The Rangers held an intrasquad scrimmage which to no one's shock wasn't televised. Why should you let the fans see the practice game like several other organizations in the NHL. Instead, let's stick with our head in the sand and 1980's philosophy where access is a four-letter and dirty word and we will dole out information with an eye dropper.
On the ice, Team B picked up a 6-1 win in a contest that only went 40 minutes. Team A's defense, which included new first line pairing, Tony DeAngelo and Jacob Trouba, struggled throughout the game. Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin still have that chemistry while Filip Chytil and Pavel Buchnevich each had strong showings.
Lineups are in for tonight's scrimmage.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 7, 2021
â°: 7 PM pic.twitter.com/nmXbvq2N3M
As best as I could tell and keep track of, here are the guys who picked up points in the scrimmage. #NYR pic.twitter.com/cL1bbnV2wM
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) January 8, 2021
Brett Howden having a big scrimmage, centering the top line of Chris Kreider and Buch, is a boost for his confidence. This is Howden's third year, so growth is expected and needed if he is to remain here in the future. More impressive was that K'Andre Miller continued to raise his stock. Nothing is set in stone, but if looking for one-half of the third pair on the blueliner, Miller might have taken a leap forward in that battle tonight. If that is the case, who he will line up opposite is still TBD, with Jack Johnson and Brendan Smith in the mix, though that would result in a duo of lefties in that pairing, which may not be how David Quinn wanted to draw it up.
Asked which players stood out, DQ has brought up three players early in the presser: Howden, Buch and K’Andre Miller.
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) January 8, 2021
Very interesting that K'Andre's name keeps coming up. #NYR
Rangers coach David Quinn said he thought K'Andre Miller had a really good scrimmage tonight. When asked if Miller is playing himself into the lineup, Quinn responded, "Yes he is." He said he particularly likes the way he moves, the way he closes on people and his puck decisions.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) January 8, 2021
tonight's scrimmage.
â°: 7 PM pic.twitter.com/nmXbvq2N3M