Killer Dill Returns to the New York Rangers

Dominik Hasek recently unretired and returned to hockey, Claude Lemieux unretired and returned to the NHL, and I think I saw Killer Dill on the ice at Madison Square Garden, playing for the New York Rangers, wearing No. 16 on his hockey sweater.

That wasn't Bob Dill's number in the old days. Now he wears number 16. He has changed numbers and a few other things. The NHL has changed, too.

The NHL is evolving into more of a high speed, skill brand of hockey, with fewer goons and staged fights. No. 16 for the Rangers had to go to anger management before returning to the NHL.

Now the Rangers are in the playoffs and, happily, in a position to eliminate the Washington Capitals.  The Rangers have already had two huge victories in the Verizon Centre in Washington against the Caps in this series.

Rangers Coach John Tortorella faces a quandary: What should he do about "Killer" Dill? I mean Sean Avery.

Avery, promoted from designated third line agitator to first-line left winger is still a 'wild card'.  In the last game against the Caps, in New York. it looked like he lost control of “that little devil on your shoulder” in the final few minutes.

Avery took two penalties at the end of a great game, a thrilling 2-1 victory for the Rangers, and it made people wonder if he was trying to give the Caps something to think about for Game Five or if the old Sean Avery was still alive and well and raising hell in a Rangers uniform.

First he gave a Milan Jurcina a backhanded punch with the butt end of his stick that bloodied the defenseman's face and left him with a bruise the next day.

Then he hit another defenseman, Brian Pothier, with a high stick while cruising through the crease of the Caps new goalie, Simeon Varmalov.

In Game Three's 4-0 loss, Avery took four minor penalties and a game misconduct. Washington's power play scored on just one of all those penalties. The Rangers penalty killing unit is the best in the NHL this year.

The New York Times says Tortorella's options for Game 5 include playing Avery in his usual place; demoting him from the first line and reducing his ice time; or not playing him at all and having Aaron Voros dress.

Tortorella's not talking.

Aside from the penalties, Avery is playing well. Throughout a terrifically played series by both teams, he has skated hard, hit hard and created dangerous chances, the New York Times reminds readers.

Also, the Rangers have thrived since Avery joined the team in early March along with Nik Antropov and Derek Morris. The Rangers have won 14 of 22 games, one of the league’s best records in that span.

After returning to the Rangers, Avery kept his anger in check through the end of the regular season, drawing more penalties than he was called for. He repeatedly earned praise from Tortorella.

Did something change in the Rangers' 1-0 loss to the Boston Bruins, in their last game? During a TV timeout, Avery casually clipped Bruins goalie Tim Thomas in the back of the head with his stick and all hell broke loose.

As the Rangers return to Washington with a chance to upset the Capitals again and win the series, everyone is wondering about the wild card.  Who will show up, wearing sweater number 16?

Will it be the Zen-like robot, Deepak Chopra on skates, or Killer Dill? Avery has been called all those things—and much more.

He once played Killer Dill in a movie. Now there's a movie in the works about Avery, called "Puckface."

The new NHL has no room for Killer Dill. It's hard to imagine the Rangers winning without Puckface.