Oct.13/03
Too Much Money and Too Little Brains
by BookieKiller.com's RinkRat !
The National Hockey League's first weekend provided evidence this season could be entertaining, on and off the ice. The Detroit-Ottawa match-up was a good game, settled in overtime. Toronto stunk in their home opener; fans began booing in the second period, to no effect. Boston and their rookie coach managed a couple of ties and Colorado's quick-silver forwards blitzed Chicago; the hockey world trembled in fear.
Lustre was tarnished when the Avalanche then lost a squeaker to St. Louis. But the portents of high drama to come were most evident with those masters of chaos and bumbling, the New York Rangers. Thank heavens for too much money and too little brains. The Rangers opened in St. Paul Friday night, losing to the Minnesota Wild 5-3. The surprise wasn't the loss so much as the Wild hitting for five.
Last season the Wild-men had six games where they scored five- plus goals. By comparison Detroit had 24 such games. Methinks the Rangers have a problem in their own zone. After the game general manager/coach/dead man walking Glen Sather nattered about turnovers, mistakes, and other stuff but no-one bothered to listen.
Especially his players. Defenceman Tom Poti chimed in with "It's kind of early to start worrying about things."
That's what I like about the Rangers, their sense of urgency. But lo-and-behold, Poti was correct - the next night Columbus Blue Jackets swamped the Rangers 5-0; after the game Mr. Poti had no opinion. With two games played 19 Rangers are tied for the lead in power-play points - all of them have zero. If Tom Poti is any way representative of the players' attitude then the question becomes: Has Sather lost his dressing room?
Even having a spy amongst the players, who surely must be famed leader/old crock Mark Messier, doesn't seem to be helping. Last season the team's attitude was awful and awful seems to be this season's jumping-off point. In Calgary Sather would have been fired with a three-year record of 72pts, 80pts, and 78 points, and three seasons missing the play-offs.
The preceding general manager, Neil Smith, had the club in the post-season eight out of nine years, winning a Stanley Cup in 1994. However, the Rangers' collapse in 97/98 also began with Smith. General Manager Sather has fired three coaches since arriving, including John Tortorella who is doing well in Tampa, and now runs the entire operation himself. Sather is carrying the biggest can when the finger pointing begins. Combining skimpy evidence, consecutive crap games, lack of team play, indiscipline, and mutterings from the dressing room, the Rangers may be in trouble.
Three years of Sather's 'rebuilding' have yielded nothing. New York's next three games are home to Atlanta, Carolina, and Florida. Bungle those three, with Detroit the fourth home game, and Sather may be out of a job. If so, he should take a stab at Florida. The general manager there is a goof, while a Sather-Mike Keenan tandem, well, the mouth waters.
the Rat can be reached at rinkrat@bookiekiller.com
Too Much Money and Too Little Brains
by BookieKiller.com's RinkRat !
The National Hockey League's first weekend provided evidence this season could be entertaining, on and off the ice. The Detroit-Ottawa match-up was a good game, settled in overtime. Toronto stunk in their home opener; fans began booing in the second period, to no effect. Boston and their rookie coach managed a couple of ties and Colorado's quick-silver forwards blitzed Chicago; the hockey world trembled in fear.
Lustre was tarnished when the Avalanche then lost a squeaker to St. Louis. But the portents of high drama to come were most evident with those masters of chaos and bumbling, the New York Rangers. Thank heavens for too much money and too little brains. The Rangers opened in St. Paul Friday night, losing to the Minnesota Wild 5-3. The surprise wasn't the loss so much as the Wild hitting for five.
Last season the Wild-men had six games where they scored five- plus goals. By comparison Detroit had 24 such games. Methinks the Rangers have a problem in their own zone. After the game general manager/coach/dead man walking Glen Sather nattered about turnovers, mistakes, and other stuff but no-one bothered to listen.
Especially his players. Defenceman Tom Poti chimed in with "It's kind of early to start worrying about things."
That's what I like about the Rangers, their sense of urgency. But lo-and-behold, Poti was correct - the next night Columbus Blue Jackets swamped the Rangers 5-0; after the game Mr. Poti had no opinion. With two games played 19 Rangers are tied for the lead in power-play points - all of them have zero. If Tom Poti is any way representative of the players' attitude then the question becomes: Has Sather lost his dressing room?
Even having a spy amongst the players, who surely must be famed leader/old crock Mark Messier, doesn't seem to be helping. Last season the team's attitude was awful and awful seems to be this season's jumping-off point. In Calgary Sather would have been fired with a three-year record of 72pts, 80pts, and 78 points, and three seasons missing the play-offs.
The preceding general manager, Neil Smith, had the club in the post-season eight out of nine years, winning a Stanley Cup in 1994. However, the Rangers' collapse in 97/98 also began with Smith. General Manager Sather has fired three coaches since arriving, including John Tortorella who is doing well in Tampa, and now runs the entire operation himself. Sather is carrying the biggest can when the finger pointing begins. Combining skimpy evidence, consecutive crap games, lack of team play, indiscipline, and mutterings from the dressing room, the Rangers may be in trouble.
Three years of Sather's 'rebuilding' have yielded nothing. New York's next three games are home to Atlanta, Carolina, and Florida. Bungle those three, with Detroit the fourth home game, and Sather may be out of a job. If so, he should take a stab at Florida. The general manager there is a goof, while a Sather-Mike Keenan tandem, well, the mouth waters.
the Rat can be reached at rinkrat@bookiekiller.com
