With The Rangers Down 3-0, Torts Decides Now's A Good Time To Sit Brad Richards
Brad Richards, cap hit of $6,666,667 and 7 years left on contract, will be healthy scratch for Rangers tonight in possible elimination game.
— Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) May 23, 2013
Well, it looks like Brad Richards has something else embarrassing to rival this:
This guy’s gone from the most coveted free agent a couple years back to the latest Blueshirt following in the footsteps of Redden & Gomez. From Conn Smythe trophy winner with SEVEN playoff game-winners in 2004 (coached by Tortorella) to scoping his squad’s potential elimination from the press box. Saying Richards has been a colossal disappointment is a colossal understatement, but down 3-0 isn’t the time to be sending messages. His job is to produce on the stat sheet, especially on the power play. And despite closing out the year with 11 points over 6 games, he’s done jack shit in the playoffs. Without numbers, he brings zilch to the table…except being a 33 year-old veteran with an entire regular season’s worth of post-season experience.
A healthy scratch would’ve made sense after getting rolled Game 2 – but not now. I don’t care how poorly he’s played, in a playoff win-or-go-home scenario, a guy like Brad Richards with just 8 minutes of PP/4th-line time gives his team a better chance at winning than Kris Newbury. He’s got a fucking “A” on his sweater. His presence with the team has to mean something. But what do I know? I hope Torts is right. I hope NY extends the series & brings Richards back with a vengeance to pull off the impossible. Lose tonight, though, and they should share a seat on the next train outta here.