NY Rangers Practice News 10-17-2010: Lines, D-Pairs, Call-ups

According to Andrew Gross and Jesse Spector the lines at Rangers practice today were as follows:

Frolov-Stepan-Fedotenko

Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan

Avery-Boyle-Prust

Boogaard-Christensen-White

My take on the lines, the projected D-pairs and other thoughts inside.

On Forward Lines:

• Could be semantics but I would have made the Dubi-AA-Cally line my top line both because they have been the team’s best line and they are the most talented line we have right now.


• I don’t get moving Prust up to the 3^rd line with a healthy Erik Christensen and White in the lineup.


• Christensen while not the best or most consistent player is better than a 4^th liner in that lineup, so not sure if he is being punished for telling the media he wasn’t ready when Torts was telling them all he was or not.  If this is any indication when they get healthy EC has a lot of work to do to just be dressed.  Putting him on a line with Boogaard is asking for him to fail.

Lines I would use:

Dubinsky-AA-Callahan

Avery-Stepan-Fedetenko

Frolov-EC/Boyle (either can play center or wing)

Boogaard-White-Prust

On Defense:

AGrossRecord For #NYRangers, today's lines will be used to start tomorrow vs. #Avalanche. D-pairs stay same: Staal-Rozsival, DZ-Girardi, Gilroy-Eminger

• Torts still will not split the top 4 pairs and to me Colorado while having talent in more than one like you must play Staal-Girardi vs Galiardi-Stastny-Stewart


• Girardi and MDZ played better in the last game but they are still giving up too many chances as a pair.  Let all four of them go back with the ones they are more comfortable with and see what happens, not like we can give up more goals.


• I dont know what Michael Sauer did to Torts but to watch the other night and think both Gilroy and Eminger played better than Sauer did in his two games is tough to believe.  Don’t know if this is about Gilroy telling reporters he lost confidence so Torts is throwing him out there again, but Sauer should be playing.

The assumption among many Ranger fans is that callus were coming and while I still think they will eventually, I did figure we would play vs Colorado with what was here as long as EC could make 12 forwards.  If they struggle tomorrow I would expect a move like MZA or maybe Weise since both can play the right side.