Quoting: delneggs
May be right, but I doubt he is telling guys that have size to play soft hockey and only skate around the perimeter. The players decide how they are going to play at the end of the day and most of the Rangers players decide to play soft. And size doesn't matter.....Zucc use to play tough hockey and he is pee wee size in body with a lions heart.
I like your references to the Islanders...their 4th line is what sets the pace for them...but it all starts with Trotz. The Isles were a scrambled mess before he arrived- they could score goals, but no lead was ever safe and they weren't an overly physical team either...in short, they had no identity and no plan. Insert Trotz...the team changed on a dime- all due to the system he installed, the team began playing defensively responsible hockey. And the defensive sieve they were- in one year became one of the better D teams in the league, very difficult to play against, and not 1- but 2 goalies were in the Vezina discussion.
As for the Rangers, Quinn does have the identity he WANTS them to assume (fast, relentless, blah blah blah) but he has no system of play- no gameplan- for the players to get aboard to enable them to achieve that identity. The only thing they have then...they go back to what they are comfortable with- freewheeling, trying to be creative, etc. This works against the bad teams that let them freewheel...but the Isles, Bruins, and other good teams ADJUST to the Rangers to inhibit their game...problem is: DQ has no answer to these teams...ie no adjustment of his own. No team wins in any sport by allowing the opponent to play their game...and thats what's happening here.
One more thing- you mention the toughness of Zucc-definitely a player with heart of a lion, in a pint size body...but the team was also soft when he was here. I'm sure they now realize this in Philly- AV also employs a "system" which doesn't adjust well to toughness, grit, and fighting for every inch of ice. Point is: even though the Rangers then had Zucc and a few others that were tough, the team was still overall a soft team and easy to play against.