The fish rots from the head down...

[True Blue]

I don't know how anyone could stand the way this team played under Torts.

Winning is NEVER boring. Just ask the Devils.

Was Detroit an exciting team to watch? They played defensive hockey. The left wing lock was a form of the neutral zone trap. Heck, Colarado with Sakic & Forsberg played the trap. Under Torts the team had an identity and was winning. That is all that matters.

Torts' firing may be the best thing to happen to this team IN THE LONG RUN because he was able to concoct a winning team and mask the deficiencies in this organization, albeit using a system that made it an absolute chore to watch this team.

What you are saying is a reason to want him here, not gone. You are condemning him because he came up with a way for the offensively challenged team to win? Any coach who can do that should have his praises sung.

And no ide of what you are talking about as far as "chore" to watch. The team was a pleasure to watch.

With Torts it was like we were stuck in neutral; winning games but not performing well enough to win it all.

A trip to the ECF and multiple times being one of the final 8 teams left standing. Sounds pretty good to me. Point out another Ranger coach with such a record.

Now that he is gone we can truly see the glaring weakness in the organization and HOPEFULLY changes will be made (won't hold my breath).

Wait. Now that he is gone and we can see the issues on the team, that is somehow a good thing?

 

[True Blue]

Right but this doesn't answer my question. How did it upset our offensive chemistry when we had very little anyway and how did it cause Richards and Gabs to forget how to play hockey?

We had little offensive chemistry, but the locker room was rife with it. That is the chemistry that was disrupted.

 

[Esa 10]

Jimmy Dolan.

An owner shouldn't make hockey decisions, but he needs to set goals and demand excellence. Almost 15 years of failure or mediocrity with an odd nice season sprinkled in and there's absolutely no accountability in the front office.

Is Jimmy setting the bar higher when Sather retires to Presidency?

 

[Gardner McKay]

]I would rather watch a team that works hard and wins despite being "boring" 10 times out of 10 over the steaming turd we've gotten to see this year.[/B]

I agree Torts system masked roster deficiencies. I disagree that revealing those deficiencies will allow the organization to "see the light" and make any type of long term systematic changes. Instead they will reconsider what immediate stopgap to pursue next to distract the fanbase for a bit.

Oh the Irony. I remember the posts as clear as day from those who were screaming for anything but "boring Torts hockey". Not saying it was you specifically but there were plenty who could careless what kind of system we went to and how good/bad we did as long as it was a different system.

 

[JanErixon20]

History may look back at the firing of Torts as one of the Rangers biggest mistakes since the signing of Keane and Skrudland or the trading of Mattias Norstrom.

The Nash trade in particular hurt as it disrupted chemistry and took away some of the core.

You make that Nash trade every day. Anisimov was an under-performing player. Dubinsky was coming off an awful year. I don't think Erixon has made CBJ last year or this year (could be wrong on that).

The only guy I was upset to see go was Dubinsky because of the way he played. But talent alone, you make that trade all day every day.

 

[KreiMeARiver*]

OP is spot-on. I'm not even angry...I'm just beat up and broken. ahaha

 

[Jackson Ranger]

Great post SBOB. I was thinking after the game on Saturday that Sather has turned the Rangers into the Oilers from the mid to late 90's. Can you pick out the Doug Weight's, Boris Mironov's, Rem Murray's and Tom Poti's on this team?

 

[Trxjw]

Only Sather could have the stones to break apart a team that made it to the ECF and still say the goal is to "Win a Stanley Cup." He's completely out of touch with the game and his players. It's mind numbing to think he's been here for so long with absolutely nothing to show for it.

 

[NYR Viper]

Adam Proteau ‏@Proteautype 2m
The New York Rangers are abysmal. Will this be the year emperor Glen Sather is held to account? Hahahaha! I kill me, too.

Finally, someone says it

 

[True Blue]

The only guy I was upset to see go was Dubinsky because of the way he played. But talent alone, you make that trade all day every day.

There are deals that should not be based on "talent alone". That was clearly one of them.

 

[RangerBoy]

From: @Proteautype
Sent: Oct 21, 2013 10:54a

The New York Rangers are abysmal. Will this be the year emperor Glen Sather is held to account? Hahahaha! I kill me, too.

sent via TweetDeck
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/Proteautype/status/392302842683199489

 

[RangerBoy]

The Red Wings played the left wing lock but they had great players. They didn't play stone age hockey and block shots. The Devils teams from 2000 and 2001 weren't trap teams. Don't compare the Tortorella Rangers to those teams.

 

[Trxjw]

I don't even think that widespread media criticism could get Sather run out of town. He's made so many mistakes for so many years and he's still here.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

The Red Wings played the left wing lock but they had great players. They didn't play stone age hockey and block shots. The Devils teams from 2000 and 2001 weren't trap teams. Don't compare the Tortorella Rangers to those teams.

The Wings also get away with more subtle picks and interference than any team in the league. Been like that for nearly 20 years now. Still boggles my mind how they aren't penalized every shift.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

We had little offensive chemistry, but the locker room was rife with it. That is the chemistry that was disrupted.

Agreed.

Locker room chemistry is just as important as on-ice chemistry. Problem is, most of the time fans, media, etc, don't see what's going on behind the scenes, so it's hard to make an accurate judgement call on the full effects of a trade.

That's why the HBO 24/7 was so interesting, and why so many people had doubts about the Nash trade from Day 1. You could see that 2011-12 group was really special.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

The thread title earns bonus points for panache.

I pride myself on my panache.

Still, a team not winning a cup does not necessarily equate to poor management. I thought the Rangers had a pretty clear identity the last two seasons, they just haven't found it this year.

That's sometimes true. The Rangers did have an identity. They made the Nash trade (and I still like the Nash deal) without having the pieces in place the replace what they gave up to get him. They didn't give up starts. But they did deal very specific kind off players for which they didn;t have internal replacements. They were also the kind of player that they have had trouble drafting and developing. That lack of internal options made them have to deal Gaborik to fill those spots and give the roster players who would fit into the coach's system.Then they fired the coach. This is the perfect example of a directionless organization with no vision or long-term plan.

 

[Mikos87]

The Wings also get away with more subtle picks and interference than any team in the league. Been like that for nearly 20 years now. Still boggles my mind how they aren't penalized every shift.

Because they mirror and skate alongside the guy they are defending without making contact unless they can make a play or get support from a teammate. It's not a penalty unless they make contact, or react late.

Teams that beat them just get physical with them and drive towards the net instead of moving alongside them, otherwise the wings get a lot of takeaways by forcing teams towards sticks and bodies.

 

[vipernsx]

The GM's lazy, quick fix, smartest-guy-in-the-room mentality has trickled down to every part of this organization — and that includes the purported draft master Gordie Clarke and the supposed personnel wizard Jeff Gorton. The inability, or unwillingness, to look beyond the season that’s right in front of them is what keeps this the franchise in a constant revolving door of mediocrity.

You're right but the shortsighted "make the playoffs this season" mentality comes from the owner who wants that revenue. Slats is past his time, but it's his chummy chummy relationship with Dolan that keeps him in his seat.

 

[Ail]

You're right but the shortsighted "make the playoffs this season" mentality comes from the owner who wants that revenue. Slats is past his time, but it's his chummy chummy relationship with Dolan that keeps him in his seat.

Which unveils the ultimate and most terrifying of all realities that as long as a Dolan owns this team the bottom line will always be top dollar and not hockey.

This could extend well beyond Glen Sather.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

You're right but the shortsighted "make the playoffs this season" mentality comes from the owner who wants that revenue. Slats is past his time, but it's his chummy chummy relationship with Dolan that keeps him in his seat.

Which unveils the ultimate and most terrifying of all realities that as long as a Dolan owns this team the bottom line will always be top dollar and not hockey.

This could extend well beyond Glen Sather.

I'm not sure I buy the Dolan angle. Sather doesn't seem to me to be the yes man hack who is going to kiss up to a guy who knows next to nothing about hockey. Glen Sather is the guru who built the mighty Edmonton Oiler dynasty. I don't see him letting some spoiled cable brat telling him how to run his business. And if Dolan was so bottom line focused, he's certainly ponied up enough money to pay the likes of Holik, Redden, Drury and soon to be Richards to not play for the Rangers. I know we're talking about different amounts of money but he's been lax about burning cash.

Dolan has been more involved interested in the higher profile Knicks — a team that has not been as successful as the Rangers.

 

[Samuel Culper III]

SBOB, you could compile all of your posts from this thread, along with some context for the ones where you're responding to somebody, print it, bind it and sell it as the authoritative guide to understanding the NYR since 2000. I really just think everything you've written here deserves extra emphasis.

 

[Ail]

I'm not sure I buy the Dolan angle. Sather doesn't seem to me to be the yes man hack who is going to kiss up to a guy who knows next to nothing about hockey. Glen Sather is the guru who built the mighty Edmonton Oiler dynasty. I don't see him letting some spoiled cable brat telling him how to run his business. And if Dolan was so bottom line focused, he's certainly ponied up enough money to pay the likes of Holik, Redden, Drury and soon to be Richards to not play for the Rangers. I know we're talking about different amounts of money but he's been lax about burning cash.

Dolan has been more involved interested in the higher profile Knicks — a team that has not been as successful as the Rangers.

I agree, but if the only thing Dolan told Glen was, "I don't care who you sign, what it costs, just get me in the playoffs every year." I think that's more than enough to do the damage being done here. Glen still chooses how to do it, (very poorly of course) but if that was his only rule it would still mean avoiding a top 10 draft pick at all costs. Including trading for Joker and missing the playoffs by a shootout.

I hope you are right because otherwise we are in for a longgggg ride.

 

[OverTheCap]

I think Dolan is generally clueless about hockey and if he was more familiar with the sport and how to run an NHL organization, Sather would have been fired by now. In all likelihood, Sather will get to pick his successor when he retires because Dolan won't know how to go about finding a competent replacement for the GM.

Dolan obviously has more interest and confidence in his ability to run the Knicks considering how he involved he is with that franchise. That is in stark contrast to his hands off, no accountability attitude towards Sather and the Rangers. But even though his approach towards the Knicks and Rangers differ, both have resulted in failure. I'm sure profitability and revenue is very important to Dolan, as it is to any owner, but I think he wants win badly also - he just has no idea how to go about doing it.

 

[The Gloaming]

Guys, I got it!
Every Ranger fan here plays the lottery every week from now on. When someone wins, make an offer Dolan can't refuse, buy the Rangers, and fire Sather.

Honestly, I think that's the only way Sather could ever get fired.

 

[NYRKindms]

I agree, but if the only thing Dolan told Glen was, "I don't care who you sign, what it costs, just get me in the playoffs every year." I think that's more than enough to do the damage being done here. Glen still chooses how to do it, (very poorly of course) but if that was his only rule it would still mean avoiding a top 10 draft pick at all costs. Including trading for Joker and missing the playoffs by a shootout.

I hope you are right because otherwise we are in for a longgggg ride.

People keep saying this. How do you explain away the many years under Sather that the Rangers missed the playoffs ?

and on top of that blowing his bosses money left and right on hunches that never pan out.

The Rangers under Sather have missed the playoffs almost as much as have made them. So he isn't exactly the darling of revenue generation, add in the millions that have been squandered and the only conclusion is that he has pictures of Dolan banging goats or something.