Torts' Revival Is A Pleasure To Behold

Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Are you, as a Rangers fan, happy or sad when you read about MSG favorites Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba having a heckuva wonderful run in Anaheim?

The Maven is delighted.

If you remember Jake has a determined, hard-hitting, devoted Rangers captain, you'd have to wish that he still wore a Blue Shirt.

And if you recall Kreids as a heroic New York mentor to young teammates and a scoring whiz, then you have to be thinking "Wish You Were Here."

Now test your memory bank with this character. Who in this village called Rangerville can picture the human volcano called John Tortorella coaching your favorite team like Vince Lombardi orchestrating the great Green Bay Packers.

The insightful and incendiary Torts was the most "New York Kind Of Guy" ever to march behind his players while leading them to play the kind of hockey we Gothamites loved.

His slight – but never annoying – New England accent was a delight to the ears and part of our Big Apple hockey adventure with the great man and genuine dog-lover.

Do we miss him? You bet we do.

By tons, and even more so now that he has the Golden Knights playing New York hockey in Vegas. (In case you missed it, John's Knights are in the second round, leading Anaheim two games to one.)

Torts still has the knack. He figured out what Toronto coaches failed to do; and that is to turn into a playoff demon. Last night Double M not only scored a natural hat trick but added an assist and leads all NHL players in playoff scoring. He can thank Torts for that.