Sunday, October 13, 2013

Seems like an even swap to me

I find it amusing that the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks didn't actually announce their off-season coaching swap as an actual trade.

As it stands, neither Alain Vigneault nor John Tortorella has had a ton of success after switching jobs. Vigneault's Rangers have lost four of their first five games, while Tortorella has a 3-3 mark with the Canucks.

The Rangers look like a complete mess without Tortorella barking orders. Other than their 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, the Broadway Blues have allowed 24 goals including this absurd one to San Jose Sharks' budding superstar Tomas Hertl ...


The Canucks have been on a rollercoaster ride in their first six games under Tortorella. They got off to a nice start before dropping back-to-back games against the Sharks and the Montreal Canadiens, and defenseman Alex Edler received a three-game suspension for an illegal check against Hertl. Meanwhile, embattled goaltender Roberto Luongo has some job security now that Cory Schneider is playing for the New Jersey Devils. How long that lasts remains to be seen. I can't imagine Tortorella is too happy with Luongo's .898 save percentage.

While Tortorella might not be too happy with Luongo, Vigneault has to be shaking his head over Henrik Lundqvist. The goalie who had been a rock with Tortorella on the bench is currently sporting a 1-3 record, a 4.21 goals against average and an .887 save percentage. And if Lundqvist thinks he can get away with that under Vigneault, he ought to be reminded that Vigneault had no hesitation turning to Schneider when Luongo faltered in Vancouver. Marty Biron might start seeing some regular playing time.

Of course, this is still very early in the NHL season. A lot will change for the Canucks and the Rangers as each team adjusts to their new coaches. For now, though, it seems like the coaching swap hasn't yielded much for either side.

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