Adam Hunger – USA TODAY Sports
We all know that the New York Rangers letting Anton Stralman walk was a mistake, and it is clear at this point of the season that the signing of Dan Boyle to replace him was an even bigger mistake.
Boyle, 38, was brought in to quarterback the power play, and it failed. Prior to his goal in Game 2 against the Washington Capitals, can anyone remember the last time he scored a power play goal, much less contribute competently on the man-advantage?
Even worse, he seems to be on the ice every time his team allows a goal. The most glaring example is the end of Game 1. His turnover deep in his own zone, despite a heavy hit from Niklas Backstrom, led to Joel Ward’s winning goal with 1.3 seconds remaining. And let’s not even get into his poor puck possession decisions and why he was even on the ice when Alex Ovechkin absolutely owned him on a one-on-one battle leading to the series’ first goal.
The bottom line is, Boyle simply cannot get the job done right now, and at this point of the season, the Rangers cannot afford a liability in the lineup. Matt Hunwick, despite his flaws, is at least willing to shoot the puck and go to the dirty areas and absorb big hits, and should replace Boyle for Game 4 against the Capitals Wednesday night.
In fairness, Boyle has never been a shutdown defenseman for his entire career, and can’t be expected to change his game overnight. That said, why does Alain Vigneault trust him in critical defensive spots? Earlier this season, I ranted about Vigneault’s blind faith in certain players like Tanner Glass. Now, that blind faith has shifted to Boyle.
Boyle may be well-liked and respected in the Rangers’ locker room, but now is the time for Vigneault to send a message to his fragile team. Benching Boyle means no one’s job is safe, and that the entire roster needs to step up their game if they expect to return to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Rangers are at a critical juncture of their season, and this means making difficult but necessary decisions. Wednesday night is a must-win, and they can’t afford to have Boyle make a fatal defensive error that could lead to a winning goal by Washington.
For that matter, they can’t afford it for the rest of their playoff run.
Matt Stillwell is a New York Rangers contributor for www.rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattNYR12!
