Renney Hit By the Drastic Change He Refused to Make

UPDATE (2:30 PM): Tortorella has agreed to coach the Rangers, pending approval of his former team, according to the Post and TSN, where Tortorella currently works.

In his remarks upon being honored with a number retirement last night, Harry Howell said that Emile Francis, his longtime coach and general manager (who could not attend due to illness in his family), always told his team, "If you players do not do what I tell you, I will send you so far away that the Hockey News won't be able to find you." "That got everybody's attention," Howell added. Never mind the Hockey News -- the Rangers are so lost that not even Stanley (the one who located Dr. Livingstone in the wilds of East Africa) could presume to find them. So the Rangers took the drastic but inevitable step of firing head coach Tom Renney along with assistant coach Perry Pearn and his futile power play.

Renney brought this upon himself by refusing to take steps to motivate his players. In an era where the conventional wisdom is that you can’t fire a team so you fire the coach, the Montreal Canadiens sent their offensive star, ex-Ranger Alex Kovalev, home for two days, and he responded with a highly motivated return. Renney just gave his underachieving veterans more ice time. I asked him before what would turn out to be his last game as coach, "Are you nearing the point where you might consider taking some drastic action like Montreal did with Kovalev?" It was a lifeline, but he refused to take hold, responding, "I'm not sure we have that sort of dilemma. Drastic action for me might be different than drastic action for someone else. There's different ways to make that statement -- I can do some things." Asked if adjusting players' ice time was one way to get their attention, he said, "Only to try to get some people even more ice, and that's obviously at the expense of others -- try to get guys going and feeling good, get them out on the ice more."

Wrong answer, obviously. More than 25 minutes of ice time couldn't get Chris Drury going, his goalless streak extending to 15 games and his gamble costing the team a goal just 25 seconds after they tied the game at 1-1 in the third period, ultimately a 3-2 overtime loss to the woeful Toronto Maple Leafs. Just shy of 23 minutes of ice time couldn't get Wade Redden going, his goalless streak extending to 57 games, his last 30 games yielding just five assists and a -10, and his selfish penalty in the Leaf crease standing as a stark counterpoint to his unwillingness to hit Jason Blake seconds earlier during a rush. Giving any ice time whatsoever to Aaron Voros, let alone 1:47 of power play time to a player who hasn't scored in 26 games (with just two assists), didn't help either, not with the third line of Ryan Callahan, Lauri Korpikoski, and Fred Sjostrom, who scored six of the Rangers' last 15 goals, getting half the ice time the non-scoring veterans got.

So after the game, I asked Renney, "Are you any closer now than you were five hours ago to considering taking any drastic steps?" He bristled and said, "How well did you think we played tonight?" Outshot 13-2 over the final 11 minutes of the first period (16-2 really, but they only credited the Leafs with three shots on one flurry where they had at least six). Falling behind 2-1 over a span of nearly 30 minutes from the second to the third periods despite outshooting the Leafs 20-3. Allowing the go-ahead goal immediately after scoring the equalizer, a season-long problem. Two too many men on the ice penalties, another season-long problem. The worst roll of the Boggle lines yet, with all four lines changed up, almost all of them nonsensically. Another o-fer on the power play followed by a power play winner for the opposition. And an All-Star goalie who, after holding the opposition to two goals or fewer in regulation for the seventh time in the last eleven games yet seeing his record in those games drop to 1-3-3, said, "Frustration? You know what. It would be very strange if I didn't feel frustration." No, I didn't think the team played well at all.

Renney disagreed. "I thought we played hard," he said. "We outshot this team significantly. Anything drastic is outside what the needs are right now." Well, refusing to make the drastic on-ice moves that were necessary, Renney brought a drastic move upon himself. Showing the veterans too much respect, more than they earned, and getting performances that were tantamount to disrespect in return, Renney becomes the fall guy. All of the problems he could not rectify now fall onto his successor, who will be chosen by the architect of this mess. The GM thinks he covered his butt with this move but he will be exposed fully if the new coach cannot win with this bunch either. "You talk to some players, you try to get your finger on the pulse of how they’re doing, watch the body language, watch their practice habits, how they’re interacting," Renney said before the game. "Generally speaking it’s good. There’s some trepidation, but the guys still have their eye on the ball and understand that it’s completely up to them to get corrected." Up to them now -- no longer up to Renney.

As of this moment, John Tortorella is the frontrunner to take over, according to radio reports. But will he be able to motivate the moribund Redden, or find a pulse in Drury? On the night he helped get his coach fired, a night where the general feeling was that the team had to win to save the coach's job, all Drury could offer up was, "Toskala played good. We couldn't get anything by him. A couple of mistakes, and we lose in OT." I said to Drury that the games were all starting looking the same -- what could be done to change that? “Keep working hard," he said. "Keep showing up -- if we keep getting 35+ shots a night, we’ll get some wins." I asked him if the team needed a shake-up a la Kovalev. "Our guys are focused, working extremely hard on and off the ice," he said.

Drury's response to Renney's termination was just priceless. "We clearly didn't play well enough for him certainly in this last month," he said to reporters today. "But on the bright side, I guess, there's 21 games left and we're right in the thick of things." Yes, in the thick of things thanks to that valuable point salvaged in blowing a 4-0 lead to Washington just before Christmas, not that that was anything to worry about over the holidays. Good luck to the next coach, whoever he is, trying to find any signs of life in this guy or in Redden or in [insert the name of your favorite underachieving veteran]. As fans, we have to just hope that the new coach's win-now mandate does not result in any damage to the young core of players as he focuses, as Renney did, on getting something out of his top guys.

To read the initial reports on Renney, see the Record, Post, Times, Ranger Rants, Rangers Report, Blue Notes here and here, Blueshirts Blog, Blue Seats Blog, Game On!, and NY Sports Day. Game reports: Newsday, Record, Daily News, Post, Times, NY Sports Day, NYR.com, AP, Toronto Star. More from the Post, Inside Shots, and the reporters' blogs -- Ranger Rants here and here, Rangers Report here and here, and Blue Notes here and here. On the number retirements: Newsday here and here, Record, Daily News, Post, Journal News, Slap Shot, NYR.com, AP, Toronto Sun, and Globe and Mail. The Wolf Pack won their third straight, their longest winning streak of the season, and another quiet night for Sean Avery -- see Howlings, WP.com, and Beyond the Blueshirts. Prospect Park recaps an otherwise slow Sunday.

Comments

[cwede]

Renney had to go. Teams should improve during the season, not regress. Power Plays with proven talent shouldn't be miserable. Renney was too stubborn about systems vs talent - while yes it is true that talent is no substitute for hard work, it is also true, especially in competitive team sports, that hard work is no substitute for talent. The really talented guys find ways to make plays that make a difference. Renney thought Rangers didn't need the special skills of Jagr and Shanny to supplement his system. We have seen that that was a mistake.
There is enough talent here to make the playoffs, and make a dent in the playoffs. We need a coach who will bring out the best in the players, and use them in ways that leverage their strengths and minimize the risks of their weaknesses. Whether its Schoeney or Torts, I welcome the change.

[rangerbill94]

I don't think Torts is the right guy over the long haul, but I'm willing to wait and see.

I guess this sends a signal that Slats may be willing to make some other moves.

ACCOUNTABILITY!!! That is what is needed and Renney just couldn't or wouldn't bring that word into the equation.

Right now I would send the following message, even though a "new coach" if named before the next game probably doesn't have the insights regarding this teams problems.

Here goes;
Dawes/Dubinsky/Callahan 1st line
Korikoski/Anisonov/Zherdev 2nd line
Sjostrom/Betts/Orr 3rd line
Naslund/Gomez/Drury 4th line

Name 3 assistant captains: Dubinsky/Callahan/Staal

Let the world know that Redden, Roszival, Prucha, Voros and Kalinin are available. Most likely, Pru and Rosi will be the only ones to get any inquiries.

[Anthony M]

One has to wonder if Sather is feeling heat for the first time because if he brings in Tortorella (whom he passed over when he took over) it is the first time Slats is bringing in a "name" who could overshadow him.

[Godot]

Okay, let's not get caught up in some fire sale, etc.

WHen Roszival was signed I assumed we would not go after Redden. Roszival is so much better than Redden, and the numbers this season show it. I thought he had a pretty good game yesterday, with some good defense and a timely goal. I'd keep Roszival.

Who would want Redden and that contract?

Naslund can go. What does he offer us? His contract isn't huge, but it's something. Package him with Voros for whatever we can get.

What can this team do to get rid of either Drury or Gomez--I don't know. But I thought Dubinski looked good with Gomez yesterday.

The unfortunate thing is we have a bunch of players who seem interchangable (or maybe that was just Renney's chronic line juggling effecting me)--Dawes, Prucha, Callahan... they all play with heart, etc, but none of them have the mad skills we need. The player I think who can develop such skills is Korpi.

How about these lines:
Dubinski-Gomez-Zherdev
Prucha-Drury-Callahan
Korpi-Ansimov-Dawes
Sjo-Betts-Orr

But I don't know how this works long term.

Graves for coach!

G

[ant]

Wonder whos gonna be the new guy u people going to be talking crap about

[elsie]

the line I'd like to try is Prucha-Korpi-Zherdev.
[or for the down-on-Prucha crowd, Sjo-Korpi-Zherdev]
Voros on the bench til an injury. He hasn't made a difference since ~game 15.
Dubi did look pretty good w/Gomer and Naslund, so Dawes-Drury-Calley and the 4th line as is.
Wait til the new coach checks out the existing guys before blending in Anisimov.
.

[ant]

RENNEY WAS NOT A A PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!IDIOTS who got signed by sather are.NO NEW COACH WILL TURN THIS TEAM AROUND UNTILL SATHER IS GONE.I CANT BELIEVE U PEOLE ARE HAPPY ABOUT THIS

[ntb]

The Journal News is reporting Tortorella is a lock. If nothing else, at least the rest of the season will be interesting...the press conferences anyway.

[Ros]

Renney was not the problem

[rangerbill94]

Godot

You are right, Naslund can go also. I put Rosi in there, not because we should let him go, but because we may need to to make a deal. As for Gomez and Drury, I put them on the 4th line to send a message. If they work hard, make no bonehead plays, then their ice time could go up from the 8-10 minutes I'd give them. Yes, Gomez looked good in the last few games, but the results were not there and that's the ONLY thing that matters.

How 'bout some trade talk???

I know I'm using players with "no-trade" clauses, but just for the heck of it, here we go!

Gomez and Roszival for Bouwmeester

Drury, Zherdev, Voros and Kalinin for Kovalchuk

[NJRanger]

Well about time they fired Renney. He could not motivate this team and gave ample ice time to the veterans who have sucked it up, you know who they are! I hate how Renney at the press conferences always used big words that you would study in the Princeton Review. He would always have that stupid smirk on his face also! Renney reminds me of a parent who would be a "friend" to his children rather than being a parent!! Next get rid of Sather!!

[Effigy of the Forgotten]

Sather really is the bad guy here. If he chooses a crappy coach, he should be ousted. His choices for coach have been AWFUL (besides Renney who had Jagr & Co. to carry him)

Yes, I understand wanting to turn the page and try something different, but getting rid of Jagr (by not signing him) and then handing over boatloads of cash to deadbeats like REDDEN, Voros, Fritchie and Pissmiller, was a horrible move.

[cwede]

It is just not rational to say that Renney was not part of the problem.
Whatever roster you have, the effective coach will make the team better over time.
For 6 weeks, they've been among the worst teams in the league.
Sather made some dumb personnel decisions, but surely so did Renney.
He's our first coach that ever made me wish our own players would get hurt, so we'd field our best team.
My one-liner about Renney the last few months has been that he'd rather lose a game 2-1 than win it 5-3. Over the last 6 weeks that has felt so true it's sickening

[Ted]

Saying Tom Renney wasn't the problem and it was Sather's fault for putting together a crappy roster that does not have the talent to make the playoffs does not explain why the Rangers started 10-2-1 and 29-16-4.

Team was in a serious funk and something needed to be done. Let's worry about revamping the roster/firing the GM until after the season.

[Adam S.]

Guys, Renney might not have been the only problem, but don't say he wasn't the problem at all, that's absurd. To excuse him of all blame is ridiculous, for all the reasons Dubi mentioned above. He didn't do his job, and clearly Sather hasn't either but GM isn't going anywhere.

[Jive]

Sorry Jess, looks like you were wrong about the next coach. Torts it is...

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=268369&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_main

[elsie]

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/mc/comments/hey_slats_safe_is_death/

Hey Slats: Safe Is Death by Mike Chen on 02/23/09 at 01:44 PM ET

If I’m picking a new coach for the New York Rangers, I’m thinking three words: shut yer yap.

That infamous phrase, of course, came from the mouth of former Tampa Bay Lightning coach—and Stanley Cup champion—John Tortorella. Tortorella, a former assistant coach with the Rangers as well, was always a great quote and his no-bull style of talk would give the New York media interesting fodder every day. If you’ve caught any of his analyst work of TSN, you’ll know that he just doesn’t have that filter between his brain and his head—and that’s a good thing. Entertainment value aside, though, Tortorella’s coaching outlook and gruff approach might be just what the Blueshirts need. Let’s look at the Rangers checklist of problems:

-Boring, uninspired hockey—Need a little excitement in your game? Get the coach who yells the most, but who also employs a philosophy he termed “Safe is Death.” The Lightning were one of the first teams to transition from the trap-style of play to a more up-tempo style based on skating. Tortorella’s hard-nosed style gets players to skate hard, hit hard, and work hard (though it eventually wears thin, but hey, all coaches have a shelf life).
-Boring, scoreless hockey—“Safe is Death” isn’t just about staying away from the neutral zone trap. It’s about emphasizing scoring and skill over passive play that hopes for good turnovers.
-Bored, uninspired stars—Scott Gomez, Wade Redden, Chris Drury, you got issues? Let Uncle Torts come and set you straight. After all, this is the guy who turned Vincent Lecavalier from pouty turnover-prone whiner to a team leader and a shorthanded threat. Yes, there were growing pains with Lecavalier, and I’m sure they’re not BFFs these days, but Lecavalier is the first to state that Tortorella accelerated his growth and helped mold him into the player he is today.

Recent NHL hiring trends are shifting towards taking the next generation from the AHL and junior hockey, and part of this may even be a cost issue—those guys, after all, come cheaper than someone with a Stanley Cup on his resume. However, there’s a difference between recycling Craig Hartsburg and his nearly empty resume and a guy who literally took a team from worst to first and helped shape some of the preeminent stars of today’s game.

Safe is death? In this case, John Tortorella may actually be the safe choice for Glen Sather.

[paulf]

I was a long-time Renney supporter, but I can see the move because the team has played lifeless for weeks. Certainly we have way more talent than the Isles, Blues and Leafs, teams we struggled against.

The inability to score and struggle to create offense is well, inexplicable.

Still, Renney is a classy guy and I hope that he stays within the organization in some capacity.

I would prefer not to see Tortorella, just because I am leery of emotional guys. I'd rather see Schoenfeld. If he performs well, sign him to an extension. If not, get a new coach next year.

[elsie]

one more article re Torts:

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/article605701.ece
The best and worst of John Tortorella's reign
Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer - In Print: Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Say this for John Tortorella: He was one of a kind.
Brutally honest. Outspoken. Controversial. Emotional.
He said what he thought when he thought it. Everything he said went from his gut to his brain to his mouth in less than a second. If it ruffled feathers, so be it. If you didn't like it, tough.
He could be gruff, insensitive and disrespectful to players, media, NHL officials and even his own bosses. His focus was one thing: the team. He wanted it to be better today than it was yesterday, and better tomorrow than it is today. That was his sole focus every day, all day.
Yet, he had a soft side, too. Believe it or not, he could be a players' coach, giving them more days off than most NHL coaches and once taking them for a four-day, in-season vacation to Atlantic City. He often sought their advice on how to best handle a certain situation or dilemma. He praised more than he criticized. You might not think it, but most players loved playing for him. (Well, the non-goalies, that is.) And his charity work, helping children who had cancer, was a passion and went unnoticed, mostly because he never wanted it publicized.
When looking back at Tortorella's 61/2 seasons in Tampa Bay, you remember the stories. The time he yelled about this, the time he exploded about that. This wasn't all that Torts should be known for, but, right or wrong, these are the stories we remember today.

Shut your yap!
You can't even think about Tortorella without thinking of "Shut your yap!'' It's like Pavlov's dog. Someone says "Tortorella'' and someone else says, "Shut your yap!''
With the 2004 Eastern Conference final at one game apiece, Tortorella looked to deflect criticism from his team, and went after Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock because Captain Kangaroo mouthed off to one of the Lightning players during a game. Torts cut loose with his most famous tirade:
"The last time I looked, he's wearing a suit back there, the same type of suit that I'm wearing. He's not in the battle. You have two quality teams here. He should shut his yap. When it comes to a coach (and) an opposing player, it's disrespectful and it's wrong. It's gutless. That's got to stop. Park your ego and shove it in your pocket. It's about the two teams.
"It's chicken (expletive). And it's not for the series. I don't care about all the garbage that goes on, and Philly does it all the time. They like to listen (to) hear themselves talk about this, that, the other thing. That's not going to affect us. But when it comes to a coach to a player, that's just so disrespectful.''
The Lightning went on to beat the Flyers and then the Flames for the Stanley Cup.

How about a save?
Tortorella's wrath at times seemed exclusively reserved for goalies. Mister Rogers, he was not. Dozens of times over his tenure, Tortorella laid into his netminders. But his best was probably on the night of Dec. 28, 2005, after John Grahame — one of Tortorella's favorite chew toys — played poorly in a 4-3 loss to the Canadiens at the St. Pete Times Forum. Asked if the goaltending could've been better, Tortorella exploded:
"Think that has a little thing to do with it tonight? Yeah. We can't have four goals go in our net on 10 (scoring) chances. Especially the fourth goal. It can't happen!"
By that point, he was pounding the podium with his fist.
Asked if it was time to think about trading for a goalie, Torts said, "Absolutely, but in today's game, where are we going to go with the (salary) cap? I am (upset) at what is happening there because I thought our team played very well tonight. … Is there other options out there? We can't do (anything)!"

Get the … outta here
During the 2007 playoffs against New Jersey, an irritated Tortorella met with reporters after a tough loss. When pressed by New York Post hockey writer Larry Brooks on an argument he had with a Devils assistant, Tortorella made it clear he didn't want to talk about it. Brooks responded by saying the interview was "a waste of time.''
Tortorella, on live TV in Canada, responded by saying, "Well then get the (expletive) out of here then.''
Brooks was heard yelling an expletive back as Tortorella said, "Okay, see ya.'' He turned to the rest of the media and barked, "Next question.''
Not that we promote profanity, but there's a YouTube.com clip of it if you're interested. But you've been warned about the, shall we say, colorful language.

(Expletive) that
Tortorella detested making excuses, but occasionally, his anger and need to defend his team got the best of him. Such was the case Nov. 19, 2007, when the Lightning lost in OT at Atlanta with Brad Richards in the penalty box for an iffy penalty.
"The frustrating part for me is these organizations pay the players millions upon millions of dollars," Tortorella said. "They're the ones who need to decide outcomes of games. Listen, I'm trying to stay away from criticizing as far as the calls, but (expletive) that. I just don't get it. And it makes the coaching job that much harder, how you coach your players in playing when you get that (expletive) out there."
Two days later, Tortorella was fined $10,000 by the NHL for his comments.

Torts vs. Andre
Tortorella often butted heads with players, especially the goalies and, often, Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis. But no one drove Tortorella crazy more than enforcer Andre Roy. Twice, Roy was booted off the team for a short spell — once last season and once during the 2003 playoffs.

Sorry 'bout that
In a game early in the 2005-06 season, Lightning defenseman Paul Ranger was injured after a dirty hit by Atlanta tough guy Eric Boulton, right. Tortorella was incensed. "That guy should be playing the East Coast Hockey League and he takes out a National Hockey League player. He'll get suspended, but who cares? Nobody wants him on the ice anyway."
The next day, Tortorella apologized, saying, "I don't think a coach from another team should be criticizing another player."

The disease of the mores
Few things infuriated Tortorella more than players he felt were disloyal. That was how he viewed who left for free agency after the Stanley Cup victory, players such as Nikolai Khabibulin and Jassen Cullimore. Here's what he said after Cullimore left:
"We won the Stanley Cup as a team. …But when it comes to negotiating in the summer, all the garbage coming out of the agents' mouths and the players' mouths make it seem like they were the most important part of the Stanley Cup. …(It's) the disease of the mores. I want more.
"When is it a little giveback to the organization and their teammates? I know we don't live in a perfect world. It's not just Jassen, but the whole scenario of the people coming to (GM Jay Feaster). What they're throwing at him is a joke."

Final thought
Ultimately, Tortorella will and should be remembered for one thing. Yes, we will think of "shut your yap'' and all the times he bashed the goalies or used his catchphrases such as, "We're just going about our business'' and, "this, that and the other thing'' or the ever-favorite, "None of your business.'' But this is what fans should think of first: he coached a team that won Tampa Bay the Stanley Cup.
Just after that, Tortorella was named the league's coach of the year, and he summed it all up in one short sentiment: "The reason we had success is we believe it's about a team. You give them an opportunity to go down the right road. If they veer off you've got to bring them back."

He said it
"The circumstances stink. The famous line is that it's all part of the game, but it still stinks."
— John Tortorella, on Jan. 6, 2001, when he was named to replace the fired Steve Ludzik as Lightning coach

He said this, too.
"In this day and age, it's not the adversarial coach and players. The players and coaches are partners. The Lightning has been (bad) for a number of years. The only way we have to go is up."
— Tortorella, after his first team meeting as coach

[saget]

People would have a better chance of pointing out who WAS NOT part of the problem, rather than trying to pinpoint who WAS part of the problem. Its a much smaller list.

Good write up, Dubi. But I think you underestimate the idiotic genius of Glen Sather. Changing coaches this late in the season is perfect timing...to distract from his horrible team building skills a little longer.

(1) Its a week before the trade deadline. He can make no moves...and blame it on the need to give the coach players he wanted. Or he can make wacky moves...and blame it on the need to give the coach what he needs [whatever that means]. [Anyone wanna bet that a guy like Nicholas Havelid,Ruslan Salei or Sean O'Donnell is a Ranger come next Thursday?]

(2) It comes with the Rangers still in a fight for the playoffs. If they make it, its because of the coaching change. If they dont, its because that the coach needed more time.

(3) It comes near the end of a season. So no matter what happens the rest of the way, he gets to use the 2009-2010 season to turn the team around "long-term." "Listen, Jim...we gave Tom too much rope...but now that I've got control of the team again, its all going to be fine."

I'm not arguing Sather did this intentionally. Its dumb luck. But I dont think this improves the likelihood that Sather is at risk of being unemployed any time soon.

[Anthony M]

Could part of the "agreement" for letting Torts come to NY be the Lightning claiming Sean Avery on re-entry waivers and then dealing him to the Rangers? That scenario eliminates almost any chance the Rangers could lose Avery (the Fishsticks have the worst record) and serves as "compensation" for letting Tortorella come to NY. Of course, I wouldn't mind Vinny Lecavalier either, but that is a horse of a different color :-)

[cwede]

If someone else grabs Avery, so be it. It's a risky move anyway. If it aint free and easy, it ain't worth it.

[i]

now it's time for Sather to stop being gm in the very least.

[Laserman]

If nothing else, this move brings in a guy that won't put up with our overpriced players non-efforts. Renney will find work somewhere else, but this team needs a no nonsense approach especially now! I think Torts is a good choice. I would have said the same if Schoenfeld or Nolan was selected! I just hope there is enough time left to salvage this season, and we still have all these untradeable huge contracts so to say good luck to the incoming coach is an enormous understatement...

[LI Joe]

dubi - just curious about 2 things re pregame ceremony. why no ratelle - i'm guessing he's peeved with the rangers organization maybe going all the way back to the trade. and secondly why no bruin since they had the other 4 there.

by the way all 4 coaches in europe are now gone (didn't read comments so unsure if anyone mentioned it). tb, ott and pitt were gone already

if torts does that leave avery out

from a tsn story from early january

Question No. 2: Should the New York Rangers bring back Sean Avery?

John Tortorella: No, and I don't even want to talk about Avery.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=262320

RANGER BILL - cullen had hat trick and now has 19 goals this yr. maybe i was not wrong about his talent level.

[benneyb]

Loved the Torts stories, thanks.

IMHO, I think he is EXACTLY what this team needs!

The Country Club is Now Closed!

[Bones]

Guys like Tortorella have a limited shelf life, but I'd rather have him coaching than Renney. And yes Slats is once again deflecting attention away from his own ineptitude. I think this could go either way, but I'm betting we'll see a more cohesive and attack oriented team. Believe it opr not I think guys like Dubinsky and Dawes will profit the most from his style of coaching.

[ant (the other one)]

If the Lightning will go along with it, I think Tortorella is a good choice. I do wonder what the terms would be... Rest of this year and next, maybe an option for a third ?

I have always liked the Lightning's style of play, and with all the money they had tied up in three players, with some smaller guys too.
Torts should feel right at home. I loved to watch the up tempo gritty play, whether they won or lost it was always fun. An aggressive forecheck, maintaining the offensive zone pressure.

That style of play is the one that the current Ranger team can do well with.You don't have to be the fastest team in the NHL to play it, you need 3 solid lines that can do it. The 3rd and 4th can already, and the Prucha/Drury/Dawes line has shown it can sometimes. With a little simplification and some real system work they'd all be even better at it...

Plus, no more 5 in the picture means Henrik will actually get to see the puck, and it won't have all those crazy deflections off his own guys to drive him nuts. He'll definitely get the chance to be 'King'. Or goat...

Best part is Torts won't owe anybody anything. No obligations. No baggage with the players. At this stage in the season it'll be play or sit. This could be the best thing to happen to the younger players, and depending on how the veterans react it could be the best thing to happen to them too.

Can't wait to hear how Drury sounds after a few games... I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a marked change in his demeanor. No way he'll be able to be all low key and out of touch with Tortorella coaching.

All I need now is a tape of the Olympics in '80 so I can hear Al Micheals... 'Do you believe in Miracles!!!'

That is IF he clears the hurdles and gets here.

Finally. Hockey worth watching again.

T

[rangerbill94]

Somehow, Avery and Torts in the same state seems like something everybody would want to stay clear of. But who knows, maybe Avery would be more "undercontrol" with the likes of a Tortorella behind the bench!

I do agree that Renney brought this upon himself. His "stars" were just not getting it done and EVERYBODY knew it. Well, if we can break Torts free from the Bolts, maybe he can get one day of practice in before the next game.

[Bones]

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if Burke scoops up Avery when he goes on waivers. The Laffs are looking for an agitator and Burke would love to spoil the reunion party in NY.

[marty from rfc]

Interesting timing from a calendar perspective as the 2007-08 Rangers began their season saving run on 2/23 last year, gathering 15 points in 8 games (the 2006-07 Rangers began their run on 2/27, gathering 18 points in 11 games).

Hopefully we'll see a shift in mentality with the team, would love to see the team play (and be coached) to win as opposed to trying not to lose.

[Stuart]

yeah FLorida(cheap) will trade for gomez and Roszival!!!!

the reason is???

Renny was far from a terrible coach, the rangers highest paid players are not very good.. I do think they should play a much more aggresive forechecking game which I think this lineup and do and that will help generate more offense...

[ntb]

I'm not ready to anoint Tortorella coaching god just because he has a Stanley Cup ring. We're about to find out how good a coach he really is b/c the talent level on this Ranger team is nowhere close (not even in the building) to the talent he had on the Lightning.

[Puluche]

Well this is one issue where people won't agree.

Ros & Ant - I don't know what you've been looking at but Renney WAS "part" of the problem.

Is Sather the main problem, yes! But Renney did a terrible job this year in so many areas:
1) mismanagement of personnel (overall)
2) constant line changes - to a crazy counterproductive level
3) no accountability or benchings, etc.
4) complete stubbornness to try new things - example PP (it sucked yet same players out there always)
5) he had no feel for the game to make adjustments
5) 15 (I believe) shorthanded goals against - most recently a 3 on 5???

I can go one and on. Last night, (2) too many men on the ice penalties?

That's not the coach?

Renney was a great guy who turned the culture of this team around and got us to a certain level. But with what Sather gave him to work with this year, Renney was lost. His coaching flaws were grossly exposed. Unfortunately, nice guys do finish last and he fits the bill. It was time for him to go.

With that said, this mess is Sather's. Tortarella I think is the prefect antidote for the accountability issue. He will not put up with all that Renney did. If Renney was not so stubborn and loyal, he might still have his job today. Sather set him up for the fall and he ultimately failed this year and really failed miserably.

I still wish him the best. He was a good man, but a move had to be made. We can only hope Sather follows if we don't make the playoffs (doubtful with Dolan's man crush).

For those who want trades, it'll be extremely hard with the cap mess Sather created. However, Pierre McGuire (TSN) said they have been actively shopping Gomez.

[Jive]

Burnside is doing a live chat over at ESPN.com right now. Lot of Rangers questions. Someone asked if Avery will return with Torts as coach.

Burnside made a good point. Rangers lack an identity, not much cap room, and Sather has been working towards bringing Aves back. If he has been talking to Torts for a week or two as reported, its surely been part of the negotiations.

My gut feeling is we see Avery come back. It might not last long, but I think Sather made it a condition of the hiring.

[Jive]

Burnside is doing a live chat over at ESPN.com right now. Lot of Rangers questions. Someone asked if Avery will return with Torts as coach.

Burnside made a good point. Rangers lack an identity, not much cap room, and Sather has been working towards bringing Aves back. If he has been talking to Torts for a week or two as reported, its surely been part of the negotiations.

My gut feeling is we see Avery come back. It might not last long, but I think Sather made it a condition of the hiring.

[ntb]

As crappy as the current season is, if the Rangers can somehow pull things together, they very much control their own destiny. Look at some of the remaining 21 games:

MONTREAL: 2
CAROLINA: 2
PHILADELPHIA: 4
BUFFALO: 1
FLORIDA: 1
PITTSBURGH: 1

That is 11 games against teams the Rangers are in competition with for the playoffs.

[Chris QCT]

I wonder what Petr Prucha is thinking these days.

btw... Don Maloney was in the building last night.

[stan the man]

Sather is the real fall guy here. His personnel blunders are to blame. I just hope he doesn't make one of those idiotic deadline deals, you know where he acquires some washed up veteran with an expiring contract for a #1 pick or Anisimov. Those trades always backfire.

[Ros]

Puluche, i am not disagreeing with you on everything. he was not the greatest coach in NYR history for sure, but a lot of your points are deceiving. The bottom line is that Renney didn't have the right personnel to work with. Nothing to do with Reney. Sather set him up with Crap. whatever Renney did with the personnel, the lines, benching or not benching, PP lineup, etc. could not have been effective looking at the pathetic lineup Sather chose. Sure, Renney could have been better here or there, but at the end of the day the NYR are not Stanley Cup contenders NO MATTER WHO'S COACHING this team the way it's currently setup. The wrong head fell today.

[rangerbill94]

LI Joe

I never said Cullen didn't have skills. I said he was overpaid for a 3rd line center and was blocking a youngster from getting a shot at the big club. I liked Cullen, but not at the price we got him for. Same with drury, although he is far more talented then Cullen, but not getting it done.

Stuart

Rozsival cap next season is 4.33, that's already LESS then what the Panthers are paying Boumeester. The need a good playmaker and Gomez will fill that hole. Bouwmeester is a UFA and indications are he wants to play someplace else. Not saying this will happen, but it's just a thought.

I do agree with you that Renney was not a terrible coach. I have been looking for them to begin playing a 2-1-2 which is a more agressive forecheck game. The problem is the lack of 6 solid defenseman. I think that system will produce better results. Time will tell.

General thought: It will be interesting to see how Torts handles the lackluster performances of Redden, Kalinin and Nasland and the on-again, off-again performances of Rozsival and Gomez. If I was one of those 5, I think I would be looking to step up my game!!!

[Puluche]

Ros - Sather isn't going anywhere. Someone had to go and I don't see any points that are deceiving. In fact, it's pretty clear.

If Renney, as quoted last night, said, "the answers lie in this room," then how is he not accountable as well? He was also quoted on morning sound bites as saying "we just have to stay the course." Stay the course? The team could not be playing any worse for months. He was drowning.

Also, it is the coach who chooses the line-up and is responsible for getting the most out of the personnel, not Sather. Renney continually chose Voros over Prucha and Dawes, etc. How do you know putting Callahan, Prucha, Dawes, or even Staal on the PP would have been ineffective? He never tried it? Saying whatever he did with their current personnel wouldn't have worked is pretty short sighted. I agree the personnel isn't great, but he and the other casualty never sought a noticeable and sensible solution to the team's biggest problem - the PP. His "ways" and lack of offensive imagination cost them a lot of points.

Just because Sather is more deserving to be fired (I agree with you there totally) doesn't mean Renney being fired was not an appropriate move.

[LI Joe]

RB - well 19 goals at this pt in the season is worth the $ 3 mm or so he's making. who was he blocking dubi with his 8 goals. although i will say a lot of the negative stats on rangers was on renney and his stifling system. i hope the new coach will bring out a lot better in all these guys - young and old

[ant]

Just a quick question to the Renney haters

As much as i love Torts.He couldnt coach a team that had Vinny,St Louis,Prospal just to name a few.What makes you think he can make contenders out Rangers with gomez and drury if he couldnt do ti with the guys i just mentioned above.(Im talking about year aftre the cup).
He didnt have a good goalie fine but he had snipers we have a good goalie and thats where the superstardom of our team ends.Wonder how long itll took yous to start calling for Torts head.

[Godot]

LI Joe, Dubinsky is the future of the Rangers, and his failures this sophomore season have a little to do with Renney, have a lot to do with not having Jagr on his wing, and have no bearing on Cullen and his 19 goals. This isn't a fantasy hockey league: Cullen wouldn't have 19 goals on the Rangers.

Renney's system was "boring" according to many of you, but did you ever think it was based on his awareness of how this team was constructed. What Ranger is dominating the league--or just the ice--when they play. We miss a go to guy. Naslund was not going to replace Jagr. And Redden was in the wrong position and doesn't have the skill set or eyes to do so.

Gomez can be that person from time to time, but he's been inconsistent at best this year.

G

[marty from rfc]

Seems a bit odd that a team would fire its coach and not have a replacement in place, ie. shouldnt the details with Tortorella been worked out in advance? Guess it would be hard to do that and keep it confidential, out of respect for Renney. Just seems strange that a pro sports team that has a big game within 24 hours doesnt have a coach in place.

[Dubi]

Joe -- Milt Schmidt was supposed to represent the Bruins but he had to cancel due to illness -- his jersey was among the seven vintage jersies that were on display last night.

Not sure if Ratelle was even invited to participate. One thing you have to remember about the guys who were traded to Boston is that they have a really right alumni association there and he and Park have probably identified themselves more as Bruins than as Rangers.

In Ratelle's case, despite his accomplishment, he was never fully accepted in New York because he was perceived as soft -- Bathgate told the story of how he offered himself up for trade so that Ratelle wouldn't be traded, and that was during a period of four years where they wouldn't give Ratelle a full-time shot at the NHL. It wasn't until the following season when Francis took over that Ratelle got a complete chance and because such a great player, but then Ratelle labeled him one of the fat cats when he made the big trade with Boston.

Come to think of it, I don't recall ever seeing Ratelle at the Garden as a guest or a visitor.

[Matty]

It is a sad day today because Tom Renney helped bring the my beloved Rangers team back into respectability and I will always be proud that he was our coach and helped steer the ship in the right direction ...

However I haven't been happy with Renney this season ... am I aware that Sather signed these players and Renney had to coach what he was given? YES. However Renney had choices and he chose wrong ... he chose to put his faith, trust and loyalty into his veterans, give them more ice time instead of less when they continued to let him down again and again and again ...

Joe Michaletti was surprisingly candid on NHL Live today while stearing clear of directly criticizing Sather he did say that he believed that Tom Renney lost half the players, mainly a lot of the vets, and the young guys who were giving it their all for him suffered because they weren't played in key situations, the vets were ...

Joe said that one of Renney's greatests character traits sunk him as a coach because he continued to show loyalty to players who didn't give it back and for that he paid the ultimate price and got fired ...

I 100% appreciate what Renney did here, but to say that he wasn't at fault for what was going on this season is not only short-sighted but a bit naive ... Since November a lot of us who have been questioning Renney's moves, wondered outloud why he would continue to play such and such player over such and such player in situations where they were clearly not helping the team in ... it's been nearly 5 months since our problems started and he's yet to do anything significant to improve them ... Renney isn't 100% responsible but he bears blame, Sather should shoulder the MOST blame but he will not get fired ...

Sather did surprise me by going to someone outside of his inner circle and someone with Torts personality ... but perhaps Sather has realized that these group of vets need a hard-ass coach and need tough love because they didn't respond to the respect and consideration shown to them by Renney ...

Whether Torts has a short shelf life or not doesn't matter, all coaches have a short shelf life ... Michel Therrien took the Pens to the Finals last season and he was fired this season ... it's the way it is ...

Ant,

Torts did win with those players in 2004 the fact that he didn't win in 2006 and 2007 after he won it all in 2004 doesn't wipe away the fact that he did win ... I haven't seen anyone here, certainly not me, saying that he will get us a Stanley Cup because our team isn't good enough for that imo BUT our team is better than what they've shown and if there are parts in our team that are dragging us down they need to be cut off and thrown into the garbage if they do not perform under this hard-nosed coach *paging Wade Redden*

[Ros]

puluche, you may have valid points, but at the end of the day, i just really appreciate all Tom Renney has done for the team during his days as a head coach & how he brought the NYR out of the dark ages. I actually am looking forward to Trots here as a head coach & think that he might be just what the doctor ordered.

[i]

DUBI I have lots of questions, do you have any answers or info?