News Article: Sather Speaks: Lack of Puck Possession Had "A lot to do" with Torts' firing

[chosen]

I was at the Florida game during my spring break. Needless to say, it was the worst coached game of Torts' entire tenure here. It was that bad. I was also at the Colorado game last season in which we outshot them 2:1 and lost because we made Varlamov look like ****ing God ..again, but at least our offense looked competent that night.

The shortened season had a huge impact on fluctuated stats. The PP/offense was bad. Torts isn't a bad coach, but his time here had come. He wasn't getting the most out of the players anymore. For every game they looked good, there would be two games in which they struggled, badly.

As for Sather, I'm glad he made the move. I'm also glad he jumped on AV when Vancouver jumped the gun on firing him. Sather has been bad here at times, but I can't blame him for the rhetoric here, even if most people know he's "old school" and has no base for it.

Old school would be Sather blaming himself for the team's shortcomings.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

People are blind if they didnt identify the massive shortcomings inherent in Torts' philosophy.

Blame Sather all you want -- how many friggin moves did the GM make to supply the coach with a team he could work with? People act like Sather sat back with the 2009 team and set Torts up for failure.

Torts had the game's best goalie, one of the game's top-3 RW, the one of best groups of young D-men in the league, at least four or five young two-way forwards with size, and one of the best playmaking centers in league. On top of that, he would actually ADD one of the game's top goal scorers.

Sather did his job. Aside from tanking like Pitt, Chicago, and Washington, what other options did he have? Draft franchise centers and Norris winners between 19th-28th overall every year? Sure. Thats a reasonable expectation.

 

[chosen]

People are blind if they didnt identify the massive shortcomings inherent in Torts' philosophy.

Blame Sather all you want -- how many friggin moves did the GM make to supply the coach with a team he could work with? People act like Sather sat back with the 2009 team and set Torts up for failure.

Torts had the game's best goalie, one of the game's top-3 RW, the one of best groups of young D-men in the league, at least four or five young two-way forwards with size, and one of the best playmaking centers in league. On top of that, he would actually ADD one of the game's top goal scorers.

Sather did his job. Aside from tanking like Pitt, Chicago, and Washington, what other options did he have? Draft franchise centers and Norris winners between 19th-28th overall every year? Sure. Thats a reasonable expectation.

Who was among the top 3 RW in hockey?

He wasn't.

If making moves was the sign of a good GM the guy on the Marlins would be the greatest of all time.

Now that Sather is rid of Torts the cancer, what will be the excuse if the Rangers don't get to the Cup finals? He has outstanding personnel, per your post, so if there are no finals this year I guess that will mean that AV stinks, like all those before him under Teflon Glen.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Who was among the top 3 RW in hockey?

He wasn't.

If making moves was the sign of a good GM the guy on the Marlins would be the greatest of all time.

Now that Sather is rid of Torts the cancer, what will be the excuse if the Rangers don't get to the Cup finals? He has outstanding personnel, per your post, so if there are no finals this year I guess that will mean that AV stinks, like all those before him under Teflon Glen.

I stopped reading here.

So, what you're insinuating here is that the only problem with this team is the GM?

 

[chosen]

People are blind if they didnt identify the massive shortcomings inherent in Torts' philosophy.

Blame Sather all you want -- how many friggin moves did the GM make to supply the coach with a team he could work with? People act like Sather sat back with the 2009 team and set Torts up for failure.

Torts had the game's best goalie, one of the game's top-3 RW, the one of best groups of young D-men in the league, at least four or five young two-way forwards with size, and one of the best playmaking centers in league. On top of that, he would actually ADD one of the game's top goal scorers.

Sather did his job. Aside from tanking like Pitt, Chicago, and Washington, what other options did he have? Draft franchise centers and Norris winners between 19th-28th overall every year? Sure. Thats a reasonable expectation.

Who was among the top 3 RW in hockey?

He wasn't.

If making moves was the sign of a good GM the guy on the Marlins would be the greatest of all time.

Now that Sather is rid of Torts the cancer, what will be the excuse if the Rangers don't get to the Cup finals? He has outstanding personnel, per your post, so if there are no finals this year I guess that will mean that AV stinks, like all those before him under Teflon Glen.

 

[Kershaw]

I stopped reading here.

So, what you're insinuating here is that the only problem with this team is the GM?

Well he runs all hockey operations and the Rangers have been a fringe team with the exception of one season, despite having one of the largest payrolls year in, year out. He is not the only problem, but he is the source of all problems.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Well he runs all hockey operations and the Rangers have been a fringe team with the exception of one season, despite having one of the largest payrolls year in, year out. He is not the only problem, but he is the source of all problems.

But he isn't the only one. I agree that he is a monstrous one yes. But it isn't only his.

 

[NikC]

exactly! and the guy has a chance to win 2 cups in 4yrs.. i was a big advocate of torts.. and i still think he was a great coach.. and deserved another year..


guy is a good coach, anyone who thinks otherwise is crazy..

i just hate how in professional sports, the players dictate every move.. players wanted torts out so they fired his ass.. these guys get paid amazing money one could dream about and play a game for a living..

2 things bother me the most

- that killer instinct and wanting it more then the other team wasnt there, which is why we lost to boston

- which goes with the last part i said.. boston, chicago, pitt and LA have one thing in common...

they all have been together as a team for 2,3 even 4yrs.. you build a team, grow as a team and win as a team.. you need each one along with a desire an determination as an individual and team collectively if you want to win the cup..

2011-12 rangers had that and we flushed it down the drain..

everyone knows when a team is special and that season all of us ranger fans felt that... now we're back to square one and have to retool and build some of our team and hopefully get back to that which, i know we could be but we have to trim the fat and get that cohesiveness back..

The guy is a good short term coach for a team that has a lot of talent and their game together.
If they need a push, motivation, a kick in the pants, Torts is your man, but if it isn’t exactly straight forward
forget it. The guy shows no ability to adapt whatsoever. You win/lose his way. His “system†is outdated and predictable.
Resiliency alone will not win you a SC.

The players did not fire his @ss... The GM did. If the GM picked up on the fact that his system and personality was wearing
thin... good. time for a change. 5 yrs of his BS is enough!

Boston wanted it more and were better than us, at everything.

I agree with your points about a team and coming together/staying together.
the 2011-12 team did not “have itâ€. We had no powerplay, and more importantly, at ES we couldn’t score.
Our style was wearing us down. we looked ridiculous some nights collapsing in our own end for minutes at a time.

You have to make the Nash deal, even at the expense of 4m+ 1g scoring players like Dubinsky and 3C like AA.

We didn’t have to lose Prust, and Feds, or even Mitchell. Prust meant too much to this team, but again, too much heavy
lifting by a guy who couldn’t score.

I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people about how good a team the NYR really are next year...

 

[haveandare]

People are blind if they didnt identify the massive shortcomings inherent in Torts' philosophy.

Blame Sather all you want -- how many friggin moves did the GM make to supply the coach with a team he could work with? People act like Sather sat back with the 2009 team and set Torts up for failure.

Torts had the game's best goalie, one of the game's top-3 RW, the one of best groups of young D-men in the league, at least four or five young two-way forwards with size, and one of the best playmaking centers in league. On top of that, he would actually ADD one of the game's top goal scorers.

Sather did his job. Aside from tanking like Pitt, Chicago, and Washington, what other options did he have? Draft franchise centers and Norris winners between 19th-28th overall every year? Sure. Thats a reasonable expectation.

How is making a ton of moves to a team that just had the best season in decades doing them any favors? Sather dismantled the best NYR team in years. The Nash trade was arguably a must-take deal, but the rest of the guys didn't need to be sent packing. On their own, they weren't much, but together, they were a solid, solid bottom 6, which was what last year's team was lacking.

Richards is not one of the best playmaking centers int he game, nor is Gabby a top 3 RW. They were at some points in the past maybe, but you don't get to stick with the label you got at your peak forever, you have to continually earn it.

 

[chosen]

I stopped reading here.

So, what you're insinuating here is that the only problem with this team is the GM?

He is by far the biggest problem. I am not insinuating it. I am unabashedly saying it.

Do you think all of the coaches were the problem? Who hired them?

Is it poor personnel? Who brought them here?

 

[Kershaw]

But he isn't the only one. I agree that he is a monstrous one yes. But it isn't only his.

Who else is the problem though? I can guarantee that problem was created from Glen Sather's grimy fingers.

 

[Levitate]

Who was among the top 3 RW in hockey?

Gaborik was the highest scoring RW in the league in 2011-2012. If you want to argue about where that makes him rank compared to the rest of the right wings in the NHL when you take defense and other things into account, that's fine, but at the very least it's easy to say that Gaborik was the best goal scoring RW in the NHL

 

[broadwayblue]

The guy is a good short term coach for a team that has a lot of talent and their game together.
If they need a push, motivation, a kick in the pants, Torts is your man, but if it isn’t exactly straight forward
forget it. The guy shows no ability to adapt whatsoever. You win/lose his way. His “system†is outdated and predictable.
Resiliency alone will not win you a SC.

The players did not fire his @ss... The GM did. If the GM picked up on the fact that his system and personality was wearing
thin... good. time for a change. 5 yrs of his BS is enough!

Boston wanted it more and were better than us, at everything.

I agree with your points about a team and coming together/staying together.
the 2011-12 team did not “have itâ€. We had no powerplay, and more importantly, at ES we couldn’t score.
Our style was wearing us down. we looked ridiculous some nights collapsing in our own end for minutes at a time.

You have to make the Nash deal, even at the expense of 4m+ 1g scoring players like Dubinsky and 3C like AA.

We didn’t have to lose Prust, and Feds, or even Mitchell. Prust meant too much to this team, but again, too much heavy
lifting by a guy who couldn’t score.

I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people about how good a team the NYR really are next year...

So the GM didn't realize this until a few months after he gave his coach a multi year extension? lol

 

[Oak]

Gaborik was the highest scoring RW in the league in 2011-2012. If you want to argue about where that makes him rank compared to the rest of the right wings in the NHL when you take defense and other things into account, that's fine, but at the very least it's easy to say that Gaborik was the best goal scoring RW in the NHL

I wonder if he would consider coming back now that Torts is gone. Shame we lost him.

 

[haveandare]

I wonder if he would consider coming back now that Torts is gone. Shame we lost him.

I sure hope not. His peak has come and gone. Doesn't look at all like the same player he used to be.

 

[NikC]

So the GM didn't realize this until a few months after he gave his coach a multi year extension? lol

I think he realized it, along with the staff around. I'm not saying the players weren't a factor to an degree. I think its a good thing. I think Sather saw the way they played even last year when we had some success that its not sustainable

Sather couldn't fire him after last season, not at the start of a short season...
Not much u could do in the middle of a short season either....

He took advantage of the timing and availability of coaches at the end of the season

 

[Kershaw]

I wonder if he would consider coming back now that Torts is gone. Shame we lost him.

I thought you said he was a joke of a player and quitter?

 

[Hunter Gathers]

He is by far the biggest problem. I am not insinuating it. I am unabashedly saying it.

Do you think all of the coaches were the problem? Who hired them?

Is it poor personnel? Who brought them here?

This.

 

[Tawnos]

Either/or. Either/or. Either/or.

Sather screwed up a good thing.
Tortorella didn't do his job well enough.

Neither are false. Both are true. This is still the case however many weeks later. Don't you guys get tired of posting the same things back and forth?

 

[GAGLine]

Either/or. Either/or. Either/or.

Sather screwed up a good thing.
Tortorella didn't do his job well enough.

Neither are false. Both are true. This is still the case however many weeks later. Don't you guys get tired of posting the same things back and forth?

Lol, no kidding. Obviously anyone who thinks Torts could have done a better job MUST that Sather did a good job, and MUST think that the roster is fine.

Can we stop arguing about it already? Torts is gone. AV is here. End of story.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Either/or. Either/or. Either/or.

Sather screwed up a good thing.
Tortorella didn't do his job well enough.

Neither are false. Both are true. This is still the case however many weeks later. Don't you guys get tired of posting the same things back and forth?

Well what else can you do when virtually no one attacks the players themselves?

 

[Tawnos]

Well what else can you do when virtually no one attacks the players themselves?

Rick Nash, Derek Stepan and Danny Girardi are three guys I think deserve a ton of criticism for their play in the 2nd round. Mostly in the first round, too, for Nash and Stepan. The rest, whatever. McDonagh was fine. Stralman was fine. DZ was playing with a hernia. Eminger has limited capabilities. Richards is aging fast, which isn't his fault. Callahan and Hagelin were playing hurt. Brassard was great. Who else is on the team worth even mentioning?

It's easy to absolve the players of everything, though, when they're playing a system that isn't suited to their roster and they aren't given enough roster help besides.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Rick Nash, Derek Stepan and Danny Girardi are three guys I think deserve a ton of criticism for their play in the 2nd round. Mostly in the first round, too, for Nash and Stepan. The rest, whatever. McDonagh was fine. Stralman was fine. DZ was playing with a hernia. Eminger has limited capabilities. Richards is aging fast, which isn't his fault. Callahan and Hagelin were playing hurt. Brassard was great. Who else is on the team worth even mentioning?

It's easy to absolve the players of everything, though, when they're playing a system that isn't suited to their roster and they aren't given enough roster help besides.

The fact theres no one else worth mentioning is Sather's fault

 

[Tawnos]

The fact theres no one else worth mentioning is Sather's fault

No disagreement there at all.

I was frustrated by the Nash trade and subsequent breakup of our depth group. There's a phrase I always use to describe Sather's mindset. It was a complete misunderstanding of what made the team successful in the first place. He didn't understand his own team. Just like it seems he had no idea what was going on with his own team during the season.

None of that absolves Tortorella's awful coaching performance this year.

Quite honestly, it's pretty amazing that despite both of those things, we still made it to the 2nd round.

 

[NYR2007]

So the GM didn't realize this until a few months after he gave his coach a multi year extension? lol

this happens all the time. Tell me the last time a coach didn't get " resigned " to a contract... they always get fired with years left on their contact



This isn't comparable to a players contract