New York Rangers’ Assistant Coaches on the Hot Seat
The Rangers find themselves 2-1 down in their first round matchup against the Canadiens. If the Rangers find themselves golfing after the first round for a second year in a row, some heads may roll.
The last five periods of play have been abysmal. The New York Rangers have looked lethargic at best, and there have been little to no adjustments made to fix the core issues at hand.
Lineup Decisions
Following an overall strong game one, the Rangers’ lineup stayed the same. After a woeful game two, however, only one change was made. Nick Holden stepped out for the equally mediocre Kevin Klein.
Klein had just that type of game in game three: mediocre. He made some of the same mistakes as his roster predecessor. Although his physicality was welcome against this Montreal team, he often mistimed his checks and found himself out of position.
For the most part, the forwards have played moderately well, barring a few exceptions. Mika Zibanejad has only been visible by winning faceoffs and giving the puck away. Mats Zuccarello has been uncharacteristically poor with his passing, while Chris Kreider has been ordinary.
These players, however, don’t need to be pulled from the lineup. They are all good enough to work through their issues.
Insofar, the roster has been more suited to counter the physicality of the Canadiens with more physical players. Tanner Glass has been a mainstay on the fourth line, and either Kevin Klein or Nick Holden have been tasked with anchoring the bottom defensive pairing.
Although Glass has played extremely well so far, his style of play is not conducive to the winning formula the Rangers had during the regular season. The same can be said for both Holden and Klein, though they have not played well in the series.
More from Blue Line Station
- Blake Wheeler’s Broadway Calling: Why He Chose the Rangers
- Rangers’ Playoff Redemption Recipe: Grit and Fresh Hopes
- Rangers’ Roster Chatter: Who’s Making the Cut and Who’s in the Penalty Box?
- Jacque Plante Trade Tree Between the Rangers and Canadiens
- These Rangers must learn Peter Laviolette’s ropes before they can fly
Special Teams
In game two, the Rangers special teams were just bad. The Canadiens scored a pair of power play goals, the game winner included, and the Rangers were 0 for 3 on the power play. Over the past four seasons, only one thing has remained consistent with the Rangers’ special teams.
Scott Arniel has been the Rangers’ assistant coach, focused on special teams, since the hiring of Alain Vigneault. This season and post season is no different from the previous few. The special teams play is seriously deteriorating the Rangers’ chance of winning.
At this point, it is apparent that Arniel’s system is not working. He has been able to work with this same core group of players for four seasons, and his system still doesn’t consistently get the job done.
Next: New York Rangers' Systematic Madness Burying Team
So, Who’s on the Chopping Block?
Midway through the regular season, head coach Alain Vigneault was signed to a contract extension, so he seems to be safe. The Rangers were forced to replace their defensive assistant coach this past offseason, hiring ex-Ranger defenseman Jeff Beukeboom.
After only one season on the job, firing him wouldn’t make sense. That only leaves one person: Scott Arniel. Arniel has had the most time to work on his group and has had some of the worst results of the coaching staff. If anyone goes this offseason, do not be surprised if it’s Scott Arniel.