Photo: PIX11
The New York Rangers announced that head coach David Quinn and his coaching staff will not be available to coach the team’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night (7 PM ET, NBCSN) due to COVID-19 protocol. Kris Knoblaunch, the head coach of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack (Rangers’ minor league affiliate); Chris Drury, the Rangers’ assistant GM; and Gord Murphy, Knoblaunch’s associate, will be behind the bench.
This is the second time such an occurrence happened this season. Vegas Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer and his staff were forced to quarantine during the team’s 5-4 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues at T-Mobile Arena on January 26 after an assistant tested positive for COVID-19. The Golden Knights went on a 10-day COVID-19 pause after defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was placed on COVID-19 protocol two days later.
The Rangers are scheduled to visit the Washington Capitals on Friday (7 PM ET, NBC Sports Washington locally, NHL Network nationally) and Saturday at Capital One Arena. Four of the next six games for the Capitals are against the Rangers. The Capitals are also scheduled to host the Rangers on Sunday, March 28, and play them at Madison Square Garden two days later.
The Rangers enter Wednesday’s game eight points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Stanley Cup Playoff spot in the East Division with both teams having played 27 games so far this season.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 17, 2021
By Harrison Brown
