New York – David Quinn knows the winless San Jose Sharks have an important game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSG, NBCSCA, ESPN+, SN NOW). But it also makes sense for coaches.
Quinn began coaching the NHL with the Rangers in 2018-19 and led them for three seasons before being fired on May 12, 2021.
“I’d be lying if I said no (it’s nothing special),” said Quinn. I loved it, I loved my players, and unfortunately it didn’t end the way we all wanted it to, but it’s going to be cool.”
The Rangers were one point short of qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs and had won 18 of their last 29 games (18-10-1) when the 2019-20 season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. . When play resumed, they were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in a best-of-five Stanley Cup qualifier.
“I was lucky enough to be on a team that you have confidence in. If you show up and do A, B, C, you will succeed. It was one of those teams. “When the pandemic hit, we felt like we had one of the best teams in the NHL since January 7th.
“I mean, COVID affects people in different ways. No, there is no blue book on how to deal with it.Coming back from a pandemic, going into a bubble, playing in front of everyone.There are so many things you can’t control or experience.”
The following season in 2020–21, the Rangers went 27–23–6 in a shortened 56-game season, failing to qualify for the playoffs and finishing 11 points behind the New York Islanders in the East Division. . Quinn was fired four days after the season ended.
Now, more than a year later, after coaching the US men’s team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Quinn is back as a coach with the NHL’s Sharks.
After two losses to the Nashville Predators in the 2022 NHL Global Series in Prague, San Jose returned to North America and lost three more, including a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday. The Sharks (0-5-0) are one of three non-winning NHL teams, along with the Minnesota Wild (0-3-0) and the Vancouver Canucks (0-3-1). San Jose also has the worst goal difference in the league (minus 11), with him not exceeding two goals in any game, and in goals per game he ranks last in the NHL (1.60). The Sharks have allowed at least three goals in four of his five games.
Only two San Jose players at center Nico Sturm and move forward Evgeny Svechnikovalso scored two goals. 5 players he has one.
“We’re not that far off,” Quinn said. “I know we feel that way, but we really don’t. We don’t do those things consistently.”
San Jose practiced vigorously at the Chelsea Piers on Wednesday. This lasted him over 70 minutes, with Quinn and the coach talking to the team for about 10 minutes on the ice before practice began.
“I just touched on the vulnerability of our group, but obviously we don’t feel good about ourselves,” Quinn said. We have to, but there are things we can do better and controllable to put us in a better position to win.”
The Sharks hired Quinn on July 26 and fired him on July 1 after San Jose went 32-37-13 last season and advanced to the playoffs out of the Western Conference by 20 points over the Predators. hired Quinn as his successor. After reaching the playoffs 14 times in the last 15 seasons, it was the third straight season they missed the postseason.
“I believe in this group – we as coaches – and I said it [the players]I said, I hope you guys think we’re as good as we think,” Quinn said. [the players] We need to feel as confident in them as we do in them and that’s the only way we’ll get out of this. “
Quinn’s first NHL victory came in his fourth game on October 11, 2018 against the Sharks. If his first win with the Sharks was against the Rangers, would it be more special for him?
“I don’t care if I beat Westchester Rangers, I just want to win,” he said.
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