Don't ask coach disagreeable about his team being tired. In fact judging by another sterling press conference don't ask disagreeable anything. He admitted that his team was slow in the first period to Pierre. However, he wouldn't admit to tired. No, they are not tired. Then what are they? When you are slow its because a) you are hurt. b) you are lazy or c) you are tired. The Rangers are not hurt and they surely are not lazy, so it must be tired. And why not?
Last night four players got less than nine minutes of ice time. Only one player on the Devils, Carter, got less than nine minutes, 8:15, and he scored a goal. The Devils fourth line of Gionta, Carter and Bernier got significant ice time with a goal, an assist and six hits. The funny thing though is the Rangers were tired coming out of the box.
There is now a template being set here.The Rangers win the first game of the series, come out flat and lose the second game. The teams go back and forth for the next four games and then it's back to the Garden for game seven which the Rangers win. However, and how come there is always a however, templates have been known to go wrong. One of these days we will lose a game seven, or a deciding game six or a deciding game five.
Disagreeable was outcoached again and had two comments in the press conference. One was "no" and the other "let's keep it in the room" whatever that means. The much maligned Devil coach Peter DeBoer changed his first line, opened up his bench and took away home ice from the Rangers. He coached. Our guy, growled, snarled and got out foxed. Then the usual shtick of a press conference where he faced down the press. How long is this act going to be tolerated? When is the Stealth going to step in? The Absentee Owner? The Commissioner? Do we need a collapse by the team to get rid of this abomination? It's a shame because this season could have been special. It still can be.
#MediaHell - Torturous Tortorella Post-game Press Conference
We are tired no doubt about it and why wouldn't we be, it's a grueling camp, an exhausting regular season to have to play all out, every night for 82 games. Block shots, play through injuries, kill yourself for the master or find yourself in the press box. Then limited mins for the 4th line and 5 D in the playoffs in 7 round series. I know our guys want to win, of course they do, I know they have huge hearts but to me they look miserable. They barely smile after victories even! They are exhausted. They could win a Stanley Cup, they should be taking it in, enjoying the moments and they are barely enjoying any of it in my opinion.
And the coach, well I'm just sick to death of the press he receives for his astroscious behavior. He stomps up to the podium, puss on his face shortest answers in history. It's immature, unprofessional and a complete disgrace. As a professional you represent your company, he represents the New York Rangers hockey club and that is his approach. Imagine going into a business meeting with a client you can't stand and acting that way?
Gaborik was asked if he was given an explanation for his benching, No was his response. He pointed to the moment in the 2nd when he obviously had his lack of D play but the point is he doesn't talk to these guys. Every time a player is asked if the coach gave him an explanation the answer is always no. He is a dictator, he only speaks to them when breaking down "tapes" , barking orders in practice, to change lines during the game or to scream in their faces when they F up. I hate his approach, his tactics and his bully antics.
The reactions from Torts behind the bench last night did not inspire confidence.
Not the look of a coach who is in control of things.
Is anybody going to figure out how to get the puck out of the zone? The Devils were feasting on those beautiful passes they got from the guys in blue.
Didn't all goals basically result from this ineptitude?
They played like a tired squad, but a couple of lifts of the puck high and over heads to the middle of the ice and they just may have won.
I guess you can never make everyone happy. Good thing I'm in the happy group of Ranger fans who has a huge respect for this coach that single handedly changed the culture of the New York Rangers. I mean to go from battling for the last 2 playoff spots to the first place team in the East, now battling in the conference finals I guess he must be doing something right. But I guess none of that matters because he's rude. Good thing hockey players aren't as sensitive.
Mundo,
Torts 'tude is going to cost the Rangers this series.
As Katie Strang at ESPN points out (below) his answer no questions press conferences are forcing the writers to go "to the room", the locker room, to ask the player directly what the hell is going on. This is because the coach refuses to answer questions himself.
He's creating a distraction with his disagreeable demeanor. And yes, he needs to explain why he benched his best scorer, Gabby, for most of the critical third period. Nut case.
This guy has a self destruction complex when he gets to the playoffs.
ESPN / Katie Strang:
Rangers suffering through terrible 2s -- Blueshirts drop another Game 2 -- and Tortorella can't, or won't, explain why ...
Among the things Tortorella refused to discuss Wednesday night: why he benched Marian Gaborik (a 41-goal regular-season scorer who makes $7.5 million a year) for the majority of the third period, including the last 1:29 in regulation with goaltender Henrik Lundqvist pulled for the extra attacker.
Gaborik was stapled to the bench for the majority of the third period after his casual clearing attempt allowed the Devils to keep the puck in the zone and tie the game on Ryan Carter's deflection late in the second.
With four goals and six assists, Gaborik trails only Brad Richards (six goals, five assists) in postseason scoring for the Rangers. Yet Tortorella did not even have him on the ice for the last 1:29 of the game with the Rangers in desperate need of a tying goal. Tortorella used every one of his other top-six forwards except Gaborik.
And he refused to explain why.
Tortorella also declined to elaborate on the effort, the necessary adjustments and virtually every other question in a particularly curt postgame news conference.
Instead, Tortorella said he'd rather "keep it in the room," which is exactly where the media now will direct their questions given his unwillingness to answer them.
Maybe that's the desired effect, but for a coach who seems to loathe distractions, he sure is creating one.
JB you called it before the playoffs began and I agreed with you that coach would find a way to make everything about him. It is becoming a nightmare listening to everyone talk only about him all the time. I want to talk about my team.
Anyone who is "happy" with this coach is only concerned about the bottom line. Wins or losses. Anyone who isn't can see the bigger picture and sees what this guy actually does. Blow-me-down said the key words the coach does not inspire confidence. He benches Gaborik for a defensive error and then tells the media that they are they only people who call it benching- he calls it trying to win a hockey game. Sorry coach its called trying to make a point. He will sacrifice anything to beat his "points" into theses players heads. That's why Kreider got 4th line minutes in at least two games last round and was a huge contributing factor for having to go seven games. Again. He has made bad decision after bad decision through the first two rounds of the playoffs and is the reason we went seven in both rounds. I won't go through them again being that I vent here quite often.
As far as the media is concerned it blows my mind how many people defend this guys inexcusable behavior and it is quite disturbing how many people actually think he is funny. He has never really answered the questions of the media. He has never answered for the power play the entire time he's been our coach and it is quite obvious to me that he and "mini-me Sully" have absolutely no clue how to set a power play unit never mind run a power play. I hold to what i always felt was true, he can't answer a question he doesn't know the answer to. Anyway, I'm getting off subject. To those who say he doesn't have to answer the media's questions the answer is YES HE DOES! It IS part of his job. All coaches do it because it is in the job description. They have no choice. Do these people really think that every coach in the league comes out and answers questions after every single game out of common courtesy? Dave Tippett (another coach whose style and game plan I pretty much hate) sat at the podium and answered all of the medias questions (yes even the dumb ones) last night. Does anyone really think he really wanted to sit there after his team just went down 3 games to 0 to LA? I don't think so. But he did it because its part of his job as coach to answer for his team after wins and losses. I wish people would stop making excuses for this guy. He's a do as I say not as I do overgrown child who bullies people into doing what he wants them to do. Media included. They're so afraid to ask him questions because he might explode. I wish he would do what he tells his players to do and that's shut up, act like a pro and do your job with no excuses.