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Game 57: NYR-NYI, Boro rivals meet, Buch sits=AV's clueless? Nyqvist take

February 15, 2017, 9:22 PM ET [462 Comments]
Jan Levine
New York Rangers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Rangers face their borough rivals Thursday in Brooklyn. A game that had juice just because it was Rangers-Islanders got a little more for Blueshirts' fans due to a lineup change. Pavel Buchnevich, who started Monday's game on the second line before moving back to the fourth line, will be a healthy scratch replaced by Matt Puempel.

This switch has once again started the rhetoric that coach Alain Vigneault is clueless and he doesn't know how to get the most out of young players. Yes, it's Groundhog Day, as the bitching and moaning is in full force. Sitting Buchnevich has brought out the best in Rangers twitter.

Lost in the mix is that Buchnevich did not have a good game Monday. He has one assists his last 10 games. The argument that he should have been up on the second line earlier is valid, as Jimmy Vesey probably should have been moved down earlier. But Monday, Vesey deserved to replace Buchnevich on the second line. Skating on the fourth line is likely not the most conducive for Buchnevich to score but he hasn't done a ton to show that he should consistently be up in the lineup. Plus, maybe, just maybe, as crazy as this sounds, AV knows what he is doing.

Puempel, whom the Rangers claimed off waivers from Ottawa in November, last played on Feb. 5. This is a chance to give him and let Buchnevich watch from the press box and learn. I understand Buch missed a ton of time while strengthen his core, as he has appeared in only 24 games, tallying six goals and nine assists, so you could argue that he spent more than enough time in the pressbox. But sitting Buch should not be viewed as another call to recycle the argument that AV is clueless and doesn't get the most out of his young players.

That argument was valid last year with Dylan McIkrath, as he deserved more time over several others. Same earlier this year with Adam Clendening. But the touch love AV has shown with Chris Kreider and J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes has paid off. Of course, the counter argument is these players have succeeded despite and not because of AV. Anthony Duclair and Emerson Etem are brought up as references to young players who AV failed to get the most out of or be used correctly. That conveniently forgets that Etem has failed to make a difference in Anaheim or Vancouver and Duclair is down in the AHL. Since AV has been in NY, who had he really not utilized appropriately only to see that player excel elsewhere? Benoit Pouliot? Nope, as he was used on the third line and regained his market value in NY. Carl Hagelin? Maybe, but he played a key role on the Rangers and the decision to deal him wasn't AV's alone.

Just because a player succeeds doesn't mean the coaching staff was the reason. Same if he fails, it doesn't mean that he warranted getting scratched initially. Not everything is correlation or causation. Sometimes you have to let a player try to work through his difficulties without scratching him, possibly retarding his development. In this case though, I have no issues with sitting Buch, as long as just for a game or two.

With Buch out and Puempel in, the lines are basically the same as ended Monday's game save for that one switch:

Vesey-Stepan-Nash
Kreider-Zibanejad-Zuccarello
Grabner-Hayes-Miller
Puempel-Lindberg-Fast

The D is the same as Monday. If Staal-Holden struggle as they did the other night, a switch may be warranted there. Plus, the call to add another blueliner will get louder.

McDonagh-Girardi
Staal-Holden
Skjei-Klein

The power play combinations have been tweaked again. A bit surprised Grabner hasn't been tried to see if he can help. Same with Puempel in the lineup. But at least Skjei is getting a shot over Holden.

Vesey-Stepan-Nash with Zucc and McD.
Hayes-Miller-Kreider up front w/ Zib & Skjei.

Now on the Gustav Nyqvist ruling. So basically almost blinding a player equals saying sloppy seconds. What an embarrassment by the Department of Player Safety. A real chance - again - to send a message totally lost. What would have drawn a real suspension? Blinding Jared Spurgeon?

I get that history and the lack of an injury impact the ruling. But what about intent to injure or possibility to create real damage? It was a brutal play and the failure to properly punish Brad Marchand for what he did was repeated again here. The mistake there shouldn't have been repeated here.

Antoine Vermette will probably get 10 games because league rules demand it and hitting an official warrants it. But look at what Vermette did to Nyqvist's action and tell me with a straight face Vermette deserves four more games than Nyqvist. Fortunately, Spurgeon wasn't seriously injured, but I guess it will take a major, preventable injury for the NHL to react appropriately.

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