The Rangers close out their four-game road trip and three game California swing tonight against the Ducks. New York comes into the game off their first road win, a 4-3 shootout victory over the Sharks on Tuesday, while Anaheim is 0-5-1 in their last six games. The Blueshirts will have the same lineup as Tuesday, save for Alexandar Georgiev between the pipes, giving Henrik Lundqvist a game off.
Speaking of Lundqvist, Larry Brooks' column Wednesday night showed that Hank is "all-in" for the rebuild and has no plans to ask for a trade out of town.
“I’m committed,… The King said when The Post popped the question following Wednesday’s practice in San Jose that preceded the flight here for Thursday’s match against the Ducks.“I’m committed to this. I know that this is going to be a test, how I handle the ups and downs, the growing and the mistakes. Not only me, but the players who have been here for a while and are not used to this,… Lundqvist added. “But I’m prepared for it. I’m embracing the challenge.…
The learning process continued with another detail-oriented practice. After a few years during which rest and recovery took precedence over work days on the ice, the Rangers’ schedule is heavy with practices.
“Whether we’re a young team or an old team, I like this format,… said Lundqvist, who suffered no carryover effect from having his left shoulder crunched by Cody McLeod in a net-mouth situation during Tuesday’s second period. “We work hard and we have quality practices. That’s so important at any level.
“A lot goes into why you connect with something,… said Lundqvist, the face of the franchise for more than a decade. “The decision to stay is not something that was made in an hour. A losing streak doesn’t change anything. Why would it?
“Being a Ranger and what that means is something that I live.…
All the speculation, or hopeful, wishful thinking by some, that Lundqvist would request a trade, thereby freeing up salary and accelerating the "tank" can now be tossed out the window. Maybe he does end up like Ernie Banks or Barry Sanders or Dan Marino - a Hall of Famer without a ring - but playing his entire career in New York clearly is a major focus for Lundqvist. We can rail on the organization for not surrounding Lundqvist with the level of talent commensurate with his skills, but give Lundqvist credit for wanting to see this rebuild through rather than go out of town in pursuit of that holy grail.
Quinn, as mentioned in the NY Post today, addressed the situation with Filip Chytil, who did not get off the bench for the final 14:05 of the third period plus the 5-minute OT.
“There was a reason for that and he will be told why,… the coach said of the 19-year-old, who is seeking his first goal. “There are things we continue to work on with him. “You want him to play, but you have to send the right message and [demand] accountability in the right way. There are times you want him to play through, but that ends up sending the wrong message.…
Giving Chytil a pass because of his age and future importance to the team would be the easy way to go. But Quinn is instilling lessons that hopefully Chytil will carry forward to the future. We have talked about short-term pain for long-term gain a lot. This is likely another example of that. The same with Pavel Buchnevich getting benched. Quinn was reportedly talking to Buch for a while after practice, likely going over what he needs to do to get back on the ice for a game. It's clear that Quinn has not given up on Buch and is treating him and Chytil pretty much the same as he has treated others, fairly, though maybe not equally, because each player is different. He is establishing the baseline of what he wants to see on the ice, both in games and in practice, which is a refreshing change from the past.