Sean Avery: Myth or Legend

Sean Avery's a jerk. That fact is undisputed. But is he really the secret to the Rangers' success?

True, so far this season they're 12-5-1 with him in the lineup and 8-10-3 without. But Avery has contributed a whopping two goals in 18 games and has 11 points. That's 0.61 PPG, behind linemates Brendan Shanahan (0.74) and Chris Drury (0.71), who spent much of the season with the third line. Avery only has two points on the PP, where he plays on the second unit. Rangerland.net provides a more concise analysis, thanks to the Simpsons.

Though Avery's precence may be a placebo affect, it's real to his teammates.

"Yeah, he does make a difference," Chris Drury said. "Just look at the games he's been back - we've definitely been a different team."

"He's definitely a spark - he stirs it up," said Scott Gomez. "He's like Claude Lemieux that way. They bring it every night. So they can do whatever they want. I mean, what can you say to a guy that brings it every night? You have to respect that. And yeah, we are a different team when he's in our lineup."

- New York Daily News

Players are often praised for the intangibles they bring to a team. For Avery, that involves saying things that would make a normal man cry but not necessarily putting the puck in the net.

So long as the Rangers continue to win, Sean Avery is a legend in the making to Blueshirt fans.