NHL

Vigneault coy on Game 4 plan

Alain Vigneault has pushed all the right buttons in his first year on Broadway, but now comes the most important one to press, as a season with championship aspirations is suddenly on the brink.

The Rangers find themselves in an 0-3 hole after Monday’s 3-0 loss to the Kings at the Garden,
looking at a deficit only four teams have overcome in the history of the NHL playoffs, only one — the 1942 Maple Leafs — in the Stanley Cup finals.

Vigneault wasn’t sharing his plans after the depressing loss, whether he will go the Knute Rockne route or leave it to his much-publicized leadership council to inspire their teammates.

“I’m going to do like I’ve done all year and do what I think is right for the team,” Vigneault said.
When pressed about what message he will send, Vigneault refused to budge.

“Well, I’m going to take the night to figure it out,” he said.

He probably won’t get much sleep, not after the Rangers outshot the Kings 32-15, but had nothing to show on the scoreboard for their effort.

It’s been a memorable first year with the Rangers for Vigneault, who quickly made Rangers fans forget about John Tortorella. He overcame a slow start on that treacherous season-opening nine-game road trip. He managed his star-driven team to a tee, finding the right balance between overworking Henrik Lundqvist and giving him just enough rest to stay sharp. He guided the Blueshirts all the way back from a 3-1 deficit in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the hated Penguins, and all the way to their first Stanley Cup finals in 20 years.

But now his Rangers are looking down the barrel of a sweep, one loss away from letting the Kings hoist the Cup on Garden ice. Vigneault has been here before — his 2010-11 Vancouver team blew a 2-0 series lead to the Bruins, before losing in seven games.

The players still believe a comeback is possible, despite the daunting task ahead of them. De-facto captain Brad Richards doesn’t believe any big speeches from Vigneault are necessary.

“You don’t look at anything more than just a game on home ice,” Richards said. “You can’t look anywhere past that. It’s obvious, we don’t have to talk about the hole we are, but they didn’t get four yet. There is a game Wednesday that we are going to be there and we are going to play.”