There is a recurring theme in the media that firing Lav is the last thing the Rangers should do, it won't change anything, it isn't fair, etc but I think as the season moves along if the team's performance keeps dipping and the undisciplined hockey continues what other options are there? What positive things are Lav and the staff teaching the young Rangers? I've never seen a coach so complacent about repeated stupid hockey play. I am an unapologetic GG fan, he definitely rubbed people (especially thin skinned management) the wrong way but imagine if Drury had been man enough to take Gallant's criticism after the epic collapse against the Debs and reworked the roster instead of firing him to appease hurt feelings. It's a lot easier to move a player with a NTC when he doesn't like the coach. Mark Malousses(?) made a great analogy comparing the Rangers to the '90s Braves, great regular season team that couldn't get it done in the playoffs.
Agreed, as you wrote at the time, the players quit under Gallant and the same core of players appear to have done so under Lav as well. The players on this team are dogs, and Drury is the guy who decided to keep the stale core together. This is not on the multiple coaches, Gallant or Lav, it's on the players and the Pres/GM who decided the right move was to bring the stale core back.
Tough to argue with any of this. I liked the Gallant hiring at the time, but was hoping they could've found a way to pry Brind'amour from Carolina though. Laviolette is not getting anything out of this team anymore and it's crazy how quickly it turned sour. The danger of getting rid of him at this point is it furthers the impression that any Rangers coach no matter how much success you have always has one foot out the door in the eyes of the pres/GM, right or wrong. The blame for what is happening this season can be shared from the top of the organization down to the players...the season is a disaster in every imaginable way. I have more confidence in Laviolette as a coach than I do Chris Drury as GM. So until he is removed I think it will be tough sledding for the Rangers no matter who is coaching them.
I agree. The message must be sent to the players. Produce or fuck off. Stop thinking you can get rid of the GM and coach. Dolan is backing Drury which means the players are screwed.
This is the key statement. Look at Lav's track record as a coach, then look at Drury's record as a Pres/GM, it's not comparable. This is on the players and the in over his head afraid Pres/GM. That doesn't mean Gallant was perfect, that doesn't mean Lav is perfect, no coach is, but to me it is crystal clear this isn't about multiple head coaches. I really don't think much of a debate can be had around this when you look at the facts. The Pres/GM needs to go (he won't thanks to Dolan) and major core changes need to be made and should have been made after the L to Florida (we'll see if those changes are made).
Drury definitely was ham handed with his handling of established players like Goodrow and Trouba but his awkwardness moving these two strains on the salary cap shouldn't absolve Lav from his responsibility to put a well coached team on the ice. We're not seeing that now, I think Lav has the right idea by cutting ice time for top line loafers but he's still putting Fox out for ridiculous amounts of ice time even when the game's over. Drury has nothing to do with the Rangers taking 2 too many men on the ice penalties against the Debs or the continued defensive lapses and failure to generate offense, that's on Lav and his coaching staff.
