At last, we arrive at the coda of the 2011-12 NHL season, the NHL Awards. The National Hockey League will spend the next few hours cringing at terrible jokes, raising an eyebrow just what Steven Stamkos is wearing, and hoping a Real Housewife doesn’t butcher another poor hockey player’s name. (Seriously, “Mar-TEN Saint Louissss” still rings in my ears to this day.)

The NHL Awards will air on NBC Sports Network starting at 7pm ET/6pm CT, and I’ll be here, live blogging the entire thing.

So grab your drink and pull up a seat. It’s going to be another long night.

All times in the liveblog are listed in CT. Newest posts will be on top.

» Continue reading “Kat Live Blogs The NHL Awards 2012!”

"I'm not going to answer your questions." (Photo: Robert Kowal/flickr)

Everyone has been going after Torts for his press conferences with the media.  Could he be friendlier?  Absolutely.  But his personality hasn’t changed since he started coaching.  And honestly, I have no problem with the answers he’s giving to the questions he’s getting.

Can you talk about this player’s play?  No, he can’t.  He has never called out a player in the media and isn’t about to start during the playoffs.

Can you explain this player’s ice time/change of lines?  That would be discussing the player’s play.  As I just said, he doesn’t discuss that publicly.

Any update on this player’s injury?  Really??? No team answers this question during this time of year.  I really wonder if the media asks it so they can say they asked because by now if they don’t know the answer, they need to find a new job.

What did you think about that call?  You want an answer to that question?  Tell the league to stop fining him.  Then you will get an answer to that question.  Otherwise, don’t bother asking.

What needs to change before the next game?  Why doesn’t he just give you the entire game plan while he’s at it?  Honestly, does any coach ever answer this question?  Here’s a simple answer – if they lost, they need to score more goals.  If they won, nothing.

How about we talk about the other team?  Yes, some coaches talk about their opponent.  Torts never has, never will.  Accept it and move on.  It’s really not as big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be.

What about we talk about you?  This one is a preference one and I for one am totally okay with the fact that he only wants to talk about the team.  Plus some people don’t like talking about themselves.

So what is the problem again?

How about the writers keep this in mind…how many players come to play for him again after they move to another team?  Everyone knew Brad Richards was coming to the Rangers and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t because he wanted to play with Marian Gaborik.  Vinny Prospal and Ruslan Fedetenko – glad to play on the third or fourth line if that’s what Torts thinks is best.  And do you see anyone asking for a trade due to the coach?  Yeah, didn’t think so.

So how about we leave Torts alone and let him do what he does best – coach.  I get that the media has to do their job but to complain about the responses they get makes them sound as whiny as some of the players they complain about.  They know what they are going to get when they walk into a press conference with Torts.  Maybe he’ll surprise them and give some answers.  Odds are he won’t.  I’m pretty sure they can still write an article about the team without saying the coach has an attitude.  In fact, almost positive most of the national writers complaining about this have done that all season.  If not, they really have nothing else to write about in the playoffs?

I don't care about no damn award! (Photo: Robert Kowal/flickr)

Wow, this really is a good year for the Rangers. While I think Torts has been doing a great job and expected him to be included in Top Five of coaches this year, I honestly didn’t expect Top Three. But love him or hate him (personally, I love him), this team is nowhere close to where they are right now without him. And while I don’t expect him to win (probably going to Blues Hitchcock although Senators MacLean has a good chance as well), the nomination is absolutely deserved.

On a side note, I would like to point out the last time Torts was nominated for/won the Adams – 2004, the same year his Tampa Bay Lightning won the Cup.  Just saying….

Congrats Torts! Can’t wait to see what you have to say when asked about the nomination

With the regular season coming to a close last night, the playoff match-ups have been set. The New York Rangers held the top spot in the Eastern Conference for the majority of the season and will head into postseason play atop the East. The Rangers will face off against the Ottawa Senators, who will hold down the #8 seed.

In the final game of the regular season, the Rangers dug themselves into a dep hole against the Capitals and could not find their way out of it. They went down early and by the middle of the second period it was 4-0. Brian Boyle responded around the 7 minute mark with the only goal of the game for the Rangers.

Rangers fans, however, can breathe a collective sigh of relief because Derek Stepan played after a knee on knee collision with Brooks Orpik of Pittsburgh just two days ago. Stepan looked like he was in some serious pain and John Tortorella ripped the Penguins defenseman and the organization in his post game press conference. Torts was later fined $20,000 by the league for his comments, but really was anything he said untrue?

For reference, here’s the hit (from the Rangers game feed)

The replays of the hit show Orpik knee area collide with Stepan’s lower thigh, as opposed to his knee. If he would have hit his knee directly there is no possible way Stepan would have gotten up and skated to the bench under his own power. The major penalty and game misconduct were fair penalties for the hit, but a fine would have been appropriate. The intent was clearly evident, Orpik missed his mark.

Torts took exception to the entire situation and he was right to do so. He is outspoken and he is not going to sugar coat anything, regardless of how many times the league fines him. In his postgame press conference he ponders what would have happened had the situation been reversed and they did that to one of their “whining stars?” A fair question because there is little doubt in anyone’s mind a suspension or fine of some kind would have been handed out had the situation been reversed.

Here’s Torts’ post game presser.

Stepan returned to play just over 20 minutes against the Capitals, which is excellent new for Rangers fans as he is a key part of their offense. To lose a player like him would hurt a lot more than people might originally think. The Rangers are heading into the post season fairly healthy, though. They will be missing defenseman Matt Sauer (concussion), defenseman Steve Eminger (ankle) and Mats Zuccarello (wrist surgery).

The NHL will be releasing the schedule of play later today, stay tuned for an update!

Photo: Robert Kowal/flickr

TSN.com has reported that NHL has fined New York Rangers’ coach John Tortorella $30,000 for comments he made following the 2012 Winter Classic Game on January 2nd in Philadelphia.

After winning the game 3-2, Tortorella answered a question posed to him regarding the penalty shot given to the Flyers’ Danny Briere with 11.6 seconds left in the game, speculating that it was the culmination of bad refereeing and a ‘conspiracy’ between the NHL and NBC to have the game go into overtime. While the Coach was adamant on Wednesday that his remarks were ‘tongue in cheek’ and meant to be for a laugh, the league obviously failed to see the humor.

League VP Colin Campbell who issued the fine said:

“People can disagree with calls by officials on the ice, but even in instances of the utmost frustration there is no justification for speaking as inappropriately and irresponsibly as Mr. Tortorella did.”