The New York Rangers’ nosedive is as mystifying as it is remarkable, and it has head coach Peter Laviolette firmly on the hot seat.
The Blueshirts have lost seven of their last 10, the latest indignation coming on Tuesday night with a 2-0 loss against the NHL-worst Nashville Predators.
New York has sunk to sixth in the eight-team Metropolitan Division, ahead of the equally struggling Islanders, who have an identical 31 points but have played two more games, and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
On pace for 82 points this season, the Rangers are projected to fall woefully short of what was such a promising 2023-24 campaign in which they won the Presidents Trophy with 114 points and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.
The goal-scoring has dried up, the defense has often left star goalie Igor Shesterkin out to dry, and there are no answers in sight.
While general manager Chris Drury hovers his finger over the sell button, Laviolette’s job has understandably fallen into question — to the point where he is now getting asked about it.
“Those are things that I can’t control,” Laviolette said. “I’ve been in this a long time. There are always those conversations wherever you go, especially if you’ve been in it for a long time. My real concern, main concern, is getting a win… getting back on track, getting back into the playoff race.”
Firing Laviolette would continue the Rangers’ trend of whiffing on long-term head coaching options. The 60-year-old former Stanley Cup winner is the franchise’s third head coach in the last seven years. David Quinn lasted just three seasons from 2018-2021, while Gerard Gallant held out for just two, including a trip to the conference final.
Such a decision would obviously not look good for the front-office decision-makers, but making Laviolette the scapegoat is a last resort before the focus hones in solely on Drury, who failed to improve a team that once had Stanley Cup aspirations.
