David Quinn was back behind the Rangers bench for Sunday’s road game against the Washington Capitals, after missing the previous six games while dealing with and recovering from COVID-19.
Maybe because their coach was back, the Rangers were overly relaxed; or perhaps because they were playing a second game in 23 hours and a third game in three-and-a-half days they were sluggish. Either way, the Blueshirts dug themselves a hole in the second period, tried to rally in the third, but ultimately lost, 5-4, to the East Division-leading Capitals to close out their three-game road trip.
Their second straight loss was a blow to their chase for a playoff spot, and left them at 15-15-4. They are off Monday and will play the Capitals again Tuesday, at Madison Square Garden.
Before the game Sunday, Quinn said before he was doing well.
“I feel good physically,’’ he said. “I didn’t get hit too bad by it. Obviously, (I was) climbing the walls, not been able to get out of the house or go to work. but Kris [Knoblauch] did a hell of a job with our team. Our team played well and that made it a lot easier.’’
Quinn and his three bench assistants – Jacques Martin, Greg Brown and David Oliver – were all ruled out for the March 17 game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Garden. Knoblauch, who is the Hartford Wolf Pack’s coach, and his associate coach, Gord Murphy, came up that night to fill in behind the bench, along with Rangers associate general manager Chris Drury. The Rangers won the game, 9-0.
Martin and Brown returned for Thursday’s game against the Flyers in Philadelphia, but Quinn didn’t, so Knoblauch stayed on as acting head coach and presided over the 8-3 win that night. Overall, the team went 4-2 with Knoblauch calling the shots, and with Oliver not cleared to return Sunday, Knoblauch remained behind the bench as an assistant.
Quinn, who, in college was diagnosed with the blood disorder Hemophilia B, also known as Christmas Disease, said he never had any real concern that his pre-existing condition would put him in mortal danger from the virus.
“I was told I was going to be OK, it wasn’t going to be anything that was going to create more of an issue for me,’’ he said. “But anytime you get COVID, basically the way things have gone, you’re always a little bit worried. But I never really got sick at all and I was very fortunate to have a very mild reaction to it.’’
Quinn, who was in constant contact with Knoblauch while he was out, also said he spoke to Vegas Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer, who also had the coronavirus and missed games. DeBoer told him the time away would be “beneficial’’ to him in a way, and Quinn said he has been able to see the game from a different perspective.
Quinn was asked what his message to people about COVID-19.
“You just can never drop your guard with COVID,’’ he said. “I think our organization’s done a good job, doing everything we can to stay safe and not put people in harm’s way. But . . . you can do everything right, and still get it.’’
