Reflections
News came out yesterday that Gerard Gallant was fired by the New York Rangers. It was an expected move, but perhaps not as soon as early May. And the Rangers sacking of Gerard Gallant seemed inevitable, given the news of the feud with him and Chris Drury, how the Rangers have fared in the playoffs this year, and how some players seemed to bother him. Add that to its well-known struggles with the in-game structure and mods, and the writing was on the wall.
1. Once again, the firing of Gerard Gallant from Rangers was inevitable. We assumed it wouldn’t be instant since the training scene was unknown at the time. It remains unknown, with only the usual renewals available. What seemed to change was during the exit interviews, where Molly Walker noticed That feedback from players may have played a role in Rangers sending Gerrard Gallant off earlier than expected.
Looks like feedback from #NYR Exit interviews with the players played a part in the club’s decision to part ways with Gerard Gallant
– Moliee Walker (@MolieeWalkerr) May 6, 2023
This will be the second time exit interviews have played a role in a coach’s firing, John Tortorella being the first. Sometimes, you need to listen to the players and change your strategy, and that was the case here.
2. Even though the Rangers fired Gerard Gallant, the players deserve a lot of the blame here, too. They simply did not appear in the playoffs. So don’t mistake it purely as a matter of training. There were big, big issues on the ice, but the guys didn’t show up for Games 5 and 7 in the playoffs against the Devils. Nothing will change that.
3. As reported on the latest Blue Seats Live, the Rangers lacked structure on penetrating and area exits. Personnel is important here, as only Adam Fox is an accomplished puck mover, but the Devils took great advantage of them due to their inability to get out of the defensive zone. When only one defenseman can move the puck, and the others simply knock the puck off the glass (which, by the way, is a turnover), you spend 60% of the game in your defensive zone. That’s what happened against New Jersey. The structure was lacking.
4. People will mention that Rangers lack speed, but that is a very open statement. The Rangers themselves were quick enough to skate with the Devils. But speed isn’t just about physical tools. There is a mental aspect to the speed of the game. When players are unsure of where their teammates are and have no on-ice chemistry, their decision-making slows. The expectation does not exist. Muscle memory and habits are lacking. Half a second to make a decision means all the difference sometimes.
This is where the lack of structure killed the Rangers. They didn’t know where their teammates would be. Approximately 99% of NHL players require some level of structure. Those who don’t – like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, etc. – go beyond the game itself. Rangers don’t have that.
5. Stubbornness and a break-up with Drury also led to the Rangers shooting Gerard Gallant sooner than expected. Lineup decisions are the main culprit here, as Gallant panicked in November after that one period against Detroit. Rangers were playing well, but had no luck shooting and had poor aim.
The Kreider-Zibanejad-Kakko line was one of the best in driving an offensive play, with Kakko the perfect complement to do the dirty work as we’ve seen him do in the playoffs. Alexis Lafreniere was fantastic alongside Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, once again leading the play as the perfect complement. These lines have not been revisited despite the very clear ice tilt in favor of the Rangers.
To make matters worse, after the trade deadline, Gallant refused to acknowledge to himself and the team that Patrick Kane was a complement player. Instead of forcing the problem by inserting it into PP1 which does not need to be changed. We saw how that ended. This is Gallant shooting himself in the foot.
Kid Line, who reunited despite some pretty poor results until around March, was a linchpin for Gallant. The three-tank division rejected potential Rangers.
6. Now with the Rangers sacking Gerard Gallant much sooner than expected, Drury faces the added pressure of finding a coach while also dealing with hat fatigue and finding a way to get this team off the hump. The guys we know are available: Peter Laviolette, Bruce Boudreau, Daryl Sutter, all reposts bringing different pros and cons. Joel Quenneville’s name has been floated, but he’s a PR nightmare waiting to happen, plus he hasn’t been reinstated to the NHL yet.
Chris Knoblauch has been mentioned in light of the Hartford run. Marc Messier is still around even if it doesn’t make sense for him to be the coach (remember how great Wayne Gretzky was as a coach?). Mike Sullivan has always been the hope for Drury, but he’s under contract in Pittsburgh. Coach trades don’t happen anymore, so Drury hopes the new GM will allow Sullivan to start over.
7. Believe it or not, Drori might be tied up too. Most GMs get 2-3 head coaches before they get fired, and now this is Drury’s second head coach, whatever. He needs to hit a homerun there. This is why he is unlikely to make his second, and possibly last, coaching decision on a new coach with no experience.
The Rangers need a coach who will bring structure to the team they so desperately crave. But he must also be a coach who can manage the players and their egos/characters.
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