Sather - AV Disconnect

[Mikos87]

So, is it too early to ask for Peter Laviolette to come in and tear this pathetic team a new azz
hole?

Well it would keep him from the Isles or Blue Jackets since he's been rumored to go there. He's a guy that has a shelf life, no doubts about that. But he's won a cup. He isn't afraid to show emotion, and does his best to emotionally engage his roster.

He's seen the Atlantic, he's been in the East, gotten out of the east, and would be the kind of coach that doesn't go out of his way to be a gentleman.

I think AV is smart, but stubborn to the point where his will and desire to play a style like DET outweigh what this team, and how this team need to play to win games. Sadly the roster currently can't sustain either style of play. This skill filled system of tape to tape passes we're seeing out there vs that moron can't do anything but chip and chase it.

I don't think it's fair to AV to fire him so soon. But Laviolette would have been my number 1 choice to replace Torts if he was available. I mean Lavvy was on his way out last year, it was well known. I get the feeling that Philly didn't want him getting hired by NYR right away.

AV was my top choice to replace Torts given the candidates out there. Dale Hunter isn't leaving London but I'd definitely want a coach like him. Brent Sutter is out there in Red Deer too. Lavvy fits the mold of the type of bench boss you'd wanna see out there.

 

[BlueshirtBlitz]

Sather is an idiot because he didn't completely retool a roster to make it more dynamic moving the puck in all areas of all zones.

AV is an idiot because he took a job with players who aren't talented enough or used to playing a 200x85 style.

Or,

2 veteran hockey guys with veteran support staff shared a philosophy of how to play modern winning hockey.

They then looked at the roster and said, let's be reasonably patient in order to give the players a chance to reveal their aptitude for 200x85 hockey.

I'm going with patience. What was Sather supposed to do? Magically find 5 forwards and 2 d men in one summer and be challenging for the President's Trophy by now?

Change takes time.

This is how I see it.

And I'm glad Sather decided "caveman hockey" wasn't going to win the Cup, and that fun to watch was a criterion moving forward.

As for the underperforming players, until Clowe showed up last year the hockey was dreadful. So all I've seen for sure this year is just confirmation that breaking up the core is essential. I just hope somehow Sather, Clark and Gorton are going to get it done.

I can't take the fun to watch argument seriously.

The Rangers this season have been everything EXCEPT fun to watch. It's a chore tuning into games. Mostly because they don't play winning hockey.

Give me the 11-12 team any day.

 

[mulli25]

How anyone can look at that god awful display and say the coaching is doing his job is beyond me.

The Ranger's roster is obviously flawed, but they got completely out gamed by the Bluejackets, and you can't tell me its due to a superior Columbus roster.

If Sather is really all-in with AV then we should be sellers at the deadline, and start taking immediate steps to build an AV friendly team. But if the goal is really to win now, then AV needs to be sent packing.

Absolutely embarrasing to be a Rangers fan, but I guess i'm a sucker for honestly thinking the days of pathetic half-assed hockey were behind us.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

The "fun to watch" argument was always impressively awful to me.

The worst part is knowing that Sather essentially agreed. And it may have been a key part of his decision making.

Hey Glen, THIS is "unwatchable." You may remember similar "entertainment" from earlier in your tenure here. Time to look in the mirror bud.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

How anyone can look at that god awful display and say the coaching is doing his job is beyond me.

The Ranger's roster is obviously flawed, but they got completely out gamed by the Bluejackets, and you can't tell me its due to a superior Columbus roster.

If Sather is really all-in with AV then we should be sellers at the deadline, and start taking immediate steps to build an AV friendly team. But if the goal is really to win now, then AV needs to be sent packing.

Absolutely embarrasing to be a Rangers fan, but I guess i'm a sucker for honestly thinking the days of pathetic half-assed hockey were behind us.

What do you want Vigneault to do?

Hes under a mandate to play offensive hockey (pardon the pun). Hes got a roster that is stocked with unknowns and losers that have shown little to no compete level their entire careers. Theres no switch that can be turned on here.

 

[Jackson Ranger]

One of things that stood out for me after watching another pathetic effort by this team last night was how many times does this team come out flat. They were scored on in the first minute of the first period and should have been scored on in the first minute of the third.

We've seen this from these guys in the past few years. How many times did Torts have to call a timeout and blast these guys to wake them up? How many times this year SHOULD AV have called timeouts to get this team going? 5? 10 times out of 30 something games?

Everyone is talking about skill, which they are lacking and toughness which they've tried to correct with Asham and DM and with Dorsett coming back. But when do we say that the Girardi's, McD's, Stepan's, Hagelin's and Nash's have to motivate themselves to A. get READY for a game and B. play with passion for a FULL game?

I think the team is made up of too many nice guys. Obviously this isn't the only problem as I mentioned before and I would include coaching in there as well but I would add it is also a poorly constructed team and that falls on the GM.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

It sure is exciting watching the Rangers find new ways to lose game in and game out. This team is unwatchable. And surprisingly mentally fragile. They're still reeling from the NJ loss.

 

[Mikos87]

Did this team just lose 3 straight home games to 3 different 3rd string goalies?

 

[mulli25]

What do you want Vigneault to do?

Ice a team that looks like they've had a practice before?

Impliment a transition play other than skate in straight lines up the ice trying to throw pucks through defenders?

Impliment a defensive strategy in the neutral zone other than stand flat footed and swing your stick around?

Get the team on the same page?

Inspire some emotion?

In short, I'd like him to coach this god damn team.

Yes the roster isn't great, but its not like he has the mighy ducks circa '92 in Minneapolis. These are professional hockey players, many of which have very distinguished careers. There is absolutely zero excuse for fieldnig a team that night in and night out plays as if they have no idea what they're doing on the ice.

Most of us, yourself included, have been around hockey long enough to know what it looks like when a team loses because is flat out not talented enough. Can you honestly claim thats the case? Does this really look like a team thats playing to the best of its limited ability?

 

[KreiMeARiver*]

It's not AV's fault, but he was the WRONG hire for this team. Now, the team has checked out. I"m sorry but he needs to go if this keeps up. Bring in Laviolette and let's get back to working hard and not tiptoeing through the tulips.

That is all.

 

[RangersHank*]

I know they dont have the skill, but does that mean they need to come out and play like bums? Torts got them to play even without the skill, why cant this staff? Why on earth do we always make this **** goalies look good?? Losing sucks, but losing without even competing is just disgusting. 15-17-1. Just a crappy crappy team due to bad management and lazyness. IMO, Sathers worst signings in his life have been Pouliot and Pyatt. Forget Redden, Drury, and all those guys. Pouliot and Pyatt are the definition of our team, inconsistent, weak, not good enough. Those two signings are the definition of lazyness and not knowing what the hell is going on. We are screwed

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Ice a team that looks like they've had a practice before?

Impliment a transition play other than skate in straight lines up the ice trying to throw pucks through defenders?

Impliment a defensive strategy in the neutral zone other than stand flat footed and swing your stick around?

Get the team on the same page?

Inspire some emotion?

In short, I'd like him to coach this god damn team.

Yes the roster isn't great, but its not like he has the mighy ducks circa '92 in Minneapolis. These are professional hockey players, many of which have very distinguished careers. There is absolutely zero excuse for fieldnig a team that night in and night out plays as if they have no idea what they're doing on the ice.

Most of us, yourself included, have been around hockey long enough to know what it looks like when a team loses because is flat out not talented enough. Can you honestly claim thats the case? Does this really look like a team thats playing to the best of its limited ability?

While this roster used to embody the hard-nosed play of Callahan and Dubinsky, it now embodies the indifferent play of Nash and Brassard. Skill guys who don't seem to hate losing too much.

Its less about X's and O's and more about mentality at this point.

 

[RangersHank*]

While this roster used to embody the hard-nosed play of Callahan and Dubinsky, it now embodies the indifferent play of Nash and Brassard. Skill guys who don't seem to hate losing too much.

Its less about X's and O's and more about mentality at this point.

Am i wrong to dislike Brassard? Even though he didnt play, it feels like it made no difference. Trading hard work for easy work usually doesnt pay the same

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

While this roster used to embody the hard-nosed play of Callahan and Dubinsky, it now embodies the indifferent play of Nash and Brassard. Skill guys who don't seem to hate losing too much.

Its less about X's and O's and more about mentality at this point.

I agree. That said, for some reason, this team looks like they have never met one another. There's no cohesion and little ability to read one another. And that is not simply an effort thing.

 

[mulli25]

While this roster used to embody the hard-nosed play of Callahan and Dubinsky, it now embodies the indifferent play of Nash and Brassard. Skill guys who don't seem to hate losing too much.

Its less about X's and O's and more about mentality at this point.

Explain to me again how this doesn't fall on the coach and veteran leadership.

 

[Mikos87]

While this roster used to embody the hard-nosed play of Callahan and Dubinsky, it now embodies the indifferent play of Nash and Brassard. Skill guys who don't seem to hate losing too much.

Its less about X's and O's and more about mentality at this point.

Bingo. Half the roster is packed with guys that aren't self-motivated starters.

A lot of the guys on the team don't have a motor to speak of.

No will.

No toughness.

No resiliency.

But no problems being a waifer out there. This coaching staff doesn't look like it know how to instill a sense of accountability with it's athletes.

 

[mulli25]

I agree. That said, for some reason, this team looks like they have never met one another. There's no cohesion and little ability to read one another. And that is not simply an effort thing.

Apparently it's Sather's responsibilty to run practices and get the team on the same page.

Since its all his fault

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Apparently it's Sather's responsibilty to run practices and get the team on the same page.

Since its all his fault

It is all Sather's fault. He built this roster. He hired this coach.

 

[Mikos87]

Explain to me again how this doesn't fall on the coach and veteran leadership.

It falls a 100% on the coaching and leadership core. But when you have multiple guys that are mentally soft, shrinking violets, cashing it in, don't compete or skate hard enough for a full 60...

It's a severe lack of accountability. And that's coaching.

This is what happens when you hire a coach that plays favorites, and isn't clear about where guys stand. With a "neanderthal" like Torts or Laviolette or a Keenan guys know where they stand. AV & Arnie look like they are running a frou frou kiddie camp in the big city.

 

[Graves94]

While this roster used to embody the hard-nosed play of Callahan and Dubinsky, it now embodies the indifferent play of Nash and Brassard. Skill guys who don't seem to hate losing too much.

Its less about X's and O's and more about mentality at this point.

BRB, I have to agree with you on this.

I was a big supporter of trading for Nash, because he was, and still is a top line forward in practically evety team in the league, and boy does this team need that. However, he's definetily NOT a leader on the ice, maybe in the room/off ice he's great, but watching him skate around is not good to see from a guy making that salary!

Agree 100% on the fact that this team needs players with heart who show it on the ice. Steve Ott, is a great example of a player we would need, and a few more like him. Watching even less talented team than the Rangers (yes, there are some, see Calgary for example) play, compete hard, and win games, leads me to believe that we're seriously lacking in grit, gumption and truculence needed to win.

 

[mulli25]

It is all Sather's fault. He built this roster. He hired this coach.

I'm well aware that Sather sucks at his job...and would welcome his replacement with open arms.

My point in all of this is to contend the aparent notion that AV is somehow absolved of responsibility in all this.

To this point, AV has not coached well and deserves a sizable chunck of the blame for the joke we've seen on the ice this year.

 

[Punxrocknyc19*]

Dolan needs to sell the team.. get an owner that knows how to win and that has cared. at this point id take Neil Smith back as GM, i wonder how he would do under a salary cap... most teams would have fired their GM already, not this group of overpaid selfish heartless bums.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

I'm well aware that Sather sucks at his job...and would welcome his replacement with open arms.

My point in all of this is to contend the aparent notion that AV is somehow absolved of responsibility in all this.

To this point, AV has not coached well and deserves a sizable chunck of the blame for the joke we've seen on the ice this year.

Nobody is beyond blame. But there's been one constant over the last 13 seasons. And the man put this team together, with this roster and selected this coach. Expecting AV to give a heart to Poulitot and Pyatt and Brassard and J Moore is about as insane as expecting AV to turn change these players into offensive forces.

 

[Pizza]

They are not disconnected.

The fans asked for, begged, demanded anything that was not grind and jam. You got it.

AV.

One of the more respected and legit coaching talents in the NHL. And if they fire him now, the stigmata will be even more pronounced.

This is your lot as a Rangers fan. Embrace and nuzzle.

Happy Holidays.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Explain to me again how this doesn't fall on the coach and veteran leadership.

I'd imagine AV is a bit shell shocked at how badly Sather lied to him.

"Oh yea, the whole foundation is there, these guys police the locker room themselves, they just need a guy that will unshackle the offense."

Veteran Leadership? What veteran leadership?

Richards? Dude has a one way ticket out of town this offseason - why should be sacrifice for this team?

Callahan? Hes off the ice more than hes on it

Nash? Skilled guy, but he couldnt lead anyone out of a paper bag.