Watch HBO’s 24/7: Rangers/Flyers Episode Two

Last week after episode one, I wrote that I wanted to see more of Lundqvist, Girardi, Staal, Sather, and of course Torts in episode two. Fortunately, most of my wish was granted. As promised, here is episode two. Enjoy!

(Spoiler Alert)

People’s irrational hate for John Tortorella has finally started to die down. Obviously the Rangers performance is driving this, but I would like to think 24/7 has helped as well.

Last night’s episode definitely revealed different sides of his personality that we don’t usually get to see or read about. The scene in the film room showed what a great teacher he is and that his compliments are just as strong as his criticisms. And obviously we also got to see a more humanitarian side of him.

What about everyone else? What was your favorite moment? Please don’t say it was Sean Avery getting out of his car.

Watch HBO’s 24/7: Rangers/Flyers Here

I was initially going to do a full recap of last night’s episode, but my words and opinions just can’t do it justice. I will say this…I have a new found appreciation for several members of the Philadelphia Flyers and I am very happy there is now footage supporting the many positive things I have written about John Tortorella. If you think he doesn’t treat every player the same after watching this, then there is no hope for you haha.

With that said, I don’t want to spoil anything for those of you who haven’t watched it yet or who don’t have access to HBO.  Here is the entire episode broken down into 4 parts. Enjoy folks!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

(Spoiler Alert)

I know we haven’t even scratched the surface yet with getting behind-the-scenes to this hockey club, as Lundqvist, Girardi, Staal, and Sather were either barely visible or notably absent. I am eager to see those personalities in technicolor as well as more from Coach Torts. What’s your take?

Rangers Alumni Game Roster Announced

The full Alumni Game rosters for both the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers have been announced, and the Rangers roster includes the names you would expect. There are five members on the 1994 Stanley Cup team on the roster, but then there are some pretty cool names that surprised me. Darren Turcotte is on the roster, as is Dan Blackburn. Perhaps the coolest surprise to me was Mike Gartner being on the Rangers roster. He was great as a Ranger, one of my all time favorites.

Notable players missing from the Rangers are Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Wayne Gretzky, and Stephane Quintal.

I’m slightly kidding about Quintal.

HBO 24/7 Preview This Friday. Will We Hear Sather Speak?

According to Andrew Gross at his blog Ranger Rants (you can also follow him on twitter), HBO’s 24/7 twelve minute preview will air this Friday at 9:15 pm. More from Gross…

The HBO cameras and microphones were back at practice today and the word is they’ll be around when the Rangers host the Flyers, Saturday.

Here’s the rest of that schedule:
HBO                                 HBO2
Nov. 25 (9:15 p.m.)                  Nov. 25 (5:40 a.m.)
Nov. 26 (12:00 p.m.)                  Dec. 8 (1:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.)
Nov. 29 (12:30 p.m. and 4:05 a.m.)    Dec. 11 (8:15 a.m.)
Dec. 2 (9:30 a.m. and 12:30 a.m.)    Dec. 15 (6:15 a.m. and 9:45 p.m.)
Dec. 4 (9:00 a.m.)
Dec. 6 (8:15 p.m.)
Dec. 9 (2:30 p.m.)
Dec. 12 (5:15 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.)
Dec. 14 (7:00 p.m.)

I, like the rest of this fanbase, am super excited for this program. However, like I said over the summer when all of this was announced, I am hoping Sather opens up a little bit to the cameras. I mean the guy has been the Rangers GM for over a decade and we still don’t know him any better than we did the day he got here. This has not helped his public persona one iota.

Whether or not this is because of Dolan’s strict media policy or because Sather doesn’t like to reveal himself is unclear. But 24/7 provides an opportunity not only to give you a glimpse into the lives of the players, but also into the front office.

I know when it comes to divulging information about the team he and Torts like to play things close-to-the-vest, but there can be a balance. Hopefully this program will shed some light on the “man behind the curtain.”

Yankees Hope To Have Winter Classic At Some Point

While watching a NCAA Football game at Yankee Stadium, Mark Herrmann caught up with New York Yankees CEO Lonn Trost about other events at Yankee Stadium, to which Trost replied “Hopefully, we’ll have hockey here.” Clearly this indicates that the Yankees want to have a Winter Classic at the Stadium in the future.

The problem herein lies with the Pinstripe Bowl, which plays on December 30 each year from 2010-2013, when the initial contract runs out. Because of the timing required to set up a rink, there is not enough time between the Bowl game and the Winter Classic (January 1) to get the rink set up in time. In short, any Winter Classic at Yankee Stadium would have to be after the current contract with the Pinstripe Bowl runs its course.

There are other non-BCS bowls played after New Year’s Day, so that would be the most realistic scenario for the Yankees and the NHL. Assuming tearing down a rink can be done within two or three days, Yankee Stadium could be a viable option for a Winter Classic in the future. But it won’t be the near future.

For more news and analysis on the Winter Classic, click here.

Winter Classic To Be Formally Announced

In what is surely a nominee for the “Worst Kept Secret In The NHL” award, there is a press conference today at Citizens Bank Park with both the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers in attendance. Naturally, we all know they will be announcing the Winter Classic, but the added perk is that they are also announcing the jersies for the game.

HBO is supposed to have cameras in the house, but since it’s a press conference, don’t expect too much vulgarity from one John Tortorella.  Of course, I am still considering opening a betting line for the number of f-bombs Torts drops during the 24/7 series.  I figure the over/under should be set at 7.5 f-bombs per episode.  Thoughts?

Winter Classic Is Officially Official, Sort Of

While the NHL still hasn’t formally announced the Winter Classic, news has been popping up left and right about the game.  It could quite possibly be the worst kept secret in the NHL, ever.  Over at Puck Daddy, they have confirmed that the Winter Classic will indeed happen between the Rangers and the Flyers on January 2, 2012.  Also confirmed is the New Year’s Eve Alumni Classic.

I have to laugh at this, because this is one of the more humorous events to be ongoing this summer.  The NHL hasn’t formally announced anything while they work out the kinks with Phillies ownership, so it’s understandable.  But it’s funny how all these different things pop up confirming the Winter Classic.  Also funny is that the auction mentioned in PD’s link has now been updated to “COMING SOON”.

The Alumni Game might be fun to watch, as I’m sure guys like Messier, Leetch, and Graves will suit up.  I doubt Richter will though because of all those concussions.  Maybe Lindros suits up for the Rangers?  That would be kind of funny.  If he suits up for the Flyers, think he gets booed?

As for the game itself, holding it on January 2 is perfect because it really does eliminate the competition with all those NCAA football bowl games.  I never understood why the NHL went toe-to-toe with college football, they can’t win.

But if you were holding off on planning your trip to the US/Philly for the official announcement, consider this to be as official as you’re going to get until the put an end to this mockery.  The auction was being done by Ed Snider, who owns Comcast/NBC/the Flyers/the city of Philadelphia.  So go for it, book those flights.  Or don’t.  Honestly, at this rate they might “officially” announce the game in October.

Dear Rangers, Don’t Fear The Power Of HBO’s 24/7, Embrace It

It’s long been known by both Knicks and Rangers fans, as well as the media who covers them, that Dolan operates MSG behind an Iron Curtain. Interviews are rarely given, team analysis is supposedly directed to never focus on the negatives, and the message always appears to be very controlled.

Things were so bad a couple of years back that when Dolan hired Donnie Walsh, Donnie had to answer a litany of questions at his first press conference about whether his media policy would be any less stringent than past regimes. Things have improved a little on the Knicks side since then, but the relationship between the Rangers Front Office and the fans/media remains tense.

Glen Sather has been the Rangers GM for over a decade, and Rangers fans still don’t know him any better than they did the day he moved to New York from Edmonton. Whether or not this is because of Dolan’s policy or because Sather is just aloof is unclear. Either way, how many times can you say you have heard the man speak? Now compare them to beloved Capitals owner, Ted Leonsis. Big difference right? Well, Ted blogs, tweets, and does interviews.

Then there is Tortorella, who operates in a Tom Coughlin/Bill Belichick, close-to-the-vest type fashion when it comes to divulging information. He’s quick to tell you what he thinks of your questions (as Larry Brooks can attest to), but not so much about his reasoning behind his decisions.

All of this makes me think of The Joker’s infamous line, why so serious?

And why are they so serious? What could Torts or Glen possibly say that will distract or disrupt this team? A better question, will their inhibitions with the media affect what we see on HBO’s 24/7?

The optimist in me says that Bettman called these guys and explained the positive effect this show had on how people view and understand professional hockey. The pessimist in me says that the Rangers PR department will demand to see the final edit and cut out anything diehard hockey fans might find interesting.

If the Rangers Front Office is smart they will use 24/7 to their advantage, and this includes how we perceive Sather and Tortorella as people. For Torts, by allowing us into his office and into the Rangers locker room unfiltered, we can learn what it truly takes to coach a young and upcoming hockey team in the world’s toughest city. For Sather, I am willing to bet all my silk ties that if he actually opens up to HBO’s cameras, he will change cynical opinions of him FOR THE BETTER.

Remember, people always fear what they can’t understand and hate what they can’t conquer. Maybe it’s time for Rangers fans to understand what really goes on behind close doors. Maybe it will be a start to repairing our relationship.