Other then the crass ex-girlfriend remarks, the Vogue internships and the bad influence on teammates (models, nightlife, carousing, etc.), Glen Sather filled a need by signing Arron Asham to replace the snarl Sean Avery once brought to the Rangers. Now don’t jump ugly with me, hear me out.
Don’t tell me it didn’t cross your minds that the one thing the Rangers were missing during the Eastern Conference final was someone to get under the Devil’s skin, particularly Marty Brodeur. Brandon Prust is tough. So is Stu Bickel. Still, no one on the Rangers could get Marty and Co. off their game.
Arron Asham was suspended for 4 games for taking a run, crosschecking and then punching Braydon Schenn of the Flyers in retaliation for Schenn’s cheap high shot at the Pens Paul Martin. Asham explained his actions:
Asham on Schenn (click for video)
“Schenn left his feet and targeted my teammate’s head,” Asham said. “We know (Martin) is not playing. It’s my job to go in there and make sure no one takes any liberties on the guys.”
Asham is actually tougher then Brandon Prust. He’s meaner. We could have used more mean against New Jersey. Asham is a latter day Tie Domi. He takes crap from no one. He called Alexander Ovechkin a hypocrite for calling Asham out over the Jay Beagle incident this past season.
Rupp, Bickel and Asham should make up for Prust’s pugnacity. Brandon Prust is a third/fourth line player who got a team to cough up way too much. No surprise it’s the Montreal (we’re always gonna pay too much) Canadiens.
Good luck to Pruster. I always liked him. But, for that amount of money, he needn’t let the screen door hit him in the ass on the way out.
Arron Asham is not Ryan Holwegg. He makes his hits and his fights count. And, he isn’t getting paid $2.5 balloons to do it. Asham will make the opposition think twice before taking runs at the “talent”.
Give an aboriginal a break. Arron Asham, welcome to the Rangers and to your fifth Atlantic Division team. Now go out there and piss other teams off and get in everyone’s face.
If Anna Quindlen wrote about New York Rangers Hockey, maybe it would read like this blog. Some facts, some emotion and some common sense for Ranger fans from a heart that's True Blue.
What? You see, Sean Avery actually has hockey skills. Kind of like Prust, but even better.
Asham cannot do a thing besides stick up for teammates. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great thing to have. But we have, or, are supposed to have 2 useless players to do that. Rupp and Bickel.
So now we are stuck with three goons instead of 1 goon and 2 agitators.
There will never be a “new” Avery in new york or in the nhl. He is a one of a kind talent that get’s blacklisted for being a human being instead of a tortorella JAM robot.
Tell Asham to get some ice skating lessons along with Rupp and Boyle. Until then, he’s nowhere near the talent level of Sean Avery or Brandon Prust.
The correct spelling of his name is Arron Asham.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arron_Asham