By Jordan Long
The New York Rangers ended the season at a disappointing 27-23-6 for a total of 60 points, 5th in the East Division. They missed the postseason for the 4th year in a row. With the frustrating end, the Rangers have decided to clean house and fired Head Coach David Quinn as well as three of his assistant coaches, David Oliver, Jacques Martin, and Greg Brown.
Quinn was hired prior to the 2018-2019 season. This was after the Rangers let go of Head Coach Alain Vigneault after 5 years. Vigneault was successful with New York ending with a record of 226-147-37, a winning percentage of .596. The Rangers made the postseason 4 out of his 5 years including a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2014. They were beaten by the L.A. Kings. Vigneault was canned after a 34-39-9 finish in 2018.
Quinn had never been an NHL Head Coach, but had experience in the college game. He was with Boston University from 2013 to 2018. Boston University went 105 wins, 68 losses, and 21 ties for a winning percentage of .595. His teams managed to earn their way into the NCAA Tournament 4 times. In 2015 they advanced to the Frozen Four but were beaten by Providence in the National Championship game 4-3. The Rangers thought he was the best man for the job.
The Rangers weren’t an awful team under Quinn. He coached them to a record of 96-87-25. The Rangers were hoping this year they would be a playoff team. It didn’t happen. They missed the playoffs by 11 points.
The Rangers’ offense was the reason Quinn kept his job the whole year. They scored 3.14 goals per game, ranking 10th in the NHL. When the Rangers were on the power play, they generated scoring chances even if they didn’t score. They were in 14th in the league with a power play percentage of 20.7%. Their power play kill ranked 9th in the league, killing off 82.3% of the penalties they took.
Their defense especially 5 on 5 was the main reason they didn’t earn a playoff spot. They let teams dictate the play in their defensive zone. Opponents would skate with the puck, creating scoring chances. Those ended up in the back of the net. The Rangers gave up 2.77 goals per game, 18th in the NHL.
According to ESPN.com, new General Manager Chris Drury said, “I would like to thank David Quinn, David Oliver, Jacques Martin, and Greg Brown for all of their efforts and dedication to the Rangers. I wish each of them the best in their future endeavors. We will begin our search for a new head coach immediately.”
The Rangers felt Quinn had enough time to turn this team into a winner and failed. 3 years is not enough. Quinn needed one more year to show this season was a fluke. If they missed the playoffs next year then let him go. Unfortunately, Quinn won’t have that chance.
The Rangers will start a coaching search. Those who could be in the running are Mike Babcock, Gerard Gallant, John Tortorella, and Bob Hartley. All of these names have NHL Head Coaching familiarity. Babcock would bring in 17 years of NHL Head Coaching experience. He coached Detroit, Anaheim, and Toronto. His combined record is an impressive 700 wins, 418 losses, 19 ties, and 164 overtime losses. His teams ended up in the Stanley Cup Playoffs 14 times and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final 3 times. He won the Cup with Detroit in 2008. He makes a lot of sense. He could help turn the Rangers back into a winning organization.
Gerard Gallant isn’t as experienced as Babcock with 9 years of NHL coaching skill. He spent time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, and the Vegas Golden Knights. His overall record is 270 wins, 216 losses. 4 ties, and 51 overtime losses. He coached his teams to 3 playoff appearances but only 1 Stanley Cup Final. He helped the Golden Knights build a winning team. He could do the same in New York.
The Rangers may stay away from John Tortorella. He has coached the Rangers in the past. It was from 2008 to 2013 as well as 4 games in the 2000 season. The Rangers finished with a record of 171 wins, 118 losses, 1 tie, and 29 overtime losses with him as the Head Coach. Tortorella is a decent coach but hiring him might not be the best for the franchise. They have already seen what he could do for them. It was 4 playoff appearances, but he is not the right man for the job. Other candidates make more sense.
The only reason Bob Hartley could be a candidate is Drury’s relationship with him. Drury played under Hartley from 1998 to 2002 when they were both with the Colorado Avalanche. Hartley helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 2001. Drury knows what kind of coach Hartley is and how he will have the players buy into his system.
The only downside with Hartley is he hasn’t coached at the NHL level since the 2015-2016 season with the Calgary Flames. The Flames went 35-40-7. The Rangers may not hire him because he has been out of the NHL for a long time. Hartley still knows the game and can probably get his players to skate at a high level.
The Rangers are going to do what is best for them. They will want a coach who has NHL knowledge. The Rangers could look at assistant coaches in the NHL as well. Whoever they hire will have a tall task ahead of them. New York hasn’t been to the Stanley Cup Final since 2014. The last time they won the Cup was in 1994. The Rangers hope to end that drought.
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