The Rangers, off their shootout win over the Panthers on Saturday, finish their two-game Sunshine State swing tonight. New York takes a step up in class facing Tampa. The Lightning have six straight wins, 23 victories in 32 games and scored at least five goals 12 times this year. It’s a reunion game once again for Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller (Anton Stralman is out injured) and Vladislav Namestnikov. Following tonight's game, the Rangers are off until Friday when they face Arizona.
Saturday, the Rangers switched up the lines moving Kevin Hayes to right wing on the first line with Ryan Strome shifting to center in place of Hayes on the second line. That switch of Hayes and bolstering of the top line worked well in the first period but struggled and were broken up as the game went on. Coach David Quinn shifted the lines again in practice Sunday and New York looks likely to carry the revised trios into today’s contest.
Vladislav Namestnikov — who returned to action Saturday after being sidelined with a concussion — took Hayes’ spot on the right of Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. With Hayes now moved back to center, Strome shifts to right wing opposite Jimmy Vesey on left wing. As a result of this change, Filip Chytil, who was the second line right wing, shifts down to the line centered by Brett Howden and opposite Jesper Fast while the fourth line remains Steven Fogarty-Lias Andersson-Matt Beleskey.
Quinn and Zib had interesting comments on the Hayes-on-the-wing experiment, possibly meaning we likely will see this again in the not so distant future. As mentioned yesterday, if Hayes can play win New York can give more run, if desired to Chytil and Andersson at center while also determining if Howden, who has struggled since missing a game with an upper body injury, could handle the second line pivot role.
“For sure,’’ Quinn said. “I would feel very comfortable putting [Hayes] on the wing. [If] five, six minutes into a game, you want to go to nine forwards — you shorten your bench and you make that type of move — that’s something I would have no problem doing again in a certain situation.’’
“Obviously, [there are] things to work on. It would be weird if it was perfect the first game we played together,’’ Zibanejad said. “But it’s definitely something I’m really curious about how good it can be.’’
Yesterday, I postulated who would or could be the odd-men out when New York is fully healthy. When Mats Zuccarello, who has missed 12 of 14 games with a groin strain, returns, possibly this upcoming weekend, Fogarty is likely to ride the pine and could go back to Hartford. Pavel Buchnevich, back practicing as he completes the final stages of his recovery from his broken thumb, could play Friday versus Arizona. If that is the case, Matt Beleskey might be the one to sit, but Larry Brooks proposes a different option, Andersson.
As it has been since training camp, the question general manager Jeff Gorton and his staff will confront is whether it is more beneficial for the 20-year-old to get fewer minutes in the NHL or major minutes down below in Hartford.
“We’re assessing that all of the time, and not just with Lias, but all of our young guys,” Gorton told The Post as the Rangers practiced here on Sunday in advance of Monday’s match against the powerhouse Lightning. “But when we are healthy, we will have conversations about where we’re at, and what’s best for him and the team.
“I think overall he’s been effective for us and has helped us. I’m sure he’d like to figure more in the offense, but he’s progressing and he’s playing the right way. I think he’s been pretty good.”
So much of Andersson’s game has been as advertised. He competes like crazy and never takes a shift off. He is fundamentally strong, displays excellent hockey IQ and is tough to play against. In limited opportunities, however, he has not yet displayed above-average skills with the puck. Plus, there is no vacancy in the middle on the club’s top two lines.
When New York gets back to full strength, Quinn will have his hands full with the lines. I expect Strome to be back on the third line, Buch on the first or possibly second so Nam can remain on the first. Zucc either on second or third. Whoever is not sent down ends up on the bottom trio, but I would keep Beleskey, who has played very well, in the lineup.
The defense should once again be Staal-Pionk, Skjei-DeAngelo and Claesson-Shattenkirk. Brendan Smith is unlikely to be ready to return from his upper-body injury while Adam McQuaid maybe a week away from game action. Henrik Lundqvist will be back between the pipes, wearing either his new goalie pads, with wich he was so uncomfortable in against the Panthers, or back to the old stand-bys.
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