The two have a “history” dating back to 2019 where Mike Sielski wrote an overly critical article on Voracek. There is also a litany of similar articles and tweets on top of that.

“Does it matter what I say, Mike? You’re gonna write f#@king shit every time so it doesn’t matter what you say,” Voracek answered back. “Uh, I wasn’t even gonna answer your question because you are such a weasel it’s not even funny.”

truly losing it at Konecny doing his best to hold it together. pic.twitter.com/uePOzxxvJ3

— Brad Keffer (@brad_keffer) January 16, 2021

Dan Boyle calls out Larry Brooks

The exchange between Voracek and Sielski was mild in comparison to other interactions between players and reporters. Anyone remember the Rangers Dan Boyle telling NY Post writer Larry Brooks to “Get the F#@k out!“? 

Back in 2016, Dan Boyle had a heated exchange at the end of the year break up with the hall of fame reporter. Both Brooks and his colleague Brett Cyrgalis were very critical of Boyle and some of his Rangers teammates for two seasons.

Here’s a sampling of Brooks writing about Dan Boyle to start the 2015-16 campaign.

But at this moment, there is essentially no debate that allowing Anton Stralman to escape as a free agent in order to sign Dan Boyle on July 1, 2014, stands as Glen Sather’s most regrettable decision of the final 10 years of the Rangers president’s tenure as general manager.

Boyle is a stubborn guy. He earned his no-move clause and has every right to stick to it. But he doesn’t seem to be a fit. Put aside Boyle’s issues in his own end and his difficulty winning battles. More to the point is that the predicate of Vigneault’s system is the quick first pass out of the zone, but Boyle still wants to carry the puck the way he always did. (Which he no longer is capable of, anyway.)

That’s as harsh as you can get of a player in ink.

Dan Boyle, “Get the F#@k Out!”

“I want you out of here, ” Boyle spoke directly to Brooks. “Nobody likes you. Nobody respects you. Just so you know,” the veteran defenseman emphasized.

“At least I’m leaving here with the respect of my teammates,” Boyle said with his voice starting to raise. “Instead of f**king someone like you, who tries to bury somebody. That’s all you do. It’s not a critique. I’m telling you I don’t want you here. I have no respect for you. I want you to get the f**k out.”

The exchange went on and is one of those YouTube videos that hockey fans love to watch.

Dan Boyle unapologetic for the heated exchange

After that heated exchange, Dan Boyle went on SportsTalk NY on WLIE 540 a.m. and was asked about the exchange. The defenseman wanted to make sure people understood why he did it.

“That negative stuff gets into the locker room. That’s what pissed me off. That negativity, that constant breaking down of individuals, gets through,” Boyle explained. “Not everyone has tough skin. Some guys get affected by that, and it really bothers me.”

He also revealed that his phone was blowing up with support from fellow players who felt the same way. And when it comes to having any regrets over the incident – yeah, there really was none.

“Now, I regret saying it in front of the rest of the media, because 99.9 percent of everyone there didn’t deserve to hear that coming from me, and probably made them feel uncomfortable, so I do apologize to them,” Boyle made clear.

“But I do not, for one second, take back what I said to Larry and Brett. I do not take that back for one second because the things that they have done and said over the course of the last two years.”

So was Dan Boyle wrong? Sound off in the comments below.

OK, folks, I need your help! I attended my first live NHL hockey game in February of 1990. Since that seminal, frigid evening almost 29 years ago, I have seen hundreds and hundreds of live hockey games in ten different arenas, in two different countries. I’ve watched thousands of more contests on television. I put my hockey wisdom and intelligence up against anyone. No, I never played the game in any sort of an organized fashion. However, it does not take a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to figure out the nuances and idiosyncrasies of NHL hockey.

One thing I simply cannot answer or figure out, comprehend or decipher is why the power play of our beloved hockey team continues to, year after year, make all Rangers fans cringe and do one, big, collective facepalm. Regardless of the coaching staff. Regardless of the savior du jour brought in by management. Regardless of virtually anything, the Rangers power play remains tantamount to a drunken, discombobulated dance company unable to nail their routine because of their high levels of inebriation.

I was sitting in my perch in section 227 at The Garden last Sunday night watching the numerous and striking differences between the power plays of the Rangers and the Winnipeg Jets. The team from The Great White North entered the offensive zone with ease and moved the puck around with confidence and precision. Then, when a shooting lane opened up, they fired that round piece of vulcanized rubber towards the Rangers goal forcing Henrik Lundqvist to make a myriad of difficult saves before finally breaking through on their fourth opportunity with the man advantage. If not for the aforementioned Ranger goalie, the Jets easily could have scored on each of their four power-play chances.

All I could think to myself during the relentless Winnipeg barrage on Lundqvist was, “Why can’t we do this?” Dating back to Tom Renney, through John Tortorella, to Alain Vigneault and now to David Quinn, each NY Rangers coach, and their various assistants seemed helpless in trying to solve the Rangers power-play puzzle. From Wade Redden to Brad Richards, to Dan Boyle, to Keith Yandle to now, Kevin Shattenkirk, one power play specialist after another was acquired by the Rangers brain trust to be the first true anchor of a power play unit since Jaromir Jagr was re-writing the team’s record books in the 2005-06 season.

Did all of those esteemed coaches forget how to run a power play once they became the Rangers’ bench boss? Did all of those skilled players, who have always had success running other team’s power plays, all of a sudden forget what makes a power play successful once they donned a Ranger sweater? The answer to both of those rhetorical questions is an emphatic, NO! So, why is it that nobody is able to answer that $64 million question? Why is it that with each passing coach and with each passing power play specialist, the Rangers cannot produce power play efficiency with any sort of consistency? As stated earlier, my friends, as strong as my hockey acumen is, the Rangers perpetual ineptitude on the power play is a dilemma that is beyond my comprehension.

No, the Rangers don’t have a Sidney Crosby or an Alex Ovechkin or a Patrick Kane or a Drew Doughty. However, there has been a multitude of NHL teams with successful power plays without having any of the types of talent mentioned in the above sentence. The productivity was the product of that time and tested KISS method and I am not referring to the rock band although I am sure Gene Simmons would take credit for it. KISS is an acronym for “keep it simple and smart,” or “keep it simple, stupid.”

In other words, while on the power play, a team would get to the red line and do the old soft cross-corner dump in. They would outnumber the defenders on the boards and retrieve the puck. They’d quickly get said puck back to the point men who would make a few diagonal passes to open up a shooting line. The forwards would skate right to the goalie’s crease to screen him. Then, as soon as the first shooting lane presented itself, they’d let ‘er rip while the forwards would look for rebounds. Simple, right? Smart, right? The KISS method may not be entertaining, but it most certainly works.

Those types of aesthetic-less goals count just the same as the beautiful passing plays. No “judge” is sitting rink side with the authority to disallow a would-be goal because it was scored with KISS rather than a highlight reel passing play. So, I ask again, why can’t our Rangers do this? Why must they constantly attempt passes through a maze of sticks and skates? Passes that have as little chance of being successful as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton being spotted together in post-coital bliss.

It’s been 13 going on 14 years since the Rangers had an elite power play. At some point, wouldn’t the law of averages kick in? At some point, wouldn’t a coaching staff figure it out? At some point, wouldn’t a previously successful power play quarterback be able to bring his prowess to Broadway? My friends, hopefully, one of you out there in the blog-o-sphere can enlighten me and help to answer some of the questions and hypotheticals that I have entailed. Enough is enough!

There is something deeply engrained within the sports fan. Past passion, past excitement, past memories, past the ability to get oh so high from a trade that seems to go in your favor, right where irrationality meets frustration lays that dirty ugly five letter word, blame. The Rangers lose: polls run, who’s to blame? Beat writers search for the scapegoat, irrational fans go to their old favorites “That was definitely Girardi’s fault on defense and Stepan never put home that puck on the goal line.” But wait, it’s 2017. Those names are long gone, but still, the instinct is to blame and blame who or what’s comfortable.

The Rangers are seven games into the 2017-18 campaign, just a smidge under 10% of the season, and have to dig themselves out of a 1-5-1 hole that puts them dead last in the Eastern Conference. Let’s call a spade a spade here; it’s time to be concerned. The Rangers have upcoming matches against the Islanders, the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators and the San Jose Sharks, before finishing out their homestand that will see it’s finale introduce a new character, Derek Stepan the Coyote. Can you see the script writing itself going forward like I can?

In seven games, the New York Rangers have done everything they can do wrong. They’ve gotten off to poor starts and played extremely well in their comeback attempts only to fall short. They’ve let go of leads in games they’ve commanded, and they’ve commanded games to hit a brick wall disguised as a goalie. Bad penalties and bad giveaways have become the norm. Whereas in years past, if one thing went wrong, the team would shake it off and get back to work, things seem to have gone wrong and gotten worse, not better.

Going around, where’s the blame lay? Well, here’s some we’ve seen so far; AV has lost the room, Staal is still on the team, McDonagh isn’t playing well, or the personal favorite, the irrelevant Corsi statistic blaming a player.

No matter which way you split it, everyone is to blame, and that is a fact at this point. Recently, there have been whispers of unsettlement as far as Head Coach Alain Vigneault goes. Questions have justifiably been raised: “Has he lost the room?” (I can answer this simply: yes he absolutely has but that’s not really the problem.) However, there’s one sneaky character flying under the radar here that needs to be held accountable. I’m going to call him out, show you why, and then proceed to explain why he is absolutely comfortable with how things stand.

Enter Jeff Gorton, the disciplined negotiator who bent Kevin Shattenkirk to his will in negotiations. The shrewd man at the helm who dealt an aging center the team didn’t need and could replace for a #7 overall pick and a defensive prospect. The stern navigator of the ship who refused to overpay for Shattenkirk at last year’s deadline and instead paid less for Brendan Smith, a move I like by the way. Jeff Gorton has gotten the biggest room for error of any GM in any major professional sports team in New York. He’s been able to operate to the herald of beat writers, while in essence stripping the team bit by bit, piece by piece with the greatest built-in reason, the salary cap.” Let’s take a look back at the three-year track record of Jeff Gorton though.

Gorton officially replaced Glen Sather as Rangers GM on July 1, 2015, a mere few weeks after the Rangers coming a game shy of a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. That team was made up of players like; Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis (was heading into retirement), Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Carl Hagelin, JT Miller, and Jesper Fast as team’s wings. Up the middle, the roster had Derick Brassard, Derek Stepan, Kevin Hayes and Dominic Moore, and the blue line contained Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Klein, Dan Boyle, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Keith Yandle. Not to leave out a superb back up goaltender in Cam Talbot.

Carl Hagelin will be “Asset #1” and Cam Talbot will be “Asset #2” in this explanation. Now, it’s no mystery that sometimes teams need to make difficult decisions with their personnel. However, in Jeff Gorton’s first test as New York Rangers General Manager, he was tasked with converting those two assets into assets that fit the team’s financial needs. Asset #1 was a proven commodity, yet he was traded to Anaheim for Emerson Etem, a completely unknown and unproven asset. The Rangers traded the 59th and 179th picks in that year’s draft to Anaheim in the same trade in return for the 41st pick; essentially valuing the drop-off between Hagelin and Etem to be equal with the addition of the commensurate draft picks. With the 41st Overall pick of the 2015 draft, the New York Rangers selected LW Ryan Gropp. Now to make matters worse, it was rumored that Hagelin was willing to re-sign with the Rangers for the $3.5 million they were budgeted for, but the organization still chose to move on from the fastest guy in the league. Okay…

Now onto Asset #2, Cam Talbot. Let’s dispose of the “we should’ve kept Cam” talk immediately. It wasn’t possible. Rumors were flying around that the Rangers may have a top 20 overall pick returning for him. Florida offered Jimmy Hayes, but Jeff Gorton made the move to Edmonton, where Cam has gone on to be a Vezina candidate. Looking back, Gorton should have pulled a Sakic and known what he had in Talbot, who had another year under contract to boot and held out for what the team needed. A team that was a win away from back to back Cup Final appearances did not need was draft picks. The Rangers traded Cam Talbot to the Edmonton Oilers for the 57th, 79th and 184th pick in that year’s draft. Draft picks are awesome if they work, and I applaud the strategy but let’s take a look at what those picks became.

Pick 57: Rangers traded away to Buffalo for Pick #62 and #113

Pick 62: Robin Kovacs

Pick 79: Sergei Zborovsky

Pick 113: Brad Morrison

Pick 184: Adam Huska

So in his first test, Jeff Gorton turned a “could’ve re-signed, missed him for a year and replaced him with a lesser version Michael Grabner” Carl Hagelin and a soon to be Vezina Trophy candidate with one year left on his contract Cam Talbot for Ryan Gropp (just cracked the Wolf Pack roster), Robin Kovacs (left Hartford for SHL), Sergey Zborovskiy (playing with Rangers ECHL affiliate Greenville), Brad Morrison (playing his 20 year old season in the WHL) and Adam Huska (UConn). As a result of trading off those assets, the team got worse. As the 2015-16 season got underway, the Rangers struggled with an up and down season, noticeably missing speed in the lineup just at the same time as Carl Hagelin was sent off to Pittsburgh to be a key component of a team making and winning a Stanley Cup final. As the season concluded, more “Assets” came into Jeff Gorton’s hands, namely Keith Yandle.

Yandle, an offensive minded 45 point scoring defenseman in his prime who would be commanding a $6 million per year contract. Knowing that Yandle wouldn’t be re-signed, Gorton could have moved him at the deadline for players and pieces that benefitted the team immediately and in the future. Instead, he let him play the season out and taking “Asset #3” and flipping him down to Florida for a 2016 6th rounder and a conditional 2017 4th rounder. This is the same Keith Yandle that cost the Rangers a first round pick, a top 6 defenseman, and a top prospect in Anthony Duclair. Gorton did make some good pickups in the offseason that year such as Jimmy Vesey and Michael Grabner but my point is in his handling of assets, not signing players.

Fast forward to 2017, an offseason in which the Rangers blue-line came under question. Dan Girardi or Marc Staal were due for greener pastures and as such Dan Girardi was bought out despite the fact that Girardi had a much better year and playoffs than Staal had. Girardi was also more of a tradeable asset than Staal, as Tampa Bay had no problem paying the man to come and play. The defense needed to be revamped like the offense had been the year before. They brought back Brendan Smith as their 3rd defenseman and with Brady Skjei emerging as an elite scoring defenseman, a top three of McDonagh, Skjei, Smith looked pretty solid.

That’s when Gorton fumbled the ball yet again on Asset #4, Derek Stepan. The Stepan trade was one that was heralded by many as a shrewd move that had to be done. But the common theme I’m finding here is that when there’s a move that has to be done, Gorton is going to screw it up. The Rangers traded a luxury they had in a solid backup goaltender Antti Raanta alongside the team’s first line center Derek Stepan to Arizona for Anthony DeAngelo and the 7th overall pick. While on its face the deal seemed great, the actions following the trade make it look like a giveaway.

Anthony DeAngelo is an offensive defenseman that needs a lot of work in his own zone. Add in Brady Skjei, and it’s pretty rare to have two potential 40 point defensemen on your blue line as is. Now, the 7th overall pick got fans very excited and it should, but the team opted to go with Lias Andersson. Andersson, a very talented player, was a reach at #7 however and the rationale behind it was this: “we may not have gotten the highest ceiling guy available, but we got the guy with the best chance to crack the roster this season and help the team.” With that explanation, I was all for it. Now as we move forward through the offseason, Gorton goes out and signs Kevin Shattenkirk, an admirable acquisition, but one that came with a few flags, primarily his less than average defensive zone play. This was a 40+ point defenseman who never in his career played top pairing minutes and could essentially be considered as Keith Yandle with less defensive ability. So why is it one year you don’t need that player and then the next you do? The money freed up from the Stepan trade was used on this signing, but did it strengthen the roster with the addition more than it weakened it with the subtraction? No.

To add to the cluster, the sole reasoning of drafting Andersson over a player that the organization has been searching for like Casey Middlestadt, who will need a year or two of college hockey before being an impact first line center in the NHL, was his year one availability. The Rangers didn’t even choose to give him the nine games to prove himself in the NHL before sending him back, so despite what their scouts said, the team felt he was not ready for the NHL.

When Jeff Gorton has assets and has a competitive team, his objective should be that of Glen Sather. Ryan Callahan was an asset under Sather, and he leveraged that asset to improve the roster at that moment. Sather didn’t trade assets for picks, he traded assets and picks for more assets.

Now, I understand that Jeff Gorton is also tasked with restocking the cubbard with prospects, but he’s done so at the cost of the Rangers roster and at the cost of robbing his coach of the personnel he needs. His trades have not worked out yet by any stretch of the imagination; and n the three drafts Gorton has been at the helm, where he’s acquired pick after pick, not one player has cracked the NHL roster or gotten close to sniffing it yet.

Right now all the anger and vitriol is pointed at Alain Vigneault for this team’s horrible play so far, and in many cases, rightfully so. However, here is where it get’s worse. Nobody is pointing their finger up at Gorton yet, and nobody will as long as there is a scapegoat in place. AV has lost the room, that’s a given at this point. However, AV is a good coach so with the right pieces and support he would be successful. Gorton thus far has botched the job. If or when Gorton chooses to say sayonara to AV and the next coach has the same issues with the misgivings of the team’s personnel, the next head to roll will be Gorton’s. And it’s with that knowledge that Jeff Gorton will continue to “stay out” of the AV issue and do nothing until he is absolutely forced to. AV, while with plenty fault of his own, is Jeff Gorton’s scapegoat for his mistakes thus far and will remain so.

Year after year, Gorton has taken away key components from AV’s machine and leveraged them into picks, only to replace those same components with lesser quality. The revolving door of “core player” replacement parts has eaten away at the dynamic of this once strong-willed and close-knit group. A top six winger, two top four defensemen, and your first line center; find me a team in the league that’s had a similar overhaul in their core in a three year period and come out stronger on the other end. This game of robbing Peter to pay Paul has finally caught up to the core of this team and organization … but hey, they got draft picks.

There’s a saying in sports ‘players play and coaches coach’. While the simplicity of this saying is both strong and smart, it really is not true. When it comes down to it, the players may play, but it really all comes down to the coach. It’s the player’s job to do their job, but it’s the coach’s job to put the player and team in position to do so. When a player like Marc Staal gets vilified by the media and the fans, it falls on the player. When Henrik Lundqvist gives up a goal late to tie the game, it somehow falls on the coach.

To sit here and say that all of the blame falls on a particular party, depending on who the player is, is wrong. When it comes down to it, it all should fall on the coach. The fact of the matter is that New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault deserves the credit and blame for the team’s successes and failures.

Catch 22

Hopefully, this season the player wearing number 22 will produce both offensively and defensively. However, when it comes down to it, both Dan Boyle and Nick Holden have left much to be desired from both their position and their number. When it comes down to it, neither player was a strength and they wound up creating more problems than they solved.

To look at the simple numbers, Dan Boyle averaged 20 minutes a game for the Blueshirts. Think about it; a nearly 40 year old defenseman played 20 minutes a game! Regardless of his skill level at the time, this will create a mismatch.

Now on to Nick Holden. While we could all sit here and rip Holden until the end of time, Alain Vigneault had Nick Holden on the ice for 20 minutes a night during the playoffs. And while I understand the idea of spreading out ice time, there is no explanation for Nick Holden and Marc Staal to be on the ice with a minute left. If you go back and look at the late collapses during the post season, number 18 or 22 was on the ice for three of the four blown games. Scream all you want about Marc Staal being inept and that Nick Holden had a weak partner, but when it comes down to it, it’s on the coach to put his team in the best position to win. Does AV do that? Not all the time.

Blinded by Stats

Alain Vigneault has slowly seen a decline each year on Broadway. This will be a statement that I truly believe to my core, and there’s no debating it. 2014 SCF appearance, 2015 ECF appearance, 2016 1st round exit, 2017 2nd round exit. By no means am I saying that the team should have given the ax to AV. However, my point is that there has been a slow decline and consistent disappointments.

Last season, we could argue, exceeded expectations due to the retool in the offseason. The point of this whole article is that it is time for Alain Vigneault to realize his team’s strengths and weaknesses. And with Nick Holden and Marc Staal as the team’s third pairing, Vigneault has the defensive depth he’s been needing.

Moral of the story here is that Alain Vigneault is a successful NHL coach. It is time for him to sit down and get the most out of all his players. The Rangers don’t have any real superstars in their lineup but are a team of good players that can be very dangerous as a unit. However, we all saw what can happen when players are used incorrectly.

When it comes down to it, it’s on the coach. The success of the team, Hank’s closing window and the restless fans of the New York Rangers are all putting their eggs in the AV basket. Only time will tell if it will all pan out.

The NHL free agent signing period starts this Saturday, and teams have already been talking about potential candidates. There have been rumors circulating about UFA Joe Thornton potentially leaving his home. It’s still possible that Thornton will return to San Jose, but the Sharks have opened the door to his potential exit, allowing him to talk to other teams. Based off of the usual buzzing Twitter rumors, it seems as if there is a lot of interest in Joe Thornton.

His numbers were down last season, but Thornton still had 43 assists and 50 points in 79 games. He is a solid two-way centerman, and with the departures of Derek Stepan and Oscar Lindberg, the New York Rangers are in dire need of a solid center. He has proven himself in the playoffs and is good in the faceoff circle. Thornton is also coming off of surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL. Regardless, he has a ton of experience and can still serve as an elite playmaker and leader. The 37-year-old wants a three-year contract wherever he goes, but he will most likely take a lesser deal considering his age and decline last season.

Getty Images

The last time the Blueshirts signed a player as old as Thornton was his former teammate Dan Boyle. However, it didn’t really work out well in the Rangers favor. They agreed to a two-year deal and it ended up being way too much for the Rangers. New York could be a potential signing for the Sharks’ veteran if he considers only a one year deal.

Yes, the Rangers need an elite center and Joe Thornton is an experienced player that can help in that category. However, there is one more reason the San Jose Shark could find himself in the big apple. That reason is Rick Nash.

The two buddies have had a lot of success together representing their country on the world stage. Their most notable time together was when they both helped lead Canada to a gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Larry Brooks writes it’s unknown whether the San Jose Sharks center is willing to come to New York and reunite with his Canadian teammate, but it is still a possibility Rangers fans will be keeping in mind.

Editor’s note: Fulltilt has learned that the Rangers have already reached out to Joe Thornton on possibly coming to NY. Teams are allowed to talk to pending free agents but are prohibited to discuss terms. Montreal and Nashville are also very interested in Thornton’s services. -Anthony

Dreger: "I know that one of my #NYR sources on the draft floor suggested that they would kick tires on Joe Thornton." #SJSharks 690

— Chris Nichols (@NicholsOnHockey) June 27, 2017

I hope you are all enjoying your beautiful Sunday morning. Here’s some Rangers tidbits from around the web.

Alain Vigneault on Dan Boyle cussing out reporters

AV was quoted by Le Presse in Montreal via SNYRANGERS:

[su_quote cite=”SNY” url=”https://www.sny.tv/rangers/news/what-alain-vigneault-said-about-dan-boyles-yelling-at-larry-brooks/178269274″]Alain Vigneault said that it was disappointing to see Dan Boyle’s incident with Larry Brooks and that he hopes people will remember Boyle for his career before they remember that interaction. (La Presse) He said that Boyle had a very successful career and won a Stanley Cup but some people will only remember him for this, which he said would be a shame. (La Presse)[/su_quote]

Take from this what you will as it can be perceived in many ways. If you recall, AV and Boyle had some difficult times together concerning Boyle’s playing time. AV eluded to tensions whenever he had to address it, so this doesn’t sound like he agrees with how Boyle handled himself with the reporters.

NYPOST says coaching staff to return

Larry Brooks’ Sunday column revealed the following:

[su_quote cite=”NYPOST” url=”https://nypost.com/2016/05/14/yes-its-ok-to-blame-alex-ovechkin/”]There has been no formal announcement, but it does appear the Blueshirts’ coaching staff will return intact, meaning Vigneault aides Scott Arniel, Ulf Samuelsson, Darryl Williams, Benoit Allaire and Jerry Dineen will all be back for another tour of duty. [/su_quote]

This makes sense, if you aren’t going to fire AV for what happened this past season, why fire his staff? It wouldn’t make sense. If the Rangers aren’t improved next season, then a clean sweep is in order.

Rangers Youth Movement?

Also in the POST, Brooks cited that should J.T. Miller, Brady Skjei, Pavel Buchnevich, Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Dylan McIlrath, Jesper Fast, Oscar Lindberg and Nicklas Jensen make the roster out of camp, that would be 9 out of 25 players under the age of 26. Now that is something I can get onboard with.

Today the Rangers cleared out their lockers and Dan Boyle aired out his dirt laundry too. Here’s some takeaways from all the news from NYR Break Up Day.

Dan Finally “Boyle”s Over

 
[su_quote cite=”via Puck Daddy” url=”https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/dan-boyle-profanely-chases-larry-brooks-out-of-interview-153922269.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw”]Before speaking to the media scrum, Boyle said he wanted Brooks to leave the interview area, offering a personal criticism of his work as well.

“I don’t want him here,” said Boyle.

“What?” Brooks said. “You know, the feeling’s mutual, man.”

“Nobody likes you. Nobody respects you. Just so you know,” said Boyle.

“OK,” said Brooks.

“At least I’m leaving here with the respect of my teammates,” said Boyle. “Instead of [expletive] someone like you, who tries to bury somebody. That’s all you do. It’s not a critique. I’m telling you I don’t want you here. I have no respect for you. I want you to get the [expletive] out.”

“I don’t care what you think,” said Brooks.

“I can tell you to get the [expletive] out if I want to!” said Boyle, his voice now raised.

“You can, but I don’t have to listen to you,” said Brooks.

“Yeah, ya do!” said Boyle. “I want him out. And that other [expletive] clown, Brett, or whatever the [expletive] his name is. Where’s he at? Everyone else is fine. I want him out. It’s my right.”

Rangers staff stepped in to calm the scene down, and suggested Boyle not speak to the media at that time.

“Can they not all stay here? I have tons of respect for some of these guys. I just don’t want him here. That should be fine,” said Boyle.

At this point, Brooks hadn’t left yet.

“Can you just [expletive] leave?!” Boyle asked again, loudly.

“If you had asked me politely, I might have,” said Brooks.

Boyle: “POLITELY? Why would I be polite with you? Are you kidding me?”

Brooks then told Boyle to “grow up,” Boyle laughed that off and Brooks walked off to another interview.[/su_quote]

Eric Staal Took a Veiled Shot at Vigneault?

Eric Staal believes he can be a productive player for a number of years. Doesn’t have to be The Guy for a team but looking for larger role.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) April 26, 2016

I was surprised that Eric didn’t reveal a shoulder injury that it looked like he was favoring after a hit late in the regular season. He didn’t rule out coming back but he didn’t rule out going elsewhere. However, he did dwell at length about his role here in NY and that seems like a criticism of how AV utilized him.

I don’t think Eric Staal will return.

Girardi Played Game 1 with Lingering Effects of a Concussion

Dan Girardi says he missed games late in season due to a concussion. Was cleared and played early playoffs but regressed and so sat out

— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) April 26, 2016

We all knew it and it was obvious when he went into a fog on what he thought was an offside that resulted in a goal at the end of the first period in game 1. He also believes he can get back to 100% and looks determined to do that next season….for the Rangers.

50/50 he’s here next year.

P.S. Ryan McDonagh confirmed he broke his finger and played in pain.

Rangers On Potential Changes

AV: “There are definitely going to be some changes as an organization.” Says every player will be re-evaluated.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) April 26, 2016

AV says he cannot say at this time whether all his assistant coaches will be back next season.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) April 26, 2016

AV believes Kevin Hayes is a part of NYR’s future. “He’s been given the guidelines, given the direction, now it’s up to him to do it.”

— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) April 26, 2016

Yandle repeatedly said NYR is an “amazing” org. Would love to be back. Doesn’t know how it will go.

— Rangers Report (@rangersreport) April 26, 2016

Henrik Lundqvist also cautions against “overreaction” when analyzing this team. Strongly believes in teammates.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) April 26, 2016

McDonagh: You can probably expect a few changes. Will be interesting to see what happens. #NYR

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) April 26, 2016

There is a lot to digest here, but it should start with Keith Yandle who also admitted he was excited to see what the UFA market brings. To me that signals he likely will be priced away from the Rangers.

I expect Ulf Samuelsson to be interviewed for some head coaching jobs and opening the door for Jeff Beukeboom to possibly join the staff. Oh, and it doesn’t look like AV is going anywhere…for now.

As for Hank’s comments, I think he doesn’t want them to blow up the team because he wants another Cup shot. Reality is that this group can’t get it done and the cap dictates some serious moves need to be made just to have a real chance anyway.

Let’s face it, aside from the “excitement” over the Boyle and Brooks exchange, did we really learn anything? No, the real information will come as we near the draft and we see the real direction the Rangers take.

“GET OFF MY LAWN!”

Today is New York Rangers break up day and Dan Boyle decided to call out and curse several reporters before he would utter a word to the media scrum assembled.

Also, Dan Boyle ends tenure with Rangers cursing out selected reporters in public setting, trying to dictate who could be in on interview.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) April 26, 2016

Tense moment. Dan Boyle asks Brett Cyrgalis and Larry Brooks to leave the scrum. Says the rest of the press can stay.

— Sean Hartnett (@HartnettHockey) April 26, 2016

Maybe he’s angry at those gentlemen for this post on April 23rd by Brett Cyrgalis:

[su_quote cite=”NY POST” url=”https://nypost.com/2016/04/23/dan-boyles-failed-rangers-stint-likely-ends-fittingly/”]Now Boyle’s tenure as a Ranger is over, and it leaves a sour taste in the mouth of Rangers fans. While wearing the sweater, he was so different than that offensive powerhouse lifting the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004, or that elusive, swift-skating quarterback with San Jose. He was a big-time disappointment for the Blueshirts, and that might be how his career ends — watching instead of playing.[/su_quote]

Guess the truth hurts Dan, but no reason to go out as an ornery old man.

For the record, Brett was not there when this happened but left this parting shot….DOH!

Response to Dan Boyle? I did my job. Not sure he ever did his.

— Brett Cyrgalis (@BrettCyrgalis) April 26, 2016

UPDATE: VIDEO

Perception is reality I guess and for the 2015-16 Blueshirts, they and head coach, Alain Vigneault are a victim of their past success. It wasn’t too long ago that the Rangers stormed out of the gate thanks to Henrik Lundqvist‘s incredible start. Since then, it’s been a mixed bag and it has people pointing fingers everywhere, including AV.

Before Thanksgiving, the Rangers jumped out to a 16-3-2 record. Thanks to that start, the Rangers have been kept afloat after a horrendous slump. From 11/25 to 12/20 NY went 3-8-2. Since then they have stopped the bleeding by going 8-5-1, winners of 3 in the last 4.

The Rangers are starting to turn it around, and you could see that in the obvious stats of wins, save percentage, goals for and against. Those who like to use corsi as a barometer for success should know that the Rangers are one of the most improved teams in that department since 12/1.

NY Rangers are the most-improved 5v5 CF% team in the #NHL when comparing [10/1 to 11/31] data vs [12/1 to present]. pic.twitter.com/55aObbQsBo

— HockeyStatMiner (@HockeyStatMiner) January 23, 2016

So why are we up in arms and questioning the head coach on an almost daily basis?

OVI ENVY

Ok, let’s start with this…fans and maybe even some members of the media are envious of the Washington Capitals success. Ridiculous, I know but when the Rangers were red-hot in October/November people weren’t all over AV. They may have talked about NY’s low possession stats and high scoring rate being unsustainable, but they weren’t blaming the coach for much.

Sure this may seem silly, but the Caps went out and made major moves in the offseason and are still going for it today. They signed T.J. Oshie, added NYR Killer, Justin Williams and just recently for the sheer hell of it picked up another L.A. cast off, Mike Richards. Funny because they did this to beat the Rangers who have basically been the standard bearer in the East since probably 2012.

The Caps are ON FIRE! They have 73 points, just 3 more points than the Chicago Blackhawks but the Caps have 7 GAMES IN HAND! Still, they don’t hand out the Stanley Cup in January and the Caps are due for a regression themselves.

Now this isn’t the real reason why people are upset with AV, it’s just one of those underlying issues that likely amplifies everything else.

Time for the real issues.

50 Shades Of Dan Girardi

Let’s first make this clear, AV has NOTHING to do with the contracts given to players like Girardi, Marc Staal, and Dan Boyle. Sure, he had input but he didn’t twist Glen Sather‘s arm to hand out NO TRADE/MOVE clauses.

Dan Girardi had a terrible start to this season. However, we knew that he was coming off an injury in the offseason. To compound the situation further, he’s playing with a cracked kneecap.

Now, if you want to argue that AV has a healthy option in Dylan McIlrath that should play, I agree. Just realize that Girardi is still a seasoned veteran and can play tough shutdown minutes. (Yes, I know some of you are cringing at that statement but it’s true.) McIlrath is developing and shouldn’t be given so much responsibility too soon. AV tried it for a game against the Caps and Ovechkin ate him for lunch.

There’s no doubt that Girardi’s body has taken a beating over the years and it’s showing on the ice. He has become the team’s new punching bag because of his contract, low corsi numbers and suspect defensive zone decisions (i.e. gift wrap turnover to Ovechkin for a goal). Still, he has shown that he can handle the pressure that’s coming and if he can continue to get healthy it will only help the Rangers.

Staal’ing Out

Marc Staal has become Dan Girardi lite. His possession numbers stink and he has an impossible contract as well. Still, he just like Girardi are a known commodity that can rise to the occasion in difficult situations. The concern I have with Staal is that unlike Girardi, he has no known injuries to speak of.

If Staal doesn’t improve drastically after the break, than this regression is truly scary. It’s one thing to have one difficult to move contract on the blue-line, it’s another to have two. Hard to blame AV here, because you can’t sit both Staal and Girardi unless you really want to see Chris Summers struggle.

Handling Yandle

This is the one thing I can say, have at it! Unleash all your unholy rage on the coach because his utilization of probably the Rangers’ best defenseman is deplorable. How AV can continuously roll out the slow and aging Dan Boyle on the top power play unit is beyond me!

Dan Boyle is averaging 2:30 to Keith Yandle‘s 2:15 on the PP so far this season. I am simply beside myself considering that Boyle has less points, shots and primary assists than Yandle on the PP.

The Rangers went through an awful 1 for 31 stretch before going 1-4 against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. Oddly enough, Boyle was a scratch for that game. His replacement Dylan McIlrath actually scored a goal, something Boyle hasn’t done nor registered a point in his last 10 games. Meanwhile, Yandle has 6 points in his last 10 but AV won’t let him start the PP. Confused much? Me too.

When it comes to the lousy PP and the underutilization of Keith Yandle, this is squarely on AV’s shoulders.

#FreeMcIlrath

There is no reason why Dylan McIlrath is not an everyday defenseman on the 3rd pairing. Dan Boyle is not helping the hockey club and has made more costly defensive mistakes than any other blue liner (even Girardi and Staal) over the last month.

At this point, Boyle should be scratched unless Girardi or another defenseman needs a game off for maintenance. If we’re lucky, Boyle will get so angry that he’ll waive his no trade clause so Jeff Gorton can pick up a decent rental forward at the deadline.

Developing Young Talent

This is another big gripe lately, but it just makes no sense. If you are going to use Emerson Etem as your poster child for this argument – you lose. Etem was awful here and has continued to be awful in Vancouver.

You want to argue about McIlrath, fine I’ll give you that. Of course, benching $6M defensemen isn’t always the easiest thing to do.

Still, if you get over the fact that he once scratched Oscar Lindberg the next game after scoring a goal, he’s done an excellent job of developing talent. And no, he doesn’t have to develop them according to a plan YOU have in your head.

Kevin Hayes, Oscar Lindberg, J.T. Miller are some recent shining examples of what he’s been able to do with young stars. So to say he’s doing a bad job is totally unfair.

CONCLUSION

If you stop and look at the New York Rangers, you have to really question why you would feel the need to blame AV for anything. Technically, the Rangers are in prime position to make a huge run.

When the Rangers were steamrolling in the early going, he was quietly raising the same red flags most in the analytics community were. AV was aware that the team had some issues and I’m sure he’s been working with the coaches and players to address. The improved numbers in January are evidence of that.

Still, there is room for improvement and the coach recently admitted as much.

[su_quote cite=”NYDN” url=”https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/alain-vigneault-not-trades-rangers-article-1.2510397?utm_content=buffer6458b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=PLeonard+Twitter”]“My job is I’ve got players here, it’s my job to make them perform up to their potential. Obviously I could say right now that I haven’t done that. I need to make sure that I get this group here to play to their full potential. And we have not done that.”[/su_quote]

I think if we want to blame AV for something it’s not utilizing Keith Yandle properly. It’s possible more minutes on the man advantage would not only improve their conversion rate but also add a few more wins to the standings. Giving Yandle more time would also mean less for struggling players like Dan Girardi and/or Marc Staal.

Another thing AV should do is have some courage and bench Dan Boyle for Dylan McIlrath. Not only will it send a message to all the veterans on the team, it might have another beneficial impact if Boyle asks to be traded.

Other than those two issues, Alain Vigneault has continued to be an excellent coach for the Rangers. He has the team in position to make a nice little run before the playoffs start. Which is ultimately going to be the only measuring stick the fans and media are going to apply to this season.

The Rangers have done it all under AV. They’ve won the Eastern Conference and played in the Finals. Last season they took home the Presidents’ Trophy leaving only one thing for AV to accomplish – winning the Cup.

Here some key points from the latest AV SQUAD on MSG.

On Team’s Improved Play: Alain Vigneault attributes the latest improvement to the team coming in with a more defensive mindset. Playing a tighter game and hopefully Hank will start playing like he did at the beginning of the year.

On Lundqvist: He has been working with Benoit Alaire to find his game from the beginning of the year.

On Giving Up Late Goals: Those are pressure moments, 1st minute, last minute and right after a goal. Team has to be on high alert.

On Kevin Hayes lazy comments: He was stating facts, that he needed to play better and work harder (on the ice). Kevin Hayes the person…he’s a great kid. Believes in him and his ability.

On JT Miller: Loves his compete and battle level. He’s very effective on protecting puck and finding his teammates. JT’s last 7 games, he’s been very good.

On Dan Boyle On The Powerplay: His experience. Past experience as a QB on the PP. We signed Dan because we were losing Brad Richards and we needed someone for the PP.

On Ulf Samuelsson: He usually takes 2 or 3 defensemen after practice to focus and work on things. Holds everyone more accountable. Every player is spoken to by the coaches. AV usually handles the higher level team stuff.

On Forechecking: We like an aggressive type forecheck. The basis of it is 5 guys working together.

On Line Juggling: I try not to but at the end of the day it’s about player’s performance.

On Fans: Rangers fans are unbelievable. It’s an unreal cult. When we go on the round, a lot of the time it’s like we are at home. It’s an unreal feeling.

“GUESS THAT RANGER” Clue 1: Was in a shark cage and dove with a Great White Shark. Clue 2: Attended World Cup in South Africa. Clue 3:First job was a power skating assistant.

TANNER GLASS!