The Night In Video

Recap coming soon:

Dubi Goal 1.



Dubi x 2


EC winner:


Henrik on Sharp breakaway


Hank stones Kopecky w 1 min left


Hanks seals game

New York Rangers vs Chicago Blackhawks Pregame

Rangers (5-4-1) at Chicago (7-5-1)

Key Opposing Player: Patrick Sharp (10-5-15)

Lineup:

Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan

Avery-Boyle-Fedetenko

Frolov-Christensen-Prust

White-Stepan-Grachev

Staal - Rozsival
Del Zotto - Girardi
Gilroy-Sauer

Lundqvist

Biron

(Boogaard appears to be a scratch from morning skate.  Call the defensive change by me a guess that says maybe just maybe Torts talk of wanting Sauer in was genuine and he actually does something about it.)

Injury Updates: Gaborik, Prospal, Drury

Today we have some injury recovery news on all three of the major Rangers who are out of the lineup at the moment; Marian Gaborik, Vinny Prospal and Chris Drury.

Gaborik skated on the ice for the first time since his injury this morning.  He skated for 20-30 minutes alone just getting a feel for being back on the ice and even took some wrist shots.  Gaborik said he is is feeling pretty good but they are not going to rush him back into the lineup and there is no real timetable right now.  I think this is the right move for him as he still has lingering soreness and hasnt regained full range of motion and the last thing this team needs is for him to be rushed back and have a setback.

Gaborik:

“I’ll take it day by day,” Gaborik said. “I don’t want to say there’s a timetable or when I’ll play. (My range) is pretty good, I’ve just got to get it pain free…I’m very anxious. I can’t wait to play but I can’t get ahead of myself. It’s definitely tough to watch.”

Prospal was working with the hand bike but doing no leg work as he works his way back from his recent knee surgery.  He is still probably at least a month away as is Captain Chris Drury who was also lifting weights off ice in his efforts to maintain conditioning

Grachev Staying for Now

As per Jesse Spector, coach John Tortorella has stated that Grachev will be staying in the NHL:

“He’s gonna play,” Tortorella said. “We’re gonna keep him here right now, and I want to see more of him, and hopefully he can keep on growing, and as long as he protects the puck, I think the other parts of his game will come into play because I think he’ll get more minutes.”

Stepan: Is The Hartford Option Viable?

Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images

The fact that Derek Stepan would experience some growing pains at the NHL level is no surprise for me and it is true of nearly all players as they come into the league.  That he has done so to a point where Tortorella even without Drury in the lineup has moved Stepan all the way to the 4^th line and is playing him 10:39, 12:14 and 9:44 the last 3 games does surprise me.  To me from the middle of last week the move is that when Drury comes back if the level of play for Derek doesn’t pick up is sending him down to Hartford.  Heck it is a move that I would suggest if he is going to play 10 minutes a night with at least a decent portion of it on a line with Derek Boogaard and Grachev who isn’t ready for the NHL right now.