Capitals/Rangers, All About The Players

from Roy MacGregor of the Globe and Mail, The Amtrak Series? The Monosyllabic Series? There may never have been a less interesting coaching matchup in the history of hockey, at least as far as news bites and insights go, than the New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals series that opens Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. When Rangers head coach John Tortorella is asked any question, his favourite answer is “no.” He holds the media in open contempt, his “press conferences” usually running to less than 60 seconds of refusal, avoidance and sarcasm. Washington head coach Dale Hunter, on the other hand, seems terrified of close-up attention, is not verbally gifted and prefers to get the torture over with and done. Which means, as it should mean, that the players are going to have to carry the series on the sports pages and talk shows as well as on the ice. continued