A Word From Andrew Gross
by Joe Fortunato on Mar 22, 2010 10:47 AM EDT
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PrintWhat makes the Rangers’ self-inflicted plight even worse is that the Thrashers late surge is all about heart and effort since their major moves were to trade away a goalie and their best player while essentially getting Johnny Oduya and 48-year-old Chris Chelios for the stretch run. The Rangers have faltered because their effort, discipline and, let’s face it, heart, were lacking. Talent-wise, the Rangers should be ahead of the Thrashers. But before yesterday’s game, coach John Tortorella talked about needing to get a big play. He got one when Henrik Lundqvist stopped a penalty shot but he never got the big play he needed from Marian Gaborik, certainly not from Olli Jokinen, suspect both offensively and defensively and discipline-wise. In fact, except for Lundqvist, none of the Rangers who should be counted on to be difference makers, influenced the game one bit.
So, yes, I’ve officially shifted from my long-held position the Rangers were going to squeeze in as the eighth seed. I’ll admit it, the depths of their inconsistent, often unengaged hockey has surprised me. And it shows this team, this organization, has some serious leadership issues on all levels: The players couldn’t motivate themselves, which is completely on them. The coach couldn’t motivate the players, which speaks to Tortorella’s relationship with the team, the general manager ultimately brought in too many spare/bad parts despite the brilliance of the Scott Gomez/Marian Gaborik maneuver, and the owner has shown far too much patience and trust. Meanwhile, because the owner does not speak to the media and the general manager, for the most part does not speak to the media, there is a sense of a lack of accountability throughout the organization. Which is not fair to the fans, who essentially finance the product.
I couldn't have said it any better myself. Props to Gross for actually reporting analysis like this, especially since we all know he is not wrong.
Give him his hits, visit the site for the full story.
Thoughts?
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No different than any other article/blog – I disagree about attributing anything to “heart”.
Too much emphasis all-around on some vague emotional attribute and not enough on the real crux of the matter:
….the general manager ultimately brought in too many spare/bad parts despite the brilliance of the Scott Gomez/Marian Gaborik maneuver….
With ANY team that is well architected – the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
But if there is no plan – no architecture – then the “whole” never materializes – all you’ve got are parts – and no “sum”……
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
One can argue that they don't have the "heart"
that a Tortorella team should show on the ice. I think a select few players have proved that they have it, but at the end of the day I can’t see how one can disagree with he assesment of a lack of heart.
Is it the only reason why they will miss the playoffs this year? Nope, but is a reason.
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by Joe Fortunato on Mar 22, 2010 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
I already disagreed.
Since you’re talking, effectively, about “what ifs” – since you can’t point to any specific “thing” and say “there……HEART!!!” – I’ll posit a few opposing “what ifs”….
WHAT IF – Higgins had a magical season and was scoring on 20% or even 10% – of the shots he took?
WHAT IF – Kotalik had a magical season, was putting power play point shots on net?
Further – WHAT IF they’d had DRURY on that same power play stationed in front of the net – like they have in the last 10-15 games??
WHAT IF – DelZotto had a third of a clue on how to play positional defense – and was only a -5 instead of a -70 (exaggerated for effect). What effect would that have on Dan Girardi???
WHAT IF that big lunk of a 7th defenseman had signed instead of turning down the Rangers’ offer? (Can’t remember his name and don’t feel like wasting time to look it up).
I can go on for hours…..would any of this have anything to do with “HEART”???
Would “HEART” suddenly transform REDDEN into ….“OUR #1 GUY???”.
You want to blame it on “lack of heart” – go for it.
I prefer the tangible – the factual – the statistics that speak for themselves.
And the undeniable truth is that the sum of these mismatched parts will never equal success – you could fill ‘em with all of the “heart” and “desire” you want to – wouldn’t make a damned bit of difference.
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
Great assessment DB
I completely agree with you. Look at the stats and there you have it. Forget about heart anyone can have heart and not get the job done.
Drury cant get it done anymore, Redden plays mediocre hockey, Dubinsky, Staal and Cally are the best hockey players 2 million dollars can buy, and Anisimov keeps his head down so much that when the rule about illegal hits come up, nay sayers will show clips of him strolling along. Avery is Avery when he wants to be. Lundvquist, Gaborik, and Prospal do their job, period. Not good enough.
by louielounz1 on Mar 22, 2010 12:51 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
It’s just a lethal combination of things with this team.
DB is correct about the construction-it’s the same thing every season. Sather runs out and grabs whatever FA is on the market and throws the team together (hoping whatever draft picks we get make it).
However, ‘heart’ is an issue. That ‘heart’ is what gets teams like the Coyotes to where they are. It’s what drives a team like Buffalo, who only has 2 real marquee names (Miller/Vanek) and one of the longest tenured coaches in sports. Granted, ‘heart’ will never get us to Washington/Pittsburgh/Chicago levels, but damnit, it’d get us into a decent playoff position.
Heartless players won’t clear the crease, heartless players won’t knock somebody off the puck, heartless players won’t drive the net. Heartless players won’t stick up for one-another, they won’t protect their goaltender, and they won’t respect the crest on the front of their jersey ’nor the city they represent.
Again DB
I’m not saying heart is the only issue.
But a team that comes out flat for big games (which we have seen at various points and times, and haven been watching during this stretch of runs) is on HEART.
No it’s not a stat, or a factual piece of evidence that you can hold onto. But is sure is noticable.
If this team had more HEART, they wouldn’t glide through games. If this team had more heart, they wouldnt play 40 minutes of shit hockey against division rivals game in and game out. If this team had more HEART, we might be looking at the playoffs.
Heart has EVERYTHING to do with the problems on this team.
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by Joe Fortunato on Mar 22, 2010 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions
And yet again Joe
we can continue to go ’round and ’round about this and never reach agreement.
If they had the right “parts” – something as obscure and intangible as “HEART” would never come up.
Blaming the state of this team on intangibles is hiding from the true issues.
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
I don’t think Joe is saying ‘heart’ is the only thing wrong with this team. But it would make a hell of a difference, especially watching them.
You could also have all the right ‘parts’, but if those parts play flat, heartless hockey, then it still won’t work.
And if you think ‘heart’ is intangible, watch Cally/Dubi/Drury/Henrik play, then watch Redden/Roszival play.
Nobody is saying this team is well-constructed and just lacks heart. But if they actually gave a flying shit and gave a small modicum of effort, even with bad players, we’d still be in the thick of the playoff race.
I would also argue that even with the "right parts"
and no heart, we would be in the same situation.
I’m not hiding behind anything, and I have said before it’s not the only problem. But heart is a major issue that this team has.
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by Joe Fortunato on Mar 22, 2010 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd love to ask someone to define "heart"
but I’m afraid of the responses.
Let’s agree to disagree before this thing consumes more server resources than it’s worth………..
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
It’s giving a damn about something not because you’re required to, but because you want to.
Trying to define the specific detail of problems with this team is a ridiculous endeavor. Let’s just all agree that we pretty much suck in every facet of the game because we’re a poorly constructed team that doesn’t give a shit (outside of the goaltending and a few select players).
Damn -
I give you guys an out – and you refuse to take it.
OKAY!
So – please list for me the specific players who have no “heart” – who “don’t give a damn”. And let’s leave Redden and Roszival OFF the list – since they end up being the easy targets for everything. And to make it really easy – confine it to the CURRENT ROSTER, which can be found at this link.
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
I’ll give an example. The dallas game. Avery had something to prove and proved it. We’ve seen glimpses of that at from him other times. Not consistantly. You can think that he just got lucky that or that he had drive and determination that game. I know what i think/.
Now we can argue all day that it all just lack of tallent. Or that heart is the wrong word.
These guys just don’t show up for large potions of the game regularly. If they did they be a 5th or 6th in the devision.
also to further your aves point the same happened after torts benched him in atlanta so at some point is it not time to question aves as to why he doesnt show up the same way every night instead of the cop-out of it being torts reigning him in.
by Michael Gleich on Mar 22, 2010 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Good point. I often think about it the way I manage my people at work. They do a good job they get credit. They do a bad job I take the blaim.
Players need to find thier game from within themselves. Hopefully by the time they get to the NHL they have that in them. It is then the coaches job to bring it out.
I throw a lot of blaime at Torts. The trueth is the player have to blame as well. Hell I think there is plenty of blame to go around. Let me throw a big pile at Sather.
Back to Avery… he is not the cornerstone to build this team on. On a team that lacks grit, I think he is a good tool. I just think Torts pulls tools out of the box blindly, doesn’t know how to plug them in. I know alot of non Rangers fans will back me up in saying Avery is a tool.
So Sean Avery is significantly underperforming because he has no “heart” – no “drive or determination” most games?
Statistically – he’s right around his average. Currently with 11G 18A 29Pts, (Even on plus/minus) and 156 PIM – he’ll probably end up with ~35-36 pts. Only once in his career has he surpassed that.
What were you expecting from him – 50 pts? More?
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
wait, i thought his “underperforming” was Torts fault and without Torts holding him back he would be a 20G scorer?
by Michael Gleich on Mar 22, 2010 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions
You can read my statement anyway you like. Avery made a difference that game. If he played like that every night he’d have a career year yes. Is that impossible for player on the Rangers to have? Do you really think it was just a coincidence?
If all of each of our forwards scored just one more goal we win a few more games. We win 5 more games we are 4th in our division.
I agree this team is built wrong and lacks talent. I also believe that they take off way to many shifts off. If you don’t that is fine.
Great example. Avery’s game is all about being involved. He’s got good wheels, and when he’s hitting and forechecking, getting in the other team’s faces, and driving the net, he gets results like the Dallas and last Philly game. That’s heart/effort/passion. Much of the season though he hasn’t engaged/hit/skated. It’s not about point production.
I really have no idea where you’re going with this.
It’s like you’re trying to turn this into a black and white issue-one side saying they have no heart (but if they did we’d be winners!), the other side saying they’re completely talentless parts (don’t need heart if you got the skillz!).
It’s not one or the other. Redden and Roszival aren’t easy targets, they’re perfect examples.
You don’t need to be talented, or the right ‘part’ to block a shot, to clear a man out of the crease, to check a stick, to drive the net, to shoot the puck, to backcheck, or to finish a hit.
Don’t answer the question…. deflect.
You say Redden is a perfect example of “no heart”.
I’ll see that, and raise:
- if he had no “heart” – he wouldn’t have engaged in a screaming match with Tortorella that was noticed by the beat reporters (e.g. outsiders) when he was benched. He would have shrugged his shoulders, and walked away with no comment.
Next.
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
So…you think Redden has heart because he screamed at his coach.
I think you just ended your own debate. Good day sir.
You guys
can take the team with Heart, ok?
I’ll take the one that’s architected and built with a plan, and shows consistent effort from start of season to end (with the inevitable poor showing on occasion).
Yeah – a team like Phoenix – this season. Built with a plan and a purpose.
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
You act like people are disagreeing with your point that this team is poorly constructed, with no plan. Sorry to burst your stroke of genius, but that’s probably the opinion of every Ranger fan who watches the games on any consistent basis.
And this “and shows consistent effort from start of season to end” is pretty much part of the whole ‘heart’ thing. Showing up, giving a damn, bringing the effort night-in night-out.
“I’ll take the one that’s architected and built with a plan, and shows consistent effort from start of season to end " this is what we all want.
Though, we’ll probably get another poorly constructed group that doesn’t care for the most part. But the least they can do is give an effort, show some heart, and put up a fight.
And structure :)
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Mar 22, 2010 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Consistent effort is key! All the talent in the world can’t win without effort. Call it what you will.
Many call it heart. If you don’t like the term, that is fine. I’ll take a team with Heart.
I’d rather watch a team with heart… that struggles and leaves it on the ice. Then watch talented millionaires play half heartedly.
I’d like a well built team. But only one team can be the best. It’s apparent I’ll watch the Rangers regardless of the product they put on the ice. I’ll take a team with heart. They are fun to watch. You can call it determination our toughness. I’ll call it heart.
It’s part of the whole youth movement too I think. We seem to have some good kids coming up the pipeline-hopefully they’ll bring a great work ethic with them. Get Sather to fill in with quality pieces from free agency and become a competitive team again.
One problem
About 10 of the last 13 fan posts have been plans for 2010-11 where fans are looking to sign anyone and everyone they can plug in to try to turn the ship around immediately.
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by George E. Ays on Mar 22, 2010 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I think next season will be a lost cause. Only thing I really want is to shore up the D next year. Volchenkov maybe as our only decently-sized contract is it. Add some more size and hopefully replace R&R/Girardi, bring up Sangs (or trade him if he’s not ready). FA Forwards list is blech. Give out a few 1 year contracts for maybe Demitra/Prospal and hopefully Grach/Step/Kreid will be ready to go in 11-12.
That scares me because Glen will try and do it. We are a few years out and can’t morgage our future.
Unfortunatley they have to try and keep the seats full.
Bad contracts kill you… the only thing worse is fixing the team with more bad contracts. It’s like fixing a hangover by going on a bender.
What scares me
Is that it seems, as long as the names are correct, that fans support going out and spending money again.
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by George E. Ays on Mar 22, 2010 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Just to add my two cents
(I was in class till now)
I would say that this team doesn’t want it enough. That falls on everyone, including Gaborik and Prospal. Especially Jokinen.
The only player I would exclude is Lundqvist.
Thats on the lack of heart. (AGAIN IT’S NOT THE ONLY ISSUE)
As for Redden. He can scream at the coach all he wants, but when he allows the opposing team to bowl over Lundqvist with no concequence, thats a lack of heart.
On Ice and off ice are two different things.
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by Joe Fortunato on Mar 22, 2010 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions
and i would argue that this argument is over the wrong word because to me a lack of heart means you never really care and with this team that is not the case because they have moments where they show up and at least pretend they do. the think this team lacks is pride because pride as opposed to heart makes you put out the best effort you are capable of everytime you put on the sweater.
by Michael Gleich on Mar 22, 2010 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions
i agree leetch. i think they have heart. they do care when they loose.
they have no PRIDE. and honestly theres a reason for it. a very good reason. when every year the whole entire roster is redone and half the players are gone its hard to have pride and loyalty in a team. its hard to be loyal to a team when its your first year their and you know you wont be back next year. these players dont stand up for each other because they havent been playing together long enough to have relationships.
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
Easy
It’s the difference between trading Dubinsky and Callahan. According to most. (Not I obviously)
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on Mar 22, 2010 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I have to disagree.............but not entirely.
Yeah ur right if every one of these guys had a productive yr then we would be having a diff conversation so that argument goes a long way……..but dont discount the heart factor. how about when a team enters the playoffs as massive underdogs with no business being there only to go and upset a much more talented and downright better team? 2006, the 8th place Oilers bounced the 124 point, president trophy winning Mighty Red Wings on there way to the SC finals……that team had a ton of heart. Or how about way back in 95’ when our 8th place Rangers bounced the 1st seeded Quebec Nordiques who went on to win the cup the following year as the Colorado Avalanche? Those Rangers had heart. Dont discount heart cuz especially in hockey more so than any other sport, whoever outhustles and fights harder usually will win regardless of the talent level…………
by giantsNYrangers on Mar 22, 2010 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Semanov?
Nothing says powerplay like strobe lights and video game music.
by fromthe51hate on Mar 22, 2010 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions
oh whoops dude beat me… How about how we had like 5 guys over 6’7 in the preseason…haha…
Nothing says powerplay like strobe lights and video game music.
by fromthe51hate on Mar 22, 2010 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions
sather needs to sign shane falco
gene hackman said it…we need heart, miles and miles of heart…shane falco had it for the replacements…maybe he could have it for the rangers…and can we get gaborik some wild yam…that stuff cured keanu’s injury in like a day…maybe it’ll do wonders for us too
by mickeymuffinz on Mar 22, 2010 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Couldn't have said it better
That’s been my main problem with many of the articles on the Rangers’ problems. The fact of the matter is this team lacks talent, especially scoring talent. As much as Dubinsky, Callahan, etc. are nice players to have around, the Rangers really only have two guys on the roster currently capable of scoring even 60 points, and one of them is 35 years old. (Add Jokinen if you like, but he’s a 20 game rental.) No amount of heart makes up for that. Even Henrik Lundqvist isn’t enough to make up for that.
by yellomellojello on Mar 22, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
i’m beginning to think the move for gaborik isn’t all it was cut out to be. i spend a lot of time in montreal and gomez is playing some good, energetic, creative, consistent hockey. i also don’t think its about “heart”…the pieces just don’t fit. everyone wants to win but the team doesn’t have the talent. plain and simple. they aren’t that good…and this realization has come slow to me. i really like our players individually. even redden seems like a nice guy even though he’s had a been horrible in new york. this was probably the first of sather’s big mistakes. redden.
Stu Hackel has a good piece in the times today and he actually won me over to the fire sather crowd. this season is making me rethink my hockey philosophy. i really did think the club was better than this. duby, ollie…whew. we can’t go into next year with this core, even counting draft picks and hartford. we need big changes.
I know this post is old but I think Gomez is the type of player that needs good players around him to thrive. Gaborik can make do on his own because he’s a pure goal-scorer. Gomez is more of a puck-transport and setup man. I liked Gomer-he didn’t live up to that contract, but he still worked hard every shift and I would’ve loved to watch him and Gaborik together with their speed and the give-and-go type of play they both utilize.
Anybody know anything about that college Dman we just signed? Its on the www.newyorkrangers.com site
mleetch has something about it in the other thread. He’s just a filler for the lower-level affiliate teams.
we had a gm
Has anyone noticed a GM who runs BANKRUPT hockey team in the desert and has that team FIRST overall in the western conference?
Wasnt that guy as asst GM here very recently????
We still have sather…..and redden……
I will give them heart, but still not enough testicular fortitude.
I heart Wade Redden
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Mar 22, 2010 1:12 PM EDT reply actions
My two hopes.
My remaining hopes for this season:
1. The Rangers lose the rest of their games, starting with a brutal loss at home against on the Islanders on Wednesday.
2. Tortorella is fired the day the season ends.
The reason for the first hope is obviously for the highest draft pick possible. And the indignity of divisional losses might just produce change.
The second hope – Torts’ dismissal – has been discussed ad nauseum as well, and there are many reasons, first and foremost being the horrendous power play displayed by this team all year. That is a coachable area, and it has gone from bad to worse to abysmal. This and the constant, spastic line changes scream ineptitude.
And here’s the thing with Tortorella’s ‘fire’ – it burns him, his teams, and his teams’ fans. Yeah, he won a cup in Tampa, but his players there didn’t like him, and the last few years there ended with a very similar dynamic that exists here now, and poor efforts on the ice. That type of approach does NOT work with today’s players, or maybe even yesterday’s players. Look at the top coaches in the NHL – they are calm, cool, collected, at least on the outside, under control – authority comes from that, and not from screaming, red-faced tantrums, and petty feuds with media.
Next season will in all likelihood be as bad as this, or maybe slightly better if Sather can pull off a miracle, so to have Torts stick around for another crap year wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, but in 2011-12, when our young prospects will start to wear Ranger blue, we need a STEADIER HAND at the helm.
maybe it's not just about heart, grit...(but it usually is)...
maybe this mash of players just STINK, sometimes when you put different skill sets together it fails. Not that I’m giving the R&R boys and the other terrible signings Sather had made, passes for skating on thin ice the whole dang time.
Ah Sather, I hope you noticed your breaking up of Renney’s 4th line= utter failure!!
I agree with lack of heart, grit issue, but I also think this is a poorly constructed “hockey team” with a terrible coach.
another minor issue: Has anyone noticed how over the years our blue boys always pass to our one superstar shooter and don’t shoot the danged puck themselves?! I call it “The Pass the Puck to Jagr Syndrome.”
all I can chant now is, “Tank Tank Tank Tank! for: 2010, 2011 and 2012!, poor Hank!”
as long as R&R boys is in the Rangers’ uniform, we aren’t going anywhere. Of course, maybe Sather might pick guys like Hugh Jeissman…haha!
oh well, here’s to next year my fellow Ranger fans!
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
We just stink…..interesting theory
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Mar 22, 2010 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Gee
is that something like having a roster made up of too many spare parts?
Sounds familiar…..
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
No, it’s like having too many spare parts on a roster that stinks.
I heard that somewhere too…where could that be.
I’m going to bang the both of your heads together like Moe in a minute…..Don’t make me turn this blog around
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Mar 22, 2010 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions
DAAADDD!!!! Are we there yet??
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
LMAO!
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Mar 22, 2010 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions
lol @ Jim…i dunno why thats so funny “interesting theory”. Ahhhhhh the Sarcasm.
Nothing says powerplay like strobe lights and video game music.
by fromthe51hate on Mar 22, 2010 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I get the sense that what is being defined as “heart” is really more like “effort.” And I’ve yet to run into a Ranger fan that hasn’t bemoaned the level of effort this team gives some nights.
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by Bettman's Nightmare on Mar 22, 2010 3:09 PM EDT reply actions
It’s just like the ‘team toughness’ thing Jim or Joe posted that one time. Everybody has their own definition and we all argue like a bunch of morons over semantics.
And, it wouldn’t come up at all if they acted the same but won more games.
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by Bettman's Nightmare on Mar 22, 2010 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
“Morons”?
Come now, we’re not Islander fans, the discussion is intelligent, just passionate, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Ranger fans
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Mar 22, 2010 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I see “heart” fast becoming a topic of discussion tomorrow night
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Mar 22, 2010 3:28 PM EDT reply actions
They did just announced a new album and tour.
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by George E. Ays on Mar 22, 2010 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe that's the rap group
that hacked into the show 2 weeks ago….
BlueshirtBanter - beating up reporters at bus stops since 1994
"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right......"
Pretty sure this is Redden and Rosi...
Nothing says powerplay like strobe lights and video game music.
That picture was taken before the brunette ate the blonde
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Mar 22, 2010 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s a combination of getting the right players and showing the heart & passion to play for this club, this city and in the world’s most famous arena. I understand you guys want to get away from 1994, but it’s not about 1994. It’s about a man who was a real leader of men in the game of hockey and displayed heart and passion when he was Gretzky’s alternate Captain & then Captained the Edmonton Oilers. Took over the New York Rangers and got us our cup. Then tried to make it work in Vancouver, but came back home.
As a coach, or a GM or both Mark Messier would give these current players a tounge lashing that would be well deserved. Send some of these guys to his leadership program and we shall see what real hockey players they are made of.
You want to get away from 1994, I understand. But I still believe if you bring Messier into that locker room, he will teach the current roster what it means to play like a hungry hockey team. Not as Rangers & not as a former Ranger. But as a hockey player with pride and passion that these players somehow forgot to bring when they step on the ice and fight for every F’en inch of it.
by NYR #35 Richter on Mar 23, 2010 1:59 AM EDT reply actions
I think this team tries
I really do. There really aren’t any players on this roster who I think you can fairly say aren’t doing their very best each time they step on the ice (with the possible exception of Jokinen). As people have said, this is a team of grinders. Furthermore, I don’t think 90% of the guys in the NHL would have made it if they weren’t giving their all, day in and day out. Most players just aren’t that talented, and there are too many guys waiting in the wings. We expect big things from this club, but even before the season started, most media outlets were predicting the 8 seed at best. This club has done its very best. It’s just not a very good club.
Not to belabor the heart point, but if someone is trying harder, wouldn’t it show up in the stats anyway? A guy who is really gritty and goes out there and musters up extra effort is likely to see a result for that on the scoreboard. If he doesn’t, the extra effort hasn’t helped the team at all anyway.
by yellomellojello on Mar 23, 2010 9:02 AM EDT reply actions
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Atlantic Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York Rangers
|
52 | 34 | 13 | 5 | 73 |
|
Philadelphia
|
54 | 31 | 16 | 7 | 69 |
|
New Jersey
|
54 | 31 | 19 | 4 | 66 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
54 | 30 | 19 | 5 | 65 |
|
New York Islanders
|
53 | 22 | 23 | 8 | 52 |
(updated 2.11.2012 at 8:02 AM EST)
Rangers Schedule
Next 5 Games
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Washington
|
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|
@
Boston
|
Tue 02/14 | 7:00 PM EST |
|
Chicago
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Thu 02/16 | 7:00 PM EST |
|
Columbus
|
Sun 02/19 | 8:00 PM EST |
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@
Pittsburgh
|
Tue 02/21 | 7:00 PM EST |
Last 5 Games
|
@
Philadelphia
|
Sat 02/11 | W 5 - 2 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
Thu 02/09 | OT - W 4 - 3 |
|
New Jersey
|
Tue 02/07 | L 0 - 1 |
|
Philadelphia
|
Sun 02/05 | W 5 - 2 |
|
@
Buffalo
|
Wed 02/01 | SO - W 1 - 0 |
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