Coach disagreeable was in rare form after last night's stinker. It was all of 16 seconds and he basically told the lame stream press and the fans to shove it. No questions on the latest debacle, the 2-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The Stealth should come out of his cocoon sit down with this clown and explain the facts of life. You are not in Tampa anymore. You are in New York, the media capital of the world and you have your tongue up your butt. Is this what the Ranger faithful deserve after all these years of frustration and aggravation? Of course that is not going to happen because we have the most reclusive GM of any team in the New York metro area.
It was a classic match up: coach clueless against coach disagreeable. The architect of "not playing defense is not an option" versus "you will play defense first, last and foremost". You wonder why the Ranger offense is impotent? It's by design and fear. Fear that if you make a mistake when trying to score and it results in the other team scoring, you are doomed. The options? If you are lucky they send you on the bus to Hartford where you play for a real coach. If you are unfortunate you stay with the team and get humiliated with five minutes of ice time or a trip under the bus.
He has built the team around three players: Richards, the playmaker, Gaborik, the goal scorer and Lundqvist, the goal saver. The rest of the team is there to sacrifice their bodies. Body hits, blocked shots, whatever it takes to keep the puck from getting to the net. Don't do these things then the Tortorella Travel Service is ready for you. You either take the bus out of town, or you get thrown under it.
Remember Wolski? He was supposed to be a first line player. Well he got hurt and disagreeable wondered if he was going to spend the rest of the season in the hot tub. Well he moved from the hot tub to the bench. Is the bus next? Brandon Prust took a stupid holding the stick penalty. Disagreeable banished him to the bench for almost the entire game. Brandon Prust! The guy leaves his body and soul and heart on the ice and this bum banishes him.
The Rangers are a boring hockey team with some bright stars. They have a rude, crass, impolite coach. We got rid of a coach who was all defense for a coach that was to be an up tempo coach. The only thing up tempo is his snarl and rudeness. But what do you expect from Madison Square Garden? The fish stinks from the head: The Absentee Owner, the Stealth GM, and coach disagreeable. The press should boycott the press conferences and the fans should boycott the games and maybe, just maybe we may get a change. But I doubt it.
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Great rant Mike. It sounds like you are writing this season off. I'm not sure if I want to give up on them this early. But, I worry that Cally has lost his game completely as he tries playing up to his new contract. Dubi looks lost. The constant line changes again make it seem like Torts has no plan, he's just making it up as he goes along. It is discouraging!
That's just a beauty, isn't it? "...I'm not going to answer any questions."
I wish I could do that when my manager calls me to his office. LOL, how convenient.
Against a team like the Oilers, the Rangers have to turn them back in the neutral zone. Whenever the blueshirts are able to turn back a faster squad, it has always been by intercepting them. They did almost none of that last night.
There were so many things wrong with last night. Put some white noise headphones on Del Zotto's ears, keep out all and any distractions, and leave him on the ice until he is able to hit the net on 30% of his shots. Consider that a success, and then work from there. His chronic inaccuracy is costing the team. It ain't even mildly funny.
Cally-Dubi-Arti line is playing like a 4th line on an off night, every night, and lord knows that is not what is needed.
Will getting back home give them a boost? Hopefully they take their lack of performance personally and fix it pronto.
Winnipeg has improved their game a lot over the last week. Get your 'stuff' together, Rangers, or you will be clobbered.
Another typical Rangers game: Sleepwalk for 2 periods...
Did anybody see Christensen on the ice? Did 3.8 million Wolski make it out of the hot tub? Del Zotto looks awful... These guys were kept on the team instead of Weise, Avery??? Who scored that Oiler PP goal???
Oh yeah, another FORMER Ranger draft pick...
Lines were changed again after only one period. You're right Wes, this coach makes it up as the game goes along. You're right also Pundit, this coach is a bum! So is the owner and GM!
Wes-I'm not giving up on the team. In over 70 years I've never given up.
The coaches? I try not to pay attention. Thay are all transients to me. Here today, gone tomorrow.
Unfortunately, they leave their marks behind. Its early enough to make a change and save the season.
blow-me-down-This stiff has no idea what is happening during the game. He doesn't see the big picture.
Hence, the constant changing of lines. Then he is always looking for the big guy, whoever that is, to come up with the big play.
Unfortunately the big guy is Lundqvist and his big plays only prevent scores not make them.
Dan Stryker-The fish stinks from the head.
Isn't it amazing how former Rangers pick up their game when they leave the Rangers.. That's because they usually play with the same linemates.
Save your money and go see the Rockettes in the Christmas show. Those lines never change.
Terrific article.
How about MDZ's cross-ice pass in front of our goal? Of all the bad passes he makes, that was this season's worst.
I don't think Torts develops any type of offense strategy/tactics.
He throws the players out there and rides their ass.
Little improvement from last year.
An embarrassment last night.
Love the CBC announcers. Can't we get them in NY?
A most excellent post. Great job pundit. THat about sums it up.
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Great post Mike, Im glad you told it like it is. I agree it looks bad now but I am confident they can turn it around.
Good stuff Mike. Nothing seems to change from year to year with this team since Torts has been here. Players are still regurgitating the same excuses they've been using for years. When you don't have a coach who can instill a consistent work within your team year after year, there is a problem with the message as well as the technique. You know what the worst part of this whole debacle is....Lundquist's prime years are slipping away, when does this org get serious about doing what needs to be done to make some cup runs.
Mike, that home opener against Toronto is going to be great, I just know it.
Mike, you ran one coach out of town after confronting Sather at MSG and telling him to get out of town. Instead, Sather threw Renney under the bus less than 12 hours later. That's the only way things change, we need to send you in as our attack dog.
Just kidding, of course.
Torts should remember the old saying: "He who casts others under the bus, shall himself be cast under the bus."
I think it's somewhere in Job 30:19.
jb, don't forget to bring Mike his cane and his megaphone. Otherwise, he'd neither talk loudly or carry a big stick.
Malcontents, all of you.
Thanks Jeff for the keen insight. Are you the same Jeff who is shilling for Buddy's Sports Corner at the Paramus Park Mall? If so, don't forget to have your Tortorella beanie baby autographed by Cally and Dubi.
Yes, many of us are malcontents if you mean we are not content with the perpetual state of mediocrity in which the Rangers reside.
I think many of us who hang out here at the Ranger Pundit, like Mike, want to see the NY Rangers, in the words of Steve Jobs, aspire to be "insanely great."
If that goal of "insanely great" is too much for you to handle, then perhaps you should go back to stalking 'meet and greets' at the Paramus Park Mall.
I get all the Tortorella and Sather hate but lay off Renney. I wouldn't call the fourth winningest coach in Ranger history clueless.
He got his teams to the playoffs every season he was here AND he did it with whatever skells (Gomez and Drury to name two) Sather threw at him.
He was given lemons and he made lemonade. He doesn't deserve your disdain. I know many fans who would take him back in a heartbeat.
Tortorella has been given what he wanted this season. It's too early to say whether or not he'll make lemonade. I think Avery should have been given a shot with Gaborik and Richards. It may yet happen.
You rant is full of venom. It is unbalanced and unreasonable at this juncture. I'd give Torts and the team at least 20 games before I'd write a hatchet job like this on them.
I do agree with you most of the time Mike but this kind of vitriol is just not warranted.
mhurley-I will admit Renney is a gentleman but when he wins something let me know.
Torts, as you call him has had over two years to put this team together. His disdain for the players is obvious. Whether you give him 20 games or 200 games his attitude is still the same.
I have no cause to champion, no flag to fly. What I care about is this franchise, this team and its fans. This coach disrespects all three. When you lose a game and you can't spare more than 16 seconds that tells you more about this coach than I can ever put into words.
You can go along with the tide. The mainstream media is giving us fluff. They are all in bed together. Today they write for one team, tomorrow they shift beats and champion the other guy.
I champion one team and one team only. The New York Rangers and I will come down hard on any one who will destroy that team. This guy is out for himself and will destroy any player on the team who gets in his way. Look at the guys he threw under the bus last year. How can you rap Lundqvist? He did.
Don't want to turn this into a family fight. Coach disagreeable is a bum and should take the next bus out of town.