Sean Avery's Encore on Broadway Earns More Rave Reviews

Sean Avery's second game at Madison Square Garden, since joining the New York Rangers six games ago, got him more great reviews in New York City, across the country and around the world.

His first game at MSG, last weekend, also got great reviews. He got an assist in that one and the Rangers upset the Boston Bruins.

What do you do for an encore?

That story is in the reviews…

The headline in the Boston Globe said "Avery's act is Broadway hit".

"With a national TV spotlight on him, and a fired-up home crowd adoring his every agitating move, Avery scored two power-play goals and drew a pair of penalties to lead the New York Rangers to a 4-1 victory over the Flyers," the article in the Boston Globe said.

"Avery stars as Rangers beat Flyers 4-1" was the headline in the Lower Hudson Journal.

The article by Jane McManus said, "Given the amount of hype and skepticism that surrounded Sean Avery when he was claimed off waivers by the Rangers on March 3, it would have been easy for him to fail. Avery's bad-boy reputation was part of the reason NBC, which televised yesterday's game against the Flyers, showed the left wing on screen with its "Star Cam." In the first five games of his second stint with the franchise, Avery has performed up to expectations without making anybody cringe when he opens his mouth."

One of the best came from Metro International with the headline "Sparkplug". It said, "In a game that the Rangers had to win, Sean Avery played the kind of annoying all-around game that has made him one of the Blue shirts’ most important players."

It said Avery scored two power-play goals, was plus two, threw five hits, won a face-off and drove the Flyers in 16:06 of ice time

Metro International said, "Avery broke the Rangers’ streak of 14 straight failed power-play chances."
 
Perhaps the most important review came from the New York Times as their headline read: "With All Eyes on Him, Avery Lifts Rangers.”

Jeff Z. Klein wrote, “He gets the puck, five guys on their team want to kill him”.

Worst Headline Award goes to AHN for "'Avery' Good Game; Two Power Play Goals Lift Rangers Over Flyers". The AHN story was good, though. It said, "This is why the New York Rangers took another chance on volatile forward Sean Avery." 

Many headlines across the USA said the same thing: Avery Scores Twice As Rangers Use Power Play To Down Flyers.

The most passionate review came from the New York Post. "RANGERS RIP FLYERS" the headline read.

"AVERY NOTCHES TWO MORE GOALS IN 4-1 WIN," the sub-head said.

Larry Brooks of the Post said, " If this isn't as well as the Rangers can play, then it is certainly as well as they have played at any time this season. Coincidence of coincidences, Sean Avery had more than just something to do with it.

He said the Blueshirts initiated, crashed the net, supported one another with and without the puck, came up the ice in unison off the rush, were sharp on the power play, and were disciplined throughout a 4-1 victory over the decisively outworked and outplayed Flyers.

"And in the middle of it all was Avery," Brooks said, "who is acting as the same catalytic agent he was upon first joining the Blue shirts two-years ago."

He reported that Avery got into the Flyers' heads early in confronting Jeff Carter.

This is the way Brooks told the story: "What? Touch Philadelphia's 38-goal-scorer?-and the Flyers not only never got over it, they responded in their historical nature by trying to take off their opponents' heads, witness the Braydon Coburn match penalty of a high stick across Nik Antropov's face late in the second."

Brooks noted that the Rangers gave themselves every chance to win for the fifth time in their previous seven games and Avery simply played the same brand of hard-edged, don't-back-down hockey he always has as a Ranger.

The Sportsnet headline was "Avery scores pair to down Flyers"
The AP story said, "Sean Avery shook up the Philadelphia Flyers with his grit and gift of gab. And just when they had enough of that, he beat them with his stick..."

NBC commentator and ex-NHL coach Ed Olczyk said, "Avery played his best game as a Ranger."

The Epoch Times sub-head said, "ON FIRE" and the lead were: Sean Avery boosted the Rangers with two power play goals.

Stars, Penguins Must Kick Themselves As Avery Is First Star of The Game, a good story in Bleacher Report report said—Oh, I wrote that one!

"The Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and a dozen other teams must be having second thoughts for sloppy decisions about signing Sean Avery."

In a piece called Sean Avery loves New York on KFFL, Tim Heaney said, "Say what you want about New York Rangers forward Sean Avery. Call him a pest, a dirty player, a lowlife, whatever. Here’s what I’m saying: Welcome back!”

He said performances like his two-goal game in today’s crucial 4-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers remind you of how much he was missed.

"They’re a better team with him. Statistics prove it (New York is 53-22-16 with Avery in the lineup)" he added. "So, does their on-ice energy."

Sean Avery Leads Rangers in "Philly-Buster" was another clever headline in Bleacher Report.

”Sean Avery Shines in Rangers Win,” FanHouse said.

”Avery bullies Flyers in 4-1 Rangers' win the Pittsburgh,” the Post Gazette said.  "Sean Avery shook up the Philadelphia Flyers with his grit and his gift of gab."

“Sean Avery is big lift for NY,” the Boston Herald said.

“Avery leads Rangers over Flyers” was also the headline in the eTaiwan News, SI.com.

Power played: “Flyers fall in NY" was the Philadelphia Metro headline. They reported that Avery broke the Rangers’ streak of 14 straight failed power-play chances.

Stars, Penguins Must Kick Themselves As Avery Is First Star of The Game: Another good Bleacher Report headline. The lead said, "The Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and a dozen other teams must be having second thoughts for sloppy decisions about signing Sean Avery."

Avery leads Rangers over Flyers was the headline in the International Herald Tribune

Avery and the Rangers made the news in Israel, too. "Ice Hockey / Rangers' Avery beats Flyers with pure grit," the headline in Ha'aretz said.  

Avery scores two of Rangers' three power-play goals in 4-1 win over Flyers was the headline in the Allentown Morning Call.

The Hockey News said, "Avery scores two goals to lead Rangers past Flyers 4-1."

Avery, Rangers frustrate the Flyers, the Philadelphia Inquirer said.

Sean Avery fitting in with the NY Rangers? the Dallas Morning News headline read. "Maybe New York is just the right place for Sean Avery. He's certainly playing hard in a system that is about constant motion ...."

Avery provides 1-0 lead, Newsday said. "Sean Avery's deflection of Derek Morris' low point shot up high past Antero Niittymaki on the Rangers third power play gave the Rangers their third 1-0 lead".

Like it or Not, Avery is a Difference-maker, the New York Post headline claimed. ‎"Bad management is a sore topic and a fair target for derision; just take the latest example of Glen Sather discarding Sean Avery at the end of last season ..."

There was one mixed review and one bad one.

"The love cascaded down, surrounding Sean Avery," Dennis Gorman wrote in Metro International. "He was encircled by perhaps the only players in the league that can stomach him while his name was chanted by 18,200 who love him."

Gorman gave the game a bad review, saying tt was not a game where skill carried the day. No, this was a mean game. The type of game that teams play in late April and May.
He also criticized NBC and the NHL: "In the week leading up to Sunday’s match, the professional wrestling-ization of the game was in full effect," Gorman said. "The league’s broadcast partner advertised the match as Avery leading the “desperate” and “drastic” Rangers against the Flyers.

In his opinion, apparently, a legendary rivalry against organizations attempting to jockey for playoff position that boast two of the best players in the game at their respective positions are not selling points for the league and NBC, so, "the NHL and its TV partners needs the villainious Avery at his best, just as long as he refrains from offering Neanderthal comments about former girlfriends in front of TV cameras."

He got a bad review in, where else? Philadelphia.

Penalties, Sean Avery are downfall of Flyers, the headline read in ALL THINGS PHILLY SPORTS, a website that claims it has the latest news and rumors on the Eagles, Flyers, Sixers and the World Champion Phillies.

The Pittsburgh review said, "After playing an inspiring game of hockey in a playoff-like atmosphere at the Wachovia Center Saturday, the Flyers let their emotions get the best of them in a rematch against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. The Flyers lost 4-1 and couldn't stay out of the penalty box all game."

The Philadelphia Flyers finished the game with 34 minutes of penalties, including 15 of them when Braydon Coburn was tossed from the game for high sticking Nik Antropov in the face.

The pro-Philadelphia publication explained the situation this way: "While Coburn was retaliating for an earlier cheap shot by Antropov, it was dumb penalties like that that gave the Rangers a string of power play chances and all four of their goals came on the man advantage."

They also blamed Sean Avery. "The Flyers march to the penalty box was aided by the antics of Sean Avery, who is back to his usual tricks to get under opponents skin," they reported, adding, "The Madison Square Garden loved his every move, however."
And it concluded, "It would have been nice to leave New York with a little more confidence and a little less Sean Avery."

Avery was named the first star of the game as he had two goals, an unofficial dime, a Gordie Howe hat-trick, four hits, and played his best game so far since returning to the Rangers.

In 29 games this year, with the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers, Avery has 9 goals and 8 assists for 17 points and he has "only" 87 PIMS. For Avery, that's a lot of points and a very few penalty minutes, as he has led the NHL in penalties in the past.