As the resident Rangers fan I have to say I am not happy about it, but I understand. I think he lost the team, and was not developing the younger talent on the team.
I think the final nail in the coffin was Lunquist's remarks yesterday when asked about signing an extension. He did not sound positive, and was talking about the Rangers in past tense. He did everything he could to win, and is getting frustrated by the lack of scoring, thanks to Torts defense first system.
Tort's system of having everyone block shots wears thin quickly, and it is a challenge to sign free agents that want to score goals, not play goalie without pads. The Rangers have a deep, talented team thanks to Slats smart drafting and some good trades, so the next coach walks into an ideal situation. This is a very highly desirable job, I hope Sather takes his time and makes the right choice.
Torts was a strange guy, and had a polarizing personality. He was cool one second, and an A-hole the next. The time I met him, he could not have been nicer. He did A LOT to help out after Hurricane Sandy, and did not get the credit he deserved.
As mentioned before, the Tort's on HBO last year was great TV.