BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — David Quinn asked for his players to stick up for one another, and it didn’t take them long to heed that message.
The first-year Rangers coach watched Saturday night as Cody McLeod went after Islanders tough guy Cal Clutterbuck following a big second-period hit during the Isles’ 5-2 preseason win at Webster Bank Arena.
“Listen, we have to protect each other, we have to stand up for each other, we’ve got to support each other,” Quinn said. “We’ve got to do that from now until the day the season ends.”
This issue first came up when Devils defenseman Eric Gryba hit Boo Nieves in the head during Monday’s game in Newark — Nieves suffered a concussion and has not skated since — and the Rangers didn’t do anything about it.