from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Breaking up is hard to do, but this breakup day was harder than most for the Rangers, even if it lacked the palpable anguish that followed the failed deep Stanley Cup runs of the previous two springs.

For this time, few of the Rangers who walked into the room on Tuesday to chat with the press before officially heading into the summer, could know that they would be back in September to take another crack at the championship the club did not come close to this time.

While player after player expressed belief in the core group even while acknowledging changes were likely this offseason, coach Alain Vigneault left no doubt the club’s nucleus would be split before the Blueshirts reconvene in September.

“I think we’re at the stage now that we need to look at some changes,” Vigneault said days after the crash-and-burn, five-game first-round defeat to the Penguins. “For any NHL team, status quo is not possible and it is not what’s needed.

“We want to bring in different players to add to the dynamic. The core guys have been together for a while. Certainly it’s time to look at what we can do to improve.”

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