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I agree with the OP to a degree. Its not as cut and dry as going out there looking to block shots.
Its not necessarily a product of Tortorellas system. He wants them to be on the man, and on the right side of the puck, if the block is there you take it. The problem lies in the players the Rangers have.
Many of the defenseman arent hitters in their nature. They have to be told to do so. Gilroy is weak, Redden wont go out of his way to make a hit, Girardi is one of the tougher defenseman to play against on the team, but he doesnt do it enough. Rozsival shys away from contact and is terrible positionally. Staal is the only one with some real hitting power in his game due to his size, but even he isnt a force naturally.Del Zotto actually can hit, which is a huge bonus going forward as he fills out more.
Go down the line with the forward as well. Cally is one of the only true hitters on the team. When the Rangers are playing well they are blocking shots, but they are also riding out players. Its not about smashing a guy through the glass (though that would be nice once in a while to make the opposition think twice when entering the zone - there hasnt been anyone to keep the other team honest in recent years) - its about stopping a players prgress through the zone, staying on him and not allowing the other team to gain position deep in the zone on rushes. I think the OP basically points out that the Rangers are always falling back and allowing the pressure once the team gains the line, and i agree with that. Guys like Drury are positional players and will always play the shot and not the man.
The team as a whole seldom steps up anymore at the blueline - and that is a HUGE function of the transition game in Torts system. Thats where everything starts. Whether its a result of the youth on defense or just the fact that they had to reel in the team defensively by taking less risk, it doesnt work against very good offensive teams like the Caps because it allows them to walk in and create plays. The Rangers could execute this against teams who have had less success, and im sure if you run down the schedule results thus far, it will prove that. This is why the Rangers have NO chance if they make the playoffs because they will most likely be in the 7th-8th spot playing an offensive dynamo.
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