According to Joe Micheletti, coach clueless was quoted as saying the Rangers aren't going to score a lot of goals, and they are a 2-1 team. Clueless is right on target as the Rangers lost to the Caps 2-1 for their fourth loss in the last five games. Their special teams did them in again as the PP was 0-3 and gave up their 12th shorthanded goal. The power play is now 1-17, ranks 26th in the NHL and the clueless coaching staff doesn't have a clue on how to fix it. Considering it is now going on three years and counting I think it's time to fire the entire coaching staff and take the Stealth GM with them.
Petr Prucha, the exalted exiled one, tried to spark this lifeless, punchless crew, but to no avail. I swear after he scored and was skating back to the bench coach clueless was scratching his head, wondering what happened. Prucha now has three goals in 13 games and it is becoming evident that clueless will have trouble benching him later on, but will find a way to do it. Ovechkin continued to run roughshod over the Rangers with only Marc Staal keeping pace with him and fighting him check for check. Ovechkin scored the game winning short handed goal for the Caps who have now won six straight and are ready to take over the Eastern Conference.
The Rangers are getting ready to fold like an accordion. They are closer to ninth than they are to first. They are closer to oblivion than they are to success. They don't have the kind of player who can lead them out of this ever growing funk. They have no ice leadership and have no coaching leadership. Upper management is no better as the cap problem and the defense corp problem have all been brought about by the Stealth GM. But, no sweat. Coach clueless says we are a 2-1 team.
Washington's Alexander "Slappy" Semin (#28) and Marc Staal (#18) in 3rd period 'fight'. Moral: don't mess with Siberians.
HockeyFights.com:
Starry Day and Night --
Something was in the air in NHL cities yesterday. The theme seemed to be stars and non-fighters dropping the gloves and throwing some punches: Sidney Crosby, Alexander Semin, Doug Weight. If Vegas had odds on every player in the NHL fighting on a given night, a parlay on those three probably would have given you 10,000:1 odds, if not better...HockeyFights.com:
Marc Staal vs Alexander Semin -- Who won?
Marc Staal -- 45.5%more slap fest reactions:
Draw -- 28.9%
Alexander Semin -- 25.7%
Adam Gretz / NHL.Fanhouse.com:
Comparing the Fighting Styles of Alexander Semin and Sidney Crosby --
Words fail me.El-Bashir - Capital Insider / Washington Post:
Honestly, I was waiting for him to start pulling out Staal's hair, who apparently wanted nothing to do with Semin's open-handed slaps to the back of the head. I can't decide if this is the best fight video ever, or the worst fight video ever.
Battle of the Bizarre Fights --
Alexander Semin engaged in his first career fight tonight with Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, who had two small scratches under his right eye after the encounter. And for those of you who weren't watching the game, check out the first video. Descriptions of Semin's punches toward the end of the fight ranged from him playing the bongos to him looking like Energizer Bunny beating a drum...Capitals Kremlin:
Alexander Semin vs Marc Staal -- 91%
Sidney Crosby vs Brett McLean -- 8%
2000+ votes
Semin Photoshop Madness: Semin Kombat --
Semin Kombat. Too bad the refs stepped in before The Siberian Slapper could pull off his fatality...Gustafsson / On Frozen Blog:
Alexander Semin Fights Scut Farkus
Mother Pucker:
Crosby vs. Semin (Who’s more embarrassed?)
Ben / GunAxIn:
Semin fights like a 12 year old girl
Barry Melrose Rocks:
When Hockey Fights Go Bad: Semin vs. Staal
Mike - it is exactly as you have said in the past. Renney likes to present it as simply a fact that this is a team that will only ever score 2 to 3 goals per game.
It is self-fulfilling when that is how you shape and deliver the on-ice game.
Limp along with a 14% powerplay, and allow on average one shorthanded goal every 4 games.
To talk about the team having to win 2-1 games, wow. Are you really that good Renney to dial it up just the way you want? You wouldn't want to fix the chronic sickness in this team and try for that magical extra goal on a regular basis?
Really?
'Chronic sickness' is a good description of the problems facing this team. Cancer might also apply, the team lives or is in the playoff hunt, but the future outlook is grim.
Renney by saying this is a 2-1 team is implying that he's content to limp along in a cancerous or "defense is the only option" state. He must feel that if they tried to ratchet up the offense the team would crash and burn more quickly.
So Renney is opting for cancer over a car crash. Two poor options, but in his mind it's completely logical. Because limping into the playoffs allows him to keep his job. He's the 2nd longest serving pro coach in NY (since Feb. 25, 2004). Tom Coughlin took over the Giants in Jan. 6, 2004. Given the difficulty of pro jobs, he's been a master.