Ranger Hockey

It is time for Ranger Hockey. John Tortarella style. The new coach set the new tone quickly.

You know, some hockey fans forget how basic a game this is. Hockey is all about scoring more goals than the other team. In it's glorious history, hockey has been played in a brash style. Where men with skating, passing and shooting skill compete to score goals. The more goal scoring chances you create, the more likely you are to win. Thats it. Simple.

Over the many years, Hockey has found its way into the hands of big business. This led to corporate level creative departments being enlisted to SELL THE GAME. All of a sudden, hockey was no longer about the will to score but it changed to a business model. Big business devised ways to make winning a hockey game less about the better team and more about keeping the games close enough so that any skill level team could have a chance to win. Thus the birth of trap hockey, overtime, and shootouts. At this point, big business invested in franchises throughout the United States. Often in areas that were not suitable for hockey in its purest form, which again, is who scores more wins. It wouldn't work the old way because the expansion teams created by the investment of big business created a dilution of talent throughout the league. This expansion necessitated the need for coaches that understood the corporate model. That model would be defined by the corporate operations manual. The coach would have to be educated in strategies that employed tactics that would allow his inferior product to shine in competition by playing it safe. This corporate coach would not be tolerated if he could not GET ALONG with the players/employees. That is a Very Important chapter in the operations manual of big business today. And so on .And so on.

These big business franchises are coached by very successful people skills, tactical men. These coaches are 2/3 corporate 1/3 hockey. They have fit in so well in some places that it isn't even noticeable when their teams flounder for seasons at a time. In the corporate hockey world, coaches hire players who are above all, non desrcript. The players fit in . That is the priority. Their skill level becomes secondary in a corporate coaches needs( see Strudwick,Betts, Orr Roszival) But their individual ability to just fit in and follow the corporate procedure manual is tantamount. Some hockey fans call these type players " players who do what they are asked of." That is really sweet. They are good guys. LOL!

This is what is wrong with the NHL today. This is why the ultimate corporate coach, Tom Renney was so well liked. Not exactly pure hockey is it? These are the signs of the era of the financial bubble. Well , as we all know that bubble has gone POP!

250 dollar hockey tickets for seats to a regular season game that means close to nothing? To watch a 2-1 game mired by bad passing,low shot totals, or high shot totals from shots that couldn't stir the cat in the middle of the night. 250 bucks to watch a 60 minute game take 2 hours and 45 minutes ? To witness center ice play for 2/3 of the game and then watch the game be settled by a gimmick called the shootout? Someone better wake up at the NHL Governors meetings.

Words of Wisdom

As Keenan know firsthand, coaching a team in New York also carries its own unique pressures and demands.

"Obviously (coaching in New York) is scrutinized quite a bit and more so than some other markets," Keenan said. "It doesn't nearly have the scrutiny that the Maple Leafs have, but in New York you are scrutinized very closely and you know that going in there. I knew that going in there as part of what the expectations were for me as a coach. On the other hand, I knew the team was dedicated and had the resources to put the best possible team on the ice and were committed to do that. I do enjoy working in that type of environment as opposed to an environment where they don't have the resources or are not committed to try to excel to win the Stanley Cup."

reprinted from NHL.COM

A NEW NEW YORK RANGERS ERA BEGINS TODAY

It's about time. I was really disgusted after the Rangers continued to lose and play as if they were wearing blindfolds and ear plugs for the past weeks. It finally came to a head last night. 2 bench minors in one game. Not from the coach complaining about the officiating mind you. But from too many men on the ice! Twice! Shameful.
Tom Renney was always labeled a good guy. I have said enough.
Now lets turn the page and get some winners in here to run the show. There will be an immediate culture change. Yes Sather is a winner. But he wasn't visible to the fans. Slats is always hiding from the cameras.
The slant to offense is imperative. Lineup changes should happen immediately. I am excited to watch the Rangers again.

They Don't Get It

As I sit down to watch the Rangers Sabers last night, I am having a discussion with my cousin who is a long time Rangers/ hockey fan,  about the state of the NHL today. As well as how boring and unattractive the Rangers have been for 2 years. The conversation starts out about how much tougher the NHL was 15 or so years ago from a skill perspective. Then the debate moves to the comparisons between players from 20 years ago versus what we have to watch on the ice today that pass as NHL players. At this point, the talk turns to the Boring Rangers and how they fit in to the NHL as a whole. We discuss the fact that the Rangers are an Original Six team, which still means a great deal to us, and how the NHL has blurred the lines when it comes to that distinction. We hate it. We both feel that the NHL should do more to promote the game in its purest form. Skating, passing and shooting. Then the conversation goes back to todays NHL'er. We both agree that the players today are not as skilled as years ago. We feel that expansion has created at least 20% of NHL players today that are not worthy to be in the league period. They cannot skate, pass , or score. As we watch the Sabers go up 3 zip, he asks me why I still watch the Rangers. My cousin says this isn't hockey that we are watching. He states that watching someone playing NHL 09  the video hockey game,is more exciting than watching the Rangers!.  He goes on to say that to him,  watching the Rangers games today, is the equivalent to watching Dancing on Ice. Comparing a Rangers game to the old popular figure skating show. I can't say I do not agree with him. What I do say, to defend myself, is that I always hold out hope that a Real hockey game will appear one of these nights.  I can only hope. Lets Go Rangers!

Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends!

Where did the Rangers management go wrong with this version of the N Y Rangers?

  In the summer of '08 , GM Sather decided to forgo Shanahan, Jagr, Avery ,Straka, Malik, Strudwick, Hollweg, Tyutin, and Backman.

  Sather replaced them with Zherdev, Rissmiller, Fritsche, Voros, Naslund, Redden, and Kalinin.

Where are we today vs last year? 

First line of Jagr, Straka, Dubinsky has been replaced by Gomez, Naslund , Zherdev. I do not think this new line has done any worse than the first line of last year. Numbers do not lie.

Second line of Drury, Avery, Shanahan was replaced by Drury, Dawes, Callahan.  The line from this year is far worse in points, and aggression. Downgraded from last year.

Third line was  Gomez, Sjostrom, and whoever was replaced by Dubinsky, Korpokoski,Voros. These lines are  AHL Caliber. No upgrade made.

Defense was Roszival, Stall, Backman/Malik, Mara,Tyutin, Girardi

Today it  consists of  Stall, Redden, Roszival, Mara, Kalinin, Girardi. The two groups seriously lack aggression. Mobility was a big reason for the changes made from last year.  It hasn't been exploited in the Renney System of Flat footed Hockey.

   In Hartford

Parrenteu, G Moore, Sanguinetti, Anisimov, Potter have a need to be in the NHL when the big club cannot execute. If not , they need to be traded for offense. 

   Kovelev, Pronger, Horton, Bowmeister, Jason Blake, are all available. As well as Tkachuck, Streit, Guerin. There are goals out there. Lets stop the crap on the ice.

What A Day At MSG For Hockey!

Prucha plays! Gets an assist. Sees less ice time as the game moves on. The Renney checkers were at it again today. Giving up great opportunities all over the zone. But still playing all shifts. The Redden boo birds were in full force today. It is too bad that Redden gets to play with Roszival, Girardi, Rookie Stall, and Kalinin or Rietz. That bunch of defensemen are scary to say the least. Roszival, Stall, and Girardi, as well as Kalinin all belong in the AHL. You are not going to read that anywhere else. It is too depressing.

    I heard quite a few "Gomez you suck!" comments today at MSG. Another one was "Drury you suck!" I also heard a few " Yeah, way to go Renney. Keep playing the 4th line." in sarcasm of course. Another fan was screaming, " why the f$#@ is Colton Orr out there when we are losing by 3??"  I don't agree with all these you suck comments because I feel Drury and Gomez , as well as Redden are not being used properly on this crappy team. These guys have specified talents that they have honed over years of playing in the NHL on other teams. When they signed in NY, the plan was to use them in the proper roles that made them effective in other places where they played. Not to turn them upside down  and use them in areas where they cannot possibly succeed. Gomez is not a pp specialist. He is a checking center capable of giving you 20 goals. Drury is not a go to guy. He is a 2nd line player who's strength has always been following the big offensive line out on the subsequent shift when the opponents top checkers had left the ice after guarding the top line. Drury excelled because his talent was good enough to score against the secondary players of other teams. Now he has become Captain and go to guy? Redden needs to play with offensive players. Period. Players with vision. Not Roszival or Stall or Girardi. Give me a break man! 

   But the Big One was " Fire Renney!" Yes. Renney has overstayed his welcome in MSG. It is time for him to move on. 

   The Flyers came in on back to back game days and just dismantled the Rangers in our house. Disgusting. The Flyers were ready for national television. Renney did not prepare his team at all. Embarrassing.

   The NY Rangers upper management must change the coaching staff. It is an insult to the fans to do nothing and watch all this happen.

AHHHH! Fresh Air!

What a difference an attitude adjustment makes. For months the Rangers stubbornly used a 1 -4 checking system or a 2-1 -2 system but would set up outside the opponents blue line. Last night against the Caps the 2-1-2 was used again. But wait a minute! The Rangers were set up within the opponents end zone! Amazing! Clear genius! Game changing!

   Yes. With that simple adjustment , The Rangers were able to take second, and dare I say it, third shots in sequence. And what happens when you can sustain an attack from the front of the net?? You score goals . Thats what happens!. You get the crowd into the game with the ooohh! and aaahhh! factor. Throw in a couple of early heavy weight bouts  and  it becomes a much more enjoyable game. 

    Let the defensemen join the rush without penalty from the coach and you get pressure. All of a sudden the game opens up. The Rangers look more potent. And the "we do not have any goal scorers" crowd recedes to the back of the room. 

   Let them play. And put Peter Prucha back in the lineup. Thats all we want. 

Under Achievement

Under Achievement is the only word that describes all aspects of the Rangers offense. In my opinion, this is a result of allowing underachievers to continue to run the management of this original six franchise.
As always, and in every industry, when underachievers are allowed to take over the top spots of an organization , all aspects of that particular organization will be set up to reward and accept mediocrity. The Rangers are a far cry from the organization that was. When the battle cry from the top was we will settle for nothing less than a Stanley Cup. In those days, the management was committed to that goal. The management understood that you needed to score many goals to win in the playoffs and ultimately , the Cup. A well balanced score sheet, where all lines contribute to scoring, was the priority. This is an important factor. The philosophy of achieving by scoring goals is risky. It may mean that a coach will look less favorable to the organization if A. the team does not achieve the scoring or B. the team gives up too many goals and lose more often than win.
The difference of an achieving based organization is that you must, and I reiterate, must, take risks and stick your neck out much more than a conservative manager would. This may cost a manager his job. But lets think what that would be like if the NYFD or the NYPD chose to be tepid and conservative in there respective roles. I don't think New York's finest and bravest could or would. It is a character trait of a hero. Rangers fans desire a hero. A risk taker. It is the very fabric that has made NYC great.
With every great success, comes many failures . An achieving organization knows and accepts the fact that if they go for it and fail they may be fired. I do not see that character trait in the N Y Rangers organization today.
I implore the NY Rangers to change back to achievers with the hiring of Mark Messier and Brian Leetch for starters. These two would bring back some of the urgency that is missing from the organization. Accountability is a very overused and very rarely executed term in the Rangers management today. I for one,as a fan, want to feel that responsibility from our Ranger management . So that it will be demanded from our players.

Adam Graves Is A Champion

Congrats to Adam Graves. He is the poster child of what an NHL player should be. It is never only about the numbers. Gravy did it anyway it had to be done. As Leetch said, you always knew he had your back.
The current Ranger leaders do not exist. There is a void of leadership on this version of the N Y Rangers. This partly has to do with the fact that the strongest candidates for leadership are the youngest players. These players will not step up out of respect to the vets who are not willing to lead by example . There is no Heart Of A Ranger amongst number 23 and 19. Or number 6. I am not talking about the dressing room. It is what is left on the ice that counts. Thats where it shows to the opponent.
The Rangers are not at all helped by the current coach's game plan either. The only vet who remotely challenges Renney's game plan in print is Marcus Naslund. Naslund will go on to say that his team plays better in attack style and that they should play that way all the time. He is the ONLY one who will say it.
Blair Betts has become a perpetual replacement player for a virtual injured center who never comes off the ir! Thats how it appears to me . Betts reminds me of a backup infielder who is a great defensive replacement in late innings, but has a batting average lower than his body wieght! Then the regular second basemen goes on ir for a month and the backup(aka Betts) gets to play every day for a month. After 100 at bats , the replacement has made 5 or 6 flashy plays in the field .. Maybe saved a run or two. But was 14 for 100 at the plate. That is Betts in a nutshell.