NYR Tortorella Has No Soul

[BCEagle74]

"Let's face it, we laid an egg and we need to move by it as quickly as possible," Tortorella said.

Now with only one game left -- a home matchup against division rival New Jersey on Saturday -- the Rangers are in trouble. New York leads ninth-place Carolina by two points, but the Hurricanes have two games remaining -- in Atlanta on Friday night and at home against Tampa Bay on Saturday night -- and own the tiebreaker over the Rangers.

1 cup and only because of Messier.

This guy makes TOB look like Lombardi.

[BCEagle74]

Carolina beats Tampa at home and the Garden has Spike Lee and his assclown hat.

[flyingelvii]

Torts is an...odd case, to say the least. But he has a ring so the TOB comparisons don't entirely fit. And he's a legitimate psycho.

The explosion of Callahan's ankle at the hands of Chara (QUICK, GET SIPOWICZ ON THE CASE!!! CHARA HURT SOMEBODY!!!) killed them. Callahan was such an important piece to that team. Played in every single situation and was probably the most irreplaceable piece, Lundqvist notwithstanding.

[BCEagle74]

Canes win and NYR and Dolandunce are done.

Tampa at home.

They changed the tiebreaker to head-to head instead of the wins firts deal in the old days.

I think Canes take care of biz since Tampa is locked and should and will rest key players.

You gotta win more games Ranger fans?

82? Really?

[claver2010]

I like Torts and I like the direction the Rangers are going.

Gone are the days of signing the corpse of Lindros, etc.

They have a good young core in Dubinsky, Stepan, Staal and of course Callahan. Also whenever you have the King in net you have a chance.

They still need a sniper but at least they didn't mortgage the future for a hired gun.

Torts is certifiably insane.

[BCEagle74]

...........and tonight Tortorella's soul is owned by Lucifer.

[eepstein0]

I like Torts and I like the direction the Rangers are going.

Gone are the days of signing the corpse of Lindros, etc.

They have a good young core in Dubinsky, Stepan, Staal and of course Callahan. Also whenever you have the King in net you have a chance.

They still need a sniper but at least they didn't mortgage the future for a hired gun.

Torts is certifiably insane.

From personal experience, the guy's a jerk. His brother who coaches at my alma matter is just as bad.

[bignick33]

As mediocre a team as they are, the Rangers may very well beat the Caps in the first round. It's a terrible matchup for Washington. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a repeat of last year's Habs Caps series.

[flyingelvii]

As mediocre a team as they are, the Rangers may very well beat the Caps in the first round. It's a terrible matchup for Washington. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a repeat of last year's Habs Caps series.

But they're the top seed and are going to win the Cup. OJ even said so.

[bignick33]

As mediocre a team as they are, the Rangers may very well beat the Caps in the first round. It's a terrible matchup for Washington. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a repeat of last year's Habs Caps series.

But they're the top seed and are going to win the Cup. OJ even said so.

I see the Eastern conference series being very competitive all around. The 6-8 seeds all have very good goalies, and I could see a repeat of last year with a lot of early upsets. Here are my (perhaps crazy) picks in the east:

NYR over Washington
Buffalo over Philly
Boston over Montreal
Pittsburgh over Tampa

Boston over NYR
Pittsburgh over Buffalo

If Pittsburgh gets Malkin and Crosby back, they'll represent the East in the finals. If they don't get healthy, Boston will make the finals. Teams with hot goalies usually win in the playoffs, but the talent discrepancy between a healthy Pittsburgh is potentially too much for the Bruins to overcome on goaltending alone. This would be a very competitive series, and I would point out that these are arguably the teams with the two best coaches in the eastern conference.

[BCEagle74]

Washington over NYR
Buffalo over Philly
Boston over Montreal
Tampa over PITT

Boston over Tampa
Wash over Buff

Wash over Boston

I may have round 2 teams not matched right?????

[bignick33]

I may have round 2 teams not matched right?????

You got it right. The NHL re-seeds after each round.

[Dick Rosenthal]

Considering how the Rangers horseraped the Caps in the regular season I think it is likely they do the same in the playoff. also in the Rangers favor is the return of Mike Green to the Caps' lineup. Green is worth at least +5 for the other team during the course of the series.

[b0mberMan]

The last 17 years have gotten me well used to the "just missed it" or 1st round exits for the Rangers, and I've become quite the casual NHL fan because of this. I've logged a few Sabres games with some Upstate friends this year, and its fun to watch Gerbe to Gerbe things in the bigs, but that's about it. So when I saw the Rangers nabbed the 8 seed, I wasn't getting pumped for anything, but seeing that they've drawn the Caps, I've got renewed hope...

[Dick Rosenthal]

The just missed it or failed miserably is more the Rangers style. The first round exit--at least over the last 35 years I have been watching them are pretty rare. No, what the Rangers really like to do is suck you in with a big first round win so they can murder your soul with an inexplicable second-round no-show. Every now and again they put together two big series in a row, get your hopes sky high, and then run out of gas in the Conference Final (or in the old days, the Stanley Cup Finals)--see the 1978 and 1997 playoffs. 1994 was shaping up to be similar to 1978 (or what 1997 was) until Messier was Messier and Alex Kovalev proved to be too mentally retarded to be nervous in Game 6 against the Devils. Then when Mike "most overated goalie ever/we should have kept Beezer and traded the America-hating loser" Richter gacked up the goal with 7 seconds left in Game 7 it took a line of mercenaries (who had been Rangers for about the time it takes to get a cup of coffee and thus had not imbibed the loser mentality) and Slava Fetisov's half-assed Euro defense, to allow the Rangers to slip into a cup final that they did everything in their power to try and lose against the least talented cup finalist in the last 40 years. I was utterly convinced when they got called for icing with 2 seconds left in game 7 that they would find a way to give up the equalizer--apparently Steve Larmer did too because he went absolutely ape shit at the call.

Being a Ranger fan has made me to feel sympathy for abusive husbands because like an abusive husband towards his spouse I love the Rangers dearly, but jesus christ after a tough day when they burn the steak--or shit the bed in a playoff series--time and time again, I want to slap them around.

[BCEagle74]

1971-South Street to MSG. Later story for you kids.

Fxcking BlackHawks.

Ranger fan since early 60's.

1994

Thanks Messier.

I am good for 2 more decades of heartbreak. It took 35 or more the first time.

The Knicks? I would rather see Spike Lee strangled with his assclown hat then see Dolan win.

[claver2010]

The Rangers have recently (beyond this season) done well against the Caps.

Staal & Girardi have done well shutting down Ovechkin. Lundqvist is a big edge for the Rangers. They need Gaborik to step up though.

Rangers in 7.

[EagleDave]

The NHL playoffs are the biggest crapshoot in all of sports. Higher seeding and home-ice mean nothing. Literally everyone can beat everyone at any time in any rink. That is all.

[BCEagle74]

The 1 seed should have 5 home games in the NBA and NHL.

H--H--H-A-A-H-H

2 if the points or games distance is over a certain hurdle too.

117 pts versus what 97 and you get one game edge?

BS.

[flyingelvii]

Hey, what's dirty about going for a hit with your stick at shoulder height?

[flyingelvii]

Holy hell this is the most boring game ever, even with OT. It's like two pre-lockout teams playing dump and chase. A ton of clutching and grabbing as well.

[bignick33]

Holy hell this is the most boring game ever, even with OT. It's like two pre-lockout teams playing dump and chase. A ton of clutching and grabbing as well.

Thank goodness that game is finally over. It's a shame somebody had to win. Now a team that can actually skate and score goals, the Canucks, are on tv.

[eepstein0]

Holy hell this is the most boring game ever, even with OT. It's like two pre-lockout teams playing dump and chase. A ton of clutching and grabbing as well.

Thank goodness that game is finally over. It's a shame somebody had to win. Now a team that can actually skate and score goals, the Canucks, are on tv.

Vancouver didn't exactly light it up offensively either last night. Whoever said "if the Pens get Crosby and Malkin back" is out of their mind. Malkin had knee surgery in February, I still think there's a 0% chance he plays in the playoffs.

[bignick33]

Holy hell this is the most boring game ever, even with OT. It's like two pre-lockout teams playing dump and chase. A ton of clutching and grabbing as well.

Thank goodness that game is finally over. It's a shame somebody had to win. Now a team that can actually skate and score goals, the Canucks, are on tv.

Vancouver didn't exactly light it up offensively either last night. Whoever said "if the Pens get Crosby and Malkin back" is out of their mind. Malkin had knee surgery in February, I still think there's a 0% chance he plays in the playoffs.

I think you're right, but Pittsburgh has played exceptionally well without them. Fleury is a notoriously streaky goalie; he he gets hot, they could still be a force when Sid gets back. I was never sold on Tampa and their roughly even goal differential in the regular season, and I actually think it's a good matchup for the Pens. What Blysma has done this year is remarkable.

On this note, this is how I'd rate the coaches in the Eastern Conference:

1) Blysma
2) Tortorella (excluding the fact that he never stays very long in any place because he pisses off his employer)
3) Julien
4) Laviolette
5) Ruff
6) Martin
7) Boucher
8) Boudreau

Thoughts? Looking over the list, there are a lot of good coaches, but no real great coaches. 2 to 6 are very close.

[flyingelvii]

I think Boucher is a lot better coach than you're giving him credit for. He has an AARP guy and Mike Smith as his goaltenders and he still managed over 100 points. Given I don't think they'll do too much in the playoffs, especially with the Penguins and Fleury in the first round, but they're pretty well set up for the future and Boucher at least seems to know how to coach the offense up.

[bignick33]

I think Boucher is a lot better coach than you're giving him credit for. He has an AARP guy and Mike Smith as his goaltenders and he still managed over 100 points. Given I don't think they'll do too much in the playoffs, especially with the Penguins and Fleury in the first round, but they're pretty well set up for the future and Boucher at least seems to know how to coach the offense up.

I agree with what you're saying, but who would you move him past? Laviolette has won a cup. Ruff has been a fixture of consistency in Buffalo for many years (the Jerry Sloan of hockey). What Martin did last year was nothing short of amazing. I was having a hard time separating these guys who are all pretty good coaches

[flyingelvii]

I don't really think you can. But I think the coaches are more in a mass with Bylsma being the clear number 1 and I'd proabably have Laviolette as nubmer 2. The rest are just kinda there with no real distinguishing features or attributes. Good coaches, not great ones. It's a little easier in the East where you have Mike Babcock and everyone else is just trying to play catchup to the sheer genius of his ways.

[eepstein0]

Holy hell this is the most boring game ever, even with OT. It's like two pre-lockout teams playing dump and chase. A ton of clutching and grabbing as well.

Thank goodness that game is finally over. It's a shame somebody had to win. Now a team that can actually skate and score goals, the Canucks, are on tv.

Vancouver didn't exactly light it up offensively either last night. Whoever said "if the Pens get Crosby and Malkin back" is out of their mind. Malkin had knee surgery in February, I still think there's a 0% chance he plays in the playoffs.

I think you're right, but Pittsburgh has played exceptionally well without them. Fleury is a notoriously streaky goalie; he he gets hot, they could still be a force when Sid gets back. I was never sold on Tampa and their roughly even goal differential in the regular season, and I actually think it's a good matchup for the Pens. What Blysma has done this year is remarkable.

On this note, this is how I'd rate the coaches in the Eastern Conference:

1) Blysma
2) Tortorella (excluding the fact that he never stays very long in any place because he pisses off his employer)
3) Julien
4) Laviolette
5) Ruff
6) Martin
7) Boucher
8) Boudreau

Thoughts? Looking over the list, there are a lot of good coaches, but no real great coaches. 2 to 6 are very close.

Boudreau isn't the worst coach in the Eastern Conference. Julien is also nowhere near #3. They played completely difference styles and I really don't think either of them have any idea what's going on. They're not Paul Hewitt bad, but more in the Purnell/Haith range.

[claver2010]

OJ, tell your pilbsury doughboy of a coach to not worry about arenas and focus on the possibility of being a couple of games from going the way of Endless Myles.

[claver2010]

Brutal loss. Staal & Girardi were about to kick the bucket towards the end of the game.

Nice of Gaborik to show up

PS Suck a dick and I like you