GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Maybe the shock of Alain Vigneault’s firing late Saturday night had worn off, and the Rangers had all come to terms with GM Jeff Gorton’s decision to make a coaching change.
But at breakup day yesterday, the players who visited the locker room and spoke to the media seemed relatively matter-of-fact about losing their coach of the last five years.
“I guess it’s part of it, right?’’ said forward Chris Kreider, who was a rookie when John Tortorella was let go and replaced by Vigneault. “I went through that early in my career, with the other coaching staff.