The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks each dipped out of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs much sooner than expected. In fact both teams were regular season disappointments as well. When a team in any sport fails to meet expectations for several consecutive years, the coach typically pays the price with his job.

Though it wasn’t actually orchestrated by the two underachieving clubs, they essentially traded head coaches this summer. Fired Ranger coach John Tortorella headed to the Pacific Northwest, while deposed Vancouver bench boss Alain Vigneault found gainful employment in the Big Apple.

The fact that each man was unemployed for less than a month is a testament to the pedigree of both. Tortorella is a Stanley Cup winner (2004-Tampa Bay) while Vigneault was a finalist with the Canucks (2011). They are, however, completely different in their approach to the game, with their philosophies and most definitely their personalities.

Tortorella is the fiery loudmouth who has yet to see a conflict he doesn’t want to spelunk into the middle of. The much softer-spoken Vigneault is much more polite and reserved, careful but deliberate with his words.

Tortorella demands a complete investment into a team first, defensive minded attitude. No single player is bigger than the team, and all efforts are made for the good of the team. Vigneault is more relaxed with his players and encourages creativity among the talented on the roster. He is the consummate “player’s coach”, Tortorella is absolutely not.

To replace one with the other is the perfect compliment for two teams that are looking to move forward without major roster adjustments. Both the Rangers and Canucks stacked their respective rosters with talent capable of winning the Stanley Cup. Each was expected to contend; each left the playoffs with a relative whimper.

When Alain Vigneault was selected to succeed Torts on Broadway, I thought it would be an ideal fit. The Rangers mortgaged part of their youth movement to acquire Rick Nash last summer. Nash was expected to provide the offense that the Rangers lacked, pushing them beyond the Eastern Conference Finals where they fell a year earlier.

The worst thing that could have happened to the New York Rangers was the extended NHL lockout. Without a training camp and some exhibition games, New York was unable to tinker with lines too much and develop chemistry with their new star. Obviously with a shorter season, a slow start cramped the Rangers and increased the pressure on Torts and the talented roster.

There were moments when the Rangers looked like they were ready to break out of their slumber, but they trudged through the season, slipping into the playoffs as the sixth seed. A playoff upset over the Washington Capitals gave the blueshirt faithful hope that their squad had found their mojo. The Boston Bruins’ five game beat down assured them that they had not.
The firing of Tortorella came as a bit of a surprise, but there had to be accountability for a poor Ranger effort. Grumblings from the locker room and less-than-ringing endorsements from the players were telling. The players, media and ownership had seen enough, and it was time for a different direction.

The roster assembled by general manager Glen Sather looks tailor-made for the new bench boss Vigneault. There is plenty of offense from top to bottom, with a healthy compliment of defensive minded players too. The shackles will come off of players like Michael Del Zotto and others to stretch their legs and occasionally leave the defensive zone.

By no means is Tortorella a bad coach. Quite the opposite in fact. His style, however, wears on players, and his philosophy has a definite expiration date. Vigneault enters the picture at the perfect time, and will be welcomed with open arms.

Expect the Rangers to make a couple of minor moves in free agency, but leave the core of the roster alone. A full training camp and a season, albeit abbreviated, have helped provide introductions for the Ranger roster. The nametags have come off and New York will have no more excuses.

With a solid core on defense, Vigneault will open up the offense and let the boys skate. There is no guarantee that he is the perfect fit behind the New York bench. There is no guarantee that the Rangers will win any more than they did under Tortorella. There is a guarantee that the post game pressers will be less entertaining, but the Rangers and Glen Sather are hoping that the real show on Broadway is on the ice.