Coaches' Q&A With Ranger Fans

Mitch Beck, who covers the Hartford Wolf Pack for Blueshirt Bulletin in Howlings, and who writes the humorous "Zoning In" column for our monthly print publication, attended a Ranger season subscriber event on Monday night. Here is the Ranger-related portion of Mitch's account of that event:

About 250 season ticket holders gathered in the lobby of the Theater at Madison Square Garden to share an evening of conversation with the Rangers' coaching staff, hosted by MSG broadcasters John Giannone and Dave Maloney. Also in attendance, though he did not speak, was Ranger fan favorite Adam Graves. The evening opened with each coach discussing their personal background, how they came to the Ranger organization, and the roles they play in preparing the team -- Perry Pearn handles defense, special teams, and conditioning, while Mike Pelino works with the forwards and scouts opponents (Pearn added that his responsibilities include making sure Tom Renney dresses properly).

Topics ranged from the silly -- "Who is the best dressed Ranger? Colton Orr and Scott Gomez -- at least since Sean Avery took him shopping" and "Who keeps the locker room loose? Jason Strudwick, of course Ryan Hollweg with his dancing, and Avery" -- to the serious. The questioning was as varied as the ages of those in attendance. The coaches were direct in their replies, as direct as they could be, and did not shy away from any questions.

It didn’t take long for the power play to come up. When it proved to be the first question, the coaches joked that were curious how long it would take to get to that. Pearn summed it up sharply: the "top skill players are not playing to their top skill level, and for us to be successful they need to be." He added that the team was suffering "from confidence issues team-wide." For the the five on three to be more effective, Pearn felt the point men need to move back a bit, though not as much as some fans think. That was a problem that they were working on. He pointed out that the newest style of four-on-five penalty killing was to keep three players in a triangle as if they were two men down and have the fourth defender rove, pressuring the points and chasing the puck.

Regarding specific players in New York (for assessments of Hartford players, and there was a lot of talk about them, see Howlings), Marcel Hossa was the first to come up. Pearn, who did a lot of the talking, said "confidence is his biggest issue." If he could resolve those issues within himself, they project him to be a regular third line player because his defensive ability is "very strong" and "he is capable of putting 10-12 goals a year in the net. He just has to believe it, and right now he doesn’t."

Dan Girardi, Pearn said, "has been the biggest surprise of the past three years, especially how good he is without the puck. He has made the most dramatic change from his first development camp to today." He then compared Girardi to another player he coached earlier in his career -- Wade Redden. Pearn said Girardi "is certainly comparable with that first outlet pass, which is such an important factor, as Wade."

On Brandon Dubinsky, Tom Renney said, "We like what we are seeing in him. He knows the blue paint area and has a very high hockey IQ. He plays the game with some snarl and he’s certainly not afraid to challenge anyone as you’ve seen. We’re working on him with that." When someone proposed that Dubinsky reminded them of a young Walt Tkaczuk, Renney responded, "I can see that -- it’s a fair comparison. But let’s not put that kind of pressure on him just yet."

Asked about the goaltending and how good Steven Valiquette has been, Renney remarked, "Steve has won over his teammates and they feel confident when he’s in the net. It speaks volumes to Steve’s commitment as well as to Benny Allaire’s work with both he and Henrik." Asked if that has caused him to revise his original estimate of how many games Lundqvist would play, he said, "Absolutely. We originally had him slated to play between 70 and 72 games, but I can see it being less than that, sure."

Other issues discussed included the stick salute, which Renney said "was started by the players. Since we have so many Euros on the team, they are used to that -- that’s how it’s done there. They did it on their own and I hope they continue that here." Renney noted that he was the last coach to lead an amateur team into the Olympics in 1994 and that he is opposed to NHL players in the Olympics, saying, "The NHL product is compromised. If players get hurt it can ruin a team’s season, and there is certainly a letdown when they come back -- it takes time to refocus the team." He should know, having witnessed what happened to Henrik Lundqvist and his wide contingent of Czechs during the 2005-06 season, the Olympics derailing a white hot Ranger team.

The rumor about the team opening next season in Prague is still just talk. Many factors need to be taken into account before they fully commit, a big one being whether Jagr and other Czechs are still Rangers next season. Renney himself is not in favor of going -- when he coached in Vancouver, he said, they played a game in China and it took him a while to get his team back on track after that. He said he would prefer to have some part of training camp there and perhaps an exhibition game or two, but not a regular season game.

Lastly, Renney spoke about some of the changes the NHL has made. He thought that the removal of the red line was long overdue, but that he is not in favor of tinkering any more. "The changes to tradition would be bad," he said, especially resizing the nets or some other proposals that are rumored to be out there. One of the lighthearted moments of the evening was the result of the large representation from Section 419. The coaches felt that was the place to hang out. Overall, the evening was light, informative, and friendly, and the buzz from those in attendance was that they were all satisfied that their questions had been answered.

Ron Boesgaard, who pens Blueshirt Bulletin's "Views From the Blues" column every month, sent in this report:

I was at the season subscriber event in the Theater Monday night. Tom Renney, Perry Pearn, and Mike Pelino fielded questions from the audience. John Giannone and Dave Maloney were onstage with them and emceed the event. A fan asked about Marcel Hossa and talked about his lack of production as a first line player and how he has only scored during a couple of short streaks. Pearn said Hossa skated in the shadow of his brother and that Marcel just lacked the confidence to take his game to the next level. Pearn also inferred that Marcel was running out of time to find a way to get that confidence and start to play and score commensurate with his talent.

All in all an interesting evening. I got Dave Maloney and Adam Graves to sign my "Losing the Edge" book. I said hello to Mitch Beck and listened to Ms. Hurley ask a few questions of Tom Renney [see Margaret's take at My Blueshirt Heaven]. All three coaches said they preach "playing in the paint" over and over and over again to their charges and are hoping their "work in progress" will finally get that to sink in. They said the team was going to have to learn how to score the dirty goals in order to win in the playoffs. Bottom line: Pearn said the loss to Buffalo made the players understand what was needed to get to the next level and everyone would draw on that this year. Pelino said the team would get stronger every month. Renney said they were laying the foundation for a very good team for years to come.

Pearn, who was with the Senators while they were building a contender, said he talks to his friends back there frequently. He was told that Ottawa currently has just one or two players at their AHL affiliate that could play in the NHL. He then stated that there are eight or nine guys in Hartford the Rangers think can make the jump in the next few years. He said that was exceptional. Renney said the commitment Artem Anisimov has made to learning English and acclimating himself to North America has been exemplary and that the kid is doing everything right to make his way to the NHL. He also said Anisimov is paving the way for Alexei Cherepanov to come over next season and "possibly spend some time in Hartford." This was all good stuff. My brother and I and the other people from section 404 in attendance thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Ryan Callahan and Marek Malik are both ready to return from their injuries, according to reports in Blueshirts Blog, Rangers Report, and Newsday from yesterday's Ranger practice. Callahan stands a good chance of getting back into the line-up, with Marcel Hossa looking like the odd man out -- at least that's how they lined up at practice. But Renney is not ready to disrupt his successful defensive pairing, so Malik may not make an immediate return to action. Renney is especially loathe to cut the playing time or responsibility level of Marc Staal, who has emerged in Malik's place alongside Michal Rozsival on the Rangers' top pair.

In other Ranger news, Sam Weinman of the Journal News spoke to Martin Straka (hear the full interview at Rangers Report), the Post spoke to Scott Gomez about shooting the puck more, and CBS Sports is, like the rest of us, waiting for Gomez and Chris Drury to bust out. Hartford is reeling from a string of injuries, writes Bob Crawford at WP.com, yet Bruce Graham and Mike Busto (the latter returning from injury) have been assigned to Charlotte (see Howlings). WP.com also has Wolf Pack Weekly. At Prospect Park, Jess reports that there is no dearth of scoring among Ranger prospects in Canadian juniors. First rounder Bobby Sanguinetti gets all of the attention in these parts, but Blueshirt Bulletin and Prospect Park want to direct your attention to Ryan Hillier, a third round draftee who is having a career season with the Halifax Moosehead, having already put up 18 goals. We are planning to run Jess's interview with Ryan in the December issue of Blueshirt Bulletin.

Comments

[Dennis]

That was the first time i ever read blueshirt bulletin and didn't find one morsel of information interesting...time to get back to the game tomorrow night!!!!!

[Dubi]

Not one morsel? Not one single morsel? Not that penalty killers around the league are using new tactics? Or had you noticed that already on your own? Not that Renney is rethinking how often he is going to use Lundqvist now that Valiquette has emerged as a reliable backup? Not that Marcel Hossa has played himself down the depth chart? Well, you knew that, but you didn't know the coaching staff was thinking that way too. Not one wee morsel?

[Pavel]

Avery out for two weeks... grrr.. but maybe we'll actually beat the fishsticks.

[Chris QCT]

It is a little disconcerting to hear the coaching staff talk about the PP in some of the same ways the fans do. For example on the 5-on-3's, if they think Shanny and Jagr should be placed higher in the zone then WHY AREN'T THEY?!?! That has been going on for 2 seasons now. And if they believe they have to get more traffic in front and score dirty goals, then why is there no difference in the PP? The first unit is still not getting in front of the net, nor are they generating more shots.

How can any coach let this go on for so long? I like Renney as the coach of this team for many reasons. But sometimes I think if he was just a little harder on his players, then we would not see these things happen over and over.

[RobZ]

Good stuff Dubi as always, Avery news is not good for us. Hopefully Callahan's energy will spark us. The funny thing about Hossa is I think he can be good, He has a nasty shot that we rarely see, I think he is more of a use than Hollweg is. However, I think Greg Moore should be kept up here top see what he has instead of Hossa. At this level you need guys who can score on EVERY line.

[i]

will Prucha finally get some PP time again? They talk about guys getting in the paint, that's where he usually is. He's not afraid to get dirty! He's not perfect, but he deserves the reward . He gives 100% every shift.

[Godot]

I've been horribly disappointed with Hossa (except for that one shootout goal which was beauteous)--and it was interesting to hear what Pearn had to say about him, because ultimately I like Hossa. He just seems to be so tight when he plays.

Thanks for the insights and the updates, as always. What's this about Avery????

[Joey Irvine #27]

As an attendee at this event, and visitor to every possible Ranger site there is, I have to also respectfully disagree with Dennis. Great stuff. Too bad many more Ranger fans could not have been there. The Ranger coaches as expected were candid, informative, loose and brutally honest throughout. When addressing some tough but professional questions, they pulled no punches. This was not your typical Al Trautwig in between period chat with the coaches. Believe me Dennis would benefit if this session was re broadcast on MSG or Rangers.com. The cameras were there, so I'm sure we will see "snipits" of it somewhere. ..."the Attorney from 419"!!!

[ivrydov]

I am mystified that Hossa's lack of production is attributed to a lack of confidence arising from his playing in the shadow of his brother. I don't recall Dennis Hull or Pete Mahovlich or Henri Richard or Rob Niedermayer or Marc Staal not performing to the best of abilities because their brothers were hall of famers (on Eric I'm projecting). He's not a teenager and not a rookie and not a stranger in a strange land any more. It used to be you sent a player to the minors to gain confidence against lesser players, but I don't know what they can do to help him if the assessment is correct.

[Pavel]

For the 1 trillionth time, Marcel Hossa is a BUST. Maybe he'll get hurt like Malik and is out for multiple games so we see how much better we are without him.

[bryan]

avery is having wrist surgery, and will be out at least 2 weeks per Zipay

[brian]

i cringe at how we played last time we didnt have avery in the lineup...time for hollweg and orr to step it up and protect the boys from cheapo witt and company....tommorow night we dine on fishsticks......yuck....

[Matty]

i cringe at how we played last time we didnt have avery in the lineup

As I recall we started turning things around BEFORE Avery came back to the lineup ... Sucks that he is hurt again but he should've had this surgery in the summer, but no matter, better now than in March or April ...

[brian]

better now than in March or April...

i agree and i agree with getting it done in the offseason, but still i like having avery in the lineup ..

[Blaze]

How could anyone wish to see someone get hurt??? This is his livelihood. How would you like it if someone wished for you to get hurt so you couldn’t work?

[Matty]

Blaze, it's like preaching to the choir with some people ...

BTW did you guys read Sam's blog???

The Pruchster was practicing with the 2nd PP unit with Jagr and Drury! I love it! I have been wanting Prucha to be on the PP with Jagr because that's where he's had the most success since he's been on the big club ...

Also from reading Sam's blog it appears that Avery was trying to convince Tom Renney to let him play tomorrow and then have the surgery on Friday but they didn't want him to do further damage and wanted him to have the surgery ASAP ...

[Pavel]

that's what workers comp is for

[brian]

is he having the surgery today? its an important game as all are...but we need aves healthy and raring to go come february...this game is not as crazy as it will be down the stretch...

[LI Joe]

I'm thinking they were waiting for Straka and Cally to come back and that this problem has been there for a little while (at least since he aggravated it by getting hit with Shanny's shot). Although maybe the surgery should have been while he was out with the shoulder. At least whatever time he's out will help the shoulder, which is another injury he'll probalby have to live with all yr.

[lennynyr]

Yeah Blaze, how would people feel if I got hurt and couldn't post any more???

[lennynyr]

I don't get workers comp, just social security!!

[Blaze]

Workers comp doesn't pay your full salary...only a percentage.

[mhurley]

Thanks Ron for the link to my blog.

I also want to thank Becks for taking me and wiping my chin as I drooled over those handsome coaches. OMG, who knew that Pearn and Pelino were such total foxes.(At my age gals go for the cerebral, distinguished types. Ha, and you thought it was my love of hockey that has kept me a Ranger fan all these years. It's all the cute guys.;)

[akayama49]

Dubi: Why the arbitrary separation of the discussion of Wolfpack players from this website ? I attended the coaches' briefing at MSG and my main question dealt with why the coaching staff made allowances for penalty killers to skate regular shifts despite no shown NHL scoring or passing skills while other players with substantial odd man skill languish in the minors. Reference to the only player to register 3 power play points in one game this season on either thr Rangers or Wolfpack. Renney danced around that one, but it's past time for the Rangers to make space on their roster for a player with PP skill; Callahan with 1 point in 8 games this season is not that player; Prucha probably is such a player as is Dawes.

[Dubi]

akayama, separting the discussion of the Wolf Pack and the Rangers is hardly arbitrary -- it is very well defined. The WP discussion appeared a day earlier on our WP web site, Howlings, which Mitch writes. I provided a link to it yesterday. Mitch put the Ranger material together for this site since it wasn't relevant to the Pack, and Ron's comments were incorporated too, including one comment on the Pack.

As for the PP question, it's a good one, but the answer to me is pretty clear -- the problem is not lack of PP talent, at least among the forwards, it's too much talent. The Rangers have put their top six forwards out there in recent games, and there was still no room for Prucha, a power play specialist already in New York. So bringing up another PP specialist without any PP time to give him at the expense of another vital role player doesn't make sense to me.

With the Rangers rolling four lines -- three potential scoring lines and one defensive checking line, as everyone seems to agree is necessary in today's NHL once you get to the playoffs -- they can't afford to use a roster spot for a PP specialist who can't play even strength, especially when they already have a plethora of PP forwards. When Dawes rounds out his overall game, he will be back. He may be pressed into duty earlier than that if injuries recur.

The problem is the lack of scoring from proven PP players, not a lack of PP players. From all I've heard, the problem seems to be an inability of the players to buy into the coach's system. If you recall last season they had that same problem with the defense -- problem solved. Now they have to solve the PP problem, which has festered for three seasons. A number of viable options have been proposed within the team and out here among us fans -- but benching Jagr, Shanahan, Straka, Gomez, Drury, or Avery is not something that is ever gonna happen, so don't expect any complaints on that score to ever be taken seriously.