Tortorella and Sather At Odds?

As per Jesse Spector, it looks like Rangers Head Coach John Tortorella is not agreeing with some of the decisions made by General Manager Glen Sather. Spector states that by reading between the lines of Tortorella’s diplomatic responses to the media, it gives the general impression that the coach and general manager are not really seeing eye-to-eye on many roster moves. These moves include the demotion of Tim Kennedy, and the decision not to call up any bodies from Hartford in the wake of the number of injuries sustained with the Rangers.

I have suggested that Tortorella has not fully agreed with many of Sather’s moves in the past, particularly those decisions regarding Wade Redden. This goes way back to the decisions to sign players like Donald Brashear, trade for players like Derek Morris, and decisions not to carry extra forwards or defensemen. While Tortorella has not been candid about his disagreements with Sather, it appears that he is started to grow frustrated with his lack of control over the team he puts on the ice.

As per Spector, when asked about the lack of reinforcements from Hartford after last Friday’s game against the Maple Leafs that saw Chris Drury and Marian Gaborik go down long term with injuries, Tortorella said simply “It’s not my call”. Tortorella had a very similar answer for the media when asked about Tim Kennedy’s demotion to the AHL. Tortorella had more words when it came to the decision to send both Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko to the minors as part of the final cuts:

“When Glen asked me, it’s just based on hockey,” Tortorella said when the final cuts were made. “They played very well at certain times, and at certain times, they struggled….We feel they have a chance to be part of the core – it’s just that they need to go down there and go through the process a bit. It’s a hard position, defense.”

Clearly there’s logic there that I agree with. When it became clear that Matt Gilroy and Steve Eminger were locks for the roster, it made logical sense to send both McDonagh and Valentenko to the minors, as neither had to clear waivers, whereas Michael Sauer did. But now the Rangers roster is flawed, and the third pairing is essentially useless without a left handed shot (of which both McDonagh and Valentenko are). This is a situation that no one is really sure how the Rangers are going to solve.

If Tortorella and Sather really are at odds, then it is something that is not unique to this season alone. Disagreements like this generally do not appear out of thin air, they grow over time. With Spector reporting about this issue this season, it is likely that these disagreements have been going on since Tortorella arrived. No coach/general manager relationship is perfect, but with Sather cemented in place with what seems to be a lifetime deal, this is a battle that Tortorella simply cannot win.

Tortorella On Thin Ice?

With the Rangers off to a rough start, Rangers head coach John Tortorella could potentially be on thin ice. Lyle Richardson (Spector) lists the Rangers coach as one of five coaches in the league that could be looking for another job if the Rangers continue to have a rough start to the year:

Injuries to key players like Marian Gaborik have whacked the Rangers roster hard early in this season, and management’s overpayment of free agents in recent years has hampered their ability to bolster their depth. Tortorella cannot be blamed for those factors but the demanding coach could end up paying the price at some point should the Blueshirts fall behind in the playoff race. Emotional, outspoken coaches like Tortorella tend to have a limited shelf life, especially when the team is losing, and after losing three of their first four games the speculation over how long he’ll stay in his current job has begun.

Funny enough, this was probably the deepest the Rangers forwards have been in recent years. However, as Spector says, injuries have completely decimated the Rangers. When the line of Sean Avery-Derek Stepan-Ruslan Fedotenko was having so much success, they were facing bottom four defensemen. Now with Marian Gaborik out, that line faces the top pairing defensemen on a regular basis. Instead of facing the Andres Meszaros’, they face the Chris Prongers of the league. Injuries not only affect those injured, but the opposition the remaining players face.

Tortorella’s coaching decisions have been a subject of contention for Ranger fans during his tenure in New York. These decisions stem from the lack of legitimate minutes for the fourth line (no matter who is on it), to the concern about never carrying an extra forward or defenseman (although that may not have been his call), to the questionable benching of Sean Avery (which led to an off year last season). More recently, Tortorella has come under fire for his refusal to sit Steve Eminger, even though he has been arguably the worst Ranger defenseman this year.

It is tough to blame Tortorella for the lackluster start for the Rangers. The injuries have crippled the forwards, and the lack of a third lefty defenseman has rendered the bottom pairing useless. However, some of the decisions he has made has been the cause of debate amongst fans. Head coaches are always going to be second guessed by the media and fans alike, it’s the nature of the job. However, if the Rangers continue to slide once Gaborik, Chris Drury, and Vinny Prospal return, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see John Tortorella shown the door, especially with Glen Sather owning what seems to be a lifetime deal with the organization.

Pressure to Play Redden?

Surely by now you have all read coach John Tortorella’s comments on breakup day. For those of you that have not, I’m going to quote what I’m analyzing in this post, with the bolded sections being of more importance:

“I’ve talked to Glen about this. I’d like to see us get younger. I’d like to see us add to our core and grow together. And then we’re not adding 10 pieces this year. I think that’s important. I think Henrik’s at an important time of his career; I think we’ve got Gaborik who’s a legitimate star—I don’t like the way he has played in big games; I think he still needs to cross the line there and play better in big games. But we’ve got some pieces here. I think Rozsival has grown his game to be more competitive. So there’s some good things with the core. But I think we need to add to it with some youth, and grow it together.”

Said he would have liked to have been able to use Weise, and not sure about how Grachev’s year went, would like to see more of Potter. “Again, I’d love to get younger.”

Now, one can read this quote two ways. First, you have the obvious of what he is stating: he would like to get younger, but he feels he has a core of veterans that should be sticking around. He specifically mentions Michal Rozsival by name as a player in that core. He also mentions specific players that would help make the team younger, specifically Dale Weise and Corey Potter. I will analyze more of this a little more in a separate post.

Before I begin, I want to make it well known that this is not about Wade Redden the person. From what I understand, Redden is a very nice, very likable guy. This is about Redden the symbol, the symbol that ownership and management may have really “screwed the pooch” on this one. The symbol that there may be more to the coaching selections for defense than what meets the eye. Again, this is not about Wade Redden the person.

What I notice here is that Wade Redden was not mentioned. Clearly, through other quotes, Tortorella and Redden do not see eye to eye, and it it abundantly clear that Torts does not want Redden on the team next year. I am just speculating here, but reading in between the lines of what Tortorella has said; why would Tortorella continue to play Redden if he wants to see more of Corey Potter? Potter is NHL ready, and Redden was having a horrible year.

Now again, I am just speculating here, but it could be possible that upper management and ownership was pressuring the coaching staff into playing Redden. This scenario would certainly answer a lot of questions that Rangers fans have regarding Redden, his play, and the seventh defenseman. If ownership was indeed pressuring the coaches to play Redden, then the seventh defenseman would have been both unnecessary and a huge risk. Should the seventh defenseman, specifically Potter, play better than Redden, Rangers fans would absolutely mutiny when Redden is inserted back into the lineup.

The Rangers front office and coaching staff are reaching an important juncture in their relationship. If management wants John Tortorella to stick around, then his input on the roster decisions is going to have to be honored. It cannot be any clearer that Torts does not want Redden around. From my speculation, it seems clear that ownership is not ready to call the Wade Redden Experiment a failure just yet. With continued pressure to play the struggling defenseman, is it possible for this Rangers team to be better than mediocre? Can the Rangers improve their situation without dumping Redden’s contract? Unless you can predict the future, the answer to that question is simply unknown. What is know, however, is that ownership and the coaching staff are divided on this issue. The 2010 offseason could be the offseason that defines the Rangers organization for years to come, whichever way this situation is resolved.

The Avery Effect

“I know what’s been asked of me, so whenever I get my next opportunity that’s certainly the thing I’m going to have to do. I’m gonna keep that to myself.”

Ever since John Tortorella became head coach, Sean Avery hasn’t been himself. At his best, Avery is an agitator, who can chip in scoring. He can make plays, with his mouth and with his stick. For all his antics, he actually is a really good player.

But, we saw that good player under Tom Renney. Renney didn’t have a leash on Avery. He let him go. That’s part of the problem with Renney. Some said he was too soft. Not on Avery.

So, when Torts was brought in, we all thought he would bring accountability. And he has, to some degree. He benched Avery after his antics in Game 4 of the Washington series (I was at that game. It wasn’t that bad. And the Rangers won, so who cares? But I digress). He’s benching him after his recent bad play.

But, Avery hasn’t been himself. He’s not being as physical. He’s not chatting up the other players. And he’s not scoring. Watch this video:

While I still disagree with what Avery did, it serves a greater point. He was agitating the other team, and then he scored. That was a classic Avery shift (side note: I love when Drury sort of punches Avery, telling him to stop screen Brodeur like that. People say he’s an awful captain, but that’s what a captain does). When Avery was on that 5-on-3, he was in the front of the net, making things happen. He doesn’t do that anymore. And part of it is because of Torts.

I think Torts has been an okay coach for the Rangers. But, his odd way of reprimanding Avery for playing his game, has cost the Rangers points. Why do you think the Rangers have such a bad home record? When Avery is at his best, the crowd is fired up. The crowd hasn’t been fired up lately.

We’ll see what this Avery benching does, to the team and to Sean. If it’s just one game, how will Avery respond? Will he come back as his self? Or will he try to impress Torts, and play a conservative game? So much for Safe is Death.

Redden, Kotalik Benched

You wanted changes? Well, you got changes. Wade Redden and Ales Kotalik will be healthy scratches for tonight’s game against the Islanders. Bobby Sanguinetti and Erik Christensen will take their place.  We all expected something to be done, especially after the tirade by Torts. And Kotalik deserves to be benched. But I would have much rather seen Chris Higgins, or Michal Rosival be benched. I would say Drury too, but his PK work is too invaluable. When the Rangers hired Torts, we expected an Iron Fist coaching style. This is the first sign of it. Still, he has to do more. He has to go further. He has to bench Rosy, who is beyond ineffective. Right now, as a friend of mine says, the Rangers are Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik and a bunch of figure skaters. That’s what they are. We’ll see how the team responds to the moves. Personally, my hopes aren’t high.

Tortorella’s Tirade

Luckily, I’m in Delaware (who thought I’d ever say that?) and didn’t have to subject myself to that abysmal performance by the Rangers last night. I saw enough on ESPN this morning, and read enough on Rick Carpiniello’s interview with Tortorella, to know that the Rangers flat out sucked.

“I’ll tell you right now, the thing that’s unacceptable about tonight’s game — and we’re trying to stay positive around here, trying to work out way through it — but when we play like (poop) like that for 20 minutes, in a game like this, in a back-to-back situation, it’s unacceptable . .. it is simply unacceptable. And there has to be something done. We’ll see, along the way here, before tomorrow night’s game, where we go with it. It’s simply unacceptable how we start that game. I wish I could give you a (firetruckin’) explanation for it. I can’t.”

Those are big words from the coach, but will he back it up? Which heads are going to roll before tonight’s game on the Island in the World’s Most Horrible Arena? I didn’t watch the game, so I don’t know which player’s are most accountable for that performance last night. I would guess Bobby Sanguinetti will get a chance to play tonight. It will probably be at the expense of Ilkka Heikinen, but one can only hope it’s Michal Rozsival who gets the boot to the press box.

It All Started With A Timeout

The Rangers came out flat tonight. Two goals in the first ten minutes by Columbus. So what does John Tortorella do? He calls a timeout. How do the Rangers respond? 7 straight goals.

It’s not often that a timeout will work this well. It will probably never work this well. But for this game, in this very important game, it worked. Rangers savior Marian Gaborik had two goals. Michael Del Zotto looked like Brian Leetch. Sean Avery had two. This team was grinding. Higgins played his best game as a Ranger. They were physical. They stood up for teammates. This was the Rangers team we saw early in the year. This was the team that got us all excited. Will they keep it up? I don’t know. If they do, we’ll know it all started with a timeout.

And kudos to all the folks commenting today, we had a BSB record with 108 comments! Great job guys. Keep it up.

Byers Suspended

As per Andrew Gross, Ranger winger Dane Byers was suspended one game by the NHL for instigating the brawl at the end of last night’s game against Vancouver. Coach John Tortorella has also been fined $10,000. This is an automatic suspension / brawl for getting an instigator penalty.

Second Guessing Torts

Throughout his tenure, I haven’t really second guessed John Tortorella. I’ve agreed with all his moves, and the results, so far, have been pretty good. Monday, against the Sharks, provided the first time to second guess him. Torts went with Steve Valliquette against the high powered Sharks. Now, his reasoning was that he wanted to give Hank rest, and that it doesn’t really matter the opponent. Well, it does. The Sharks are one of the best teams in the NHL. They have an unbelievable offense, led by Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and company. They are the Caps of the West. And yet, Torts went with Valliquette. Not with Lundqvist. I understand giving Henrik a rest. In fact, he needs rest, especially in an Olympic year. But, rest him against the Maple Leaves. Rest him against the lesser teams in the NHL. Not San Jose. Not one of the best. Hopefully, Torts will learn from his mistake. He’ll play Vally against Toronto, or the Islanders. He won’t play him against Pittsburgh, or against Washington. Let’s hope.

Stan Fischler Interview with Torts

The age-less Stan Fischler caught up with John Tortorella to discuss the offseason, 2009-2010 outlook, and just general expectations. He asked all the questions that are definitely on our minds, from Sean Avery to Marian Gaborik, but one thing caught my attention:

IMPROVING THE POWER PLAY: “The biggest thing we need is to have someone to settle it down. We need a quarterback just to have poise and not make a bad play; a turnover. One of our biggest weaknesses was a lack of poise and our building can be tough. Redden has to be one of the guys who can settle it down and Rozsival as well.”

Like it or not, Wade Redden will be the PP QB this year, at least to start. We all saw an improvement on his part once Torts took over, but this really puts it in perspective. Redden will be the #1 defenseman on this team. He will be QBing the powerplay, and he will be given every opportunity to succeed. While I don’t think he is worth his salary, or is even a #1 defenseman, that is the scenario, and we have to live with it. All we can do is give him support and hope that he reacts well to it.