Jan Levine: Grading the Rangers: Alain Vigneault, The Final Grade in the Series Onward and upward to 2016-17

AV no better than a D.... Rested on his laurels last season and became too enamored with vets. I'm not in agreement that Miller benefitted from anything coach did. He stagnated younger players growth. Having Macilwrath on team all year and playing Girardi when he wasn't 100% was a joke. Throwing Skjei in there at end and worse, playing Diaz, was a total slap in the face. Being stuck with G and Staal doesn't mean you have to dress them every night. If AV can't work younger guys into regular roles and stop playing with their heads, we're doomed!

Jan Levine: Grading the Rangers: Alain Vigneault, The Final Grade in the Series
Onward and upward to 2016-17
- airjan23

Did you grade the assistant coaches?

AV no better than a D.... Rested on his laurels last season and became too enamored with vets. I'm not in agreement that Miller benefitted from anything coach did. He stagnated younger players growth. Having Macilwrath on team all year and playing Girardi when he wasn't 100% was a joke. Throwing Skjei in there at end and worse, playing Diaz, was a total slap in the face. Being stuck with G and Staal doesn't mean you have to dress them every night. If AV can't work younger guys into regular roles and stop playing with their heads, we're doomed!
- junaka3

The coach at the NHL level, is paid to win hockey games. They basically don't have much interest in playing a young still deveopling young player, if they don't trust him. AV, is the head coach of the New York Rangers, he has nowhere to go but down from there, winning hockey games is all he cares about. If the front office wants a coach who will play the young guys, they have the wrong guy.

AV no better than a D.... Rested on his laurels last season and became too enamored with vets. I'm not in agreement that Miller benefitted from anything coach did. He stagnated younger players growth. Having Macilwrath on team all year and playing Girardi when he wasn't 100% was a joke. Throwing Skjei in there at end and worse, playing Diaz, was a total slap in the face. Being stuck with G and Staal doesn't mean you have to dress them every night. If AV can't work younger guys into regular roles and stop playing with their heads, we're doomed!
- junaka3

I don't know where to start here, but he played Diaz instead of Dan Boyle

A/V knows how to develop young players. He was a solid ahl coach, did a great job. He also developed the sedins, Kesler, burrows, edler, etc... when in vancity...

But he has a fault of picking and choosing favourites who get ice regardless of all issues and any rational reason.

The coach at the NHL level, is paid to win hockey games. They basically don't have much interest in playing a young still deveopling young player, if they don't trust him. AV, is the head coach of the New York Rangers, he has nowhere to go but down from there, winning hockey games is all he cares about. If the front office wants a coach who will play the young guys, they have the wrong guy.
- OLDSCHOOL#6

literally the only reason AV has this reputation as Rangers coach is because of Dylan McIlrath.

You know, the guy every single Ranger fan said was the worst draft pick this side of Hugh Jessiman.

Oh yeah, I guess Wayne Gretzky, errr, I mean Emerson Etem didn't get a good shot either

literally the only reason AV has this reputation as Rangers coach is because of Dylan McIlrath.

You know, the guy every single Ranger fan said was the worst draft pick this side of Hugh Jessiman.

Oh yeah, I guess Wayne Gretzky, errr, I mean Emerson Etem didn't get a good shot either
- jimbro83

My point remains, coaches are paid to win hockey games.

My point remains, coaches are paid to win hockey games.
- OLDSCHOOL#6

welp, he is certainly earning his money

in 3 seasons under AV the Rangers are 144-80-22 with a Finals appearance and a conference final appearance.

The Rangers were a tired team last year no coaching philosophy change would have helped towards the end

welp, he is certainly earning his money

in 3 seasons under AV the Rangers are 144-80-22 with a Finals appearance and a conference final appearance.

The Rangers were a tired team last year no coaching philosophy change would have helped towards the end
- jimbro83

You seem to be under the impression I'm knocking AV, I'm not. The original post took him to task for playing with young players heads, I disagree with that notion. He like any other coach in the NHL, needs to win games. Don't understand the confusion.

I D K .... hardest to grade , result driven position....
hard to say with wings BUT the D with a beat up trio & an overrated K Y ,much older BOyle , no physical presence without giving up tremendous skills
Mac rath just aint it ...YET too slow to read & react ,seemed at times a play slow not a step.....never saw him against top 3 or 6 talent much .
SHey ? will be a strong infusion this yr .... came on when you wanted him too
last yr.
WIngs : who got time that didnt bring sum element to the team & game ....
Results ....Stepon injured early (again) Nash not like nash was than out for 25 gms
brass & zucc get exposed for there defensive liabilities when together...
Hayes ?
A lot more dark areas than bright spots ......Overall

closed the 12' to 15 ' chapter & NOW with rebuilt 4th line candidates AND
a HEALTHY D trio along new 2nd line center with attrition to Moore & boyle & .. Rejuvenated.... I M O we need 1 more major move ......
trim off sum age on the D line outta the 3 ole vets & clear Nash $
make a pkg to accomplish both & : L G R

Good blog Jan.
Fair grade on AV. His lack of ability to wake the team up at times was infuriating. The extra rest should help this year.
Although he should take a quote from this guy.

Swivel heads boys!

Did you grade the assistant coaches?
- cheater2

Here you go: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=77012

As long as he's smart enough to play Jimmy Vesey in big minutes in all situations AV will get an A+ this year! The defense will look refreshed and Hank will seem years younger as other teams fold under the pressure of Jimmy's massive puck possession, relentless attack and merciless wrath. Prepare for your salvation. It cometh from Harvard!

You seem to be under the impression I'm knocking AV, I'm not. The original post took him to task for playing with young players heads, I disagree with that notion. He like any other coach in the NHL, needs to win games. Don't understand the confusion.
- OLDSCHOOL#6

I think the AV playing with young players heads stuff is HIGHLY exaggerated

It's like somebody said it once, another person said "oh yeah" and turned into this ridiculous thing and it's just snowballed on the internet

Emerson Etem sucked, AV didn't play with his head. He sucked.

I think the AV playing with young players heads stuff is HIGHLY exaggerated

It's like somebody said it once, another person said "oh yeah" and turned into this ridiculous thing and it's just snowballed on the internet

Emerson Etem sucked, AV didn't play with his head. He sucked.
- jimbro83

So, in your opinion, what should he do different this season...?

So, in your opinion, what should he do different this season...?
- 21peter

Switch to Big Red

What time is the game today?

What time is the game today?
- TPC

4 pm

So, in your opinion, what should he do different this season...?
- 21peter

just keep coaching like he has been coaching since he got here

the lineup will be faster, younger and hungrier than what he had to work with last year

this theory that we would have won the whole thing last year if only AV had played Dylan McIlrath more makes me gag

4 pm
- 21peter

Thanks

just keep coaching like he has been coaching since he got here

the lineup will be faster, younger and hungrier than what he had to work with last year

this theory that we would have won the whole thing last year if only AV had played Dylan McIlrath more makes me gag
- jimbro83

Was hard to watch G playing hurt for 20+ games though.

I would give AV a D-. Anything that required competent coaching he didn't do well at all. Ice-time distribution was a joke, seeing how Yandle rarely played top 4 mins or even top line PP mins, yet Girardi continued to get 25+ mins of terrible play per game. He never adjusted the game plan when it wasn't working, seeing how two slow-footed, stay at home dmen played the most mins but are terrible fits for AV's puck moving system. His lineup choices were awful, with McIlrath rarely playing yet he proving to be one of the more effective dmen we have, forcing Hayes to play wing when he clearly is better at center (not to mention scratching him for no reason), deploying Fast in the top 6 even though he was nowhere near productive enough offensively, and NEVER making any adjustments to the lineup when it wasn't working. He couldn't even call timeouts at the right times. And lets not get started with his obsession with Tanner Glass. I thought AV should've been fired after this past season, but I know the Finals appearance and Prez trophy give him some slack. If the Rangers are slumping and have a losing record around All star break, though, AV should unquestionably be canned.

I would give AV a D-. Anything that required competent coaching he didn't do well at all. Ice-time distribution was a joke, seeing how Yandle rarely played top 4 mins or even top line PP mins, yet Girardi continued to get 25+ mins of terrible play per game. He never adjusted the game plan when it wasn't working, seeing how two slow-footed, stay at home dmen played the most mins but are terrible fits for AV's puck moving system. His lineup choices were awful, with McIlrath rarely playing yet he proving to be one of the more effective dmen we have, forcing Hayes to play wing when he clearly is better at center (not to mention scratching him for no reason), deploying Fast in the top 6 even though he was nowhere near productive enough offensively, and NEVER making any adjustments to the lineup when it wasn't working. He couldn't even call timeouts at the right times. And lets not get started with his obsession with Tanner Glass. I thought AV should've been fired after this past season, but I know the Finals appearance and Prez trophy give him some slack. If the Rangers are slumping and have a losing record around All star break, though, AV should unquestionably be canned.
- SpeedBlue91

http://www.nhl.com/stats/...ggregate=0&teamId=3&pos=S

the three Ranger leaders in PP icetime last year were Brassard, Zuccarello and Yandle

I would give AV a D-. Anything that required competent coaching he didn't do well at all. Ice-time distribution was a joke, seeing how Yandle rarely played top 4 mins or even top line PP mins, yet Girardi continued to get 25+ mins of terrible play per game. He never adjusted the game plan when it wasn't working, seeing how two slow-footed, stay at home dmen played the most mins but are terrible fits for AV's puck moving system. His lineup choices were awful, with McIlrath rarely playing yet he proving to be one of the more effective dmen we have, forcing Hayes to play wing when he clearly is better at center (not to mention scratching him for no reason), deploying Fast in the top 6 even though he was nowhere near productive enough offensively, and NEVER making any adjustments to the lineup when it wasn't working. He couldn't even call timeouts at the right times. And lets not get started with his obsession with Tanner Glass. I thought AV should've been fired after this past season, but I know the Finals appearance and Prez trophy give him some slack. If the Rangers are slumping and have a losing record around All star break, though, AV should unquestionably be canned.
- SpeedBlue91

Yandle averaged over 2 minutes more per game (22:21 vs. 20:19) than Girardi.

But I'm not one to let the facts get in the way of a good Ranger-bashing.

Lundqvist is too old! Rangers' window is closing at breakneck speeds!