Media Bytes: Headwinds in Hartford, Appleton Fallout, Development Woes Continue
From a shaky Wolf Pack bench to relentless scrutiny of J.T. Miller, this week’s coverage pulled no punches.
Welcome back to Media Bytes, a weekly column from Blueshirt Banter. Every Sunday, we’ll help you start the week right with a quick catch-up on the latest stories and developments around the New York Rangers and the broader NHL media landscape.
Headwinds in Hartford?
1. According to New York Post beat writer Mollie Walker, amid a seven-game winless streak, "I'm told there is a tense atmosphere in Hartford."
That winless streak isn't devoid of points, as the team has gone 0-3-4 in that span, but Walker characterized that stretch of games as "tough performances," that have left the Rangers AHL affiliate in second-to-last place in the Atlantic Division and ranked 27th overall in the 32-team league as of Nov. 18.
"Word is, after Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Laval Rocket, Hartford head coach Grant Potulny was not available for his post-game interview. Neither were any of his players," Walker continued. "It is believed that has only happened three times in franchise history."
Walker concluded, noting that Potulny was "apparently in a meeting with Rangers assistant general manager Ryan Martin."
The Wolf Pack did snap the streak on Tuesday afternoon, rallying from down 2-0 to beat the Springfield Thunderbirds 3-2 in overtime. Still, it’s hard to imagine Potulny’s seat isn’t getting uncomfortably warm.
