The Dark Ranger: Tortorella Scratched for Game 6

Bio of TDR

TDR is a working professional in entertainment and is obsessed with the game of hockey. More four years ago, this site emerged as a means (or an outlet) to tell some truth'isms about the game post-lockout, rather than the crud fed to us through knuckleheads like Jimmy Dolan and his lemmings universe. Today, there are a hundred Rangers sites and is thankful and grateful to all those that have come after him, but honorable thanks go to his fellow Dark-writers, Graying Mantis and J_Undisputed. And "Let's Go Rangers!"

Bio of Graying Mantis

Graying Mantis is in fact a graying legal practitioner by day (and sometimes, alas, by night). In the cobwebs of his memory, he recalls starting to follow the Blueshirts in 1970 and remembers watching pivotal playoff games against the Blackhawks on a snow-covered Hartford t.v. channel in their 1972 march to the Finals. Giacomin, Gilbert, Ratelle, and Hadfield seen skating on a small B&W TV screens always will be among his first Ranger memories. He is grateful beyond words for the opportunity to work with his colleagues here in their never ending battle to inform and entertain. Most of all, he appreciates the chance to engage with fellow hockey fans.

Bio of J_Undisputed

"J_Undisputed is an Information Tech Professional; a student, and on and off in his dreams, Mike Richter. He caught his first glimpse of Rangers Hockey when an overtime preempted his favorite pro wrestling broadcast on WWOR-9 one late saturday night when he was 5 and he's been hooked ever since. He's been watching the Rangers for 30 years despite family attempts to make him an Islander Fan (Rest easy...they're out of the will). What started as a minor annoyance has become a life long passion (and at times, a frustration...But he wouldn't trade it for anything). Lets Go Rangers!"

Bio of General Ganz

General Ganz is a cynical yet well-informed student of the human spirit. He's a professional of sorts, with a post-graduate education, some experience working in real companies, and some limited athletic ability. The total small package. He got picked on a fair bit as a kid, and he experienced his first human-non-relation kiss in his teens. He also grew up on the other side of the tracks, thereby helping to cultivate a healthy contempt for dreamers and optimists whose rosy upbringing gave them something to smile about, even when "life produced lemons." Like it or not, his only mission is to point out the potholes you're lucky enough to miss on your drive to work. To find the blemish on your daughter's carefully-stitched (and not-yet-paid-for) wedding dress. To take that little smidgen of hope that your favorite hockey teams fill you with, and pour orange paint on it. Oh, and he is a Blueshirts fan, and takes most of his fashion direction from Ron Duguay (whose name he dropped as a way to close the deal on that first kiss).

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Tortorella Scratched for Game 6

The National Hockey League announced Saturday that New York Rangers coach John Tortorella has been suspended for one game for squirting a fan with water and throwing a water bottle that struck a fan during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series with the Washington Capitals on April 24 in Washington.

Read all about it here.

Here's the killer comment from the NHL report: "That investigation revealed that Mr. Tortorella squirted a fan with water before Mr. Tortorella was doused with a beverage."

The NHL sends around a memo regarding discipline to teams at the beginning of every season. The pertinent part reads as follows:

please be on notice that all Club personnel (management, coaches, trainers, and/or players) who engage in any form of physical contact with fans, including the squirting of water, will, on a going forward basis, be subject to discipline in the form of a suspension. The Club involved will also be subject to a fine.

It's going to be interesting to see how the team responds -- are they embarrassed about their Game 5 performance? Do they want to show show their loyalty to the coach? Or are visions of golf links dancing in their heads?

My thought -- there's no sense in scratching a player (Sean Avery) if you are going to get yourself suspended the next game in a pivotal series. Recall that after Game 4, Torts (in apparent reference to Avery) said that the lack of discipline could cost the Rangers not only a game but the series.

Is there an empty chair on TSN or ESPN where Torts can sit out the remainder of the playoffs?

---Tony

3 comments:

The Dark RangerApr 25, 2009 07:54 PM
Brillance. I laughed myself out of my depression. NOW, I am ready for game 6. Thanks Tony!

TDR
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JoeyApr 27, 2009 12:05 AM
Hey, Dark Ranger,

I'm a Caps STH and found your site via your Post comments.

First, I wanted to say the picture goes along great with this story, I was at Game 5 but I did not see the fiasco begin behind the bench, only the conclusion.

Second, I want to say I respect fans such as yourself that create a web page in support of your team. I know after attending games for the past 7 years that DC is a city full of fair weather fans. On the way home from Game 5, on the Metro I hear a guy in a Caps jersey tell another Metro rider that he only follows the Caps during the Playoffs, that was a true WTF moment. I hate bandwagoners, but I absolutely love passion so from one loyal fan to another, let's have a great Game 7.

You can curse me if you'd like for this: GO CAPS!!!
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The Dark RangerApr 27, 2009 02:35 PM
Joey....I love that you visited the blog. See you Tuesday.
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