As all of us who do not live under a rock are now well aware of, Sean Avery will be making his 2011-12 New York Ranger debut tonight at Madison Square Garden. He spent the first month of the season as a member of the Connecticut Whale after being assigned to the AHL by the Rangers back when they were in Europe, but was put through re-entry waivers and recalled earlier this week when it became clear that Mike Rupp (knee) would be out of the lineup for an extended period of time.
This transaction was nothing near a fairytale make-up between Sean and head coach John Tortorella. They obviously see things differently, and always have, and I don't expect that to change. The bottom line, though, is that Torts makes the final lineup decisions, therefore Avery has no choice but to play by the coach's rules if he wants to remain in the lineup. It's a tough situation for Avery, but if he loves playing for the Rangers as much as he says he does, then he will be willing to make the sacrifice.
For tonight -- game one of his Ranger season -- Avery needs to go out and keep things simple. No one is expecting him to score five goals and be a hero out there. The fans just want to see the physical, energetic Avery that they've been chanting for during the past few games. That's also what the coaching staff wants to see, because they know when Sean tries to do too much out there it hurts him more than helps.
As I said, Avery just needs to play a straightforward game tonight. Push the limits, but stay out of the box. Get shots, but don't try to dominate. Throw hits, but keep it clean and timely. Basically what I am trying to say here is that Avery should keep everything in moderation for his first game back, because it will do him no good if he tries to steal the spotlight, which, going into this game, is already on him.
What Avery should be looking to prove is that he puts in a better work ethic than someone who is currently in the lineup, such as Erik Christensen. When his mindset is straight, which it seems like it is now, Avery has the ability to work just as hard as Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky. He is in excellent shape and conditions himself well in the offseason. In my opinion, it's more important for Sean to prove that he can still maintain that certain work ethic than it is to prove that he can still score goals.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see which Sean Avery shows up tonight against the Habs at MSG, but I'm hoping he takes my advice and doesn't ruin this in game one. And with Torts behind the bench, you know that's entirely possible.
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