For the first time since Game 3 of the season, the Rangers will have their sniper back in the lineup, as Rick Nash returns to action. After missing 17 games due to a concussion suffered off a blow to the head by San Jose's Brad Stuart, Nash comes back to hopefully boost what has been a moribund Rangers offense of late. Beyond the return of Nash, with Chris Kreider, Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin also in the lineup, New York basically has their full complement of forwards for the first time this season.
Coach Alain Vigneault said today that said he was going to try and limit Nash to about 15 minutes of playing time tonight against the Bruins. Typically, Nash will play 18-21 minutes. In addition, it will be interesting to see if the lines that were in place this AM, where Nash skated on Brian Boyle’s right wing along with Carl Hagelin, remain in effect throughout the contest. It's no shock to see Hagelin moved down to the third line based on his recent struggles, especially as he was benched for half the second period against LA. In addition, we had spoken about easing Nash back into action, which is what AV is doing. I would suspect that this combination could be broken up during the game, or if not, by Thursday against Dallas.
As Andrew Gross points out, "for Nash, this will mark his first game at Madison Square Garden since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal against the Bruins," since New York started the season playing nine games on the road. What may be a bigger point was highlighted by Larry Brooks today, which is protecting Nash at all costs.
I quote Brooks: "So here is Code Blueshirt: Everybody who is on the ice with Rick Nash from this moment forward has to be willing to take a game misconduct at all times." I am sure part of this notion is due to Nash's first concussion last year when Milan Lucic drove his head into the glass while finishing a check. The Rangers allowed Lucic to run roughshod on them, and Nash in Game 5, in the playoffs last season with little push back. I don't necessarily advocate trading or signing someone to be the goon to protect them, as Brooks writes, but I also agree that the Rangers need to stop the liberties taken to Nash and especially Henrik Lundqvist.
With this trio together combined with the scratching of JT Miller, the lines today in practice were:
Brad Richards was on a trio with Chris Kreider and Benoit Pouliot Derick Brassard centered Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Callahan Dominic Moore, Derek Stepan and Derek Dorsett were together
What I would expect, beyond the current Nash trio, is:
Pouliot-Richards-Callahan Kreider-Stepan-Zuccarello Moore-Brassard-Dorsett
Of course, when Nash is moved back up, replace Pouliot with Nash, play Hagelin with Brassard and Pouliot, though I would scratch him and play Miller and then have Moore-Boyle-Dorsett as the fourth line. I know Kreider and Zucc have failed to convert the chances they have created, but because they continue to generate those opportunities, until someone else steps up to finish them, I would keep the trip together. If they are unable to score moving forward, you can put Nash on that line, move Hagelin up, despite him being better defensively in general than Zucc, and shift Zuccarello down, but I have a hunch that the lines I proposed above will get lots of chances to stick together. In addition, I have less than no interest in Martin Havlat, who the Ottawa Sun reports today the Rangers asked about and who was a healthy scratch Friday. Thanks, I'll pass.
Based on what AV said today, I would expect Miller back in Thursday against Dallas, "J.T. the last couple of games has played good but for tonight we just feel that the best lineup for us against the Bruins would be the lineup that we’re dressing. He’s going to play in the near future but just not tonight. I’ve seen what we expected, a young player with his upside to continue to work on his game and continue to get better and every day and every game we’re evaluating him and where he stands and what’s best for the team, first, and what’s best for him also. Tonight we’re going in a direction where he’s not playing but we’ll see what happens going after that."
The Rangers will face former Blueshirt Chad Johnson tonight. Of course, that sends chills up and down every Rangers fan, given the team's past history of making back-ups look like Dominik Hasek in his prime. In addition, scratched again will be Michael Del Zotto, as Justin Falk has done little to cede his lineup spot and actually has played pretty well in his stead. The two ways I can see MDZ getting back in is if Falk has a major faux pas or AV decides to shift things up, especially if the PP struggles tonight against Boston.
Tonight should be a fun night at MSG. Of course, this was the game I had selected to buy tickets from a season-ticket holder and reader of the blog. But, I am in DC on vacation with my wife, a few blocks from the Verizon Center but been rocking my Rangers cap all day long.
Hopefully the Rangers make Nash's return a good one, and if AV has a sense of the dramatic, the Nash line should open the game.
Let's Go Rangers!!!