So this is what Accountabilty looks like

You know - it's been so long since we've seen it around here - I'd almost forgotten how to recognize it.

I'm talking about Accountability. Unlike Drinkability, Accountability is real - but it's also a little hard to define.

Of course - it's also hard to describe in words what makes someone a leader, or what makes a player a winner - but you know it when you see it.

And on Thursday night in our nation's capital - against the Capitals - we saw it. There it was - unmistakably - some honest-to-goodness accountability out there on the ice.

In that seven year span of non-playoff Ranger Hockey (I call it The Abyss - and I think Nugman calls it High School) there was zero accountability. And even though Tom Renney did a lot to restore us to competitiveness - he didn't do a whole lot to instill any Accountability in Jagr and his mates.

In other words - for a full decade - no one in Ranger Blue was held accountable. What do we mean, exactly?

A team without accountability will play their top veterans every night - no matter how they do. If a player dogs it - or doesn't get back on defense - or gives bad penalties - or generally plays like he doesn't care what happens - a team without Accountability never calls him out - and never ever benches him.

But when a coach holds a team accountable - it means that poor or lazy play puts the spotlight on you. And when you don't perform as if the game matters to you - the coach takes you out of the lineup. It seems so simple. But for ten years we didn't see it here.

And the reason we didn't see it here is that the key Rangers, from Jagr on down, became more important than their coaches. So Renney and those before him tried to motivate with the carrot - with words - but never the stick - never with actions..

And on a lot of millionaire players - that just doesn't work.

But then, late last year we got ourselves a new head honcho - coach John Tortorella. And the first time Nik Zherdev gave up a turnover and didn't bother to fall back on defense - Tortorella didn't warn him - he benched him. (And when Nik forgot to show up for the playoffs - eventually we released him.)

The message from Torts was clear - if you embarrass this hockey team with your play - I will embarrass you.

In other words - Tortorella held Nik accountable for his actions. And the message was not received by Zherdev alone. Every other Ranger felt it too: play hard and well and you will be rewarded with ice time. Quit or dog it - and you'll sit and watch.

Flash forward to last Thursday night. Michal Rozsival had a bad turnover that the Capitals converted to a quick 1-0 lead. Then Rosy took a terrible penalty. And coach Johnny T had seen enough. After the penalty Rozsival returned to the bench and sat there. And sat there. And sat some more.

He had to sit and watch while his five fellow defenseman - with two rookies in the mix - had to match up against one of the most potent offenses in the NHL. He had to watch them shut down Ovechkin - without him.

And did Tortorella follow this up with a tirade? No. He told reporters that he didn't even speak to Rozsival afterwards - saying the benching was "self-explanatory" and that the defender has a "clean slate" going forward.

Now that's pretty cool. And I'm hoping Rosy - with a big contract that he has not come close to earning - starts to feel something deep in his hockey soul and begins to put his game back together.

Look, it may not always work. Torts puts himself on the hot seat when he confronts his players in public - and he risks "losing" a player if he goes too far. But he rewards hard play and punishes the opposite - and the results so far speak for themselves. But for a lot of Ranger fans - this is what we've been waiting ten years to see.

Accountability. It's back. We missed you. Welcome home.