Truth & Rumors > NHL

Should Rangers bench Drury & Gomez?

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05:11 AM ET 12.29 | It's fine for Tom Renney to call out "very key members of our hockey club who need to better," as he did without naming names following Saturday's 4-2 loss at the Garden to the Devils, but the head coach's words won't mean a thing unless he's willing to back them up. Which means benching and/or scratching those athletes who consistently fail to play to their capabilities, regardless of the names on the back of their uniforms, the letters on the front, or the numbers on their paychecks. And that means Chris Drury, the captain who has had a distinctly disappointing Year II on Broadway. That means Scott Gomez, the alternate captain who is playing the worst hockey of his life. That means Wade Redden, who for most of the season has appeared so unaccountably detached from the action around him.

New York Post

Chris Drury, AP Chris Drury, AP
December 29, 2008  07:07 AM ET

Um....NO.

December 29, 2008  08:32 AM ET

It's a down year, everybody goes through with em.

December 29, 2008  08:59 AM ET

I think they should bench the coach .... oh, wait! Never mind!

December 29, 2008  09:56 AM ET

Bench Redden/Kalinin (why the hell did they bring up Potter anyways!?), find out what the hell is wrong with Gomez, and PRACTICE THE FREAKING PP!!!!! 8 SHGS IS A DISGRACE.

FIRE PEARN. MAKE RENNEY FEEL HIS JOB IS ON THE LINE.

December 29, 2008  12:45 PM ET

I don't think benching two of your heart and soul-type players will send the right message. Both are battle tested and very productive in the post season, are respected leaders. If they are in a funk you let them play their way out, they have earned that right.

December 29, 2008  03:08 PM ET

Yea, their are all kinds of other players that should be benched before these two.

December 29, 2008  03:09 PM ET

LOL Potter sent back down to Wolfpack.

December 29, 2008  03:17 PM ET
QUOTE:

I know what Ron Wilson would do here. You have to send a message. If he lets his star players off the hook,the rest of his players wont feel threatened with their so-so work ethic.

Tom Renney has too much pride to do things like this. Aside from being a little too hardheaded, taking marching orders from Larry Brooks, not knowing the first thing about powerplays, and failure to figure out his lines, this is one of his few vices.

He'll bench Zherdev or Staal for making a tiny mental error, and let players like Drury (who could have been solely responsible for the loss last Saturday), Gomez, and Redden come up short and make mistake after mistake with no consequences.

What kind of message does that send to your team? Who is to be held accountable and who is off the hook? The players who are off the hook have SUCKED so badly it's not even funny to Rangers fans! And what motivation does this method of coaching serve to guys who already got their paychecks like Rosi, Redden, and the two overpriced forwards?

December 29, 2008  04:10 PM ET

If it helps, then bench 'em. Drury and Gomez have been great for a long time, though. Somehow, I don't think that it would help.

December 29, 2008  04:18 PM ET

Being a Sabres fan, I just sit here and laugh at Drury's shortcomings. I don't blame him for leaving Buffalo, but it makes me feel a little better about our loss to see him struggle.

December 29, 2008  04:38 PM ET

Maybe it's the COACH!

December 29, 2008  04:57 PM ET

another new york teaming overpaying players that dont live up, gomez is the most over payed player since jeter

December 29, 2008  05:21 PM ET
QUOTE(#15):

another new york teaming overpaying players that dont live up, gomez is the most over payed player since jeter

Yeah it's pretty amusing to see them a) having overpaid players who way underpreform and b) getting all excited at one playoff year then giving the finger to the method that got them there, not spending too much on free agents, and buying like crazy

December 29, 2008  06:14 PM ET

Why do the Rangers have so many problems with so many good players?, this team baffles me!

December 29, 2008  11:21 PM ET

The Rangers are showing the effects of the early European start and too much work load put on Lundqvist. Add to the mix that if your best players are not your best players...well, you are bound to have problems in the room as well. This team seriously needs a coaching change.
I'd see what Messier is up to.

Things are going to get a quite a bit tougher for many teams in the New Year. The Bruins soft December schedule is over. I love the way the Hawks are playing and don't see them slowing down much. Young and energetic. The Leafs are working hard but this team better decide if it wants to win of finish in the bottom five with Tavares coming up for grabs this year. I will be completely TICKED OFF if he ends up in OTTAWA!

December 30, 2008  07:50 AM ET

The team was expected to perform. Expectations can hurt the mindset. They are thinking too much and not playing the game as if they were on a ragged pond. Play the game like you love it...you know they do, they just have to find it again.

December 30, 2008  08:39 AM ET

No team sucks the life out of star players like the Broadway BlueBalls. Gomez and Drury should never have let greed blind their vision from seeing the pathetic organization the NYR are. But greed is good, right?

December 30, 2008  09:41 AM ET

In Drury's defense, he signed with the Rangers because it's his childhood team. The Sabres were ready to match any offer he got, but if I get an offer from the team I grew up watching as a kid, it doesn't matter, I'm gone.

December 30, 2008  02:17 PM ET

Who has Drury had for wingers since he signed? The answer is nobody capable of scoring. He wanted to be a Ranger. He didn't just sign for the money. Sather is the guy that has to go. Redden, Kalinin and Rosival? Are there 3 players that are worse plus/minus? Sather signed them all as FA's. With all the money he spent there, you tell me he couldn't do better? Rosival stunk last year and he re-signed him. Redden stunk last year and he gave him 6 years. Didn't know much about Kalinin, but he gives the puck away if you breathe on him.

 
December 30, 2008  06:00 PM ET

NYR needs to buy more overpriced free agents. That will fix the problem. Were they in the running for Claude Lemieux?

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