AlexanderScharf

"Talking New York Rangers Hockey, since 2007"

New York, NY • United States • 23 Years Old • Male

Time To Ax Renney

Lets start with the oft overlooked fact: The failure of this team is not completely the fault of the head coach. In fact, very little of the blame should be placed on Tom Renney. Most of it falls on the shoulders of the GM, who shall remain nameless, and the high paid "stars" who have done anything but shine during the season of underachievement. Yes, Renney is meant to be a stabilizing and motivating force behind the bench, but at the end of the day, he doesn't play the game and the responsibility to execute is solely with the players. He should create a gameplan that would give his team a chance to win, but it seems that this team isn't very capable of winning with any gameplan. But at the same time, he is the one who needs to go. Now.

This team has a lot of problems. There is the god-awful, next-to-last power play that has been about as effective as salt on an open wound. Not only have they not scored, but they have allowed the most shorthanded goals of any team in the NHL, not to mention that some of the blunders came while on the 5 on 3. THE FIVE ON THREE! But no one action can really alter the PP quickly enough for the Rangers to halt their free fall. PP chemistry is developed, and unless they went out and got the All-Star Game starters, things are not going to just magically "click" for the Rangers. Changing gameplans or coaches will not change that this team stands around, doesn't go to the net, doesn't' shoot and doesn't make creative passes. In other words, the powerless play will not change before the Rangers are on the golf course.

The offense is not going to start scoring. They are not going to suddenly find a scoring touch and put up 5 gaols a game. Not unless they secure a top forward, and I don't mean Gl....errr...the GM's definition of top (see the four fat ponies). Being that such an option is improbable, fans are going to have to settle for boring, low-scoring games. Scoring may spike for a stretch but it won't work consistently, as has been evidenced by the entire painful season. So no solution lies there.

The team's personnel is not going to change drasrically at the trade deadline, namely because the team has no trade bait that it worth giving up, and altogether too much salary to consider signing anyone worth more than Sean Avery. Obviously the GM can pull his dumb rear end out of the fire and dump one of the fat ponies but that very unlikely.

So we are stuck with out power play, our offense and our personnel. But what else is bothersome about the team,

Does this bored, apathetic face bother you. Don't you feel frustrated after the Rangers commit another woeful blunder and when you look to the bench expecting to see a red-faced, screaming coach and instead you see the "motivator" chewing his gum like nothing else matters. Does it drive you to the gates of hell when Aaron Voros plays again while Petr Prucha, who scored more goals in his first two seasons than Voros has in his whole career. Prucha scored 30 and 22 in his first two seasons respectively. Voros has 15 for his career. Thats not even close. Wonder why Prucha has been much less effective recently? Because on the rare occasions that he starts, he gets minimal ice time. Aren't you sick of all the positives that Renney can find in a 10-2 blowout loss. Aren't you sick of every ounce of momentum being lost before anyone really notices it was there.

People give tom Renney credit for leading this team to the playoffs in the three years following the lockout. No other eastern conference coach has done it. But what you fail to realize is that they made it no father than the second round during those trips. And that the team severely underachieved for a large potion of the season. People give Renney credit for turning this team around in March of the last two seasons. Did anybody think that the players'' pride forced them to play harder and with desperation. That Renney had nothing to do with it?

So are you or are you not sick of having an apathetic, unemotional coach who makes incomprehensible decisions?

That can change. Right now. All it takes is a few words and a press conference.

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