All night long I kept hearing from Joe Micheletti how the Rangers were so much better five-on-five than the Islanders and they had to stop taking stupid penalties. Well, the second part was right. The Rangers gave the Islanders eight PP's and John Taveras cashed in on two on his way to a hat trick that culminated with an empty netter.
So much better? How about the rest of the game Joe? The Rangers got four PP's and did their usual zipperoos. That left about 36 minutes of five-on-five and the Rangers won that duel 2-1. But part of the five-on-five was 16 minutes of dumb penalties that this team cannot shake. The penalties were part of the five-on-five and that is what doomed the Rangers.
Another thing they can't shake is their ineptitude on the power play. This unit has been terrible for years, the years of coach disagreeable's tenure. He still hasn't figured out how to get the power play to work. The constant changing of lines doesn't help either. How do you get chemistry?
The Islanders have been rebuilding and judging by last night it looks like it's going to pay off. The Rangers have been rebuilding forever and guess what? They are still rebuilding. The Islanders team is young and exciting. The Rangers are not as young and are boring. Ice time? Rupp got 3:54; Christensen 5:40; Zuccarello 7:55 and Prust, who scored an even strength goal, got all of 10:32. Only one Islander, Gillis, got little ice time, 2:47. The next lowest one was Reasoner with 12:40. Five Rangers got fewer ice time than Reasoner and a sixth, Fedotenko got 12:45.
Everyone plays on the Islanders and usually with the same linemates. Their dynamic coach gets it. The young guys get to play and develop and get praised. Our young guys get to sit and watch The Six Torts Terrors play and play and play. Oh yeah. There is another choice. Zuccarello was sent to Hartford after the game. Newbury will replace him, supposedly to add muscle and toughness for all of five minutes.
When you rebuild with young players you want a coach that teaches and respects them. You don't want a coach that criticizes them, throws them under the bus or lets them ride the bus out of town. But this is the Ranger way. Playing the young means buying a round trip ticket to Hartford to see the Whalers play. While you are there you will probably see another player who wasn't good enough to make this young rebuilding squad.
"It is a far better thing.............."
Rangers’ Kakko & Vesey Quietly Stepping Up
37 minutes ago
I completely agree. This organization is depressing. I know it is only 3 games into the season but that doesn't really matter. The Ranger psyche is decades in the making and appears to be in mid season form early. You could see it in the players's eyes last night. Something is wrong on Broadway.
There's no leadership. The coach doesn't inspire his players. There's no discipline. Penalties galore. The so-called leaders, Cally (twice), Dubi, and Gabby each took pathetic penalties last night. There hasn't been a legit, sustained power play since #2 was thrown under the bus by a GM who 25years later still thinks he's running the 1980s Oilers.
There's only one rookie in the line-up, but only because of injuries. Other rookies played in the pre-season like they would die for their mates but they were banished so the likes of perenial energy suckers like Christensen and Emenger wear the sweater.
I hope I shall be released. Keep swining Mike.
Well, I'll give you credit Mike at least this time you left the whining about your boy Sean being being gone out of it.
Yes, Torts is terrible at developing younger players. Tom Renney's patience with Callahan, Dubi, and Staal got them going. Without that coaching the Rangers would have no future. Torts is a "future is now" type guy. Well we are here in the now, with all his guys, and we're getting the same weak sh*t.
He's purged the likes of Avery. The Rangers have no edge and so far it looks like a puke team. Sure only three games, but I'm not holding my breath waiting for Richards and Gabby to breath life into this team.
The part about boring is most definitely true. It seems they make you sit up and notice only every now and then, when they actually maintain puck possession for more than 1 or 2 passes.
I will state that I think Richards and Gaborik stand out, but beyond that the team seems to morph into a homogenous brand of grey nothing. Hard work is the rule, individual creativity is the exception. Again, I don't include Gaborik and Richards, as they seem to testing the opposition and pushing the envelope. Lord knows they better at their salary levels.
Is it all just about grinding? The other guys cannot do more than that? I hope the answer is no to both questions.
Rumble,
Agree, something is wrong on Broadway. The team needs a shot of something. Somebody other that Torts has to yell at guys when they do dumb things. Cally is not that type of guy.
B-M-D,
Your thoughts about a team with limited creativity rings true. As you say hard work and grinding can only take you so far. I agree with a Scotty Hockey observation that Callahan, for example, with his all out 100% work and grinding is surely an injury waiting to happen. A little creativity by Cally, for example, might be a career extender.
To Mr. Anon,
I'll add that the other dimension besides creativity and hard work is speed. Hate to keep going back to Avery, but he did bring that. And I for one will exercise my god given right to whine about Avery until the Rangers show me they are going to do better than last year's team. When do you predict that I'll be required to stop whining?
After this western road trip they might put themselves in hole that they'll never climb out of.
To Slashman,
Torts is make Renney look good.
Torts does make Renney look good. And that is as sad as anything we saw in the game on the weekend.
It was the first game I've had the opportunity to watch this season..... and I didn't even watch through to the end!
Luke
Last season as the Rangers went down the stretch i thought "coach disagreeable" was losing the room. Through pre season i didn't see that same compete level i saw last pre season probably because the idiot coach made it abundantly clear that his line up was picked before camp but still... way different than last years camp. This season so far i feel that players are getting just as sick of his crap as we are and i don't think they are responding to him. I quote a Pink Floyd lyric "your lips move but i can"t hear what your saying."
BTW Pundit I read your stuff all the time but i have never left a comment. Your blog is so refreshing because not only are you one of the few who get it but you are one of the few bloggers who uses their blog to express your ACTUAL opinion. Most give you that "i must be impartial because I am a writer" garbage and i feel like saying-uh, no your not your a 20 year old fan so get over yourself! Anyway thank you for this great blog and keep up the great work!
Jen9400-Thanks for your comments. The Pundit will never resort to political correctness to describe a person or a situation.
It is amazing that the number one sports city in America has some of the worst coaches. The Rangerrs have been horrific in their choice of coaches.
Mike Keenan was an aberation but we could use another aberation and he would be a good "fill in" for coach disagreeable.
Meanwhile, we trudge along, plodding with great diffficulty as a proud but losing franchise sinking slowly in the abyss of mediocrity.
Keep plugging and writing.