Rangers: Avery vs. Phaneuf - A Sideshow
Blueshirts and Flames could be undercard of the night
Posted on Friday, November 6, 2009 at 10:30 PM
By Stan Fischler
Once upon a time there was a hockey Clash of the Century at the Garden between Tie Domi and Bob Probert.
Both top-grade fighters who didn't like each other, the Ranger (Domi) and Red Wing made it clear well in advance of the game that they would – at some point in the contest – drop their gloves.
The prospective bout was so widely-heralded that newspapers printed a Tale of the Tape on the day of the game.
Yes, the bout did take place and it was, as billed, a dilly.
One might expect the same type of event to take place on Saturday night in Calgary where the Rangers take their one-game winning streak to the Penngrowth Saddledome.
This time, the featured brawlers-to-be shape up as Sean Avery and Dion Phaneuf, a rather unlikely pair until you consider the circumstances.
Almost a year ago (Nov. 30, 2008) Avery (as a Dallas Star) visited Alberta and on-camera twitted both the Flames large defenseman and his girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert.
As it happened, Cuthbert once had been Sean's girlfriend, so there was an added romantic fillip to the follies.
The uproar that followed eventually brought The Great Gabbo back to the Rangers and, here we are, Avery and Phaneuf, facing each other for the first time since two words, "sloppy seconds," launched a mini-NHL war.
Can we expect a latter-day version of Domi-Probert, only this time with Avery and Phaneuf?
Not by a longshot or a slapshot.
Having garnered a precious two points on Thursday night with a 4-2 win in Edmonton over the beginning-to-look-like-hopeless Oilers, coach John Tortorella least of all wants his skaters suckered into a you-had- my-gal sideshow and most of all wants to jet home with two wins out of a possible three.
His team's traction is important to the coach after obtaining solid goaltending from backup Steve Valiquette who had been designated in the offseason as a goalie who would spell Henny Lundqvist a lot more than he did last year.
"We need Stevie to play well to get where we want to be," says Torts.
To which Valiquette retorts: "It's not about me coming in and winning; it's about the team coming out of Edmonton with two points."
Calgary will present a more formidable challenge.
With the runaway coach Brent (Double-Crossed-the-Devils) Sutter behind the bench, the Flames own a 9-4-1 record compared to the Blueshirts 10-6-1.
Having that in mind, The Maven is convinced that Tortorella will shorten Avery's leash more than he has all season in the hopes that if anyone is suckered into doing something stupid – check Vancouver's Shane O'Brien – it will be Phaneuf; or some other – "Let's Get Sean" – sizzling Flame.
O'Brien was slapped with a one-game suspension for spearing Avery after Gabbo had lectured the Canuck on hockey etiquette during the Rangers recent loss in British Columbia.
Then again, one never knows whether Mount Saddledome will remain a dormant volcano or erupt with an Avery-Phaneuf BOOM!
Either way, it should be fun!
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