Torts: "Everybody Was Bad"

Just when we started to feel good about our Rangers - they throw a clunker.

John Tortorella was right in saying periods 1 and 2 were the worst two periods of the entire Ranger pre-season:

Here's the recap. First the Dark Side - the first 40 minutes.

We were outshot 24-11

• We were outscored 4-0



• Varlamov outplayed Hank



• Hank faced 24 shots and saved only 20 of them.

And it was our worst fears realized. Unlike our previous game - we now look like all our post-season work has netted us nothing - that the new Rangers are no closer to beating our Playoff rival Capitals than they were last spring.

But then - the third period arrived and gave us a little bit of hope. It was like a different hockey game - and here is the best of it - the Bright Side:

• Our conditioning is paying off - we're winning the 3rd periods.


• We outshot the Caps 20-4


• We outscored them 3-0


• Hank outplayed Varlamov


• We got goals from Anisimov, Grachev, and (are you kidding me?) Don Brashear.


• We got 2 assists from Stahl


• We got an assist from Wade Redden


• Over the whole game the PK was perfect


• Over the whole game the powerplay was 1 of 6 - so we outplayed them on Special Teams

So it's a loss in a meaningless game - with the regular season right around the corner. And it's a reminder about how fragile success can be - if we don't work at it - it ain't happening.

Tortorella's analysis was typically to the point. He had a few choice words to say:

• "Everybody was bad" - no argument there


• "There were turnovers" - For Torts - that's understatement


• "I think they thought it was a 7 o’clock start" - that may be the problem - the Rangers didn't show up until about 2 pm.


• "Those were the worst two periods of the exhibition" - again - he's right


• "We’ll use the tape of the first two periods as a teaching tool." -Now that seems like a fitting punishment for his players. make them watch those first 40 minutes over and over until they're ready to do anything to keep them from ever happening again

It does seem like we saved the worst for last. But the bounce-back third period goes a long way in the right direction. The pre-season is now over. It didn't count.

But the next game does.