Renney on Prucha

Didn't mean to be cruel and unusual by teasing to Tom Renney's comments this morning about Petr Prucha off the last blog. Honestly, I just needed to run an errand before sitting back down in front of the computer.

Anyway, I'll give you the whole exchange. And credit where credit's due, Larry Brooks of the New York Post got the discussion rolling with a pointed question about why, with the way most (all) of the forwards on the Rangers' roster are struggling, it's Petr Prucha that continually winds up as a healthy scratch.

Renney: "It's a fair question. The difficulty I have with Prooch is that he's a serviceable guy, no question, and he does have an offensive flair to him, no doubt at that. I do have concerns with his ability to sustain it. I have concerns with the size of our team in general and our ability to play strong, big opponents. I don't know how much longer I can do that to him, in fairness to him. He won't go tonight but I'm certainly looking at him as, maybe, a key guy going forward. Right now, at this point in time, it's a one-off. Every game will be evaluated unto itself. It's not easy for Petr for sure and it's not easy for those that are Prooch fans to watch that."

I followed with a question as to why Prucha's sustainability issues might be different from somebody else on that team. I did err in specifically saying, "like, say, Nigel Dawes," so Renney took it as a Prucha vs. Dawes question.

Renney: "Nigel is able to make plays and he can move the puck around and distribute the puck around as well as any of our centermen. Prooch doesn't have quite that same ability. He certainly has an ability to finish - you might want to consider those guys together as some part of an equation (meaning pairing them on a line soon). That's the thing with respect to Nigel, he might have a little bit more versatility in his package. It's dangerous to start comparing players against each other. I don't want to go down that road, I don't think it's fair to either player."

I then clarified to say I wasn't necessarily talking about Dawes specifically, but why Prucha's sustainability issues were different than anybody elses on the Rangers.

Renney: "That's fair, too, To me, it boils down to our opponent and what we're up against and the need for size, at least a certain strength in our lineup. Pete has the strength but he's not able to kind of keep it rolling."

Finally, I asked Renney if Prucha's sustainability was different this season from his first two seasons in the NHL, when he produced 30 and 22 goals, respectively.

Renney: "He had opportunities on the power play in his first year, naturally. We were the type of team that did a lot of things by committee but we also had some go-to people that actually complemented Petr's style. What we've had to try to do is get people doing that again and maybe manufacture more than what they're capable of in some cases. Pete becomes a little bit of the victim of that."

Personally, I think Renney's last answer is very telling as it goes to the composition of this roster, which, more and more as this season progresses, can be very much criticized.

More soon from the Garden

Comments

[TK]

Many thanks and long overdue (from anyone, not from you specifically). Thanks for that.

[NYRanger4Life]

This just reinforces how dumb Renney is.

[Sec 417]

I will be at the Garden tonight. Hopefully we can get the "We Want Prucha" chant in between the "Fire Renney" and "Fire Sather" chants.

[Salvage21]

Really appreciate you asking the real questions why- regardless of the fact that renney spewed out the same cookie cutter answers.

[Brian]

Renney knows alot more than the idiot fans who want him gone and yell 'shooooot' everytime a Ranger has the puck.

[Kels]

Thank you very much for taking the time to write that all out for the Prucha supporters.

I still don't believe what Renney's saying.

But say he were right and Prucha can play 5-6 games at a high clip and then fall off a little. Then why doesn't Renney play him for 5-6 games and then scratch him for two games instead of the next 10??

Or better yet, why doesn't he accept that the above means nothing when the entire team has been a mess of struggling players and this is the one guy that doesn't get the endless generous benefits of working it out on ice? He doesn't take anyone else out when they fade a little (or a lot) or fail to score goals, does he?

Come on! This is not a situation where the team is playing perfectly and there is no possible place to insert Prucha without disrupting the team chemistry. This team is an utter mess!!

[Prabs]

Even if he thinks Prucha isn't sustainable through 60 minutes, it's better to have a defensive-minded forward out there instead of a forward who takes bad penalties and has a bad +/- like Voros. Moreover, how the hell does Renney know who might complement Prucha's style when he doesn't play him, even when we need help on the PP...

[Prabs]

Even if Renney thinks Prucha isn't sustainable through 60 minutes or a stretch of three games, it's still sensical to play a forward that's defensive-minded than a forward who takes bad penalties and has a bad +/- like Voros. Moreover, how does Renney know who on this team would complement Prucha when he doesn't play him, especially when we need help on the PP. Renney might think he knows what he might get out of these guys in practice, but it doesn't translate to gametime performance...

[graves9]

What a scumbag he is. Really I'm tired of him already enough.

[Hospo]

Maybe next time ask Renney why, no matter the opponent, the lumbering Colton Orr plays just to get in a fight with another goon...or why Frederick the Great and his 3 goals in his last 52 games (or 5 goals in ONE HUNDRED) play no matter how impotent he is at Even strength...Yes, his PK ability is needed on alot of nights, but an iota of offense would be nice...Sit him here and there..Prucha could go in for either

[maciavelli13]

Why can't Renney stop tip-toeing around these questions. Dawes' "ability to make plays" is obviously benefitting the team a whole lot more than a "finisher" being in the press box...ridiculous.

[Godwin]

Can someone ask the puppet behind the bench, err I mean Renney why voros is still in the lineup. Renney really seems to be all into this size thing. But what the hell does size have to do with it if the players themselves dont use their size. Voros has been absolutely useless! At least Prucha plays with heart. And last I checked... heart goes a LONG way in hockey.

[Bill]

Andrew,
It might be a good idea to spell the nickname Renney used for Nigel Dawes "Nige" instead of Nig. I don't give a crap, but I'd hate to see some oversensitive wuss get their panties in a bunch.... One can't be too careful, you know....

[Mark]

Renney: "He had opportunities on the power play in his first year, naturally.

You know you could try him on the Power play again, oh wait why bother the power play is so great anyways.

[Bill]

...as for Prucha, Renney and Voros, I agree with Renney that Prucha hasn't been able to sustain an adequate level of energy. I see that. He's great for a game or two and then he disappears. I also understand that the Rangers need a more physical presence, one that Renney is blindly hoping Voros will help provide. But Voros isn't giving us a big man's game and he's way too slow.

It seems to me that Renney made up his mind about Prucha a while ago and he should be finally realizing that Voros doesn't deserve to be a Ranger, so I have one simple question: Why haven't they traded them yet? They should have traded Prucha long ago while he still had some value.

The biggest problem with this team can be summed up in two words, Glen Sather.

[Jim]

Thanks for asking the question the fans have been waiting to here.

I just do not think Prucha is one of his favorites.

I am done picking on Renney to go, the big problem is Sather.

He has distroyed this team for the next few years with the big $$ contracts.

A new GM will take care of Renney.

[Dan]

This just reinforces why I hopped over to this blog after Sam Weinman left the Journal News. Because the two people who replaced him haven't convinced anyone that they really want to cover hockey, the Newsday blog is updated too infrequently, and the others aren't worth the time. In other words, I'm Home :-)

[i]

Let him compare Prucha and Voros, he'll find Voros is a BIG 0 . Yet he plays him for his size. Renney needs to quit.

[StillaRangersfan]

Thanks for getting an answer about Prucha. I don't believe it's the whole answer. I think it has a lot to do with not following company policy, going to Hartford for conditioning. Therefore he is being made an example of what can happen if you don't follow company wishes. They are probably hoping he will get out of playing condition enough that he will be forced to go to Hartford. I would be shocked if this was the coaches only doing. I think the coach is obeying company wishes. How far up the line of command these wishes are decided and approved would be interesting, then we the fan would know who to blame. Because of the way Prucha is being treated the players are just going through the motions to protest. We will have to stop buying merchandise, beverages, food, and tickets in protest. Thanks for letting me express my opinions and keep up the good reporting.

[nakedjoe]

Prucha is the only player who needs to score every game to stay in the lineup. No other player on the team has sustained offense....not one.

[snowcloud]

Renney, please quit.

[blurt]

Nigel Dawes makes plays? Then why was he benched for like the entire third period against NJ?

[Manny]

come on . Even Gomez said he is one of the best players he ever played with i dont know why is isnt playing. Wake up Renney. play the guy he is great on PP

New Line

Zherdev Gomez Prucha= Goals