Update: According to Sam Weinman of
The Journal News, Marc Staal will replace Fedor Tyutin in the lineup tonight as Tyutin is out with the flu.
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Tonight, the New York Rangers will take small steps towards the marathon that is the NHL regular season with their first pre-season game against the New Jersey Devils.
Pre-season is the time for the Rangers front office and coaching staff to give their youngsters a closer look and one would have to expect Tom Renney to pay close attention to the play of Nigel Dawes, Hugh Jessiman, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov and of course, highly-touted defenseman Marc Staal.
Nigel Dawes, very much like last season, had a great training camp. According to various reports, he looks more confident and comfortable on the ice and as a result, Renney has rewarded him by trying him on a line with Scott Gomez and Jaromir Jagr. Coaches have said that the best way for Dawes to succeed is by playing him with more offensive-minded players and Jagr and Gomez certainly fit the bill.
Jessiman, who has spent time between the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL and the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL the past two seasons, worked hard during the off-season and looked very impressive in training camp. During the summer, Jessiman took boxing lessons, not only to help defend himself on the ice, but also to improve his core athletic abilities. The result: a player that has a solid two-way game and is not afraid to muck it up in the corners.
Brandon Dubinsky enjoyed a solid first season with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, but comes into camp vying for a roster spot. He had another good camp but the staff wonders if it would be better for him to dominate at the AHL level this season and then come into camp next year with a legitimate shot to crack the Rangers’ roster.
Artem Anisimov had a strong showing at both the Canada-Russia SuperSeries and at the Traverse City Prospects Tournament. The knack on Anisimov is that he appears to be timid in areas of traffic, which makes critics believe that may be Dubinsky, who is much stronger on the puck, a better chance to make the team.
Staal, a prospect that the team and its media members have been raving about since first being drafted, had a “solid but unspectacular” training camp, according to Sam Weinman of The Journal News. Pre-season will be a good opportunity for Staal to better prove himself to the coaching staff and give himself a chance to make the club. If not, he will go to the Hartford Wolf Pack and have a beneficial development year down in the AHL.
According to Steve Zipay of New York Newsday, here are what the lines will be for the Rangers’ first two pre-season games:
Friday against the New Jersey Devils
Offense
Sean Avery-Artem Anisimov-Brendan Shanahan
Martin Straka-Brandon Dubinsky-Ryan Callahan
Ryan Hollweg-Blair Betts-Francis Lessard
Dane Byers-Mark Smith-Hugh Jessiman
Defense
Marc Staal-Daniel Girardi
Jason Strudwick-Michael Sauer
Darius Kasparaitis-Andrew Hutchinson
Goal
Stephen Valiquette, Al Montoya
Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers
Offense
Nigel Dawes-Scott Gomez-Jaromir Jagr
Marcel Hossa-Chris Drury-Petr Prucha
Lauri Korpikoski-Tom Pyatt-Colton Orr
(Pyatt was sent to Hartford)
Defense
Ivan Baranka-Paul Mara
Marek Malik-Bobby Sanguinetti
(Sent back down to juniors)
Marc Staal-Michal Rozsival
Thomas Pock-David Liffiton
Goal
Henrik Lundqvist, Miika Wiikman
For questions, comments and hip checks, feel free to e-mail me at
[email protected]
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