News Article: Vigneault: Rangers aren’t done with ‘unfairly criticized’ Girardi

[DanielBrassard]

McIlrath and his 9 shaky minutes were better than anything Girardi gives. Girardi hurts the team whenever he plays. Don't really know how else to put it.

 

[Ghost of jas]

And I'm not shocked by any of those quotes. The coach isn't going to toss a well respected guy like Girardi under the bus and he shouldn't. He's going to defend his players. I'll reserve my meltdowns and criticisms until he's back in the lineup playing 20+ minutes.

Exactly. I know fans would love to see AV say Girardi was benched because he sucks, but he's not going to throw a respected member of his leadership core under the bus. Tortorella would, but he's not here.

 

[TheTakedown]

McIlrath and his 9 shaky minutes were better than anything Girardi gives. Girardi hurts the team whenever he plays. Don't really know how else to put it.

this right here is the sole and simple reason why Girardi shouldn't be playing.

we all saw how dynamic the team was yesterday, right? We saw how effective the Dmen were at acquiring the puck and then moving it out. We saw how poised the team was in the D zone, and we saw McIlrath do just fine in his 9 minutes of ice time.

If Girardi's playing 9 minutes too, then I'm OK with it. Problem is, he won't. AV will play him 20 minutes, and it hurts the team immensely.

 

[Rangerfan4life90]

So what?

The point is that Girardi would have been glued to the bench a long time ago if Torts was coach.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

The point is that Girardi would have been glued to the bench a long time ago if Torts was coach.

The same guy that marched Brad Richards out night after night? The same guy that loved Girardi? Not only do I not think you're right, but whats the point on harping on it when Vigneault has been a more successful Ranger coach?

 

[Holocene]

The same guy that marched Brad Richards out night after night? The same guy that loved Girardi? Not only do I not think you're right, but whats the point on harping on it when Vigneault has been a more successful Ranger coach?

Torts had no problem benching Richards in the 2013 playoffs when he sucked.

 

[ecemleafs]

Coach defends well-liked veteran leader...did not see that coming.

im outraged. would have hoped that AV would have called girardi a ******* and then peed on him in public.

 

[eco's bones]

I thought short term memory was only for old duffers and the extremely drug addled?

I kind of remember (but apparently not everyone does) Girardi being literally catapulted head first by Brian Boyle into the end boards about two weeks ago. In between then and now this narrative was conceptualized that Girardi after coming back and playing one playoff game was sat out for the second not because he's banged up but because AV and his coaching staff had decided he was washed up but didn't want to want to hurt his feelings or let the press and fans in on the secret. All a conspiracy.

Maybe he's just ****ing banged up? Then again maybe Elvis and Hitler really are still alive.

 

[Thirty One]

All coaches will have their moments where they give a player too much ice time or too long a leash based on what they were in the past. I can't remember a case as dramatic as the 1,500 minutes AV gave to this version of Dan Girardi this season.

 

[SA16]

All coaches will have their moments where they give a player too much ice time or too long a leash based on what they were in the past. I can't remember a case as dramatic as the 1,500 minutes AV gave to this version of Dan Girardi this season.

You know he's bad when he's had decreasing minutes five years in a row, played 2:30/game less this year than last year (though he lost PP time), and played the least minutes of any year in his career since his rookie year...and it's still way too much.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Not surprising. McIlrath or Diaz should be playing over him for the rest of the postseason.

 

[RangerBlues]

G needs a month to recover.
Just the reality of things.
C and D debt win championships.

 

[TheTakedown]

The "unfairly criticized" part is annoying me too..

He's absolutely deserving of and and all criticism for his play this year.

 

[nyr2k2]

The "unfairly criticized" part is annoying me too..

He's absolutely deserving of and and all criticism for his play this year.

AV is sticking up for a veteran player on his team. What's he going to say, "Yes all the criticism that the guy sucks and is done is totally justified!" He's defending his guy as he should.

 

[aufheben]

Does he have to talk about him like Girardi is Achilles? I'd prefer McIlrath but I can live with Girardi on the 3rd pairing, if AV gives the Top-4 heavy minutes. He should have never been paired with Marc, that was ridiculous.

 

[Captain Lindy]

I dont know what this means. I mean, I know its more ridiculous than your average AV conspiracy theory, but I still dont really get it.

This line from AV:

“It’s never easy playing against talented players like that and such a talented team,†Vigneault said. “You look at their record since Christmas, they’re the best in the NHL. So it’s a challenge, it’s an opportunity for us. It’s going to take our best hockey of the year.â€

..as if he feels the Pens deserve to win this series. It may be a stretch but what else can explain his thinking Girardi is no problem??

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

Im in full agreement that Girardi shouldn't be getting 18 mins against top lines. But if you limit his minutes like McIlrath's, Im not sure of who the better option is. I'd probably lean Girardi based solely on experience.

I'd probably lean McI based on just being a better player.

 

[Captain Lindy]

And I'm not shocked by any of those quotes. The coach isn't going to toss a well respected guy like Girardi under the bus and he shouldn't. He's going to defend his players. I'll reserve my meltdowns and criticisms until he's back in the lineup playing 20+ minutes.

Defending is one thing; stubbornly insisting he's going back into the lineup after seeing teams so obviously exploit him as a glaring weakness is another thing.

 

[Captain Lindy]

I'd probably lean McI based on just being a better player.

If we want to get to the next round, then yes. The team plays an all around better game without the pylon.

 

[Ghost of jas]

This line from AV:



..as if he feels the Pens deserve to win this series. It may be a stretch but what else can explain his thinking Girardi is no problem??

I don't see any issues there...coachspeak, showing deference to an opponent.

 

[RGY]

What an idiot. Girardi was fully to blame for the game 1 loss. He caused both goals to make it 2-0. Team goes out in game 2 and wins without him. AV response is to find a way to get Girardi back in the lineup. This is a circus.

 

[Tawnos]

That's ONE thing I miss about Torts. He didn't care who you were, or how good you were. You didn't play well the majority of the time, you were benched.

That's flat out untrue.

 

[silverfish]

Maybe you don't force him back into the lineup for no reason when his cracked kneecap isn't fully healed yet. What a concept

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Whole body probably means lingering issues from broken knee cap that is prohibiting Danny G from being the player he was last year + possible lingering issues from concussion in Boyle hit?

If that's the case, he could be out indefinitely. That knee cap issue... it definitely has played a part in what he was this year.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

What an idiot. Girardi was fully to blame for the game 1 loss. He caused both goals to make it 2-0. Team goes out in game 2 and wins without him. AV response is to find a way to get Girardi back in the lineup. This is a circus.

50:50 is a guaranteed 100%