I wonder if the Rangers have a failed rebuild, or just an issue with culture? Defensively, I thought that they were a train-wreck. I don't think Sullivan is the right fit as a coach for them either (though maybe he proves me wrong). I can't think of who would be a good coach there, to be honest, but it is almost as if you need a coach that will come in and turn their culture around. Panarin is only 33, so I am not sure how quickly the wheels have fallen off (120 pts two seasons ago, 89 last season).
Fox is looking like a player you shouldn't even care to boo any longer. He looked small, slow, and irrelevant for much of the game. Shesterkin looked human. Miller looked angry, and not much else. Zary looked like a much better center than Zibanejad in all three zones, but especially in the defensive zone (and I don't think Zary is very good defensively!). Lafreniere looked like a player that I would expect a big add with in order for me to be happy with trading Gridin to them. He looked slow, and completely lost on the ice.
They seem like a confused team with bad culture, and how are much less than the sum of their parts. I am betting it is a culture thing. I am betting a coach like Jim Montgomery would be able to turn them around more, or Jon Cooper perhaps. I just realized there aren't very many coaches that I have a high opinion of these days, as i really can't think of a fit.
Or maybe they are just cooked now. I don't see a crappy lineup, but I certainly see a crappy team there.
|