There's always a honeymoon period after something like a coaching change. Except that usually refers to the grace period the coach gets as he learns his way around his new team and his new environment. For John Tortorella, the question after two consecutive 2-1 losses is how long the honeymoon period will last for his team -- how long before the grace period he has granted them to show him what they are all about runs out.
Two games in, Tortorella remains happy with what he sees from his guys, even though they still can't score enough goals to win games they dominated. Two games in, Tortorella is not worried about a power play that failed on two consecutive chances to extend a 1-0 lead at the start of the third period, including a five-on-three. Two games in, Tortorella had to explicitly tell the media in both of his post-game press conferences that he is not angry at his team. Two games in, Tortorella insists that Chris Drury is going to start scoring goals very very soon, even though it's now forty days and forty nights (seventeen games) since he last scored.
Two games in, Tortorella is learning more and more about what this team was really about in the 61 games they played before his arrival. He saw not only how they fail to win games on the power play when they have a chance, he also saw how they make mediocre goalies look like world beaters -- Craig Anderson, who gave up 17 goals in his prior ten periods of action, made 40 saves to take first star of the game, just as Vesa Toskala made 70 saves against the Rangers in the prior two games (he gave up more tonight to the Islanders than the three goals he held the Rangers to over 125 minutes of play).
Two games in -- in just his first game in "Madison Square" -- and Tortorella heard the most concerted "Fire Sather" chants to rock the Garden since 2004. He's only had two games to judge whether Sather was right about having acquired players who could still play the way they once did for other teams. That's not enough time. Yet. He believes his team is getting enough good scoring chances that they will eventually start scoring. But they didn't become last in the league in scoring for lack of opportunty -- they rank sixth in the league in shots on goal and have launched 317 more shot attempts than their opponents this season (145-92 in Tortorella's two games alone, 73-46 in shots on goal).
Still, there is good reason to believe that things will turn around soon, if they keep working hard. No NHL team can go this long with this many chances and continue to come away with just one goal a game -- they will start scoring. The changes Tortorella made on the power play will start to reap results -- the rotation during five-on-fours, getting the puck down low during the five-on-three and looking for lateral puck movement to open things up. The question is, what will happen first, the Rangers starting to score more or opponents starting to take advantage of them on the counterattack -- it took two and a half periods for the Panthers to take advantage of the chances they got, having blown myriad odd man rushes until they finally broke through.
Don't know about the rest of you, but even in losses the team has looked much better, and it has been fun to watch the Rangers again.
You can see that these guys were really hamstrung over the season. They're finally free to move and get to open ice, but they haven't done it so long they've forgotten what to do or what it feels like to have a puck come to them. It's going to be another game or two before the rust really starts to come off this part of the game, and then another couple games to get everyone on the same page.
Give it another week (or two) and the fireworks will start. Either in the net or in the post game coaches press conference... Either way it's going to get interesting.
T
Posted by: ant (the other one) | February 27, 2009 at 05:31 AM
I say that after the trade deadline and my money is on Gomez and Naslund being the winners of the Tortorella Nuclear Meltdown.
That goal Naslund scored was the result of an OOPS not his efforts.
Both he and Gomez were late to the plate on the Horton goal as Norton could have stopped to have lunch and dinner with all the space he had on that play.
Posted by: Jess | February 27, 2009 at 05:38 AM
Sather is really exposed now for all the awful signings he made over the last two years. There is no finisher either on this team or in the system (or so it appears). Scoring by committee clearly did not materialized. The lack of cap space prevents acquisition of a scorer for years to come, and who would want to take all (or any, for that matter) of that dead wood off the Rangers' hands? Fire sale!
Posted by: NYR2thecore | February 27, 2009 at 07:05 AM
repost....Jess they are playing better hockey. Tororella will get the most out of this roster, and with a couple of changes they will get on a roll. They need to be peaking going into the playoffs. It will happen. Hopefully Schonefeld will be the GM an the end of this season. Sather needs to be pres or retire. He does not back up his coaches. ....
Posted by: i | February 27, 2009 at 07:37 AM
Jess: Actually I happen to know Shannon Sather and he happens to be a very solid scout in his own right. Everything he does was earned not given by Daddy.
Shannon only scouts for the Rangers part time as he runs his own Oil Parts company in Alberta and does very well with it.
As for the Ranger scouting staff, I do like all of them that I have gotten to meet over the years. Let me rephrase that I like the AMATEUR scouts who have done a great job in finding talent for the Rangers
-----------
Thanks, Jess, for the info. Happy to be wrong about Shannon (as I am with so many other things..but that's a story for another day).
And, going forward, let's replace the words "I like xx scout" with "our good/skilled talent evaluators". Now, if you grant that were talking about talent at the scouting level, I'd be grateful if you help me learn a little about it. As a relatively uninformed fan, I have to wonder how we end up with the Jessiman's and Montoya's of the world while NJ gets the Parise's. I know projecting 16yo to 24 yo is a daunting challenge, but isn't that the job? And of course these two guys I mention were college guys not junior.
I also wonder what a reasonable drafting "success rate" is? I have read somewhere that even the teams with the best reputations, like Detroit, really do not pick successes at a greater rate...they just hit more home runs. And then I get really sad, thinking maybe Cherry was our home run.
Anyhow, if you're willing to put on your professor's hat, I'd like to better understand.
Posted by: gravey | February 27, 2009 at 09:04 AM
I'd like to know why Dubinsky's goal about 10 seconds into the game was not fully reveiewed. MSG barley had enough time to generate one replay, and we heard the announcer say "NO GOAL!" That was a little strange to me. It did not look 100% obvious that his stick was too high.
Overall, they looked better. I'm loving this system. They had enough opportunities to win this game definitely. Gomez, Callahan, and Rozsival should have converted those shots. They're not going to miss them forever. The game could easily have been a 3-2 or 4-2 win for us. It will come....
The Trade Deadline has me a bit anxious though. I know we do not have much room. But with Tortorella's input with what he needs for his system and the Playoffs disappearing more and more every day, and EVERYONE pointing out that the NYR ave no top-end talent...I'm nervous. I could see Sather doing something drastic. I would not put it past Sather to package something like Callahan, Anisimov, and Sanguinetti together (or something similar) and try to do something.
Posted by: Chris QCT | February 27, 2009 at 09:47 AM
Chris
Callahan, Anisimov, and Sanguinetti, would deff get us a good player back but the only problem would be the cap.Only Callys cap will effect us and he makes pennies
Posted by: Ant | February 27, 2009 at 10:14 AM
I have to say, especially since I'm one of the first ones to rip into this team, that they are playing better and it is going to be a matter of time before these guys start scoring...All the chances, Gomer\Rosi\Callahan, they all tried to guide the puck into the net instead of burying it. They are all tight and we can see that, a few breaks here and there should help...That goal by Dubinsky did not look like a high stick...It looked as tho his stick started out high but came down to deflect it and by the time he touched it, it was lower than the cross bar. Either way their battle level was up, the scoring chances are up, they are a lot more fun to watch, but we have to score soon or or season is over. There really is a lot of time left, 38 points still out there, but Sather MUST address the need for a scorer. He has to find a way to get one here, end of story. If it means sending an improved Redden to Hartford, so be it, but we HAVE to get someone...I agree with Jess as well, Gomer and Naslund are the ones who will be taking the hike, they both still look out of sorts while others seem to be adjusting better..Also, Gomer really is terrible defensively, I've seen him blow god knows how many coversages in front of the net this year.
Great fire sather chant last night. Let's keep it going strong!!!
Posted by: Adam S. | February 27, 2009 at 10:17 AM
How about Anisimov, Sanginetti and Drury for Kovalchuk?
Posted by: kogan | February 27, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Overpaid talent, 1st place in December and freefalling with 25 games left. Thanks for the time warp back to the Eric Lindros and Theo Fleury days Glen. Go fishing for the rest of your life for all I care. Just leave NY and never comeback.
Posted by: bring back mike gartner | February 27, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Kogan
I would love that trade but i think to get Kovo here they going to want Staal 1st rounder and drury.I doubt theyll want underchieving vet and 2 rookies who have 1 game between them.
Posted by: Ant | February 27, 2009 at 10:32 AM
I agree, they are much more fun to watch now. Even though considering how they were playing before, that's not saying much.
I realize statements like these are usually met with angry posts, but Lundquist has to stop that first goal. The shots were 39-19, and a non screened backhander goes in between his legs. It was a killer.
Posted by: Joe T | February 27, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Yes Ant, you absolutely right.
We can’t avoid first rounder at any circumstances
Posted by: kogan | February 27, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Drury isn't going anywhere with that no movement clause, Gomez is much more likely to move. Plus he has higher value around the league he will be able to bring more back to the rangers. I wouldn't be surprised if sather makes 2 moves at the deadline, one sending gomez out and bringing in a d man and one bringing in a finisher for the team.
Posted by: kwill | February 27, 2009 at 11:04 AM
first - on trade proposals, kovalchuk aint going anywhere. you'd have to trade lundqvist to get him. any other trade for a scorer would start with staal and sanguinetti then add a any combo of girardi, anisimov, del zotto, grachev and first round picks. then you'd have to send a big salary the other way which would be drury, gomez, redden, or roszival. they are untradable right now so your deal is dead. so sather is left to pick off the trash pile (waivers).
if the rangers tape a viagra to their sticks would that be considered performance enhancement?
Posted by: captjameson | February 27, 2009 at 11:09 AM
My observation:
1) We may look back on last nights game and say that was the game that cost us a playoff berth.
2) I was the first, before Torts, to question the teams conditioning. We ran out of gas at about the 10 minute mark of the third period last night.
3) Both Redden and Kalinin seem to be playing better.
4) Notice that the points are HOLDING the blueline under Torts, while on Renney's watch the would vacate the zone as soon as the puck got up the half boards. We are keeping more pucks in the zone and sustaining the attack in the offensive zone. That's a big change.
5) The PP uses the points more and moves the puck better. A little too much standing around on one of the PP's last night and Drury just gave the puck back to FLA on the 2-man advantage and we NEVER recovered from that. Torts will fix that.
6) First time in a long while that Hank gave up a very bad goal at a very critical time.
I think the reason Redden and Kalinin, as well as the defense in general, is looking better is because Tortorella has them holding the blueline more and closing the distance between the forwards and them. That results in less time to make a decision, which one would think is bad. However, less time to think also means more reliance on their instincts and training. Too much time to think about what to do can lead to paralysis and at this level that will be fatal. So maybe, just maybe, I was wrong about Redden. I'll watch him over the next 5 games or so. My opinion was not changed as a result of the goal in TOR. But his keep in that sequence was something to note; and that lead to the goal!
Posted by: rangerbill94 | February 27, 2009 at 11:23 AM
If Redden keeps playing like he has last 2 games and nets another 5 goals this season then maybe JUST MAYBE hel turn out to be what we expected him to be when he got siged
Posted by: Ant | February 27, 2009 at 11:34 AM
Redden already turned out the way it was expected when he was signed. He sucks.
Posted by: NYR2thecore | February 27, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Gomer's bone headed play to chase the player behind the net (after Rosi was already covering him) would get him benched in his NJ days (at least I'd like to think anyway). Really poor coverage and show's he's not thinking. Agree hank's gotta stop that backhander as he was late to react.
Great to hear Fire Sather chants as I'm on page with Jess' post on losing is the only way to go forward and have the accountability on Sather who clearly put the teamn in this mess.
Desperate times may call for desperate action. I don't put it past Sather to package some talent (Grachev, Anisimov, del zotto, etc) to save his backside with some declining vet (like Pronger). Only problem is he's screwed himself on the CAP and that makes it much harder to maneuver which may be the kids saving grace.
Interesting theory about Schony Jess. Is he acting subversively to keep the teams' best interest?
Can't wait for mount Tortorella to erupt. This is better than Days of Our Lives!! LOL.
Posted by: wwwc9 | February 27, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Uh, for those of you who think we're seeing something new here, I'd like to remind you that we've seen these two games before -- the first two games of the season. Difference is, that was Tampa so we won those two games. Outshot them 81-41 over two games but were only able to eke out a pair of 2-1 wins because they just couldn't score. Remember the forecheck, the pressure? That's the kind of team Renney and Sather wanted, that's what they did, and over the long run it didn't work because they eventually played teams better than Tampa and gave up more on the counterattack than they could score themselves. Torts has a tall order trying to change that equation is just 19 games.
Posted by: Dubi | February 27, 2009 at 12:09 PM
Well, it is far better (and more entertaining) to watch them skate hard and lose than it was to watch them give up and not even try as they had been under Renney. If the choice is play hard and lose or don't play at all, I'll take the former. You have to at least try to win the games. Renney had them stop trying....
For the first time, this is change I can believe in.
Posted by: Chris QCT | February 27, 2009 at 12:34 PM
DUBI if that turns out to be the case after the deadline, then Sather needs to stop being the GM before the draft. Renney can't be the only fall guy for this roster. Sather & some players have to pay too. Unless Tortorella fills that TALL order.
Posted by: i | February 27, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Gravey
"As a relatively uninformed fan, I have to wonder how we end up with the Jessiman's and Montoya's of the world while NJ gets the Parise's. "
In those picks I say it was PR more than actual talent. Jessiman was a local kid whose stock rose like a bullet during the month prior to the draft.
Montoya with his Cuban background was geared towards the Hispanic customers (or so they thought in their warped mindset).
The difference between then and now is who is running the picks. Then was Maloney now it is Gordie Clark.
Clark has shown that his preference is for best possible talent early, athletes mid round and gambles at the end.
"I know projecting 16yo to 24 yo is a daunting challenge, but isn't that the job? And of course these two guys I mention were college guys not junior"
The difference is that Clark was an actual scout once while Maloney never was. Any scout will tell you that it is just like tossing dice, you roll and you pray.
The difference I have learned is the amount of times you look at someone. The Rangers when they are thinking about someone will get as many different looks as possible.
IE, guy in the OHL is top ranked so they will fly in guys out of the WHL or QMJHL to look at him to get a different perspective.
It is easy for even me to sit back AFTER the fact and say I would have taken "so and so". I wanted Carlson last year instead of Del Zotto and right now it looks like Carlson has a better future but in the end I still could be wrong.
The difference though is I saw a ton of Carlson while he was in the USHL where as I hardly saw Del Zotto.
This year since I have spent a ton of time in the WHL, I would more likely want a kid from here.
WWC9
I do not know about subversively but you have to admit it is interesting that Schoeny has twice refused the Rangers coaching job.
Hockey jobs are about politics, if Schoeny can show that his methods would make the Dolans money at the cost of Sather I doubt anyone would shed any tears.
Posted by: Jess | February 27, 2009 at 01:31 PM
Is it possible that Sather wants out, so he put Schoeny in as Assistant Coach so he would be more familiar with the roster and new head coach as he, Schoeny, assumes the GM reins at the end of the season? That would be a face-saving way out.
Posted by: rangerbill94 | February 27, 2009 at 01:43 PM
If we do go into Fire Sale mode, whom do we think has any value?
Posted by: zengolfguy | February 27, 2009 at 01:53 PM
Sather definitely needs to pay for this..And maybe losing is the only way...But I will say one thing, the days of signing 2nd tier guys is over. Think of what Sather has done...
Briere and Drury hit the open market, he goes for the lessor and gets Drury...Redden\Chara available 1 year seperating them, and we sign Redden..Sather got Holik and Gomez, two players that thrived in a system...Why can't we ever sign the legit top guy instead of the player who's mostly good due to his teammates?
I think Torts will lay the law down, even with Sather. Glen can stay, as long as someone like Torts will battle with him to sign the guys he needs to be successful, not players that Sather thinks can get back to the way they were playing when they were in their prime 5+ years ago.
Posted by: Adam S. | February 27, 2009 at 02:03 PM
lundqvist staal girardi dubi Niko and cally.lol So lets hope the ones that has 3 pucks value go.
Posted by: Ant | February 27, 2009 at 02:05 PM
have *
Posted by: Ant | February 27, 2009 at 02:06 PM
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.
Posted by: gravey | February 27, 2009 at 02:55 PM
I think if you give these guys some time they will loosen up and start scoring again.
They were choked to the point of not playing under Renny, who chose to collapse and retreat instead of holding the line and forcing turnovers and going on the offense. They played 60 some odd games, with at least 40 of them in full defensive, 'win 1-0 or 2-1' mode. They were ridden into 'get to the defensive position' and had little offensive time, offensive drills or offensive mindset. Look at their rushes up ice since October, most were one shot and out of the zone to the defensive. The focus was on get back.
Add to it the lines were juggled way too much, so much so that nobody knows where anyone is going to be. You can see it when they skate, when they receive passes. They are so unused to doing it it'll take some time to get used to having a coach that actually lets them do it, let alone actually doing it. They have months of ingrained dogma to clear out and a whole new set of directives to bring in. The best example so far is the PP. When done the way Torts wanted, they scored. When reverting back to ingrained standing around, they looked horrible.
I like that Tortorella gets involved, he 'directs' and coaches. He's very active in telling players where and when and what he wants them to do. Heck, just seeing him communicate on the bench is a relief. I hated that the team would be down, looking for answers and Renny would just stand there. It's funny right now, because it looks like he's doing alot of watching, and you can see him biting his tongue at times. Give it another week or two and I'm sure the words will come out...
Once the team has skated the routes and placements enough, the chemistry will develop, the team will start to gel. Confidence will come out of it, and then goals will come. I think there are finishers on this team... they just don't know it yet.
I do think there will be at least one move by the deadline, preferably sooner rather than later so the guys have as much time to come together as possible. Redden will actually play better under this system, and Tortorella will not let him play soft. Rosy could go, maybe Reitz. Kalinin played a similar system in Buffalo and fits better than you'd think. it's one of the reasons I think he's 'improved'. It's possible one of the younger 'offensive' defensemen may be made available, unless they opt to bring someone up. I'd like to see that actually. Not like he'd disrupt anything at this point.
On offense, Gomez is tradeable, as is Dawes, Prucha, Voros... Like to see Prucha and Dawes stay. Given some time they'll fit in with the system pretty well too. I don't think Drury is going anywhere, but I'm sure with Torts behind the bench and his reputation, no trade clauses won't be a problem, especially if he 'suggests' you allow a deal and the trade is with a decent team. I know I'd seriously think about staying on knowing he wanted me to go... Drury has been able to keep up the pace though and should he be able to free his hands and score a few he'll be just fine in this new system. The reality really is who do you get? IF Avery shows up, and Bell turns out to be worthwhile you now have another glut of forwards and are short 1, if not 2 D-men of any real caliber. That would make a Bouwmeester trade near the top of my list, provided the kitchen sink wasn't a requirement.
Funny, but Renny may have actually done Sather a favor if Slats really wants Avery back... At least now there aren't as many teams ahead of the Rangers in the claims line... Is it possible for another team to claim him and the trade him right away to the Rangers just to get something for 'nothing'?
T
Posted by: ant (the other one) | February 27, 2009 at 03:02 PM
Sjo did not seem too happy about not playing him, I hope slats doesn't break up the chernobyl line!
Posted by: Wicky229 | February 27, 2009 at 08:51 PM