After the Rangers overtime win last night, coach John Tortorella held his usual post-game press conference. This one was a lot different than his previous press conferences, as the coach was very candid and very passionate about his defense of Brad Richards. You can watch the video above for the full interview, but the Richards excerpt is below:

“I think it’s important to spend a couple of minutes on that out of respect to Brad. By no means is this a situation where I take him out where I’m blaming him. I’m playing Brad on the fourth line, he’s playing seven or eight minutes, it’s not good for him, it doesn’t work playing Brad Richards that way. I also feel some other guys have played better so that’s where he is right now in our lineup. It just doesn’t work, I’m not playing him the proper way but I can’t put him on the other lines becausre I think the other lines have stepped up. I look at the fourth line, I’m looking to get some kind of life, some sort of identity on that fourth line and that’s where Brad comes out. You get some fresh legs some enthusiasm.

“I’m sure people will pick it apart. I want to make sure you know, Brad Richards is a hell of a hockey player. He’s had struggles here. It continues, me putting him in that role does not help him. So I’d rather have him out and identify how we’re going to run our fourth line. So don’t put words in my mouth, it’s not blamng Brad Richards, I’ve already heard enough of that crap already as far as this is concerned. He’s a hell of a hockey player that’s having a hell of a time so I need to make decision for what I feel is right for this team to win tonight’s game. This is a Conn Smythe winner, a guy I’ve grown up with, a guy as a love as a person and a player but I have to make that decision regarding this so kiss my [backside] if you want to write something different, it’s not about blaming that guy. I don’t want anbybody to pile on him. This is my decision and I make it for the hockey club.”

Torts and Richards have a great history together, and Richards passed up more money to come to New York and play under John Tortorella. When it comes to winning, Torts will do anything to win, and we now know that includes benching his alternate captain. It came with the territory when Richards signed here, and now he’s experiencing it.

Torts’ logic in benching Richards was that he was being mis-used because of his struggles, and that part is absolutely true. He was getting dominated by the Bruins’ fourth line because Richards is not the type of player to be on the fourth line. When the top-nine were outperforming him, it was only a matter of time before he was in the press box. The utter dominance of the Bs fourth line exascerbated the situation.

No matter what comes of this –expect him to continue sitting– it should be noted that this was purely a hockey move. Torts did what he needed to do, and he deserves credit for making a tough decision. What happens in the future with Richards (note: likely to be bought out) will also be hockey moves.

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Rangers were able to keep their season going/salvage some dignity last night with a dramatic OT win over the Bruins at MSG.  My sister-in-law, who is an ER nurse, was working last night and catching bits and pieces of the game on a hospital TV.  Between the third period and OT, she posted on Facebook, “Ok Rangers, I kept my patient alive, you can keep this game alive!”.  It was a nice microcosm of the attitude of Ranger fandom, and her defiant faith was rewarded.  The Blueshirts still have quite the task ahead, but as they say, “one game at a time”.   Since we are heading back to Boston tomorrow, I thought I’d share some thoughts about the game and series in general…

• Henrik Lundqvist was stellar again last night.  The funny thing about The King in this series is that he gets blasted for Game 2 (simply due to the number of goals allowed), but I thought he was hung out to dry big time in that game.  For me, if the Rangers fall say, one game short, the missed opportunity will have been Game 1.  Both of the regulation goals in that game were stoppable, and the complexion of this series could have been very different going to New York.
• As Ranger fans, we tend to focus on our team’s shortcomings in the event of failure.  Let’s not forget in this instance, the Boston Bruins are a very good team.  They can roll four lines for 60 minutes and have plenty of system depth.  We didn’t have a Torey Krug or Matt Bartkowski to slot into the lineup when Marc Staal got hurt.  Many fans are going to lament the teams goal scoring woes, and seek to bolster the offense in the offseason, but I think quality depth is the number one priority at this stage.
• With that said, as angry and frustrating as this round has been for me, I still try to remain cognizant of the fact that the Rangers are missing three important pieces.  There is no need to delve into how important Marc Staal is to this hockey club.  The front office spent 2, maybe 3 draft picks to acquire Ryane Clowe, who immediately turned the offense into a physical, forechecking machine.  And, although I’m not the world’s biggest Darrell Powe fan, we could sure use him on the penalty kill at the moment.
• Ok, I’m going to talk about John Tortorella now.  I’m also going to preface this with the understanding that some people just aren’t going to click with his personality.  That’s completely fine, but let’s talk strictly about how he affects the team.  Derek Jeter is one of the most respected and idolized figures in this history of New York sports.  The New York media adore him, and he is one of the best quiet leaders in sports.  The problem I have with Derek and players of that ilk *coughCallycough*, is that they never actually tell you anything in their interviews.  They are wrought with cliché and team speak, saying all the right things while actually saying nothing at all.  Torts is the opposite of this.  I happen to find it refreshing and honest, even if his delivery and tone leave something to be desired.
• It must have been an incredibly difficult decision to scratch Brad Richards last night.  Around here, we have the luxury of being able to make cold, objective decisions about a player’s performance or role on the team.  Torts has to manage the egos and relationships amongst 23 grown men.  Brad Richards is a close personal friend of Torts; they won a Cup together, and Richie came to New York to play for Torts.  Easy to make that call from here, but most coaches wouldn’t have the moxie to pull the trigger.
• Torts also knows what the media does in these situations.  As I’m sure his postgame presser has gone viral by now, I can respect him being able to diffuse (well, deflect) that situation and take the spotlight off Richie himself.  Torts clearly is a magnet for media strife/controversy due to his gruff style, but he clearly has a deep respect for the player and the person, and he wasn’t going to let that be trivialized by some beat writer looking for page views.
• Now, with regard to his tactics, I think some tweaks need to be made, specifically in the defensive zone.  I think the wings need to start being positioned higher, which will allow for more pressure on opposing point men and less time pinned in the defensive zone.  Additionally, this will aid in the breakout, as they will force those same point men to back off into the neutral zone as the ice is stretched out north/south when the Rangers’ d-men control the puck.  Right now, the opposition knows that the Ranger forwards aren’t breaking into the neutral zone for the long outlet because they are so low in the zone.  This emboldens them to put more pressure on the puck carrier and limits the options on the breakout.
• There has been a lot of talk in the comments section about what kind of effect Tort’s personality has on the room as a motivating tool, so I thought I would address it directly.  In a vacuum, a positive, accessible coach is generally going to be a better motivator than an abrupt, brutally honest type.  However, there is an intangible that goes on inside a room that gets left someone unaccounted for.  There are some coaches who you just want to play hard for.  You crave their approval and all that comes with being the guy who contributed.  It’s a very difficult effect to explain if you haven’t experienced it, but no matter how frustrated the fans get, the boys in the room seem to have a deep respect and desire to play for their coach.
• Nash-Stepan-Kreider, who knew?

Ok, so this kind of turned into a Torts post, with some actual player analysis mixed in.  If you think about it though, the Rangers just played a real live hockey game, avoided the sweep, and got something of an overtime monkey off their backs.  Yet, about 75% of this post has been about Torts.  What better way to take pressure off of your players and keep them loose for the next one, than that?

One game at a time. Kreider with the OT winner.

Chris Kreider, he of much debate this season, gave the Rangers at least two more days of their 2013 season with his overtime winner. This series is a long way from being over, but the Rangers have a long way to go before gaining significant momentum. Henrik Lundqvist kept them alive through overtime with magnificent saves, and then the kid got himself out of the doghouse. Game Five is Saturday at 5:30pm in Boston.

Bruins 1, Rangers 0

After Kris Newbury takes a pretty boneheaded penalty, the Bruins got a bit of a lucky goal with the man advantage. The Bruins gained the zone and Nathan Horton had the puck at the bottom of the off-wing circle. He passed to the middle, but David Krejci was expecting shot, so he jumped out of the way. He left his stick on the ice, and the pass actually hit his stick and went right back to Horton. Hank was in position for the pass, but not the redirection back to Horton. Horton’s shot went through the legs of a sliding Lundqvist. That’s the type of series it’s been for the Rangers.

Bruins 2, Rangers 0

After Michael Del Zotto, who had a rough series, took an interference penalty, the Rangers were once again victimized by rookie defenseman Torey Krug. The Bruins worked the puck well on the powerplay, and after a good shot from the point, the puck wound up at the point for Krug to wind up for a one-timer. Krug let go an absolute laser with Brian Boyle in front screening Hank. Puck went right over his glove. The Rangers did overcommit to the strong side on the initial shot, before the puck circled around back to Krug, which has been an issue all series.

Rangers 1 Bruins 2

Tuukka Rask fell down? I don’t know. This one was weird. It’s about time the Rangers had some luck on their side.

Rangers 2, Bruins 2

The goalie is supposed to tell the defenseman if there is a player pinching. Rask failed to do that for Zdeno Chara, and Derek Stepan was able to sneak in and steal the puck from a slowing Chara. Rask was also slow to get back to the net, and Stepan used his speed and momentum to wrap the puck around and stuff it in the empty net. Chara should’ve been more careful as well. Both he and Rask got real lazy, and Stepan took advantage.

Bruins 3, Rangers 2

Although this goal doesn’t officially come on the powerplay, Ryan McDonagh didn’t get back before Tyler Seguin got the goal. The Bruins caught the Rangers tired and running around, and were able to generate solid puck movement. After the puck gets to Chara at the point, he faked a shot and passed to Seguin. Seguin sent the puck cross ice to Dougie Hamilton, who one-timed it back to Seguin for a one-timer that Hank made a beautiful save on. Problem was that Ryan Callahan bit on the initial fake-shot by Seguin (when he passed to Hamilton) and was unable to recover. Seguin got his own rebound.

Rangers 3, Bruins 3

With the Rangers on the powerplay –yes, they scored a powerplay goal– the unit managed to gain the zone, which was a battle in itself this series. Stepan bought some time on the far boards and eventually drew a drifting Gregory Campbell too deep. Gregory Campbell was too deep. Brian Boyle recognized this, and circled to the high slot, where Campbell should have been. Boyle was the closest Ranger to the net aside from Stepan, but that is the power of Derek Stepan. He drew coverage, and dumped a perfect backhanded pass to the high slot for Boyle. With Campbell too deep, Boyle was open for the shot. Rask had no chance.

Rangers 4, Bruins 3

The Rangers won a defensive face off, and the puck worked itself to Rick Nash from Chris Kreider on the off wing. Nash was given enough room to stop at the top of the circle and look for a pass to a cutting Kreider. He placed it perfectly on his stick, and Kreider deflected it right over Rask for the winner.

The series is still 3-1, but the Rangers have some life in them. One shift at a time. One game at a time.

COREY SIPKIN/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

The Rangers are facing a steep climb to get back into this series, but it all starts with one game. As Kevin said yesterday, one shift at a time. If you win each shift, you’ll win the game, and that should be the priority for the Rangers. The biggest news is that Brad Richards is a healthy scratch and Anton Stralman is out tonight with an undisclosed injury. Chris Kreider is also out. Replacing them are Kris Newbury, Micheal Haley, and Roman Hamrlik. If you thought the fourth line wasn’t playing before, just wait til it has Haley and Newbury in the playoffs.

Series Previews:

Game 3 goal breakdown
Game 2 goal breakdown
Positives/negatives of Game 1
5 keys for success for the Rangers
Rangers/Bruins second round preview
Five keys for success against the Bruins
Scouting Tuukka Rask and his goaltending style
Previewing the Bruins and their systems/styles of play

Series: Bruins lead 3-0

NYR Playoff Leading Scorer: Derick Brassard (2-8-10)
BOS Playoff Leading Scorer: David Krejci (5-11-16)

NYR Playoff Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist (10 GP, 2.10 GAA, .935 SV%)
BOS Playoff Goaltender: Tuukka Rask (10 GP, 2.19 GAA, .930 SV%)

New York Rangers Tickets
RSVP to potentially win tickets to a game

Rangers Lines (unconfirmed until Torts releases the lineup):

Carl Hagelin-Derek Stepan-Ryan Callahan
Chris Kreider-Derick Brassard-Rick Nash
Mats Zuccarello-Brian Boyle-Taylor Pyatt
Derek Dorsett-Kris Newbury-Micheal Haley

Ryan McDonagh-Michael Del Zotto
Dan Girardi-John Moore
Roman Hamrlik-Steve Eminger

Henrik Lundqvist

Scratches/Injuries:  Darroll Powe (concussion), Anton Stralman (undisclosed), Ryane Clowe (undisclosed), Brad Richards (healthy), Matt Gilroy (healthy), Arron Asham (healthy)

Broadcast Info: NBCSN 7:30pm

Anyway, so the Bruins were putting on a clinic, creating three quality scoring chances before the game hit the 10 minute mark. I started to think to myself, “Come on Torts, make the adjustment. Drop the third guy back.”

And what does Tortorella do? He makes the adjustment.

As you can see in the picture above, with six minutes left in the first period the Rangers ditched the 2-1-2 for a slightly more conservative 2-3 lock. If you don’t know the difference between these two forechecks, I humbly ask you to read up on my chalk talks here.

So the coaching staff makes the adjustment, and I was back to being a happy Suit. But here is where things get interesting. Late in the first period, McGuire was trashing Tortorella and going on and on about how he coached all of these years in the National Hockey League. This felt odd because the only time I remember him coaching was in the 90′s for the Whalers and it wasn’t even for a full season. But I dismissed it. McGuire always loves to exaggerate and toot his own horn.

Then McGuire went after the Rangers forechecking system and he criticized Torts for not making the proper adjustments. Specifically, he thought the Rangers should switch to a mid-lane lock, which is just another term for the 2-3. If you don’t remember this, here’s the video.

IMG_0190

You’ll notice that this particular rant from McGuire (I know there were many) ends with just under four minutes left in the first period. Yet the adjustment was already made as evidenced above? This begs the question, why? Why ignore the adjustment? Did Pierre miss it? Or is this some sort of payback for abrupt interviews?

I normally respect Pierre. He’s been working in this game for a long time, but his analysis during this series has been pretty bad. Point in case, the Bruins had 16 giveaways on Sunday and the Rangers had one. We weren’t able to capitalize on those turnovers, but still – 16 is too high to ignore. Was there any mention of it by anyone? Nope.

Look, I get it. I know the Rangers are losing. They don’t deserve much praise right now, but fans deserve honest analysis and this post is proof we’re not getting it.

Not going anywhere. (JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF)

Chris isn’t available to do the musings today, so you’re stuck with me today. Today is game day, although I sense that many have a feeling of dread today. With the Rangers down 3-0, it’s understandable. Winning this series is unlikely, but it has been done before against these Bruins. That was in 2010 when the Flyers came back from down 3-0 to win the series, but many of the Bruins on that team are still on the current team. It’s not impossible.

Of the players still on the roster: Patrice Bergeron, Johnny Boychuk, Zdeno Chara, Andrew Ference, David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Adam McQuaid, Daniel Paille, Tuukka Rask, Dennis Seidenberg, Shawn Thornton. That’s 11 skaters, although Krejci was injured for the last four games of that series in 2010.

Of course, the Rangers will need to get some sort of steady defense –difficult without Anton Stralman or Marc Staal– and some sort of consistent offense. The Rangers need to put Henrik Lundqvist in a position to win, which they haven’t done yet this series. If Hank gives up two goals, the Rangers can’t win. That seems to be the case, and it really shouldn’t be. Hank’s been fantastic –aside from Game Two– and you sort of feel for the guy.

Rant: Why do people think that Hank isn’t a playoff goalie? If he gives up more than two goals in a game, then the team automatically loses because the team can’t score. It’s utterly ridiculous. It’s always people who don’t follow this team too. If you even do a little research you’ll see the Rangers don’t score, and almost all of Hank’s losses are when he gives up 2 –or even worse, 1– goals. Just laziness.

Rant #2: Why do people think that all of this is John Tortorella’s fault? A) He doesn’t work on the PP, that’s Mike Sullivan (the next point will cover the anemic powerplay). B) His systems aren’t passive, they are aggressive. There is a big difference between “defense first” and “passive” that many just can’t see. We’ve covered this ad nauseam on this blog. If you want direct links to our posts, ask in the comments. I’m not putting them here. C) He has not lost the locker room. Everyone saying he has is a fan that isn’t in the locker room. Also, everyone thought Joel Quenneville lost the Chicago locker room last season, and look what happened. D) People take exception to his “yelling at the players.” He’s a coach, not your friend (thanks Herb Brooks). There’s a saying in the professional world: “It’s good when you get yelled at, it shows people care. It’s when they stop yelling that you need to take notice. It means they’ve given up.”

The powerplay: It’s tough to have a successful powerplay when your PPQB (Brad Richards) forgets how to play hockey. Michael Del Zotto is not ready to take over the pressures yet (he’s just 22, defensemen don’t really get comfortable until they hit that 24-25 year old mark). John Moore has a nice shot, but he’s a rookie. Dan Girardi doesn’t belong on the point. You can make an argument for Ryan McDonagh, and that’s about it. Of course the bigger issue is lack of movement and the relatively static nature of the powerplay. It won’t get Sully fired (he does other things), but they will probably look to hire a powerplay coach in the offseason.

The Penguins sure are hitting a stride now. Tomas Vokoun really stabilized them in net.

Surprised that San Jose is giving the Kings so many problems. I didn’t expect that, but I still think the Kings repeat this year.

How about those Red Wings? Everyone thought the Hawks would steamroll, but the Wings have looked mighty impressive so far.

Some non-playoff notes:

• Alain Vigneault was fired by Vancouver. For those hoping it happens to Torts: Keep dreaming.
  
• The Rangers have until June 1 to sign 2011 draftees Shane McColgan (4th) and Sam Noreau (6th). McColgan is still playing in the Memorial Cup, so if the organization signs him, it likely won’t be until the conclusion of the tournament. As for Noreau, I’m surprised the team hasn’t signed him yet. I know he’s not the best prospect, but this was a team very thin on defense at the AHL/ECHL level. I don’t watch Noreau regularly, but he’s one big dude and was given primary shutdown minutes for a Baie-Comeau team that went to the QMJHL Finals.
• The Rangers also have until June 1 to sign Peter Ceresnak (2011, 7th). I don’t expect them to pursue this option, which is why I’m relatively surprised Noreau hasn’t been given his ELC at the moment.
• The other 2011 draftee (Steve Fogarty, 3rd) is in the NCAA and just finished his freshman season, so the Rangers won’t sign him until the end of his junior year at the earliest.
• Could you imagine if Mike Sauer didn’t get hurt?

Questions:

• How many games do you think the Rangers win in this series?
• If the Rangers get swept, do you consider this to be a successful season, all things considered (lockout, no camp, roster turnover, two top players not producing)?
• Who do you think comes out of the East? West? Who wins the Cup?
• If you think Torts has lost the locker room, what makes you think that? Remember the point made above.