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For Rangers, the non-hockey nonsense is over

Arthur Staple

11:38 AM EDT, April 29, 2008

So, Penguins coach Michel Therrien had a chat with the supervisor of officials for this series after Game 2 about crease-crashing.

So, the headline in one of the Pittsburgh papers Tuesday screams, "Cowardly Avery tries to take out Crosby."

So who exactly is up 2-0 in this series and threatening to run away with it?

The Rangers were the ones who were quite mum on all things having to do with diving, embellishing or anything else unrelated to the results in the two Pittsburgh wins over the weekend. A crush of television reporters made for a cozy locker room at the Rangers' practice facility Monday, and hard as some of the TV guys tried, there was no resurrecting the "Sidney Crosby's a diver" storyline that started before the series began and may have played a small part in distracting the Rangers.

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When the question was asked of Jaromir Jagr, who was quite vocal on the subject during Game 2 when he chatted with Crosby, the Rangers' captain rubbed his chin for a moment and slowly replied:

"That ... is a stupid question."

Tom Renney, who allegedly started this whole thing by answering a direct question from a reporter the day the Rangers left for Pittsburgh, praised Crosby to the heavens and gave a no-comment to the diving question.

It's over with for the Rangers, because even if it didn't cause them to lose focus, they lost two games. There's no more room to be coy, or accusatory, or upset if they felt the officials jobbed them on Marty Straka's hooking call with 3:20 left in Game 1 or Fedor Tyutin's holding call in the first period of Game 2.

I'd hate to see what would happen if Therrien's team was behind by a couple games. He's a very good coach, but he seems determined to try and win the public-relations battle in this series rather than letting his very good team do the talking with their play.

First, there was his unprompted defense of Crosby after Game 1, which I doubt Sid the Kid needs to feel OK about himself. Now, Therrien wants to make sure that Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery stay out of Marc-Andre Fleury's crease.

Apparently, the Penguins would have played better defense in Game 2 if the Rangers hadn't been so determined in front of the Pittsburgh net. Whatever. It's a strange way to motivate a young team that's playing its best hockey of the season, at just the right time.

As for Avery, who took a whack at Crosby's hand well away from the play at the end of the first in Game 2 -- he's a dirty player? Wait, let me get my surprised face on.

Jarkko Ruutu, who is playing better than he ever has, put his stick in Michal Rozsival's face in Game 1 before a faceoff. Avery and Ruutu are cut from the same cloth, and Pens fans should be happy they have a guy who can try to do to Jagr what Avery's trying to do to Crosby.

Unsuccessfully, I might add. Winning Game 3 Tuesday night would be a death blow for the Penguins if they can continue to do what they've done this series: Play smart defense, capitalize on the power play and use their younger, more talented players to better effect.

If the Rangers rally, Therrien might actually have to do something new for him this series: Shut his yap and coach his team.