New York staved off elimination at home to force a Game 7. “We didn’t show up, we didn’t play hard enough, we didn’t compete hard enough,” Gallant said after Game 4. The Rangers won the first two games of the series on the road before losing three in a row, a stretch that included a tirade from Gallant about his team being “not good enough - not even close to good.” They acquired previous Cup champions Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane in a pair of deals and finished third in the division to set up a showdown with the Devils. With that playoff success raising expectations, the Rangers had an up-and-down regular season and scuffled in the days leading up to the trade deadline. Gallant and the Rangers finished second in the Metropolitan Division in his first year behind the bench and made an improbable run to the East final before losing to Tampa Bay. After assuming control when President of Hockey operations John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton were fired by Dolan, Drury shifted into win-now mode, hiring Gallant a year and a half after the veteran coach was let go by Vegas.
Two years ago, Drury thought Gallant was the right person to lead the Rangers. Three-time championship-winning coach Joel Quenneville's name has already been connected to the franchise, though he would need to be reinstated by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman after his role in a sexual assault scandal with the Chicago Blackhawks from 2010 that caused him to resign from his job with the Florida Panthers in October 2021.
The Rangers now begin another coaching search in hopes of finding the person who will get them their first Stanley Cup title since 1994. “If I can’t stand by my record and what I’ve done, I think there’s something wrong.” “I can’t believe I have to answer some of these questions about me getting let go or getting fired, brought up by the media,” Gallant said Wednesday. Gallant's departure was not particularly surprising, but it came after the 59-year-old defended his job status during exit interviews earlier in the week, calling the line of questioning “disappointing.”
"After conversations with my family and Chris, it became clear that this was the right decision for both myself and the Rangers at this time.” “The experience of coaching an Original Six franchise with such rich history and an incredibly passionate fanbase is something I will never forget,” Gallant said. In a statement sent through the team, Gallant thanked owner James Dolan and Drury for the opportunity.
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