Clarion Content

King Henrik reigns in the Garden

One game after the Rangers other worldly goalie, King Henrik stood on his head to win the Rangers a three games to one first round series lead, the Rangers Coach John Tortorella lost his head. First he overreacted and benched superpest and raconteur Sean Avery for committing a couple of dumb penalties at the end of Game 4. Tortorella has never been in Avery's corner. He derided Avery when he was still an announcer, before he became the Rangers head man. Our impression at the Clarion Content is that Tortorella has the small man complex. He is the sort who is threatened by a loose cannon like Avery.

His short-sighted scratching of Avery had the Rangers off step from the get go in Game 5. Scotty Gomez clearly missed the pesky Avery on his wing. Then Tortorella compounded the Rangers woes by losing his head, first squirting water on a fan behind the Rangers bench, then flinging a water bottle that hit a spectator in the head. He has been suspended for Game 6. No loss. Hopefully somebody orders him to put Avery back in the line-up. Of course, it is ultimately going to come back to Henrik Lundqvist and his ability to stand on his head, when all about him are losing theirs.

In a rich irony, the Rangers will be coached by assistant Jim Schoenfield the last coach to be suspended by the NHL for a playoff game.

Labels: hockey, sports