Blueshirt fans I would highly recommend
checking out Tortorella’s break-up day remarks which you can find on a few of
our links to the Pro Blogs.
I know many fans had mixed
emotions about Torts; his constant line changes, the way he carried himself and
the general inconsistency throughout the year. However, I think he deserves
another year for two key reasons.
- He is committed to
getting younger and not afraid of pushing veterans out of the way to do so. This
is a league where your “home grown” talent wins you games, just look at the NHL’s
top teams such as Chicago, Pittsburgh,
and Washington.
In reference to Parenteau, who Torts said
was one of the top skill guys on this team
and with some hard work in a few key areas could be a huge part of next years team. I couldn’t agree more as P.A. has a
nose for the net and I would love to
see him get a real shot a becoming a top guy on this team. The reason I mentioned him specifically; being the skeptical
Ranger fan I am, is he would have been a typical
guy the Ranger organization would have tried for a few games and dumped in the first juicy deal that came along.
He also realized the importance of
Anisimov and his own critical role as a coach in
finding the “right” spot for the talented youngster on this team.
- The next positive about Tortorella is his
willingness to point out a clear problem with
the locker room. Generally a coach should not get too involved in this aspect of the team, as it is key for the players
to come together and develop their own identity;
but keeping a pulse of what goes on is vital.
We knew things were not great but after
some of the comments yesterday, it seemed
like this room was a disaster for most of the year. It also seems the problems did not stem from the team
leadership (The C and the A’s), but rather a few
cancerous players within.
No specific names were mentioned but I bet
if Torts has his way he will find these guys
and send them packing in one way or another.
I know this is a controversial
post but I truly believe he has the strength to fight the tendencies of this
organization and go with a youth movement. We know the core of this team is a
young hard working bunch of guys, but if he stays true to his word by
cultivating the youth and seeking out the problems…I am in.
