Gerard Gallant wants more of a ‘man’s game’ from Rangers after sloppy loss

One tin archer a batch astir Gerard Gallant’s coaching benignant by the mode helium responded to the Rangers’ unsightly, 5-1 nonaccomplishment to the Flames connected Monday.

Placing an acceptable magnitude of blasted connected the information that the Blueshirts had 1 of the astir demanding crippled schedules to unfastened the 2021-22 season, Gallant was besides frank erstwhile acknowledging that the squad was careless with turnovers and didn’t play to the individuality it’s inactive trying to establish.

Gallant singled retired Alexis Lafreniere, the Rangers’ prized erstwhile No. 1-overall pick, arsenic a subordinate helium needed much from. Despite not usually putting accent connected film, Gallant called a squad gathering to intimately reappraisal the undisciplined performance. He declared that the Rangers person to go a man’s team.

Following signifier connected Thursday, Gallant said helium knew coming into the occupation that the squad was going to request to marque that modulation into a man’s game. It’s not a hard decision to marque astatine archetypal glimpse of the Rangers’ roster, which is the third-youngest successful the NHL down the Blue Jackets and Devils.

Gerard Gallant expects a batch much from the Rangers aft a lopsided nonaccomplishment to the Flames.AP

When referring to a man’s game, Gallant noted this week helium didn’t mean much hits, an country successful which the Rangers surely aren’t lacking. He is looking for the Rangers to gain much puck possession with their “battle level” and afloat bargain into his system.

“More similar play similar a man, not due to the fact that you’re younger [or] due to the fact that you’re a younger kid, it’s coming into the league and you person to play a man’s game,” Gallant said up of the Rangers’ matchup against Columbus astatine Madison Square Garden connected Friday.

“If you person occurrence successful the NHL, you get occurrence by playing a man’s game. Don’t get maine wrong, there’s a batch of boys connected our squad and astir the league. But you person to play a man’s game, and we’re doing that, not each night, but erstwhile we bash we’ll beryllium a existent bully team.”

Gallant specifically said helium needed much from Lafreniere aft the manager bumped him from the apical enactment mid-game Monday successful favour of Julien Gauthier. Lafreniere past addressed the postgame disapproval the pursuing time with a existent maturity, taking afloat work for his play and vowing to beryllium better.

Lafreniere comes disconnected arsenic the benignant of subordinate who volition respond good to that benignant of coaching. It’s a benignant that could positively signifier the remainder of the Rangers successful their aboriginal 20s. Like respective different players, Kaapo Kakko pointed retired Gallant’s ways are a batch antithetic than those of predecessor David Quinn.

Asked if helium feels the Rangers are increasing up quicker nether Gallant, Kakko agreed and added that the squad is simply a batch stronger.

There was an old-school attack to Gallant from the infinitesimal helium accepted the job. He waited until the Rangers reported to grooming campy to commencement getting to cognize the players, and helium implemented a strategy that gave the players much state to play their ain game.

“It’s a operation of each of that,” Gallant said erstwhile asked if this young Rangers squad needs a spot of pugnacious love. “You can’t beryllium Mr. Good Guy each the clip and you can’t beryllium ever connected them, either. It’s a good enactment of that. You effort to bash the champion you tin with that and you effort to marque the champion decisions arsenic a coach.

“We each privation to get better, we each privation to beryllium connected a bully team, players, coaches, managers, trainers, everybody.”