Avery demoted to 4th (The BAD Line)

That didn't take long.

Ranger GM Glen Sather and the man he hired, Ranger Coach John Tortorella, agree on many things. But Sean Avery has never been one of them.

Back in 2008, when Sean was kicked off the Dallas Stars for using the term “sloppy seconds” to describe two of his famous ex-girlfriends (Elisha Cuthbert and Rachel Hunter), John Tortorella, whom was a commentator for TSN at the time, had this to say:

"Enough is enough. Send him home. He doesn't belong in the league."

And when Glen Sather re-hired Avery the Ranger GM had this prediction for John Tortorella's relationship with Sean:

“Over time you learn to love him.”

It is now November 2011 and where Sean Avery is concerned, Torts is a slow learner.

John cut Sean in training camp – and sent him down to Hartford, the Ranger's AHL affiliate. We thought we'd seen the last of Avery as a Ranger – but when the Blueshirts skidded to 3-3-3, Glen pulled the trigger one more time and Sean was a Ranger once again.

And after scoring goals in consecutive games Sean was rewarded with ice time and a promotion to the 3^rd line.

But, over the weekend – the Rangers were shut out by the Canadiens. Sean Avery had a shot on goal and a plus minus of zero – about as well as you can do in a 4-0 defeat.

The result: John Tortorella demoted Sean from the 3^rd to the 4^th line.

In practice Monday, the Rangers 4^th line looked like this:

Avery-Boyle-Deveaux

Yes – we see that by arranging the initials we can call this the BAD line – and it is a bad step in Sean Avery's season. Because, after a series of positive steps – from Hartford to a healthy scratch on the Rangers, to the 4th line to the 3^rd line – Sean has slipped down a notch. And at this tenuous moment in his career – there aren't a lot of notches left.