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Vigneault: Rangers’ D has underwhelmed... except for McDonagh

McDonagh

To hear Alain Vigneault explain it, New York’s blueline has been disappointing this season, save for one guy: Ryan McDonagh.

“The only one on D, in my opinion, that has really not only has played up to expectations but you see a lot of upswings with is [Ryan] McDonagh,” Vigneault told the New York Post on Thursday. “All of the other guys, I think, have better to give.

“We’re going to need them to give better.”

Vigneault’s critiques of Michael Del Zotto are well known (see here if you don’t know), but to hear him roast the rest of the blueline is new... though not entirely surprising.

Defensively, the group has performed reasonably well -- but offensively, it’s given New York almost nothing. Marc Staal and Anton Stralman -- both of whom have appeared in all 28 games -- have combined for just two goals and six points this season. Dan Girardi, known as a defensive defenseman, is scoring at his usual clip (five points) but hasn’t stepped up in the wake of Del Zotto’s struggles. Neither has John Moore, also stuck on five points.

What seems to be bothering Vigneault is a lack of competition among the group. He bemoaned a lack of push to usurp McDonagh (who has 16 points in 28 games, and averages nearly 24 minutes a night), Girardi, Staal and Stralman from the top-four. Moore has been close on occasion, but has also been a healthy scratch at times. Vigneault does see some upside, however.

“The one that has proven that he is the closest is John Moore,” Vigneault explained. “John had maybe a little patch of more difficulties the last few games there, but he is a very young player with in our minds a tremendous amount of upside.

“If anybody would show us they deserve to play ahead of [our top four], I’d give them the ice time but nobody has really come up and played better than those guys.”