This is such a myth, not just with the Rangers, but in hockey, period.

Forget Orr—if the Rangers could SCORE, that would be the deterrent that keeps other teams from playing overly physical.

The Rangers need offense and need a power play. Teams have no reason not to play them rough because their offense is so impotent you can afford to put ‘em on the PP seven times per game and still get away with it. Fix the offense and PP, and you fix everything that’s wrong with that team.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 06/22/09 at 02:09 PM ET

Never would’ve guessed that Nathan is a Red Wings fan

Orr needs to be re-signed. The entire NYR 4th line last season served a purpose & were excellent at their roles.

The lack of scoring should not be placed on the 4th line - hell if you think that replacing Orr w/ a guy that can score 10 goals max in a season is going to change their scoring problems then you are seriously wrong. The Rangers offense was abysmal and the reason was because none of their top 3 lines could get the job done.

I know Detorit has grown accustomed to soft hockey but the overwhelming majority of NYR fans don’t want to pay to see pansy hockey.

Posted by PuckCentral.net from NJ on 06/22/09 at 02:16 PM ET

I know Detorit has grown accustomed to soft hockey but the overwhelming majority of NYR fans don’t want to pay to see pansy hockey.

Yes, it’s quite obvious that NYR fans want to see their tough, gritty ‘don’t even think about starting crap with us’ Colton Orr-led team valiantly slug it out…

...you know, until their season ends around May 10th.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 06/22/09 at 02:49 PM ET

I know Detorit has grown accustomed to soft hockey but the overwhelming majority of NYR fans don’t want to pay to see pansy hockey.

I guess we’re accustomed to WINNING hockey. If the Rangers want to continue to languish in mediocrity, they can pretend that signings like Orr are important.

Besides, Don Cherry (I assume that’s your name… and that you also hate everyone that’s not white and North American, or named Jarome Iginla), mental and physical toughness isn’t measured in the number of penalty minutes you take or the number of fighting majors you ring up over the year. In fact, Nick Lidstrom and his 7 career penalty minutes are tougher than Colton Orr, if for nothing more than the fact that he played hockey with a surgically repaired nutsack after getting speared by one of Chicago’s Patricias.

With $16 million in cap money tied up in three players that haven’t scored at the rates they should, every cent counts when you look towards signing a FA or bringing someone in via trade that can be that difference-maker in the offensive zone.

If you think that I’m placing the blame of a lack of scoring on the Rangers’ third and fourth lines, you’re wrong. My point is the Rangers need to focus on upgrading their top six forwards, and worry about throw-aways like Orr later. If the Rangers got the production they need out of their top six, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation because teams wouldn’t be able to afford to put them on the PP. That 13.9% power play isn’t scaring anyone, just like it didn’t scare the Caps, and their defense is utter shit.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 06/22/09 at 02:59 PM ET

...you know, until their season ends around May 10th.

C’mon, with the way the Rangers have been run for the last decade, there seasons essentially end right when they start.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 06/22/09 at 03:00 PM ET

Jesus, a little low on sleep today… should’ve said, “...their seasons…”

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 06/22/09 at 03:01 PM ET

Anaheim proved a few years ago that you can win & play physical.

I knew I’d get some nice reactions by throwing in a Detroit jibe - but the truth hurts. Do you really like that if the Wings dressed Aaron Downey for a few more games during the regular season and defended themselves a little more that they wouldn’t have gotten to the Cup Finals?

No, I’m not Don Cherry and it’s pretty funny that everybody who wants SOME physical aspect of the game of ice hockey to remain has to be anti-European & racist.

BTW - there are plenty of Detroit fans that are happy w/ their teams success but annoyed at the fact that they never dress an “enforcer”.

Posted by PuckCentral.net from NJ on 06/22/09 at 03:09 PM ET

BTW - there are plenty of Detroit fans that are happy w/ their teams success but annoyed at the fact that they never dress an “enforcer”.

There are also plenty of Rangers fans that are unhappy w/ their team’s lack of success and wouldn’t give a crap if their team didn’t dress an enforcer if they would just win a few more games.

Posted by K24 from NYC on 06/22/09 at 08:08 PM ET

And you seriously think that if the Rangers don’t sign Orr and instead plug someone in his place on that 4th line that will score 10 goals per season max that they’ll win more games? I’m willing to bet there are more Betts/Brashear type situations than wins based on that trade off

Posted by PuckCentral.net from NJ on 06/22/09 at 09:06 PM ET

That’s not what I said.  You compared the situation to the Red Wings.  I’m just pointing out that if the Rangers were going farther in the playoffs (consistently), most of us wouldn’t care so much about whether Orr was on this team or not.  4 cups in 12 years and some Detroit fans are “annoyed?”  It’s a stupid thing to be annoyed about and I wish that was the only thing I had to be annoyed about for my team.

I also think that Brashear would have done that to Betts with Orr in the lineup anyway.  You think Brashear is afraid of Orr?  Brashear has owned Orr almost every time they’ve fought.

I actually like Orr.  And since Tortorella is a 3-line coach, I don’t think anyone who replaces him is going to make a big difference either.  But I also don’t believe it’s as big a deal as some people are making it out to be.

Posted by K24 from NYC on 06/22/09 at 10:22 PM ET