Now You See the Avery Banner, Now You Don't (Updated)
Here's video of the "We Want Avery" chant (via Puck Daddy)...
...Sam sounds less than excited about the chant.
Original Post:
Last night I tweeted the below picture of a Sean Avery themed banner that was hanging in MSG during the pre-game ceremonies. The sign, which read 16 Avery: Send Torts to the Whale, was the talk of the early portion of the night...
However, at some point during the first period, Rangers management must have come over and taken the sign down...
Katie Strang at ESPN NY reports a Rangers season-ticket holder named Don created the banner because he was upset that Avery’s checking-line left wing spot has been taken by Kris Newbury.
Don said he plans to come up with more banners in the future, possibly with the words, “AVERY IS GONNA HAUNT THEM FOREVER.”
During the third period chants of "We Want Avery" rang down from the crowd.
Here's Hank after last night's game on Avery...
“We have players that can bring spark here for this group,” Henrik Lundqvist said after the Rangers were drubbed, 4-2, in their home opener by Toronto. “Obviously, Aves he is one of a kind when it comes to playing the game the way he plays it, and he brings a lot to the table. He’s a great player obviously, but right now the management thinks this is the best team possible and we’re just gonna go with that.”
...first off epic fail by the Rangers. Apparently there's no freedom of speech in the new MSG.
...as far as the Rangers version of the 'Curse of the Bambino', that might be a bit much, but this team is missing the energy that Avery brought every night. Sure he didn't score much last year but when he had his motor running I really felt the team and the MSG crowd fed off of him. Now does that mean the Rangers win last night with him in the line-up probably not, but you can be assured that Avery would have thrown a big hit or drawn a key power play to insert energy into what was a lackadaisical effort by the Blueshirts.
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He really needs to be up...where did all the energy go between the first and second? I don't know what torts is doing sometimes...the sad part is with the youth and big money players we bring in...this teams problems never change...no secondary or clutch scoring, no in front presence...save for cally last night...power play stinks....we had the same problem with renney and the same with torts...if they don't get to the playoffs and out of the first torts and slats really got to go...I hate to be debbie downer but this team early on looks like same old rangers same story different faces
Tort's really needs to get his damn head out of his ass and sever the bad blood. Avery obviously wants to stay with the team which to me says he's loyalty is to the Rangers and his fans. That being said Tortarella need to realize he's included in the loyalty.
BRING BACK AVERY!!!
I said several days ago, would like to see how these lines work out...
WW AA Gabby and Dubi BR Cally.
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Man all I have to do is mention Avery's name on this blog and it's 20+ comments every time.
@KevinDeLury at least you know how to drive traffic. you should use this as a tool when you need to push good numbers for some reason.
@KevinDeLury I am going to start an SEO and web traffic consultancy based purely on this so-called "Avery Effect"
@KevinDeLury maybe torts should read this blog...instead hes to busy changing up the lines...maybe next we'll see m. biron centering gaborik and glen sather
no use having christenson on the 4th line...avery on the 4th line would only have a good effect
Avery would have made ZERO difference because he would have been sitting in the penalty box or on the bench most of the night. He reached his peak in the 2008 playoffs waving his arms in front of Brodeur. Now the league has marked him so anything he does will be penalized, fairly or not. I like him, but he made his bed years ago and now he's sleeping in it.
Looks like Dubi is now the marked man. The two calls, slashing and throwing snow on the goalie were horrible.
Lots of arenas that I've been too have rules about not hanging banners anywhere. You can bring signs to hold, but no banners can be hung up. Doesn't mean the rule is always enforced, but I'm sure MSG has something like that.
I doubt I'm of the majority here, but I really don't think one player is going to make the difference. Look at Richards, it's not like that one player has made a HUGE difference. So do we really think Avery could? (That's rhetorical. I know what people are saying.)
I'm pretty sure Avery would've had little to no effect on that game at all. Instead of pining for Avery's return why don't we ask why Brandon Dubinsky is taking two very undisciplined penalties in the offensive zone? Or worry about the Rangers inability to put pucks on net in the 2nd period, their lack of ability to cycle the puck, their lack of movement and ineffective borderline wasteful perimeter passing on the PP. There are at least half a dozen concerns with the way the team played last night that a half-hearted Sean Avery couldn't solve. Yes there was little to no work in the corners and the team played less than physical, maybe Avery could've provided a spark. How many times did we as fans look to Avery last year and he provided almost nothing?It was Cally, Dubi, Prust, Fedotenko even Boyle making plays and doing work to get the team going. And last night with the exception of one or two shifts, they were all flat.
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Dumping Avery in CT was a huge mistake, and the garden faithful made that known last night in a big way. What sucks the most is that I doubt he'll ever play in the NHL again, never mind playing for the Rangers. I think his career is effectively over, which blows considering how much good he could be doing for us right now.
doesnt make sense that avery gets cut and then we bring newberry...avery brings more to the table in all aspects of the game than newberry. its a waste to him him in whale.
@amadnick since when did newbs take averys spot? I know the guy who made the banner said thats why hes upset but EC took Averys spot...if Avery gets recalled Ill still be pissed because EC will be on the team. Also Newbury got effing destroyed by mike brown last night.
@Andrew794 he didnt take his spot but they recalled newbury to play on the 4th line, why didnt they recall avery for that spot..hes the better fit for the position
torts had better find a way to get these guys playing better or I predict alot more Avery chants at home in the future...this season has the potential to turn ugly..
@thenyrblog I mean hes not the answer but better than Newbury or EC. but he dug his own grave after insulting a cop incident
I loved the Garden for making Avery an issue. I'm not sure it'd have made a difference, but watching a perfectly timed pass go through Wolski's feet as he skated to the net, oblivious to the notion that someone might pass him the puck, was only one of many things last night that underscored Avery's absence.
Also gotta mention, I'm in 317 row B with a Tikkanen jersey, there for about half the games. I love that my seats got bumped to the party deck. Having a flat screen right in front of you (albeit on a 4 second delay) rules. And the wider seats take the sting out of losing my 20-year aisle seat. But I can't believe that MSG apparently thinks it's okay to sell obstructed view seats like the old Boston Garden. There are a number of seats created by this new structural change where one net is eclipsed. I'd hate to have shown up last night and that be the case.
When I was maybe 10-11 (late 70s), my uncle used to bring me to Islanders games and I'd root for whoever the Islanders were playing. When the Canadiens came into town once, I made a banner which read GUY LAFLEUR IS 14K GOAL (I routinely embarrassed my uncle like this), which I hung over a nearby wall. It disappeared a short time after and was told by a Coliseum usher that it was burned in the parking lot.
I thought banners were banned at the Garden during the '79 playoffs when the "Denis Potvin Beats his WIfe, Doo Dah, Doo Dah" banner was unfurled from the upper deck during the anthem. While you can censor banners, you can't stop chants. And they are gonna get worse until Torts either eats crow or is fired.
I don't think it was a freedom of speech issue as much as a "there's a banner over our scoreboard" issue. I'd test it somewhere else in the building.
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@rangersmurf the banner was not covering a score board. it was covering a sign that said 'NY Tradition'.
If don was clever he'd put a banner at the end of tradition' so that the entire banner read:
"New York Tradition: $9 Beers"
and change it up every game:
"New York Tradition: Not Winning"
"New York Tradition: Frustration"
"New York Tradition: The 1% Can Afford Tickets
"New York Tradition: 50 Years Btw Cups"
do any of you guys have suggestions as to what could fill in the blank?
"New York Rangers Tradition:_____________"
@KenDonnelly @rangersmurf that's great. Dolan's garden is famous for suppressing any criticism of the regime in the building. Terrible owner.
@rangersmurf Agreed that Don should have found a better place to put the sign because he gave the Rangers an easy out for them to say it was blocking their banner. Which is true, it was.
@thenyrblog you know what, you are dead on re Avery. He would have done something to fire up people, even if it was Torts, THAT'S his value
