The Three Behind-The-Scenes Rangers Saviors That Deserve Attention
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New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette has received enough acclaim.
The fact remains that he would never be considered a coach-of-the-year candidate were it not for his three helpers. Unfortunately, hardly anyone ever talks about them, But herewith, The Maven will.
1. MICHAEL PECA: I realized how smart a hockey guy this fellow was when he captained the Islanders. A straight-shooter if ever there was one, Peca has been a behind-the-scenes Rangers spiritual leader and a reason why the club’s face-off percentage has grown. Vincent Trocheck’s regular season’s 58.3 success rate could be attributed to Peca’s instruction.
2. PHIL HOUSLEY: I knew Phil as a player with nine NHL teams, including his stint with the Devils. He ranked among the best defensemen in his era and one of the smartest. He had to have been brainy because he wasn’t very big. Phil has had a positive impact on such young New York D-men as K’Andre Miller, Braden Schneider and up-and-coming Zac Jones. By the way, he’s also helped vets such as reliable Ryan Lindgren, captain Jacob Trouba, and Erik Gustafsson.
3. DAN MUSE: Not nearly as well known as Peca and Housley, Muse is no stranger to Laviolette, having served under him for nearly three years in Nashville.
According to Rangers historian-author Sean McCaffrey, “Muse is one of the reasons why the Rangers PK unit is one of the NHL’s best.” Lavvy also has had Dan work with the younger Rangers, and that explains the dramatic improvement in Alexis Lafreniere.