Now that the Rangers have made the playoffs, it's
time to point out an injustice: Sather Silence.
That Sather has not been lauded is predictable;
to do so would be a critique of the media's
"expert" analysis. Many recall SI and Larry Brooks,
but the preseason theme was consistently morose
regarding the makeup of the roster.
Preseason Media Predictions
Prediction from Shawn Roarke of Fox Sports:
"[Their] latest push to make the playoffs fails miserably.
The team is all but out of contention by the Olympic
Break, but can't start its long-awaited youth movement
because there is no trade market for its older players."
Ted Montgomery of USA Today wrote:
"The fault line between the Rangers having a decent
(say, .500) season and being a complete disaster will be
the play of Jaromir Jagr. There is just not enough talent
on this team in any area ..."
And John Dellapina from the Daily News wrote:
"It figures to be an unsightly one on Broadway, what with an
oddly concocted mix of players with few ties to the city ...
no amount of brainstorming figures to overcome shortcomings
such as a wacky mix of players that includes neophyte Russians,
graybeard Czechs and young North American checkers who barely
know one another."
Step up, Cowards!
Everyone is falling over themselves "explaining" how the
Rangers have had their success. It's Jagr. It's the Czechs.
It's Lundqvist.
Grow a pair, you pompous windbags and acknowledge that Sather,
who was a disaster pre-lockout, has done a stellar job
since the housecleaning at the 2004 trade deadline.
From the coaching staff, to the goaltending, to the defense,
to the forwards, to the farm system, to the cap situation,
this "wacky mix" has re-ignited the franchise.
If this was Lou Lamoriello, local and national media would
be licking the cheese from his toes and asking if he'd like
his nipples rubbed.
"Lou the genius knew Lundqvist would be a star. Lou fleeced
Toronto in getting such a bounty for Leetch. Lou shows how
to get a star like Jagr to buy into the team concept. Lou
has stocked the system with blue chippers like Staal, Prucha,
Korpikoski, Montoya, and so many others."
And the ironic part is that Sather would be lambasted if
he made moves for players like Mogilny, Malakhov and Kozlov.
Why It Matters
In truth, Sather doesn't care about the little people, but
this is not about Sather personally. He likely is as
undisturbed by praise as he was with criticism.
But Sather deserves credit because this style of play is
what the 'new' NHL is supposed to spotlight.
And when other teams stocked up on veteran grinders at the
deadline (as Lou did with Jason Wiemer), Sather went out and
added offensive firepower in Sandis Ozolinsh.
So as we head towards the playoffs, Gary Bettman and the
NHL must make a choice. Will Sather and the Rangers be
rewarded for their focus on offense?
If teams tackle Jagr; clutch and grab skill players like
Straka, Sykora and Nylander; and crash Lundqvist's crease,
will the requisite penalties be called?
The Financial Stakes
Here's the money shot - in today's cap-NHL, teams that
go far in the playoffs are the ones that turn the most profit.
So if the NHL permits clutch and grab to return now and in
the playoffs, expect teams to steer their rosters in
that direction this offseason.
But if the NHL re-establishes obstruction calls, and caters
to offensive players, then teams will flock to that
strategy as soon as this summer.
That's why respect for Sather and his roster blueprint
is important for how the Rangers fare in the month ahead,
and for how the 'new' NHL fares in the years following.
eMail this entry!
|
Recent Articles
|
|
|