Signs signs everywhere there’s signs
Blocking up the scenery breaking my mind
Do this don’t do that can’t you read the sign?

I’m not talking about the M. Night Shyamalan film. I’m talking about John Tortorella’s “Structure” sign that he hung in the Rangers locker room to motivate his players. Torts, like Joaquin Phoenix’s character Merrill in the film, obviously is wearing a hat made out of aluminum foil. No one can figure out what’s going on inside his head. I know I certainly can’t. Apparently, neither can his players.

If Torts calls what happened on the ice last night in Atlanta “structure”, he needs to look up the word in the dictionary. Judging by what happened last night, Torts hung up a “chaos” sign in the locker room, not “structure”. After the going up 3-0 in the first period on a lackluster performance by Johan Hedberg, the Rangers were out played, out hit, out hustled and out brained by the Thrashers.

Having played the night before, the Thrashers were rope-a-doped by the Rangers in the first half of the first period. The Thrashers were unable to come all the way back. but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. And, the Rangers almost let their hosts do just that with their disorganized and chaotic defense. I got a few signs for Torts to hang up in the locker room. Back Check. Hit. Shoot. Score. Hustle. Fight. Cojones.

Speaking of cojones, congrats to Brandon Dubinsky for showing some sack by going after Boulton. Cap’n Puss in Boots goes over to the kid and chastises him for sticking up for himself. That’s really rich. Dubi would be eligible for social security before Drury would stick up for him or anyone. Oh Yeah, they need the points now. God forbid anyone put the team at a disadvantage by taking a penalty.

Recall that it was Captain Milquetoast who went over to Avery and told him to knock it off when Avery was harassing Marty, waiving his stick in front of him and prompting the Avery Rule. And, while we are on the subject, Tortorella ain’t gonna get an “Avery Effect” with Sean’s ass warming the bench.

Sean provides the spark that has gotten the Rangers fired up in past playoff runs. Sitting him is certainly going to make for boring hockey. What the hell do they have to lose? It’ not like they are going to make the playoffs anyway. I say let the dogs (Avery) out and go down fighting.

Finally, the single most important sign Torts should have had in the locker room all season is Renney’s “Six Points in Five Games” sign. Maybe if Torts and the Team had paid attention to that sign they wouldn’t find their asses in a sling now.

Is it April yet?

Posted under New York Rangers