The Rangers had a tough SO
loss to the depleted Penguins in a game where they had to expect going in
they would find a way to get two points.
Take nothing away from the Penguins and their effort as they battled in
much the same way the Rangers have, but not getting that extra point and
failing to take advantage of the Pens injury situation hurts New York if they
seek to advance up the standings. On the
bright side they saw the return of Callahan, Dubinsky and Girardi to the lineup
and the point they gained created a little more space between them and both
Atlanta and Carolina.
During the game there was the controversial play in which Jordan
Staal punched Brandon Prust in the jaw with a left. Staal was given a five minute major and a
match penalty which meant his night was done.
My thoughts on the play are in the link along with video of the play. There
will be more on this in the morning.
This morning I discussed Brandon
Dubinsky possibly returning to the lineup and whether it was too soon. Dubinsky did make his return to the lineup, and
the team was certainly not bashful in putting him out there since he played
over 23 minutes on the night. There were
times in the game where he certainly seemed to be in pain/discomfort and it
made me think back to what I said this morning about letting him wait
longer. You can tell me if you agree.
Since Dubinsky was going to be in the lineup the Rangers
sent Evgeny Grachev back to the AHL.
Finally, this afternoon I looked at the return of Ryan
Callahan and exactly what that means to the Rangers both on and off the ice.
