Nice try. The PP is the head coach's responsibility even if he delegates the tactical decision making to an assistant coach. Torts scares players into choking their stick (no pun intended) and playing overly defensive.
It was made pretty clear to start the season in VAN that Gulutzan was in charge of the PP. Head coaches delegate responsibilities and coaching duties to assistant coaches. These boards were clamoring for a PP coach last year. Well, Torts seems to have capitulated/adjusted and allowed one in VAN. Just because that doesn't fit your narrative doesn't mean it makes it any less relevant in the context I brought it up.
Ultimately, I agree with you. Head coaches are responsible for every part of a team's play. And if a PP is consistently awful over long stretches, there is a point where the head coach needs to step in and work on trying to fix it. I think Torts failed to do this with NYR; it was one of a few beefs I had with him (despite thinking, overall, that he was a good coach). Thus far, things haven't worked in VAN with regard to their PP either, but we'll see how things work out for them in the long run.
That said, the broader point of my post - which you seem to have missed - is why the **** does this thread have to be about Torts? Does everything really need to be brought back to him? Instead of talking about whether we like McD on the point on the PP or not, a number of posters can't help to bring up a former coach. Get over it; you got what you wanted - he is gone. Move along and talk about something that matters.
It's who he has become. And it's no coincidence that our PP is flourishing with the same personnel he had at his disposal (minus Rick friggin' Nash) and theirs is 26th.
I'm sorry that you feel he was doing a good job in that last year and a half but he wasn't and it's all starting to become obvious. Zucc and CK would never have played this well under the iron first of Torts the Clown; never. And guess what, we haven't given up more than 2 goals in 9 games without employing 6 goalies.
8 of the Rangers' last 12 games have been against some pretty ****** teams. That the PP has been mediocre to good, that players like Zucc and Kreider have been able to put up points, and that the defense finally got its **** together - primarily against sub .500 teams - does not impress me. In this good stretch of games, this team has shown some flashes of things to be pretty excited about (what you've mentioned + actually showing some emotion and fire in their game).
But it has also shown flashes of some warning signs that indicate to me we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. Even against ****** teams, the team and individual players' defensive games are still not where they should be in my opinion, and are far too shaky. I don't have confidence in this offense to continue to put up the #s they have recently to make up for any defensive deficiencies moving forward. I don't expect Hagelin to maintain a shooting percentage near 30 %. I don't expect Callahan to finish the season with an almost 25 % shooting percentage. Nor do I expect Hank and Talbot to sustain the combined 0.935 save percentage that they have over the last 12 games (which includes, and is dragged down by, Hank's stinker against NJ). These things (and the fact that they are still only 9-8) indicate to me that this team isn't exactly poised to outperform their last two seasons' endings. They will make the playoffs and will do fine, but don't seem like a legitimate cup contender yet.
So far, your points are both fair for you to make from the the team's and players' short term play. We'll see if it stays that way. I hope the team proves me wrong at the end of the season and in the postseason, but I'm not convinced yet.