the 4th star

You wanna talk ridiculous? Let’s talk ridiculous then.

Could it be the New York Rangers are the most ridiculous hockey outfit out there? It would be easy just to say John Tortorella is ridiculous and leave it at that, after his hypocrisy regarding the benching of Sean Avery for Game 5 under the guise of sending a message for discipline to his team, and then following it up with getting his own ass sent up to the suite level for Game 6.

You want to argue with fans? Go right ahead. But as soon as you make physical contact or throw objects at paying customers, that’s when the line gets crossed. Both feet, several metres past the do-not-cross mark. However, he escapes a singular mention here thanks to the moronic letter sent out to the league by the Rangers regarding the Game 5 incident where Tortorella got into it with fans behind the New York bench:

According to Rangers trainer Jim Ramsay, one patron was screaming at the team, in graphic language, about whether Dan Girardi and Marc Staal have a sexual relationship.  This was within earshot of several children seated nearby.  Several other fans also made repeated homophobic remarks.  Moreover, Mr. Ramsay reported that he and other bench personnel were spit on by one or more “fans” as they yelled through the gaps in the glass.

Yes. Tortorella got suspended and seemingly has cost his team the series by over-reacting to bonehead taunts, not towards him but towards two of his players, but it’s the Rangers organization which gets the ridiculous award here by stoking the fire on the drama.

A letter? For name calling? That’s pretty ridiculous.

Or maybe Pierre LeBrun is more ridiculous. Only something really dumb could match the Rangers’ follies and fortunately, LeBrun has come through. His suggestion that the NHL acted too harsh by suspending Tortorella for a game AFTER THROWING A WATER BOTTLE INTO THE CROWD AND CLUNKING A WOMAN IN THE HEAD is just plain wrong.

So the New York Rangers’ coach threw a water bottle at a fan. If you knew what that fan was saying to Tortorella, you might not be so quick to come down on him.

Actually, nothing was said about him.

The league actually got it right by coming down on the Rangers. A hefty fine, paid out by an organization that doesn’t think twice about over-paying for free agents (see Redden, Wade and Drury, Chris) will not send a message. It never does.

LeBrun set the tone in his ESPN story with the opening paragraph:

More often than not, I fully support the way the league hands out discipline. I’m a big fan of the way Colin Campbell operates. But in this case, and I know it wasn’t solely the league disciplinarian’s decision (the big guy was in on this one), I can’t accept it. A one-game suspension during the Stanley Cup playoffs? This was too heavy-handed.

Fully support the way the league hands out discipline? Yeah, who doesn’t love the inconsistent, look-the-other-way-depending-on-who-is-on-trial method the NHL doles out the punishment? It’s a fine system, Pierre. Ridiculously fine.