Canadiens 3 Rangers 0
And so is anyone terribly surprised that Valeri Kamensky somehow came up with a sore foot that prevented him from participating in last night’s 3-0 Garden loss to the Canadiens?
It was Game 81 in this season of dishonor, and despite the fact that ownership pays out approximately $744,000 in cumulative salary per match, only about half of the Blue$hirt$ bothered to go the distance.
“Leetchie always plays hard,” John Tortorella said, referring to Brian Leetch, when asked about the team’s effort. “He’s our captain. He knows what we’re going through here.
“We’re in an awfully tough position, but we put ourselves here and we deserve what we get.
“All we can do is ask that the players work hard. I’m not saying all of them are, but I’m not going to name names.”
Last night’s match was the first at home for the team since last Tuesday’s twin dismissals of Neil Smith and John Muckler. In that one, Kamensky, Theo Fleury and Kevin Hatcher were targeted for verbal abuse by the fans — no fools, they — throughout the 6-0 loss to the Red Wings.
But last night, even as the Ranger home scoreless streak was extended to 149:27, those among the approximately 13,000 who bothered to show barely made themselves heard, so benumbed have they become.
Some Rangers learned at the morning skate that Kamensky had become disabled. There were giggles. Others discovered the news upon reporting to the Garden. There was head-shaking.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall during next week’s post-season meeting between Kamensky, paid $6 million this season, the first on a guaranteed four-year, $17M contract, and assistant GM Don Maloney.
The loss, which extended the team’s winless streak to eight (0-7-1), was the 40th of the season (29-40-12), the most since the 1984-85 Rangers established a franchise record by going 26-44-10.
It’s the fourth time in franchise history the Rangers have lost as many as 40 times. The Rangers, by the way, have been outscored 27-6 in the six games they’ve played since Checketts appealed to their pride in a team meeting two weeks ago. They’re 6-17-5 since the All-Star Break.
Lovely.
The agents for the suspended Stephane Quintal have not yet requested that the NHLPA file a grievance on the defenseman’s behalf. Rather, and despite Checketts’ declaration earlier in the week that he has no intention of meeting with Quintal or his representatives, agent Steve Reich yesterday sent the Garden president a letter requesting such an audience.
Clearly, Checketts had every right — if not the obligation — to send Quintal home for the final week of the season after the defenseman told the Montreal newspaper, La Presse, that his heart had remained in Montreal, that he wanted to play next season for the Canadiens but that if he had no choice he would return to the Rangers.
But there’s something quite chilling indeed about a team being permitted to suspend a player without pay for remarks made to a newspaper. In effect, Ranger players now operate under a gag order. Who’s to say what will or what will not be deemed “inappropriate” by management, and thus, “conduct detrimental to the team?”
If Checketts does not voluntarily pay Quintal for the final week — an amount around $113,000 — the NHLPA will be obligated to file a grievance on the defenseman’s behalf. And should the case actually go to a hearing, the arbitrator surely will rule on the side of the union.
Mike Richter’s surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee was deemed a success by Dr. Bart Nisonson, who, with Dr. Tony Maddalo, performed the 90-minute procedure yesterday at Lenox Hill Hospital.
The rehab process for Richter is expected to last six months. That means that the Rangers will go through the entire 2000 training camp and will begin the 2000-2001 season without their No. 1 goaltender.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Jean-Francois Labbe, recalled from Hartford, made his NHL debut last night and surrendered a couple of unsightly goals before lifting his game.
“I was a little bit nervous,” Labbe said, “but I felt a little bit better during the second half of the game.”
Alexei Vasiliev, the 22-year-old defenseman, also made his NHL debut, filling in for Rich Pilon (shoulder). The Rangers are likely to recall Dale Purinton, perhaps others, for Sunday’s noon finale against the Flyers. The Wolf Pack won last night to clinch the AHL’s overall best record.