Depleted and deflated Rangers lifeless loss not helping David Quinn’s case to remain

The Rangers lost to the Bruins 4-0 in Boston last night. Is it fair to judge David Quinn as a coach when his team is deflated and depleted? The answer is no, but this isn’t about one game anymore. It’s also not about the execution of the plan that was agreed upon with John Davidson and Jeff Gorton.

Both are now gone, and Quinn’s time as coach appears to be drawing to a close.

James Dolan wanted new leadership to take the Rangers forward

James Dolan wanted Chris Drury in place for exit meetings this offseason. That’s why he didn’t want to wait to fire John Davidson and Jeff Gorton until the summer. In a scathing and revealing interview with Larry Brooks of the NY Post he laid it all out.

“What I’m talking about is not just something that happens in the locker room,” Dolan said. “It’s an entire organization that has to be together as a team. It’s everybody from the president, the general manager, the coach, the players, the assistant coaches, the trainers. … Everybody has to be together as a team, because everyone makes a contribution. Our organization doesn’t have that.”

NY Post

This disconnect that Dolan saw or perceived is why he wanted Drury in charge. What the owner sees is a talented team that just isn’t winning. “Talent alone doesn’t do it,” he said. “We’re missing this piece and we need it. And when I looked at our organization, I felt that we need to change the whole organization and change the culture.”

David Quinn’s time as Rangers coach almost up

When it comes to Quinn’s future as coach, Chris Drury refused to discuss his fate publicly in his intro presser yesterday. He also did not give him any vote of confidence, which is never a good sign after such sweeping changes. However, what Dolan told the Post all but confirms that Quinn will be dismissed this summer.

“I started thinking about it 20 or 25 games ago at a time when the team really needed to show heart and we had key games — I won’t be specific — where we had to show up and had to come out strong, and even if we lost, it had to be our best effort,” Dolan said. “And we clearly had nowhere close to our best effort.”

NY Post

Before the Rangers went on a run that coincided with David Quinn going on COVID protocol on March 17th, they had a stretch where they picked up only three points in five games. Two losses to Pittsburgh, one to Boston, and an OT loss to the Flyers.

That inconsistency, followed by a stretch of inspired hockey once Chris Drury got behind the bench with Kris Knoblauch seems to be the triggering point for Dolan looking to make a change.

So as the season comes to a close on Saturday, it is very likely that David Quinn will be coaching his final game for the Rangers.

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