Bad Timing

It seems that for Monday the theme should have been timing as it sure seems like several people had bad timing.

We already know about Larry Brook's idea of timing but it is rather interesting how many of you reacted to his piece and our response. Thank you for your comments both pro and con as all of them were thought out and good for further discussion.

The one response that perhaps deserves the public response is asking me if it being Larry Brooks is what angered me the most rather than what Brooks disclosed.

Honestly that yes my own dislike for Larry Brooks that fueled the urge to write but by the time I was finished it also was my own dislike for how our privacy gets violated with little thought or consideration.

It seems that just every other day we are reading about some company reporting that our information was stolen. Something is wrong when you get an email from McDonalds that someone hacked into their email marketing company and stole your information.

At the same time I can not deny that a strong dislike of the methods used by the New York Post to "report" the news. Once upon a time the Post was an actual honest fair news paper but since the purchase by Rupert Murdoch; it has turned into a rag not worthy of using under a cat's litterbox.

But should we also ask where do we draw the line when it comes to "the public's need to know"? For way too long there has been a grey area that blurs the line between what we should know and what we should not.

I do not need to see pictures of Bin Laden's body to know that he is dead and find myself why do we need to see images of someone's head blown off. Trust me if you have ever seen one in person it is an image that you will never ever forget.

And yes even if it was a different writer than Larry Brooks that I still would have a problem with what was disclosed regarding Derek Boogaard. It does not help the situation by disclosing what should be a private situation.

Then there is what George Laraque said about the Ranger's supposed treatment of Boogaard this past season (stick tap to Joe Yerdon at Pro Hockey Talk). Yes we can understand that Laraque is hurting because a friend of his died and can feel compassion for his pain.

But without meaning to Laraque has opened up a door for speculation as to what happened to his friend. Laraque in an interview with a Toronto radio station on Monday accused the Rangers of mishandling Boogaard.


Laraque said

"He was cleared to play at the end of the season and the team just told him to take the rest of the year off," Laraque told NHL HOME ICE on SiriusXM Radio. "You know how much pressure that puts on a guy? He was ready to play with the contract he had and the team says, 'It's OK, just take the rest of the year off.' On top of that, he told me his coach was not a big fan of him."

Without meaning to Laraque has basically opened a door for people to think that Boogaard was depressed and possibly committed suicide over the situation.

More Laraque

"I don't want to insinuate anything that happened and the cause (of his death) or whatever but I would have been frustrated if I was in that situation. The fact he was inactive so long and those two incidents happened, it clearly didn't help him."

But without meaning to that is very much what he did with his accusations towards the Rangers and more pointedly John Tortorella. No offense to Laraque but the majority of Ranger fans will tell you that by the time Boogaard was reportedly cleared; the Rangers were fighting for their playoff lives and they did not have a use for him.

Now defending how the Rangers do business is not something I would do but it is hard to blame them for being honest with Boogaard. Would his level of frustration been any better if he spent March, April and the first round of the playoffs in the press box as a healthy scratch?

What makes what Laraque said worse is this part

"All I know is that Derek told me he was cleared to play, to come back, that he wanted to play and the team told him to take the rest of the year off, to get ready for next year. He didn't tell me who told him that, he just told me the team said that."

And because even he does not know who reportedly said that then it only hurts Boogaard's situation rather than doing anything to the Rangers. As bad as we all may feel about Boogaard's passing at the very same time as a player he did not contribute much to the Rangers and Ranger fans know it.

Laraque winds up tossing gas on what has been a simmering fire and despite what Laraque might feel was good intentions just hurts instead.

We just wish people would stop and think before making accusations because right now the ones that are getting hurt the most by all of this is the Boogaard family. It is hard enough that they are burying a loved one, now they are watching his legacy being trashed left and right.

So much for "Rest In Peace"

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Rumor of the Day

It seems that Boston College message board have been hinting that Chris Kreider has not shut the door on his returning for his junior year. Kreider told Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants that nothing has changed for him and his intention is to return to Boston College.

Kreider

“There wasn’t an offer on the table,” Kreider said. “If (the Rangers) have been in touch with my agent, I’m not aware of it. They haven’t been in touch with me at all.”

There is a couple of things that previous experience has taught us which is the Rangers are not going to make any offer until either July 1st or there is a clear sign that Kreider would be interested in signing with the Rangers.

Honestly Kreider is doing the right thing by returning to Boston College for his junior season. But if we could offer him some advice then it would be that if he receives an invite to the Ranger prospect/rookie camp held right after the draft that he turns it down.

The Rangers will not mess with Kreider's eligibility to play for Boston College so they will not say anything. They do not have because they have at least 3 secret agents in place to convince him to sign with the Rangers.

Ryan Bourque will be at the prospect camp for sure and it sure would be really swell if he was able to have his hometown pal playing with him in Hartford.

Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh are not required to attend the camp but that does not mean when off-season workouts are happening that good friend Chris will not work out with them.

The Ranger's ace in the hole is going to be McDonagh who was in Kreider's shoes last year. McDonagh was very unsure that he was going to leave Wisconsin until he attended the camp.

The Rangers did not have to do any selling to McDonagh as the practice facility and one Derek Stepan played salesman for them. Like we said Chris if you are serious then stay away from the Ranger camp.

Derek Stepan used car salesman (and yes he is good)

"You know Chris how cool would it be if we got to be roommates in Manhattan this season? Why not spend the summer with me here as we can work out together with Ryan and enjoy the sights?"

Gut feeling is that the 3 Amigos will be riding into Ranger training camp this fall.