Notes and Quotes

As previously reported, John Tortorella was happy with the way his team played last night depsite their loss. "I thought we did some really good things," he said. "Our pressure was outstanding. Other than for a few minutes, we controlled the game. Other than that we played a hell of a game. We just can't score a goddamn goal, that's all. We just can't finish. We can't cut the line so fine here and be 1-0 again. We have to get that second goal so that type of situation doesn't hurt you. We're going to keep at it, keep banging at the team concept. I am looking forward to keep growing with the team because they've picked up on how we want to play."

Perhaps the pivotal point in the game was when the team took a 1-0 lead into the third period and started with two consecutive power plays, including a five-on-three. "You don't take advantage of the chances you get, they do bite you," Wade Redden said. "Five-on-three, we talked about a little bit but we didn't get a chance to work on it. We got a few quick plays to the net. We tried to get to the side of the net, get it jammed to the net, hopefully get a bounce. It didn't happen that way -- the puck bounced out of the zone and we didn't get anything after that. Obviously that's a big part of the game right there. Guys just have to relax and let the skills take over. Zherdev [who played the point during the two-man advantage] is so good with the puck -- once he works on it a bit, just get comforatble and plays will come."

"The weakest moment was our five-on-three," Tortorella said. "You can't hate your guys because they're struggling. It's easy to love them when it's going good and hate them when it's going bad. Our best players are going to have to be our best players, and they will -- they will. They're gonna get every opportunity to get us out of this scoring funk. I think Zherdev has a tremendous amount of talent. I'll do it again -- next five-on-three, they'll be back on the ice. I'm not upset with them. I thought they worked their ass off tonight. We're just struggling to score a goal. That's the way it's going. As a coach I have to realize how our team is playing and act accordingly."

Tortorella also wants his best players killing penalties. "I'm a big believer that your best players need to be on your penalty killing," the coach said. "I don't like sitting your top players down for two minutes. We're going to try to teach some of those guys -- when you have your top guys killing penalties, it teaches them to play away from the puck -- it helps them five-on-five." He noted that Fredrik Sjostrom will be in that mix, but he wasn't dressed last night. "Not so much because of his face," he said, Sjostrom taking numerous stitches after his face was cut in three places in Toronto. "I want to look at Voros -- I need to make an assessment. He's going to get a whack tonight. Sjo is banged up but he's ready to play. It's just where the positioning of the lines are this evening, that's the guy I'm going to take out." Sjostrom was not happy -- he stormed out of the building at 4:30 after learning that he would not play.

Voros was surprised to learn that the coach had told the media some of what was said to him about why he was scratched in Toronto. "He told you what he said to me?" he said incredulously. But he said was happy to have had the talk. "It's a lot better to have a guy shoot straight with you, tell you what's up, instead of sitting in the hotel all afternoon on the road wondering what's going on, what the new skipper thinks of you. They brought me here for one reason, to play the style of game that I play. Hopefully I can be more effective at it -- obviously it hasn't gone the way I liked. But if I play my game that got me the reputation that I have, I'll be fine." I asked Voros if Tortorella told him specifically what is expected of him. "If you're at this level and you don't know what your strengths are, it's a fluke that you're here," he replied. Add you own punch line.

Tortorella insisted that the scoring woes were not a result of lack of talent. "There's some talent there," he said. "I watched two games prior to me coaching one game and I can just see them squeezing their sticks. I look at Chris -- he played his ass off, did a lot of good things, ended up with three scoring chances, had two helpers on other scoring chances. He has a wide open net and just fans. That's going to change, and when it does and they feel a little bit of pressure off of them, it will come with more consistency. So it has nothing to do with lack of talent -- we're just in a jam. I guess it's been going on for quite a while here." Seventeen games and counting for Drury.

Tortorella explained what happened on the apparent Brandon Dubinsky goal that was waved off in the opening minute. "Billy came over and said Toronto had said it's no goal," he said, referring to referee Bill McCreary and the NHL's War Room in Toronto, which apparently made the quick call without actually looking at replays that clearly showed no high stick. "So there's no sense arguing with the referee -- the refs have no call after that. It's up to the league in Toronto. I said, 'OK, let's play.' I don't care about that play -- the league said it's no goal, it's no goal. We said let's play, and we played well." "It was one of those close things," Dubinsky said. "I felt it was good. They obviously felt otherwise. I'm not sure of the process there -- it was a tough call either way."

Henrik Lundqvist was not happy giving up the tying goal. "I tried to stay high and I think he missed it because he tried to go up," he explained. "I reacted for a high shot and had my shoulders up and it went five-hole. It was a weak goal, no question. Backhand shots are really hard to read -- it looked like he was going high and fanned on it." But he also felt, as did Tortorella, that he should never have been in a position for that weak goal to make so much of a difference. "We should have killed the game before they scored the first one," he said. "We definitely created enough chances to put the puck in the net, but there's posts or pads or sticks in the way all the time. We had a couple of open nets, but the puck doesn't want to go in. It's a really tough way to lose a game when you need points. It comes down to scoring. We get a little nervous at the end, they tie the game, then they get another one."

Tortorella did not reprise his criticism of some players' conditioning after a second third period letdown in two nights, even though Scott Gomez was clearly gassed by that time (now that we were looking for the three or four players the coach said were having trouble). "It wasn't the team, it was four or five individuals who need some work," Tortorella had said before the game. "And some of it is the pressure of what has been going on around here. We're going to try to do something about it during those three or four days next week." Erik Reitz was already known to be out of shape, so he was yanked in favor of Paul Mara, who was chomping at the bit to return to action even though he is not yet 100%, his shoulder heavily wrapped for the game.

Asked who the four or five players were who tired in the third period, Tortorella snapped back (sort of), "None of your business. That's between me and the players. I'm not trying to be smart -- I don't think that needs to be broadcast. That stuff belongs in the locker room. I'm not trying to run down anybody. We're trying to play a different style that does require more skating and some guys aren't used to it. It comes down to a mindset, and that's what I tell the boys -- you just can't be tired, you simply have to tell yourself you're not tired because you need to find a way to win." A few more games like these and Tortorella will realize what I tried to suggest to him before the game, that it's not physical fatigue that drags the team down, it's mental -- and it manifested itself again when the winner was allowed just sixty seconds after the equalizer, the kind of letdown that should just not happen that late in a close game. That will be his biggest challenge, something he already recognizes.

Game reports: Newsday, Record, Daily News, Journal News, Times, Post, NY Sports Day here and here, NYR.com, NHL.com, AP, and the Florida press here, here, here, and here. More from Newsday and the Post on Glen Sather's mess, the Post on what has gone wrong, Prospect Park how wrong can lead to right, NY Sports Day on how Torts can right the wrongs, SI on why Sean Avery is not going be the one to right the wrongs, ESPN on what Tom Renney thought was wrong, game notes from the Record and Inside Shots, and as always the reporters' blogs -- Blue Notes here, here, and here, Ranger Rants, Rangers Report, and Game On!. News updates from today -- Sportsnet is reported that the Dallas Stars will recall Sean Avery early next week and that the Rangers have committed -- committed, is the word they use -- to claiming him (if no one else does). More from Blue Notes. Ineresting day at practice today -- see Blue Notes, Ranger Rants, and Rangers Report.

Comments

[gravey]

REPOST: Want to be sure Jess sees this.

Thanks for the little tutorial, Jess. Forgot about the switch from Maloney to Clark. Glad you seem to think it bodes well. I loved Donnie as a player but as GM/Asst GM? Not so much.

[Wicky229]

Man, I was pissed as hell about the rangers not claiming vaananen from the flyers, then I realized vancouver was below us in the standing by 2 points, 2 points....aaarrrrgggghhh!!!

Of course, on the plus side, those 2 points are what has us in the playoffs as of today!

[alan]

i really don't know what any of you were watching these last two games. we played a more uptempo game for two periods against one of the worst teams in the league, played our usual horrid third, lose in a SO as the coach has no clue who to play in the SO.

then we come home the next night and play the same game that renney got out of this team many nights, hank gives up his one obligatory bad goal, and, gee, we lose again. the same players suck as much now as they did before, with maybe the odd exception of redden, and right now there is no one i would miss if they were traded, with the exception of betts, staal and mara. i guess i'm answering my own question from the other day: i do want to see this team taken apart and let the new guy start fresh next season.

torts has been doing a fairly good impression of renney these past two games by not saying anything really bad about this really bad team. and i know it would look ridiculous if he started ranting and raving after game two, and i don't know about the rest of you, but that's exactly what i want to see from our coach.

you might think i'm crazy, many people do, but if we got kovy from atlanta and they wanted, let's say, hank for starters and we got lehtonen back, i would do it in a heartbeat. we need to build around someone who can score consistently. this roster has no one who can do that. and hopefully grachev will be that guy secondarily.

and why not bring up parenteau and anisimov and let them try to replicate what they've been doing all year up in hartford? they have scored there all year against some nhl goalies who were back with their ahl teams.

[Wicky229]

Alan

You may have stirred up a hornets nest suggesting the trading of hank. I do think hank has had an off year, and with the system that torts "says" he wants to instill being a high risk, high reward system that gives up a lot of odd man rushes, we are going to find out just how good hank really is. I would keep hank personally, but you never know.

As far as who to keep, dubi, cally, korpi, the chernobyl line (that's what my wife calls betts, sjo, and orr after Dubi posted they could survive a nuclear war or something), mara, reitz (lack of banging option), staal, girardi, vali, hank, and Z. The rest could go bye bye as far as I'm concerned.

I think we are stuck with gomer and dru (I really do not have a problem with those two overall, sather just overpaid for their point production) nazzy and rozy are moveable I believe, redden may just find a way to hartford, the rest are just parts and HIGHLY moveable in my opinion.

[ntb]

I am absolutely floored by some of the comments this season. People just want to watch a "fun" game? WTF?!? So, if the Rangers playing a boring game nets them a Stanley Cup, or two or three like the Devils...what, you would be pissed off b/c it's not fun to watch? I think this pisses me off even more than the utterly stupid trades that people post. All I want is for the Rangers to win so I don't have to hang my head in shame when I talk with my Devils friends. I could give a rats ass how they win as long as they win.

[CraigZ]

XM radio this morning stated that a Gomez/Dubinski/Staal for Lecavalier trade was seriously discussed. Does anyone like this trade? Personally I think Staal/Dubi will be around a long time here in N.Y. Z

[Rich]

>> I could give a rats ass how they win as long as they win. <<

I tell you what, they were playing a boring game and they were losing, that's why the fans are upset. It's also why many of us, me included, are happy to see them attempt to play a more interesting style to watch. That is a step in the right direction. Now we'd like them to start winning too. I for one was just tired of watching them lose and be the cure for insomnia at the same time.

[stuart]

trading Staal would be a recipe for many many years of disaster..

how do you trade a 22 year old stud D man for a 28 yr old forward???

NO friggin way. Staal is the best defensive d man in the east today, at 22......................

[ant]

he has like a 10 year contract rangers dont need that.

[stuart]

I think Vinny has about 9 yrs left on his deal..

the rangers should get him so these people that love miseryt can boo him for the last 4 or 5 yrs...

they complain the rangers historically do not have patience to grow there own players but complain when they do not get overpaid olders guys but then complain about the big 4; gomez, drury, redden, and roszi..

[Jess]

Gravey

Actually there are 3 people who you should thank as they taught me in about 5 hours more about scouting and development than anyone else ever has.

The first was Tom Renney who in 2005 spent over an hour talking to me about the Ranger prospects and taught me what to look at and for in Ranger prospects.

The second was E. J. McGuire who runs the NHL CSB, EJ taught the little things about scouting (mainly to how insane that life was) and how to listen to the kids.

Third was Gord Clark who I learned about development and why things work the way they do.

I also have been lucky enough to sit down and talk with some awesome people who scout every day. My favorite was Tom McVie who used to coach in the NHL, he taught me that about how to read a prospect's heart which to be honest is one of the most important ways to gauge a prospect's potential.

He taught me to look beyond the stats and to look for the desire as a means of who would become an NHL player.

Alan

The key to Tortorella turning the Rangers into a winner would be having a top level goalie.

Defense is what wins cups not scoring a ton because if you can not stop the other guy from scoring but they can stop you then you lose.

You want to move Hank for a goalie who can not stay healthy, who finds himself playing his way out of his job at least 1-2 times a season.

Sorry but you are making the mother of mistakes here

[EddieJ]

Z-
I agree. Gomez can go. Staal and Dubi can't. I wouldn't even CONSIDER making that trade.

[gravey]

Jess, again, thanks for the scouting dialogue. So to go back to a question I asked at the beginning, is our draft record as poor as it sometimes feels, relative to other teams?

I started this whole conversation with the thought -- for the first time in my life, really --that maybe trading away our first rounders for known quantities is not necessarily a bad thing to do. On principal and by inclination, I always want to keep picks and watch young kids develop, in the hopes of being able to root for home grown (a real mismatch of sensibilities when one roots for NY teams).

But for the first time, I'm thinking about how that has really panned out for the Rangers. Not so good, I'm thinkin'. Am I right or does it only just feel that way, just like for every other fan of every other team?

[Adam S.]

I'll tell you what, for that Vinny trade, we wouldn't be getting a player past his prime, we'd be getting an absolute stud. If we can find a way to get Vinny for Gomer, Sags or DelZotto and a top young forward other than Dubi, Dawes, Cally, I'd do it in a heart beat. If Staal has to be involved we simply can't make the trade. Vinny has plenty of game left, is the big center we are lacking and it would give a huge boost to our team. I hope Sather is thinking big...Also, dont forget to differentiate between us trading for Keith Tkachuck who is 37 and past his prime or Vinny who is in his prime with plenty of time left.

We have some good young players playing for this team now. 2 on d with Staal and Girardi, a bunch up front with Korpo, Dawes, Cally, Dubi, Z, Prucha...It's about time we used our system to acquire top talent without going too crazy. My hope is that we play another tight game, 1-1, 1-0 in the 3rd period and Sather has no choice but to make a big move for a goal scorer.

[NCSteve]

For certain, Lundqvist, Staal, and Dubinsky are off the table. I'd also put Korpikoski in that group. Next are Callahan, Dawes, Girardi, and Betts. I'd only trade these guys as a last resort. Third level contains pretty much everybody else, though I'd have to think about Zherdev long and hard. I believe Z has great potential and value and, under the right tutelage, he can become a big-time NHL star.

That being said, I have to say I still like Drury and Gomez and would hate to see them go. I believe Renney when he said they are 25 goals a year. That is who they are. Sather thought otherwise. That's on him. Under Tortorella, though it's only been two games, the Dynamic Duo already look like they have more jump and passion. I'd like nothing better than for those two to get going. I think that's where Renney let them down. He never benched them for even the most glaring mistakes. Gomez/Drury are on notice (as is everyone else) and the team already looks like it has more jump.

[alan]

Maybe, Jess, you're right, and I really don't know who in the entire league I'd want to protect the net in a high risk/reward offense, but everyone seems to know Henrik can't handle that high glove side shot. If he doesn't somehow work on his game to cure that deficiency, that in itself doesn't bode well, regardless of the type of game we play.

As far as Vinny, I think we'd regret that no matter who we gave up. His goal scoring has dropped drastically since he scored 50 two years ago and I hope we've at least learned a lesson that once that starts to drop, it ain't comin' back.

I would not under any circumstance include DZ or Grachev in any trade, and Sangs if traded needs to fetch something equal potential-wise, whatever that potential might be. Same with AA.

Can anyone remind me of the date a player needs to be on the roster to qualify for the playoffs? Is it the same as the trade deadline date?

Another question: How if at all does Sean help the team at this stage of the season and/or in the future? Although his success in a Ranger and now Wolfpack jersey, other players aside, is extremely convincing on why he should be a NYR. He and the Pack are on a five game winning streak. Jeez, we wouldn't be talking about any of this if we managed to win five games in a row, eh?

[ant (the other one)]

No way I trade Dubinski or Staal at this point. I don't let Grachev go anywhere either. Vinny is good, and Gomer can go, but you'd have to package it differently.

You have Gomer, Naslund, Rozy, Reitz, Voros, an AHL 'offensive' defensmen, 1st round pick next draft, 2nd round pick draft after that. Alot of guys are 'expendable' that don't gut this team. Substitute Z for 2 of the above except Gomer if someone will take him. I personally hope the kid turns around, but I don't see it coming. He's got Kovalev written all over him. Maybe if we send him home for a few games.

Of course Tampa would be crazy to accept any of the above, even all of it, because Vinny's better. His scoring drop can be attributed to the lack of supporting cast he enjoyed not so many moons ago. Teams are able to concentrate on the one line and shut it down. In the end, you're just going to have to give up too much to get him, and while he's 'in his prime' now, by the end of his contract it'll be a different story, especially in an up tempo Tortorella world. You honestly think he'll be able to skate like he does now at 36, 37? The last thing I want to see is another Gretzky or Messier walking up the boards as the game goes by.

I'd rather trade for a defensemen, it's our weakest point, especially in a system that leaves them exposed. Getting some size and ability back there would help alot. We need a guy who can take the body, who can move and play 25-30 minutes including PP time. Some dependable, not expendable.

Next year, there's young guys that will come up that will fit with this system, along with a few D that may be ready, or close to ready. Torts strikes me as a guy who would want to have them up and playing and wouldn't be uncomfortable with a couple 'new' guys. Makes it a ton easier to teach them the system.

The rest of this season is going to be tough. I'd rather they suck it up, play their best and go next year than trade away somebody worth something just to make the first round playoff exit.

T