What Alain Vigneault said today after Rangers practice

3:30PM

New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (Chris O'Meara/AP)

Alain Vigneault met with the media following today's Rangers practice and said (NYR):

• On the defense, "we have been doing it for some time here. Our game, especially our defensive game is getting better. We are giving up less opportunities and we are defending better and I firmly believe that it will lead to more sustained offense. We had a tough opponent last night, played one of our better games and we need to follow it up. Probably have the best team in the NHL coming in here for our next game. We got a good test for us."
• On having Klein and McDonagh Saturday and then G and Mac on Tuesday, "I'm tough to follow sometimes (laugh)...I think it had more to do with that Danny hadn't practiced and this way, he is getting a rest for two days, but he had an opportunity to practice before our last game. We are in the last phase, the last week or 10 days of that injury still lingering a little bit. It had more to do with who had been able to skate than anything else."
• Your best pair is McDonagh and Girardi, "when they are playing on top of their game, there is a lot of familiarity with those two and they are very comfortable with that challenge but depending on how certain guys are playing at certain times in the season, Kleiner has been fairly consistent with us. He likes that challenge also, I would say to you that there is no doubt that we like Dan and Mac together but I don't hesitate to throw Kleiner in there also because I like how he is playing."
• On battle level, "In any system, 75% of a system offensively or defensively are 1 on 1 battles. If you win your battles there is a good chance that you could generate some offensive chances. If you get the puck back because you are competing hard and battling hard, there is a good chance that you aren't going to give up a lot of chances. Our compete level and battle level in the right situations is getting better and I think that is why our team is playing better now."
• Is this the springboard game, "I have thought many times, 'geez the team is real good we played a solid game and are on the right track' and every time that I have said that we are confident and pushing and going in the right way, I will say the same thing but say that I am really really confident this time (Smile) and hopefully we can get it done. It's going to be a real tough game against Washington. They came in here last night and as everyone knows it wasn't an easy game for us. I am looking forward to having another opportunity."
• On Chris Kreider, "I would say that we will have a good idea after Friday's practice. At this time I would think that he is going to be available based on the feedback that I got from our training staff but you never know with those injuries and how the hand reacts. I am being very positive here and hoping he will be ready for us."
• Is it automatic that if Kreider is back, Megna is down, "there is no doubt that Megna is in the lineup for the next game with how he played last night."