You Are the Coach of the New York Rangers

How would you like to be John Tortorella, coach of the New York Rangers, right now? You just gave the Washington Capitals a win by benching New York's fan favourite Sean Avery, and it looks like it could cost you the series.

Imagine you are the coach of the New York Rangers. Walk a mile in his shoes. Look out for beer showers in Washington and keep your head up in New York.

Will benching that hot-head cost you your job? The guy had to go to anger management. You didn't have to go to anger management.

A fan gave you a beer shower in Washington. You threw a Gatorade bottle at him. You took a hockey stick off one of your players and made some sort of gesture at the fan. Your assistant coach took the stick away from you.

You were teaching that hot-head a lesson about being disciplined and you were punishing him for his antics.

You got fired by the Tampa Bay Lightning with one year remaining on your contract. You won the Stanley Cup with the Florida team.

You were working for TSN, up in Canada, and you said some bad things about Sean Avery. You got hired by the the Rangers on the condition you would coach Avery.

You saw Avery play and promoted him from the third line to the first line. He rewarded you by scoring a goal a game for three games in a row and then two goals in one game, when he was named first star of the Game of the Week on NBC TV.

But then he was given some bad penalties by referees who did not like him, apparently, and you benched him.

You wanted to send a message to the hockey player after he took several penalties that resulted in one goal and no game losses, so he didn't cost you a game. Benching him cost you a game and, possibly, a series.

During the game in Washington, a Rangers fan reached over the glass behind the team bench and dumped beer on you. During the game in New York, Madison Square Garden will be full of Rangers fans who love Sean Avery, the guy you suspended for the game you lost when you could have clinched the series.

Your team plays poorly without Avery, they say, but you can't believe it. You sit him out for a game, the team plays very poorly, so now you believe it.

You are the most winning American coach in NHL history. Team USA recently overlooked you. You were too busy with the NHL playoffs to coach during the The IIHF World Championships, anyway.

You were passed by for the Olympics, too.

You were called the fiery coach of the Lightning and then you were called the fiery coach of the Rangers. You got fired by the Lightning.

The Rangers started the season 10-2-1 but went 21-21-6 during a long mid-season slump. They fired their coach and hired you.

The Rangers were a .500 hockey team before they hired you, and turned into without a .640 team with you.

However, the Rangers were a .666 team with you and Sean Avery. When you benched him, you lost badly.

You feel justified, sitting him out for one game. He plays better in New York, anyway. He'll be rested.

Maybe he'll be the first star of the game, again, the Rangers will win the game and the series, and you won't be fired.