New York Rangers

Rangers prep for a do-or-die Game 6 against the Senators
May 8, 2017, 5:30 PM ET [18 Comments]
Jan Levine
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The Rangers returned to practice today with the specter of it being their last full practice of the year hanging over their heads. Whatever the reasons for the losses in Games 1,2 and 5 - which we have discussed in great depth - the mission is clear today and hopefully Thursday. Win or go home!!!

Blind faith in the veterans:

Sunday, AV made a several comments that got the fanbase and columnists up in arms, each of which made us question what the heck he is doing. Insanity is repeating the same action and expecting a different result. The comments had to make all - or at least most of us - think AV is either insane or blind to what's transpiring on the ice.

“These guys have seen it before, and in the past, a lot of times they have responded real well,” (coach Alain) Vigneault said when asked specifically about (Dan) Girardi and (Marc) Staal. “I put a lot of faith and trust in how they’re going to play in those pressure situations. That’s it. Got a lot of faith in these guys’ abilities to get it done.”


You all know I am a big Springsteen fan. In the remake of the song, War, he sings "blind faith in your leaders will get you killed." It's sort of the same here, blind faith in your veterans will get you an early tee time on the golf course. Further evidence of this blind faith is what Sean Hartnett posted today: "the Rangers’ goals against per 60 minutes is 1.89 when either Staal, Girardi or both are off the ice. That figure swells to 3.91 when Staal, Girardi or both are on the ice." Blind faith in key late game situations. Yet, AV then almost contradicts his first statement above with his second one below, yet didn't make any changes.

“Experience is good, but it’s only good if you’re playing well,” Vigneault said. “For whatever reason, we had quite a few that had an average [Game 5]. It was not an appropriate time. There’s nothing we can do about it. What we can do is get ready for Tuesday’s game and make sure we have a real strong game.”


So if experience is good only if you are playing well, why did you lean on Staal at the end of Game 5 as you did in Games 2 against Ottawa and Montreal, each of which ended disastrously? Why did you sit Brady Skjei the final 5:04 Saturday, like you did for even longer at the end of Game 2? Plus, as Carp notes below, notice whose names are absent from the list of who was on the ice on the games they lost after allowing goals 6-on-5, I will note who they are.

A lot has been made about the defensemen Vigneault chooses in those situations, and like most coaches, he tends to trust his veterans, those who’ve gotten it done for him in the past. In the aforementioned three 5 vs. 6 goal-allowed situations, Vigneault went with Marc Staal and Nick Holden (with forwards J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes and Michael Grabner) in Montreal; Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi (with Grabner, Hayes and Jesper Fast last week in Ottawa); and Staal and Brendan Smith (with Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello and Tanner Glass) Saturday.


Who is missing? The first one is easy, it's Skjei. The second, Oscar Lindberg and Rick Nash. Now Nash had just came off the ice Saturday before the goal was scored, so it's understandable why he wasn't on. But where was Lindberg, who is one of your best centermen between the dots and who has driven possession while not being on for a tons of shots against, until Game 3 when he was joined with Glass. It's this deployment that drives us crazy. Yet the comments above make us think nothing will change, so the Rangers may need to be Ottawa in spite of not because of AV's decisions.

Stepan/Lundqvist

Thanks to Tonybere pointing out what Stepan said to Henrik Lundqvist and why. In case you missed it: "From the way it was reported on CBC, and I agree after rewinding it a couple times, Step felt the need to quiet Hank because it was Skjei he was barking at. He has a lot less experience in the playoffs and Step may have been concerned the public berating would erode the rookie's confidence. If it's anyone else, maybe he leaves well enough alone."

No one is harder on himself than Lundqvist and he holds the rest of the team to that same standard. If New York had won and Lundqvist shown, this would have been swept under the rug. Because they lost and Lundqvist struggled, this ended up getting more play. Berating a teammate, either verbally or with the death stare, grows tiresome after a while, especially if your play doesn't match what you want from teammates. Hopefully this blows over with no lasting effect.

Lineup:

There will be no changes on the D. The forward lines are the same but Pavel Buchnevich did rotate with Tanner Glass. Right now, my money is on Glass playing. The minus-three from Saturday doesn't accurately reflect how he played, but New York did have fewer shots for than against when he was on the ice and he was less effective than Games 3-4.

Glass playing as he did in those two games resulted in Ottawa coach Guy Boucher dressing Chris Neil and playing his under 2:30 in the game. I am still unsure how his play and penalty was a turning and rallying point for Ottawa in Game 5 but okay. AV has to decide does he match 12th forward for 12th forward and just negate those two or do you dress Buchnevich and go with skill over brawn and grit? Plus, if dressing him, will he play more than five minutes as he did in the double-overtime, Game 2 loss?

I might move Miller up to play again with Hayes and Grabner and have Fast slide down to play with Buch and Lindberg. Miller hasn't been great but maybe that line recaptures some magic and Fast balances out the fourth line. Of course, this is likely a pipe dream, as I expect Glass to play again Tuesday.