Rangers Analysis: Tortorella Eliminating the Avery Factor
by Nick Montemagno on Mar 10, 2010 7:00 AM EST
in Rangers Analysis
23 comments
There is so much that goes along with the name Sean Avery, both on and off the ice. He may be more popular for his antics against rival goaltender Martin Brodeur, or for his "sloppy seconds" remark last season, but all of that aside, he is a solid hockey player that knows the sport well. However, something has changed this season that is holding back arguably the league’s biggest pest, and I have a feeling that has to do a lot with head coach John Tortorella.
When Tortorella was hired in 2009, a big question upon his arrival would be how he would work with Sean Avery after making a comment on television earlier that season, stating Avery does not deserve to be in the league. It took a while until the two ran into a conflict here in New York, which resulted in Avery sitting in the press box as a healthy scratch for game four of the Quarterfinal Series against the Washington Capitals.
After that occurrence, I think Tortorella then made the decision that he is going to keep a leash on Sean, and keep it very tight to boot. The fact that we no longer see Avery’s antics as often as we did while Renney was coach is a clear sign Avery has been warned about how far he is allowed to go, and that Tortorella has made sure it is known who is in control here.
If you think back to mid-January when the Blueshirts took on the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden, Avery was called for roughing as he cross-checked a player to the ice after the whistle for no apparent reason. Upon returning to the bench after serving the two minute minor, Avery quickly attempted to explain himself but was cut short by Torts, who sent him to the end of the bench where he would sit until the end of the period. Yes, it was an unnecessary penalty and yes, his benching was lifted later that night, but this once again was another example of how Tortorella means no bones about who is boss.
Continue Reading after the Jump>>
So my question, after taking all of the above confrontations into consideration, is if it has affected Avery’s all around game. I mean, you want him to focus on playing the hockey instead of creating sideshows, but Torts may be tugging that leash a bit too hard and getting to Avery mentally. Afterall, Aves only has eight goals on the season, and a total of 25 points.
Avery has an ego. Avery has an attitude. Avery has a hefty reputation. But while he may act like he does not give a rat’s tail as to what Tortorella says or thinks, he does, simply because Torts controlls his ice time, and essentially, his career. I have heard of past cases where Avery has told others that he is "not afraid" of Tortorella, which I don’t doubt, but the fact is that he respects him and will do as he says.
Unfortunately for Avery, by Tortorella not allowing him to be himself, I am not too sure the Ontario native is free to play his game. Avery is not just a pest, he is not just an agitator. He is a skilled hockey player that can make things happen on the ice, but Tortorella’s strict rulebook has deprived Avery, in my opinion, to freely play hockey.
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100% i agreaa
I have been saying this since Tarts was hired. How can you expect to have Avery play his game when he barely gets 3rd line minutes? I mean the team picks up Christiensen off waivers, and he immediately gets 20 mins a game to prove his worth while Avery was stuck playing 3 min a period on the fourth line? Its hard for anyone to become involved and make an impact when you arent even given a chance. I sure miss tom Renney….
I disagree.
Sure, i think Avery have more skill than people believe, but the truth of the matter is that Avery’s reputation precedes him. He is so disliked by the officials that he gets more penalties that others would get away with and since he is prone to diving and pleading for penalties every time he is touched, he draws fewer penalties as well.
I know the refs should be impartial, but officiating is by definition subjective and Avery has an awful reputation.
I personally just do not trust him if he is not on a short leash. And the Rangers cannot afford stupid penalties on top of the ones they already deserve and get because their defense is slow and lackluster.
The Rangers only offense is 5-on-5 and they to get the puck in the offensive zone as much as possible to let Lundqvist breathe every once in a while.
I think Avery’s ice presence and the correlation with winning was more coincidental then anything.
But this is just one fan’s opinion.
But I do agree that Christiansen does not deserve ice time over Avery. He has marginal talent and only has a few points which he created rather than benefited due to playing with Gaborik-Prospal.
by truebluesince75 on Mar 10, 2010 9:07 AM EST reply actions
If Avery finishes out the season healthy
He’ll put up his 2nd highest point total of his career with 33. So I don’t get how his point totals are a reflection of the “reigns” being pulled in, even if I agree that it looks like they have been.
I do however understand the subjectivity of this, and Avery certainly looks like a different person this year, so there is something going on behind the scenes that is limited Sean’s overall effectiveness.
As for the Christensen-Avery debate: I could post the numbers but all things weighted they’re effectively equal… EC plays harder comp (actually, hardest among the forwards), but with better teammates and a better ZoneStart, so all things considered it’s not outrageous to think Avery’s production would be the same. Here of course is the one stat that does matter between the two:
PTaken/60:
Avery 1.9
EC 0.8
PDifferential/60 (PDrawn-PTaken)
EC -0.1
Avery -0.7
That’s why EC gets here and gets the first line minutes while Avery stays back.
One last note, here’s another Sean stat
PDrawn/60:
07-08 2.5 (led team, Cally 2nd @ 2.3)
08-09 2.7 (led team, Voros 2nd @ 1.7)
09-10 1.2 (leads team, tied with Cally)
Whether it’s referee bias, the coaching staff putting him on a leash, or players just aren’t falling for his shenanigans anymore, this is the best case one has that something is different. Even still, Avery leads the team, so it may just be the offensive system not generating penalties, and not this subjective argument about what diabolical plans the coaching staff created for Sean.
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
+1
Thanks for the information. Some cold hard facts that don’t necessarily support the subjective “gut feel” we all tend to have when trying to compare seasons past with this one.
Of course, subjectively, we could all wonder if Sean would surpass his career highs if he were “unleashed”, right ?
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
+1...er...+2
I looked up these stats (although not to the extend Smurf articulately laid them out) last week. It seems Avery draws a LOT of penalties in his favor as well…and this confirms it. Still, he’s substantially down this year, likely a by-product of ice time.
Perhaps I’m oversimplifying, but Avery – as a NYR – consistently rises to the talent/production level of his linemates. Without a single ‘true’ playmaker on the team sans Prospal, Avery is left doing his ‘shielding the puck, cycle, throw blind centering pass’ routine x10, each game.
There’s no doubt the guy is playing his tail off every shift. He simply needs better linemates to enable this. Perhaps a line of Anisimov, Jokinen and Avery might be the solution…?
I do, however, concur with CT’s Lisin comment below. The man has skills we’re failing to utilize.
"...also I'll brush my teeth and remember to turn off the stars at night and put the hyena out." ERNEST HEMINGWAY
I think Avery is less left with “shielding the puck, cycle, throw blind centering pass” then it just be part of his playing style. I think this plays into the chemistry between players. I think consistent lines would help both him and the players on shift with him.
Chemistry is always the word used, but I think it is a natural instinct you learn from playing with the same guys. I’m no professional, but have spent a lot of time playing sports including hockey. To this day there are guys I play hockey with that we all look better when playing on a line together. The sum is much better then the parts.
I guess I just don’t understand why Torts doesn’t believe there is any value in guys playing together. If I could spend 5 minutes interviewing him this would be my topic of discussion. It was around the 7th game of the season when the Rangers were still winning and Torts said the top line was getting stale and he was looking to mix it up. I just don’t get it.
by CTrangerfan on Mar 10, 2010 10:27 AM EST up reply actions
I think Avery is less left with “shielding the puck, cycle, throw blind centering pass” then it just be part of his playing style. I think this plays into the chemistry between players. I think consistent lines would help both him and the players on shift with him.
Chemistry is always the word used, but I think it is a natural instinct you learn from playing with the same guys. I’m no professional, but have spent a lot of time playing sports including hockey. To this day there are guys I play hockey with that we all look better when playing on a line together. The sum is much better then the parts.
I guess I just don’t understand why Torts doesn’t believe there is any value in guys playing together. If I could spend 5 minutes interviewing him this would be my topic of discussion. It was around the 7th game of the season when the Rangers were still winning and Torts said the top line was getting stale and he was looking to mix it up. I just don’t get it.
by CTrangerfan on Mar 10, 2010 11:09 AM EST up reply actions
To be fair
His point per game pace is nowhere near where his pace has been with the Rangers. But he’s also never played more than 75 games in a season.
It’s ridiculous though to think that Sean is this great goal scorer that we’re holding back. His career shooting% is ~8%. To have a 20 goal year, he’d have to fire 250 shots at that pace. Even at 10% he’d need 200, and he simply doesn’t shoot that much. (well he might, but he misses the net a bunch)
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on Mar 10, 2010 10:16 AM EST up reply actions
Sean Avery is on the black list with NHL officials. He’s got to toe a tight line to play the instigator in the NHL. Without the support of the coach he’s not going to be effective. Torts made a bad decision in benching Avery against the Caps in the playoffs last year. Then Torts goes on to get suspended. But that was last year..
Smurf makes a good point with the numbers, but I don’t think the “Avery Factor” is pure coincidence.
Avery plays with grit and passion, which I think this team lacks most nights. It seems that Torts is to blame for taking that out of Avery. This could be good, if we made it back somewhere else but we didn’t. Avery is probably difficult to coach, but if he came out with the drive he had in the game in Dallas he certainly is a game changer.
The big deal for me is Torts hasn’t got the best out of these guys. You can say these guys don’t match his style, but you coach the guys you have at some point. I think Lisen and AA were under utilized for no reason. I think the line jumbling is out of hand. Last game we had 3 centers on our top line. Then it changed the next shift… and then the next… and then t… The players come to the games unmotivated and take shifts off. We have a bunch of over paid veterans who lack heart yet we seem to want to hold only the rookies accountable for their mistakes. I know its all been said before.
Torts admits to not having the answers and then gets arrogant when he is asked questions. I really thought he would help this team, but I don’t see it now. Time may prove that he can help turn this organization around, but I seriously doubt it myself.
Something is broken in Ranger Land… plain and simple. Many argue the team lacks talent. Yes we are not as talented as the Pengs or Caps, but we should be a playoff team. It is not the lack of talent that is our biggest problem. It is the lack of heart and motivation.
I blame Sather, Torts, Our Captain, and the players.
So yes it looks like Tort took some fight out of the dog that is Avery. It makes a good story… Avery always does. This isn’t problem, but is wasn’t the solution Torts was looking for either
Avery can be a game changer and might just realize he has nothing to lose and lay it all on the ice for the rest of the season… or at least until Torts pulls the chain.
This is where Torts needs to be ridiculed. Avery’s one of the Rangers best assets when he’s being Sean Avery.
His point totals say he’s doing fine…but when Avery’s being Avery..he can control an entire game.
I dunno Torts…maybe he just needs to just let Sean off the “leash” and just let him go crazy out there.
The refs may be up his ass all game…but hell, isn’t not like the Rangers take good penalties nowadays, now is it?
If Sean’s in the box…so be it. I’d rather see him go in the box for whacking a goalie in the helmet then see Roszvial with another interference penalty.
Master of the squeegee
On the sixth day of xmas Rozie gave to me ...6 interference
six times interfering
five….tripping ….calls!
four ugly slashes
three high sticks
two obstruction holdings
and a roughing that doesn’t make sense.
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on Mar 10, 2010 10:34 AM EST up reply actions
*actual stats for his season
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on Mar 10, 2010 10:35 AM EST up reply actions
make sure Sather doesn’t see that. He may re-up him for 5yrs $25mill
Master of the squeegee
by FreeBradshaw on Mar 10, 2010 12:00 PM EST up reply actions
No one's a bigger fan BUT...
Both my son and I are HUGE Avery fans, but if I am totally fair, I see a different Avery this year. When watching my 8 year old son play, I’m consistently trying to evaluate if he’s giving 100% or if he’s spending much of his time watching the play, a problem he had much of the mid-season. When I watch the Rangers, I frequently notice Avery make a blind centering pass and then stop skating completely and just watch the rest of the play. Being conscious of this trait, I find it amazing how many times during a game he covers the puck in the corner, finds for an opening, sends the blind pass across the middle and then watches, only to then get on his horse and try to catch the opposition racing up the ice with puck.
When paying attention to other, EC, Prospal, Cally, Dubie, etc. I see them make the pass and then crash the net or get to an open spot, rarely watching. I can’t comment on whether this was his style in years past, but it’s been noticeable game after game this year.
I Love Avery but His time here should be up.
Its quite apparent that the referees and Torts combined have destroyed Avery’s career. He made a living on being the agitator that everyone loved to see night in and night out. But with Torts leash and the Refs disliking him, it has limited those antics to very few and rendering Avery basically worthless to our team. He doesn’t draw many penalties anymore, doesn’t irritate anybody anymore, doesn’t really help on the scoreboard except against Dallas. It would be much better for our team to try and replace him with a top 6 SKILLED forward that will net 25+ goals or so. This would help balance out that logjam of 3rd line forwards and add more skill that this team needs.
Avery v Torts and SATHER has to go
I say put the two of them in a room and winner takes all! Whoever comes out of that room stays and TORTS and SATHER MUST GO (period – end of story!).
On another note, the entire Defense with the exception of Stahl needs to be either reassigned to HFD – Gilroy, Girardi and Del Zotto (-21) for crying out LOUD – and – Redden (11 pts and $39M reasons why – not his fault (will get to Sather in a moment)- should be waived outright – and – let’s trade Rozival if we can for even the last pick in the draft would be an upgrade. Our D-Corp is the softest in the league. Does somebody understand clearing out your zone – Does anyone win a battle along the boards – No one is disciplined and plays the puck up the boards – and not ONE of the bunch understands playing the man vs playing the puck.
SATHER is a moron, an idiot and the Oilers are not walking through the dressing room. We cannot have this buffoon running our organization 10 years has felt like the 1940 drought all over again – He has to go, period!!!!
Let’s get a hockey man or men in here. Solution – a consortium of JD (pluck him from the Blues – he should’ve never gotten away), Adam Graves, Ray Ferraro, Pat Verbeek, perhaps Mess, and Darren Pang. All, with the exception of Panger, have roots with the Rangers, are leaders, understand hockey and Panger is a brillant hockey mind, just listen to his broadcasts, he knows what’s going on and gets it. Let’s build a winner, stay winners and be an upper echelon franchise, because the product put out for the past 10 years has been garbage and there’s only one person responsible for that and that’s Sather the Swamp Turkey!!
Anyone know what Kris King(er), Rudy Poeschke is up to these days?
by averyrockstortssux on Mar 12, 2010 8:02 PM EST reply actions
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