What: Interview with Coach Ryan McGill
When: Saturday, February 26th, approximately 9 pm
Where: Hartford Civic Center, runway between the Pack locker room and the ice
Why: Pack are down 4-0 after two periods and everyone wants to know what the possible next coach of the Rangers is going to do about it
Gred Madden, CN8: Ryan McGill, what did you tell the players, what are you going to try to work on here in the third period after a very disappointing second period for you?
Ryan McGill: Well, it’s not up to me to tell them anything – we talked before the game that the team that wants to compete the hardest and compete in the trenches is gonna be the team that takes this game over, and obviously you can see who’s taken the game over. We haven’t been very smart, we haven’t been very disciplined, and bottom line is we haven’t been very physical against their high scoring forwards.
Madden: Would that be your philosophy then, is to let the veterans then talk in the locker room and not you at this point in time?
McGill: *disgusted look* Well, I mean it’s like beating a dead horse. I’m not sure what I could get accomplished right now. I mean, you know at some time it has to come from within – and if it doesn’t, well then we’ll just keep playing and just let the chips fall where they may.
We've always known Ryan McGill for his tough love approach, particularly with his scoring forwards (thugs appear to get a free pass). At times the man has appeared to channel Herb Brooks and the idea that if everyone hates him, at least the team will be united about something. He calls people out in the lockerroom, benches player readily, and names names to the media (and points out guys trying to sneak out of the locker room and duck the press). Apparently he's also got a mean slapshot that he 'accidentally' hits players with in practice. But it always seemed that the players listened to him, even if grudgingly.
Apparently they've stopped listening. Perhaps the newness wore off the coach this year. McGill has complained all year about the lack of consistent effort, and now he's openly talking about how his words are wasted on them. Not a good sign.
Ken Gernander has become the invisible man this year with only 49 games - interestingly, that's only 12 games missed, but with him playing 4th line minutes, it's easy to not notice him during the game. In the past when Kenny's been out his "C" has been reassigned to one of the alternate captains. With his latest absence due to a rib injury, the "C" stayed on the shelf. When Jed returned from his foot injury, he picked up a third "A" while Kenny was out, but even he was apparently deemed unworthy for the "C". Then Chad went down with a concussion, and his "A" went to MacMillan for a game or so. Chad came back briefly and reclaimed his "A", but when he went out again, his "A" wasn't reissued to anyone.
Not only does the team lack anyone who deserves the "C" in Kenny's absence, but they can't find a third person on the team worthy of an "A"?
Perhaps this, more than anything McGill has to say to the press, tells us about the real state of locker room responsibilty - AND his relationship with his players. And it tells me I don't need to worry about playoff games cutting into my May calendar unless something changes - and fast.
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