Allow me to step away from my Atlanta Thrashers writing duties to discuss for a moment the series that just wrapped up between the Caps and Rangers…which was one of the more entertaining matchups I have had the pleasure of viewing in quite some time. More specifically, I want to talk about the coach of the Rangers John Tortorella.
I’ve heard some grumbling that the blame…or at least part of it…for New York’s demise had to do with Friday night’s little incident between John Tortorella and a Caps fan behind his bench. I even understand that ESPN’s P.T.I. hosts even chimed in about this subject…one of the few times they have paid any attention to NHL action…and suggested that Torts might lose his job because of it.
Frankly, I find any such talk simply asinine.
First, let me state for the record that I don’t care much for Tortorella…but that probably has a lot more to do with his time in Tampa Bay, an inter-division rival of my team. I’m sure there was one or two times the Thrashers had an easy time with a Lightning team that had Torts at the helm, but I sure as heck can’t recall any at this time. Playing a Tortorella team is always tough.
But as an unbiased, neutral, third party observer to the situation, I have to say that this guy does not deserve on bit of blame for the outcome of their series with Washington. If nothing else, he deserves a great deal of praise for the way he had that team prepared to play against them. Two weeks ago when it was learned the two would go head-to-head with each other, I had the Capitals winning it in five games…if not four. I simply did not believe the Ranger’s offense could generate enough points to overcome that of the Caps. I didn’t think they had it in ‘em to hang with the second-seeded winners of the Southeast Division.
Turns out, I was wrr
rrrr…I was wrrrr
rrrr…I was less correct than I normally am.
And really, it should come as little surprise that Torts had his team ready to play the way they did…coming within a single game, a single goal even, of pulling off the 7-2 seed upset.
Now, in regards to the game five issue that cost him a one-game suspension…let’s be honest here…that idiot behind the glass probably had what was coming to him. We’ve all been at games where someone in earshot of the opposing team’s bench lights up the coach all game long. They’ll pepper them with every foul word in the book and even bring in the coach’s family to the discussion. I don’t quite know if that was indeed the case here, but I would place even odds that it was.
Regardless, what John Tortorella did was indeed wrong…and I’m sure even he’ll say as much. One simply cannot allow the actions of a dunderheaded fan to affect you that way when you hold the position of bench boss in the NHL. Torts should not have given the fan in question the satisfaction of that type of reaction.
Besides…that was exactly what he is trying to do, make him lose his cool and detract from his job.
As we all know, the game Torts sat out was the game-five 5-3 loss that set up last night’s deciding game seven. So, now some think that the whole outcome was determined by the 30-second act in D.C. during the previous game…that the series was lost due to Tortorella having to sit out game-6.
Ridiculous.
Torts was still the man preparing the game plan and running the team at practice. He was with the team the morning prior to the game, having to depart the locker room just a couple hours prior to face off. Plus, the Rangers had a man behind the bench in Jim Schoenfeld that knows a thing or two about coaching at the NHL level.
It isn’t as though they were left in the hands of some nobody absent a game plan.
Torts, in my opinion, should be judged on the whole of his work in New York…not that one act of indiscretion.
When he took this team over last February, he inherited a team that was struggling and in danger of falling out of the playoff picture. I guided that squad to a 24-12-7 record down the stretch. He’s a feisty, no-nonsense, hard-nosed coach whose style reflects that of so many citizens that call Gothem their home.
All he asks is that everyone shows up everyday and busts their asses all the time.
Personally, I think the New York Rangers have found the perfect coach.
Playoff Predictions
I started writing for Hockeybuzz shortly after I posted my playoff predictions prior to round one.
You can see them here:
With last night's outcomes, I went 6-2...missing the Pens win over Philly and the Ducks upset of San Jose. No too bad, I guess.
How about the second round? Well...I have Boston in 6, Washington in 7, Detroit in 7 and Vancouver in 6.
How about you?
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