New York Rangers: Lack of Toughness Risks Contender Status

The New York Rangers had an opportunity to make a statement against the Capitals, just hours after the Caps had acquired Kevin Shattenkirk. But the Rangers were bullied into submission by the hard hitting Caps team. Recent evidence suggests this team is too soft for the intense battleground of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It was a seemingly innocuous play against the Capitals. New York Rangers’ forward Mats Zuccarello was skating across the goalmouth and got tangled up with Capitals goalie Braden Holtby. Both players went down. The puck had been cleared from the Caps’ zone and all other players had left the zone with it.

After a stoppage in play, Zuccarello appeared to apologize or at least check on Holtby and the two were about to part amicably. But a Caps defenseman gave Zuccarello a hard shove on his way to the bench.

The Caps’ message was clear. Intentional or not, there are repercussions for hitting our goalie.

I haven’t seen much of that from the Rangers lately.

When Lundqvist was sent flying by Cody Eakin of the Stars in December, Chris Kreider did fight him the next time the teams met. But these instances are rare. Since that game, Lundqvist has been knocked down several times and the Rangers haven’t seemed too bothered about it. Though Marc Staal did wrestle Brendan Gallagher to the ice after he bumped Lundqvist late last Saturday.

The unwillingness to stick up for their indispensable goaltender is one reason to question the team’s toughness. Of late it seems that this team lacks the grit and fortitude to win 16 playoff games and take their first cup since Bill Clinton was in his first term and Ace of Base was climbing the pop charts. It’s been a while.

A Look Back

That year, the team made a few controversial trades at the deadline, even though they were firing on all cylinders and would go on to win the President’s Trophy. It sure didn’t look broken, so why fix it?

The team parted with scorers in popular veteran Mike Gartner and promising Tony Amonte. They acquired Stefan Matteau, Brian Noonan, and Craig MacTavish. These players were less skilled, but they had that size and experience Keenan felt was missing. They were battle tested. Without those trades, we still might be hearing chants of “1940″ in Long Island Brooklyn.

Related Story: Rangers' Best and Worst Trade Deadline Deals

Keenan understood that the roster you need for the regular season is not necessarily the same roster you need for the playoffs. Alain Vigneault may not.

Good But Not Good Enough

Vigneault is an accomplished regular season coach. His teams have won three Presidents’ Trophies, he has the most wins in Vancouver’s franchise history, and he was the fastest Rangers’ coach to 100 wins. Although he has reached the Cup finals twice, AV has been unable to finish.

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His system is built on quick defense-to-offense transitions and depends on players with speed and skill. But his teams have also been knocked for being soft. This year’s Rangers are following suit.

Gone are the days of the goon, and brawlers like Joey Kocur have no place on a current NHL roster. But you need guys with skill who can also punish defenders into turnovers and clear out the front of the net.

To address this, the Rangers called up Tanner Glass.  This will not be a popular move for those that thought they had seen the last of the plodding forward in blue. But as a stop gap, I don’t think it’s the worst move.

It’s not like they’re getting anything out of Brandon Pirri and at least Glass will hit people. The 33-year-old led the team in hits last season with 224. But it would be a huge mistake to dress him over someone like Pavel Buchnevich.

What We Have Learned

The Rangers do have some scrappy players; Chris Kreider can play like an angry pinball, JT Miller is hard-nosed, and Ryan McDonagh can go nose to nose with the league’s best. But the lineup is stocked with finesse players, and even fourth liners like Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast have more skill than brawn.

The skill was on display early in the season when the Rangers were regularly scoring five goals a game. But the grind of the long season has worn them down and thinned their ranks.

The game against the Capitals was just hours after the Caps had gone all in on a championship run by adding the coveted defenseman, Kevin Shattenkirk. The Rangers were a bit banged up, but had a chance to make a statement.

Related Story: Rangers Fail to Acquire Kevin Shattenkirk, For Now

The Rangers did make a statement, in the first period that is, then fell flat in the next two. The Capitals bullied the Rangers, rarely passing up the chance to take the body. Several Rangers skated slowly off the ice, wincing after hard hits. Jesper Fast was a casualty, the useful role player is out for a few weeks with a separated shoulder after getting bug-splatted into the boards by Alex Ovechkin.

In addition to the Capitals, the Rangers failed recent tests against the playoff-bound Canadiens and Blue Jackets. They needed a strong performance by Lundqvist to get by the Bruins. There is still time to get healthy and get on a roll before playoff time, but it needs to start coming together soon.

In Conclusion…

At present, this team does not appear to be constructed for a deep playoff run. They have the look of a team that might get through a round or two, but won’t get within sniffing distance of the Cup. The intensity of the playoffs is real and it’s hard to see the Rangers getting through multiple hard-fought series.

Next: Glass is not the Answer for the Rangers' Needed Toughness

The Rangers are a finesse team, but they need to play with more physicality and passion. Flattening the next guy who even grazes Lundqvist’s jersey would be a start.