The Rangers, after two good days of practice following their 6-4 win over the Ducks, play their second of four straight home games tonight against the Sharks. New York welcomes back former coach David Quinn, who now is behind the bench for San Jose. Quinn’s name is still triggering for much of the Rangers fan base. My view is that while Quinn overcoached and overmanaged at times, he also played a part on the team being ready to take that next step, which occurred when Gerard Gallant took over. Do we get a video tribute?
The lines in practice yesterday is what we should see tonight. The good news is that the top-six looks to be set with Kaako and Alexis Lafreniere looking locked in as the top two right wingers. Ryan Carpenter, who missed Monday’s game after getting cut by Dylan DeMelo’s skate, needing 11 stitches on his neck and four on his ear, was back yesterday. Vitali Kravtsov looks like he will be a healthy scratch but he did skate on the third line yesterday.
Kreider - Zib - Kakko Panarin - Trocheck - Laf Blais - Chytil - Goodrow Vesey - Carpenter - Reaves
Miller - Trouba Lindgren - Fox Jones - Schneider
Shesterkin Halak
Dryden Hunt, who rotated in on the fourth line, was placed on waivers after practice. The rationale for the move is clear, free up more cap space to try and make a run at a bigger addition at the trade deadline. As I noted on the comments to the prior blog, while I understand the move, that’s doesn’t mean I have to like it. New York does have several fourth line candidates in the minors (Rydahl/Gauthier/Brodzinski) and someone will have to come out for Kravtsov, but I thought Hunt had done enough to deserve a spot on the roster. Maybe he passes through and goes to Hartford, but given the low cap hit and utility role Hunt can play, you would think he should be claimed.
If you asked me my opinion as to what the bottom six should be, I would go with Blais-Chytil-Kravtsov and Vesey-Goodrow-Hunt. Carpenter gets his spot because he plays center and has a history with Gallant while Reaves brings a physical presence and also has a history with Gallant. But as I have noted before, giving him a. $1.75 million contract for this year right after the trade made little sense then and less sense now.
What you would like to see tonight is the Blueshirts cleaning up the defensive lapses we saw Monday and against Minnesota. Now both instances came with the team having a big lead, so the concern level is moderate. You would think they should win tonight and have a good chance of notching a victory Sunday against Columbus. After that though is a major step up on class against Colorado, who if you give a inch will tally 5-6 goals easily. Cleaning up the neutral and own zone breakdowns will be imperative to post a win versus the Avalanche.