that money to get powerhouse players like Gaborik and Richards and Nash to build a contender. Most coaches would have licked their chops in delight with a potential of 100 additional goals per season from this dynamic trio. Not disagreeable. He had to teach them how to play hockey. He had to teach them how to muck it up. He had to teach them how to play defense. He had to teach them how to block shots. But he loves 'hands of stone' Boyle. He adores 'give it away' Del Zotto. And we are going to have him as long as we have the Stealth.
And then there is the Absentee Owner. You realize the Garden had eleven playoff games, six by the Knicks and five by the Rangers this spring. It is estimated playoff games bring in around $2-3 million a game all belonging to the owners. The players get no share of the money. So the Absentee Owner pocketed anywhere from $22-33 million and that may be conservative.
So here we are. The Stealth GM and the disagreeable coach going in opposite directions and the Absentee Owner is smiling all the way to the bank. Did you go to any of the playoff games? I didn't. Did you see the prices for the tickets? Do you think that with this coach any free agent worth his salt will sign with the Rangers? Do you think we are heading forward or backward? As long as the Stealth GM remains so will the disagreeable coach. No thanks guys. I'll stick with my Grandson who now has made the JV. Go T/Birds.
* There are many variations of Glen Sather's arrogant quote that are bouncing around the web. The exact wording of that braggadocious quip is unclear. But, take your pick, they all meant the same thing.
Blueshirt Banter:
"If I had the Rangers payroll, I'd never lose a game"Puck Daddy:
"If I had the Rangers' budget, I wouldn't lose a game."Blue Line Station:
“If I had the Rangers’ budget, I’d never lose a game”Hotstove NY:
"If we had the Rangers payroll, we'd win every year"Bleacher Report:
"If I had the [Rangers] payroll, my team would never lose a game."Bleacher Report:
"If I had their payroll, my team would never lose."
First of all, Mike, that's great for your grandson! I hope he has a lot of success and fun in the meantime. Second, I want to thank you for another season. It can't be easy keeping up the blog especially considering how frustrating it is to watch this team begin to build and go through the process of self destruction again. Your blog is your honest opinion and it gives those of us who don't care to white wash a place to speak our minds freely and it is truly what gets me through the season.
Jeanine was talking about the point you made about Nash being more concerned with his D than scoring last night and I was agreeing with her so to answer the question, yes we noticed. She was also talking about Kreider who said he went to the minors to concentrate more on what he is doing away from the puck. To be clear, and I know we all agree, the defensive side of the game is very important so I am not suggesting in any way shape or form that we abandon all defense when I say most coaches don't want their star players away from the puck. When i say things like that, a lot of people say "oh do you really think Tortorella is telling his players NOT to score goals?" The answer is too complicated for those people to understand because even though I know he's not literally standing in front of the players saying "hey guys don't score goals" - the answer is yes. It's the old saying actions speak louder than words and his actions are just as loud and obnoxious as his press conferences normally are. Which brings me to last night's press conference. Man this guy is the master of saving his a**. Unbelievable. For the first time I can remember he took responsibility for the offense. He even teared up. He actually admitted he couldn't get the star players going. This will be one of many items on the long list of excuses that will save his job as usual. People are now saying well that means he's going to change, that means he will let his offensive players go next year and the Rangers will win the cup once he does. Then Staal will be back and John Moore will become the point shot guy we've been waiting for blah blah blah. I agree that these players can do these things, they can be developed but this coach doesn't know what to do with them. jeanine was just reading a comment from a Tampa fan who said its always the same story with Tortorella. He wears his players out, the players tuned him out in TB, they are obviously tuning him out in NY and they will tune him out wherever he goes next. Does that sound like a guy who is going to change? Does anyone really believe that this guy is going to find himself this summer and come back and turn over a new leaf? Suddenly he won't smother his players as he's always done? Some miracle is going to happen and open his narrow mind? He won't be a control freak and everyone will suddenly be happy? Good God.
Another thing, I may be in the minority here, I don't want to buy out Richards. I think he has a lot of hockey in him and I am sick and tired of watching all these skilled players become shells of themselves and run out of town because we have to appease the coach. Richards is a great player and I would like to use the talent we have instead of dumping it all because this guy only knows how to coach third liners. Its insane to subtract all stars just so we can stay loyal to an idiot who is only loyal to himself. Next year we'll be discussing how I don't want to buy out Nash just to save this coaches job again. I want a team that contends, not a side show coach. I'm bored with his act.
I don't want Richie bought out either but he will be because he had the guts to stick up to torts. Like i mentioned in my last post, anyone who dares cross the line is banished somewhere. Period.
I should take that back. I do want Richie bought out, for the exact same reason i wanted Sean on waivers: Set him free. If he were to stay in NY he will watch his career drop to the 4th line bull shit we saw in the playoffs. You don't do that with players like Richards, Gaborik, Dubinsky, Avery. They are skilled, they need to be surrounded by skill otherwise they are useless. Speaking of useless: RICK NASH.
It's all moot. As long as torts is in charge we'll see goons like derek dorsett (honestly one of the dumbest players i've ever watched) and michael haley muckin' it up while Richards is sitting or tearing it up on another team. I would personally love for him to go to Columbus. Why not? Basically i just want what is best for Richie and i think he is done with torts and torts is done with him. So as long as torts is in control, set Brad free...
Thanks to pundit and JB for another greatly covered season and to the dynamic duo Jen and Jeanine for all the amazing comments. Here's to hoping Torts' is gone this offseason (fingers oh so tightly crossed)...
Yes, Let me echo the thoughts of Jen and Andy.
Thank you to all the fans who stopped by the Ranger Pundit this season. It was another bitter sweet one, but the one constant is the affection that Rangers fans have for their team, despite who might be running it.
Special thanks to Jen, Jeanine, and Andy for always making it a pleasure to open the comments section and read your take on what was happening with this team.
Enjoy your offseason.
Peace!
Thanks guys! Its my pleasure... I think lol! Love your comments too. I'm always looking for them.
Andy, What are you referring to when you say Brad stood up to Torts? I think I missed something.
Unfortunately, I agree with Andy that the best thing for the star players is to be free of the little dictator but its gut wrenching knowing there is no way to build a contender with this jerk. By the time management decides its time to can the freak, the team will sadly be stripped of its offensive talents. We all tuned in to the final performance of the circus act tour to witness the latest disappearance which was our season: POOF! Lets just hope that Henrik is fed up enough to tell management he wants a new direction or at least fed up enough to break into the Head Clown's lab and find the potion that performs the ultimate trick: make the Head Clown disappear along with the Ringmaster and the Producer of the circus lol!
JB- I really enjoyed the comment about Paranoid Personality Disorder and it was a little disturbing how much of that description really does fit disagreeable. That could be it.
So Mike says Brad to Pens, which I could see him reunited with James Neal and Andy says Columbus which would be right in line with what has been going on with the Columbus Blue Shirts as a fellow twitter friend called them today lol. Either way we would be screwed. Typical.
Jen,
I wasn't referring to anything specific, i should have stated that.
It is my opinion that Brad and possibly Aaron Asham may have knocked on John's Door when he threw Mac D and Hags under the bus. Brad seems like the guy who would have the guts and calm demeanor to try and tell torts' "hey the guys didn't really appreciate that" etc. Because i honestly think it embarassed the rangers room and angered them a little when he took those cheap shots. I think the super negative reaction from the media may have sparked someone like Richie to say hey, common man, take it easy. Who knows. It just seems very fishy that with the series pretty much over he goes and does something completely useless like the player swap he did. Maybe Richie flat out said he wouldn't play on the 4th line anymore. When you looked at Richie and Asham when they were interviewed on if they were playing you could see this bothered, negative look on their face, even though nothing was 'official'.
It's moot, but i'd like to think Richie said a little something to someone within the organization. Don't let tort's "I love brad" act fool you lol :)
So long and until next year, have a great summer!
Thanks everyone for the nice compliments, I enjoy this blog because this is classic. This is how ranger fans really think and talk, this is blue seat hockey talk lol.
Many of the rangers beat writers are talking like its a certainty brad will be bought out, I'm not happy about this. Torts has squashed his prize horse and couldn't lift him up off the floor. That's why he was tearing up because he destroyed someone he actually likes. We have lost so much of our team. That special group of talent, that special group of people because of this bastard coach. We lost Sean, Gaby Dubi and Artie because Torts disliked them for various reasons. Now it looks like we will lose Brad maybe Kreider and/or JT Miller too because they cannot perform under Torts suffocation blanket. Our guys confidence is on the line everyday, this guy is poison. It breaks my heart. Until he is gone we will not be able to start moving in a positive direction. The longer he stays the more damage he will do and the more we will fall apart.
Next season Detroit and Columbus move into our division 2 competitive teams, we will have to fight hard to make the playoffs, when we shouldn't have to, all because of this guys, break guys down mentally and physically approach. Does Henrik deserve this? No. Do we deserve this? No. Sather and Dolan are just as detrimental, they only care about themselves, Dolan counting his money and Sather covering his butt. We pay the price as always, with broken hearts and through our wallets. I did not attend any playoff games this season Pundit, first time in forever (even when the rangers would miss I'd see a devil game or something). Disheartened about our team and high prices kept me away. Sad times. Hopefully one day soon things will change, Dolan will sell, Sather will go, A - hole will get fired and things will return to just normal heart breaks for ranger fans, until then we wait. And pray.
Sorry to be so depressing I'm just broken hearted over all of these things. I miss our guys we had, I miss our loud building, I miss our hope and fun. One day it will return, I can't wait.
Hit the road JOHN and don't you come back no more no more no more no more hit the road JOHN and don't you ever come back no more.........BYE BYE JOHNNY!
It's well overdue, but i'll take it. I mean, I don't want to shovel dirt over John Tortorella or anything, well, actually i guess I AM SHOVELING DIRT OVER JOHN TORTORELLA. Career over. Go rot away in the son Fonzi, please!!
HOORAY THAT S...B IS GONE!!
NEVER HATED A COACH SO MUCH.
NOW I CAN ROOT FOR THE RANGERS AGAIN.
A dream come true! Wonder if there's any way we can get Aves back?
Ooooooh man, I just went out and bought myself some lottery tickets because that's the kind of day it's been.
Everybody sing Ding dong the dictators gone, torts is gone, he's really gone! Wake up you sleepy heads rub your eyes get out of bed, no I swear its not a dream!
The King has spoken and the kingdom is once again ours! I feel like I could conquer the world right now.
I would love to see Slats go too but hey you know these things can't be rushed, it's only been 14 years. I laughed at his comments today when he said if your not competing in the finals then your not achieving your goal. Hmmm I wonder if he has been in a deep slumber for the last decade. Alas, that is a problem for another day. Right now I'm as light as a feather and nothing can drag me down.
Bye A- hole, wish I could have held the door for you, packed your desk or at least seen that expression on your face when Sather said, we going in a different direction, so your fired, see ya.
I can't hold out any longer! I was on here earlier and saw Mike's post entitled "Hallelujah" -I went to comment and "Poof" it was gone! Was the former Head Clown really reading this blog after all? I don't know! Whatever happened- I just can't hold out!
YIPPPPEEEEE! Mark Messier saved us from Roger Neilson in 93 and 20 years later OUR KING has saved us from Tortorella. There are differences, of course, we still have Sather at the helm but I'm gonna tell ya, if he puts Messier behind the bench I can start with a clean slate! I actually wrote to Mess a couple of months ago asking him to save us yet again as coach. Maybe, just maybe... AHHHHHHHH! I'm just soooooooooo HAPPYYYYYYYYYYY! One of the happiest days in my Ranger fan life! Never hated a coach more and now the tyrant is gone! THANK YOU KING HENRIK! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!