The New York Rangers are officially playoff bound. With only a few games left in the regular season, it’s that time of year where we look forward to the post-season. Conditions are shaping up for Tanner Glass to be an integral piece of Alain Vigneault’s lineup.
With the regular season almost in the books, New York Rangers fans can look forward to seeing playoff action soon again. It’s a strong possibility that the Rangers will play a Canadian team. The Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators are the two most probable opponents.
The Rangers are currently a healthy team overall, with all of their key players in the lineup. This is great news for the team, as they have incredible depth and can play any combination of lines.
The downside of this variety is when Vigneault starts going back to his old tricks. For more than half of the season, Tanner Glass was playing his role well as a mentor for the younger players in Hartford. Until Vigneault decided that he needed just a little bit more grit in the lineup.
Related Story: Tanner Glass is not the Answer to NYR's Needed Toughness
In his limited time during this season, Glass has done what we expect Glass to do. He has been in two fights, both in efforts to jumpstart the Rangers play. In all honesty, he hasn’t been as bad as I thought he would be. He wasn’t the offensive anchor we’ve seen in the past for his linemates.
Of course, he hasn’t really been creating offense either. But when Alain Vigneault is behind the bench, sometimes offense is sacrificed for grit. Although he has been a healthy scratch in recent games, Rangers fans shouldn’t be surprised if he returns to the lineup when the post-season starts.
The Montreal Canadiens have had the Rangers’ number this year and there is no denying it. Montreal has beaten the Rangers in impressive fashion in each of their 3 contests this year. They were physical and fast, something the Rangers couldn’t seem to deal with effectively.
There is a missing ingredient in those Montreal games, and that ingredient is Glass…Tanner Glass.
Alain Vigneault knows that he needs to take a new approach against the Montreal Canadiens. When looking at the Canadiens roster, there are a few things we can assume.
Vigneault knows that Andrew Shaw, Jordie Benn, Shea Weber, and Alexei Emelin are waiting to have lay some hits on the Rangers. Unfortunately, Vigneualt seems to think that Tanner Glass is the solution to this problem.
Glass is not the answer
Seeing Tanner Glass in the lineup wouldn’t come as a shock to me. In fact, I understand where Vigneault comes from. This is essentially a “fight fire with fire” mentality, and that is never a good strategy.
To beat the Canadiens physical game, the Rangers need to do what they do best. They need to capitalize on their scoring chances and beat the Canadiens with speed and depth scoring.
Next: Important Games Remain on NYR's Schedule
Tanner Glass is not the answer for the Rangers to beat the Canadiens, but don’t be surprised when you see #15 lacing the skates up this post-season.