• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
New York Rangers

Marc Staal’s Return to Form

By Amy Ernano November 2nd, 2012

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp
Marc Staal

(Marc DesRosiers-US PRESSWIRE)

When it was announced that Marc Staal was out of commission to begin the 2011-2012 season due to the lingering effects of a concussion caused by a hit from his brother Eric in February of 2011, it sparked somewhat of a panic among Ranger fans. Staal and partner Dan Girardi comprised perhaps one of the strongest shutdown defensive pairings in the NHL, and the future looked uncertain without #18 at the blueline.

The Emergence of Ryan McDonagh

Staal’s injury opened the door for the emergence of Ryan McDonagh, paired with Girardi, as one of the strongest young d-men in the league; perhaps this coming-out drew attention away from the conspicuous absence of the Rangers’ top blueliner. And when Staal finally returned to action in January of this year (his first game back being the Winter Classic), he appeared in some ways a shell of his former self. One of his best attributes had always been his skating, among the best on the team; now, however, he seemed to be lacking the customary spring in his step, and opposing players often seemed able to get the jump on him in situations in which they never had before. This rust on his game, together with the nature of his injury, caused a whole new species of alarm in many fans: had Staal lost it? Was it even rust, or was he just not the same player he had been prior to the concussion? Some even called for him to be traded – somewhat astounding considering the consistence of his play throughout his career leading up to the injury and the fact that many had considered him a franchise defenseman.

Crunch Time

And then came the playoffs. As Girardi and McDonagh, so consistently effective in Staal’s absence, finally began to show the inevitable effects of logging extreme minutes game after game; as Michael Del Zotto’s regular season magic gave way to a playoff breakdown, Staal stepped back into the spotlight and reminded everyone of why we were so disheartened when he went down with the injury in the first place. The tremendous stride and long reach, the high hockey IQ and strong instincts, the willingness to both take the body and give it up: all reemerged, and throughout the playoffs he was arguably, once again, the team’s best defenseman.

Despite this, there are still those who feel that Staal is not the same player he once was. The rise of McDonagh has probably helped to further this sentiment, and caused some people to view Staal as somewhat less indispensable than once thought. With the NHL lockout ongoing it’s difficult to prove either side’s case at present, but watch a replay of just about any game from the Rangers’ 2012 playoff run and the question of whether Marc Staal is still Marc Staal should be relatively easy to answer. Now let’s just hope that the lockout is resolved soon and he gets a chance to prove it once and for all.

  • Tags
  • 2012 NHL Playoffs
  • Concussions
  • Marc Staal
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 19th 1:20 PM
Boston Bruins

Bruins Rookie Spotlight: Jakub Zboril

Jan 19th 1:10 PM
Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche Defense Boosted by Returns of Johnson & Byram

Jan 19th 1:00 PM
Colorado Avalanche

NHL Rumors: Senators, Canucks, Avalanche, Oilers, More

Jan 19th 11:24 AM
Archives

They Wore It Once: Bruins Players and Their Unique Numbers

Jan 19th 11:14 AM
Archives

Top-5 Players From France in NHL History

Jan 19th 10:55 AM
Women's Hockey

Metropolitan Riveters 2021 Season Preview

Jan 19th 10:45 AM
Column

Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Andersen, Marner, Spezza & Robertson

Jan 19th 10:35 AM
Philadelphia Flyers

Couturier’s Injury Results in Opportunity for Flyers’ Young Talent

Jan 19th 10:25 AM
Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens Fans & Media Need to Give Drouin His Due

Jan 19th 10:15 AM
All-Star Weekend

1991 NHL All-Star Game & the Gulf War: The Modern NHL in a Time of War

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information