The MSG publicity machine is spinning the Malik/Avery fisticuffs at practice yesterday as a good thing. After one of the worst team performances of the season against the 30th place team in the NHL, the LA Kings, tensions were bound to be running a little high. Both Coach Renney and the talking heads on the MSG network are trying to sell yesterday’s incident as a good thing. Avery and Malik were just letting off steam.  Sorry, I’m just not buying that.

Since the departure of Tom Poti, Marek Malik has become the fans “whipping boy”. Let’s not mince any words here. Like Poti, for his size, Marek Malik is one of the softest and slowest defensemen in the NHL. While partnered with Michael Roszival, during his first two seasons in New York Malik had a combined +50. A defenseman with those kind of numbers should be sought out by many a team. Why is Malik persona non grata in New York?

While not injured, Malik has been a healthy scratch more times then not this season. Malik has played 27 games to date and is a +2. This hasn’t sat well with Harry. Unlike 7th defenseman Jason Strudwick who is all about “team”, Marek Malik is more about Malik. Several times this season, Malik has displayed his displeasure at his lack of playing time. So far, he’s walked away from the team on the road, made thinly veiled complalnts to the press and most recently created more controversy with “Handshake Gate”. He refused to shake hands with Tom Renney in the lockerroom after he played in a Ranger victory. Clearly, Malik is not a happy camper.

Now, we hear that at practice yesterday Malik was taking the body on Sean Avery in a scrimmage. Avery took exception to it and things got a little ugly. Punches were thrown. Sam Weinman gave the fight to Malik on a TKO. It makes you wonder what was said to fire up Malik into fighting his own teammate? I don’t think I have ever seen Malik fight an opposing player. I can bearly remember him getting physical with anyone. He’s no Zdeno Chara.

From training camp onward, the coaching staff preaches teambuilding and focuses on creating “chemistry”. I guess Avery and Malik weren’t on the same team pushing that Hummer out of the mud up at West Point. Having said that, if you have 23 people in an office, they are not all going to get along. Some are suck-ups, some are just getting by, some are decent guys and some are just lone wolves. So too with a hockey team.

Business management models often describe employees as part of a ”team” with all the requisite sports analogies. The supervisor is the quarterback, the department head is the coach, yadda, yadda yadda. If sales were down for the quarter and the supervisor and a sales associate started throwing punches at each other, their jobs would be in jeopardy. One or both would be reprimanded or even dismissed for assaulting each other.

I cannot see this latest episode in the “Marek Malik Saga” as being a good thing for this team. I am not giving Avery a free pass here, either. It’s alright for Avery to talk trash and get under the skin of an opponent. It’s another thing to do that to a teammate. Instead of running his mouth at Malik, Avery should look at his own less then stellar play. He may have been the “supposed” spark that lit a fire under the team last spring but lately he’s been a bucket of cold water.   

Whether Marek Malik is considered a valued member of the Rangers by his fellow teammates or by the fans is not germaine. Infighting is not acceptable. I don’t care if it’s Tom Renney or Ron Duguay, no one in the organization should try and spin this into being a good thing. They can’t dismiss this as a ‘boys will be boys” thing with me.

Clearly, a line has been crossed. Malik and Avery must publically put aside their differences in the best interest of the team or one will have to go. The team and the coaching staff cannot make a playoff push if they have to babysit players. Judging by what happened to Aaron Ward last season, someone involved might be going and I would be surprised if it were Avery.

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