Prust Playing Through Pain, Should He Sit To Get Healthy?

Brandon Prust has not been playing well recently to the point that he found himself on the fourth line Friday against Carolina.  The Rangers forward had a breakout season last year using his toughness and forechecking ability to become a critical part of the surprising success the team had.  It has been clear that he has been playing through pain recently with the number of days he has missed practice, but coach John Tortorella comfirmed that to Blueshirts United.

"This spread schedule hopefully is going to help him. We're trying to get him healthy, and Prust is a big part of our team, and he has struggled. I believe he has struggled, on the ice, because he's banged up. We just need to get him healthy."

The Rangers schedule helps Prust the next couple weeks with only two games in until the 23rd, so that will reduce the pounding on his body, but maybe the best way to use this lull in the schedule is actually to sit Prust in those two games and have him come back having had two weeks off to rest and recover.  It is unlikely Prust would actually sit considering what he played through last season, but it might be what is best for him.

Bruins' Lucic Runs Sabres' Miller Leading To Miller Calling Lucic "Gutless" (w/video)

Milan Lucic plays a physical brand of hockey and has the size that makes all hits with him painful for the opposition.  Now imagine him with a full head of steam rolling over a goaltender and you have what happen to Sabres' goaltender Ryan Miller late in the first period Saturday night.  Lucic blew what should have been an easy breakaway chance by fumbling the puck too far ahead and instead of dealing with the fact he screwed up, he decided he was going to freight train through Miller.




No Sabres responded on the ice, but Miller had plenty to say after the game.  John Vogl of the Buffalo News tweeted out the following from Miller:

"I just stuck around because I wanted to say what a piece of [feces] I think Lucic is. Fifty pounds on me, and he runs me like that? It's unbelievable. Everyone in this city see him as a big, tough, solid player. I respected him for how hard he plays. That was gutless. Gutless. Piece of [feces]."

Miller went after his own team for their lack of response as well and he is absolutely right they should have gone after Lucic to send a message that it was unacceptable.  Lucic while denying it was intentional after the game said that if it had happened to a Bruins goaltender they would have responded while Buffalo didn't.

Video: Dubinsky First Goal of Season, Complete With Prospal-esque Celebration

Sean Avery Reminds Us How Important He Can Be For Rangers

Last night Sean Avery showed just how effective he can be for the New York Rangers.  In the end he was not the star of the show as Brandon Dubinsky scoring his first goal of the year took away much of the spotlight, but Avery was the Rangers best forward for two periods.  Avery provided energy when much of the lineup was lacking it, scored a beautiful goal top shelf over Cam Ward and drew two penalties.  Avery was so good that he saw time with Brad Richards in the third period and reminded all Rangers fans why his army was so adamant to have him back.  The boxscore says that Avery only played 10:06, but his impact and effectiveness on each shift certainly made it seem like he was out there for significantly more time.

As someone who has taken the tact that the impact of #16 has been overstated to this point it was a pleasure to see him be a key player at MSG again.  For his sake and the Rangers let us hope that he can keep up that level because while the 5-1 final overshadows some of the importance to his goal and effort, those who watched know just how important Avery was to the Rangers maintaining their win streak.

Welcome Back Dubinsky

Chris Trotman/Getty Images

It took a lot longer than anyone expected, but New York Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky has finally tallied his first goal of the season.  The level of relief on the face of Dubinsky immediately following the puck hitting the back of the net showed just how much the drought was weighing on the 25-year-old forward.  As he said postgame

“Picture’s worth a thousand words, isn’t that the phrase? If you take a still shot of me with my head back, my arms up, it was just like ‘mercy, finally, thank God. Something gave.’ That’s what you need,” Dubinsky said. “Puck going off my butt or something, it was pretty dang close with a puck on my stick and an empty net in front of me 15 feet away.”

For some the tally will validate Dubinsky’s effort on the evening, but for those who understand the way the team needs him to play the Rangers fourth goal was even better. Dubinsky’s work along the way fighting off multiple defenders, drawing a penalty and then getting the puck to the front of the net in what was eventually Ryan Callahan’s goal off a scramble was pure Dubinsky at his best.  That is the kind of work that Dubinsky has been doing for much of the early season, but the focus has been on the zero he had in the goal department.  Now that he has broken the seal, look for Dubinsky to go on a run here as he has always been streaky when it comes to goal scoring.

There is no denying that the Rangers need Dubinsky to be a part of the goal scoring if they are to maintain their current level in the standings, but they need him to play the way he has even more.  Goals will come and go as you will get lucky on a few and lose some you certainly deserve, but the effort is what makes Dubinsky the player he is; the vital part of the Rangers core.

His position in the core of the team was stunningly evident with the pure joy of everyone else on the ice the moment he scored and as they continued to mob him along the wall afterwards.  The crowd joined in providing arguably the loudest cheer of the season to let the forward know the love never left even if his goal scoring did to start the season.

Four Goal Third Sends Rangers To Sixth Straight Win

The New York Rangers rode a four goal third period to win their sixth straight win, 5-1 over the Carolina Hurricanes. Dan Girardi scored on the power play at 10:47 to break a 1-1 tie. Just nine seconds later Brandon Dubinsky scored his first of the season. The look of relief on his face was great and to see how happy all his teammates were tells what he means in the room.

Callahan sealed the deal with a goal off a scramble in front. The goal might be credited to Callahan, but Dubinsky's work along the boards created the goal.

Brad Richards finished the four-goal period when Cam Ward botched handling the puck leaving an empty .net with 1:34 left.

Sean Avery scored a beautiful goal in the first and played an excellent overall game.

Alexei Ponikarovsky had the lone goal for the Hurricanes following a bad defensive play by Michael Del Zotto.

• Stepan-Anisimov-Gaborik did not get on the scoresheet tonight, but they were dangerous all night.
• Girardi played another excellent game tonight.
• Richards vision was on display tonight with Girardi's goal and his hustle to take advantage of the brain cramp by Ward was important
• Lundqvist never had to make the huge save tonight, but he was very solid all night.

Despite Injury To Marc Staal, Eric Did Nothing Wrong

There seems to be a sentiment running through at least part of the New York Rangers fan community that booing Eric Staal or even a Rangers’ player going after him is warranted when the Rangers take on the Hurricanes tonight.  Neither is deserved nor will it do anything to get Marc Staal back on the ice any sooner.  You can play up the hit as much as you like Larry Brooks of the NY Post did in his column this morning, but it was a legal check that unfortunately had a bad result for Marc.  From Brooks…

But it will be Eric, the concussing captain of the Hurricanes and not Marc, the concussed alternate captain of the Rangers, who has been sidelined all year in the aftermath of the unbrotherly blow he sustained in Carolina on Feb. 22 of last season.

That’s where older brother, Eric, who leveled his younger brother with a mean, high, albeit not penalized hit at 19:10 of the second period of that fateful game in Raleigh, visited Marc this week after the Hurricanes played in New Jersey on Tuesday.

These statements are geared at creating a sense of hatred towards Eric that is not truly deserved.  Dan Girardi had it right when he told Andrew Gross of The Record

"It’s kind of a weird situation," said Dan Girardi, Marc Staal’s longtime defense partner. "We’ll see how it goes on the ice. It was a freak thing. Obviously, it was not his intent to injure him."

Those looking to damn Eric for the result instead of the play itself have the wrong perspective here.  If it had be a dirty hit, then I would be all for booing him, though never intentionally look to injure anyway, but that is not the case here.  Eric made the play he is supposed to make against any opponent in the NHL and the Rangers will do the same to him tonight.  You hit hard and clean while hoping the results are not what Marc is currently fighting.

According to Pat Leonard of the Daily News, Paul Maurice does not believe Eric was actually the one who concussed Marc.

"It was a clean hit, & his brother came back & played, so to me, he's not the reason there's a concussion."

While I am against booing Eric for the result of his hit, this faulty logic by Paul Maurice deserves to get severely booed.  Just because Marc played after the hit does not mean he did not get a concussion from the hit.

Richards Failing To Pay Dividends For Rangers?

Rapid reactions to moves made over the summer are part of the way the sports world operates so it is not surprising that TSN took a look at the best and worst unrestricted free agent moves of the summer thus far.  It is also not surprising that is numbers that become the focal point of assessing impact on the team, and accordingly they viewed Brad Richards move to the Rangers as not paying off for the New York Rangers.

"The biggest free agent in the pond this summer was forward Brad Richards, who made a high profile move from Dallas to the New York Rangers. He was expected to drive their offence but the 31-year-old has given New York less than a point per game and has just four goals in 13 contests."

I was having a similar conversation to this yesterday about whether the Richards signing was truly necessary with what Derek Stepan and Artem Anisimov have shown with Marian Gaborik in the last few days.  However, that conversation was not about whether Richards has disappointed, but if the investment long-term was one the Rangers needed to make.  Personally the jury is still out on that one, but in the early going his impact has been what was to be expected, even if more off the ice than on it.

While it is true that Richards has less than a point per game, recording four goals and six assists in 13 contests, to argue that he has been a disappointment is inaccurate in terms of the Rangers needs.  The “analysis” is also superficial in arguing that point, especially goals, are the key to determining impact.  There is no arguing right now about how influential Richards has been with Stepan and Del Zotto in helping them advance their respective games early in the season.  Stepan gets to learn from and talk with a playmaking center who has been at the highest levels in this league.  Del Zotto gets the pressure taken off him to be the savior as power play quarterback and allowed to just use his offensive instincts more freely while learning how to better play that role.  Those things cannot be quantified by looking at Brad Richards statistics alone and are invaluable adds to the Rangers organization.

Photo: Artem Anisimov Wearing Broadway Hat

Pat Leonard posted this picture of Artem Anisimov wearing the Broadway Hat after tonight's 3-2 win.

Rangers Ride GAS Line To Fifth Straight Win

The New York Rangers extended their winning streak to five with a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.  Marian Gaborik had two goals, Derek Stepan had a goal and two assists, and Anisimov was credited for two assists.  While Gaborik and Stepan will draw most of the headlines it was Anisimov who was the critical piece to all three goals the line generated.  

The Senators took the lead 8:39 into the second period Milan Michalek converted on a 3-on-2 with a beautiful shot over Lundqvist shoulder.  The Rangers responded with the tying goal just 42 seconds later when Stepan found Gaborik for the practically open net.  Michael Sauer started the play with a strong play in the neutral zone and then Artem Anisimov’s hustle on the forecheck caused a turnover by Sergei Gonchar to Stepan.  

Stepan would give the Rangers the lead 2:17 later when his pressure on David Runblad led to a chance for Anisimov.  After Anderson stopped Anisimov, Stepan slid the loose puck in on the backhand.

Gaborik picked up his second of the game 8:30 into the third with a beautiful shot over Anderson’s shoulder.  Once again it was Anisimov making the smart play defensively that ultimately created the offensive chance.  The goal gave the Rangers a cushion they would need as Nick Foligno scored to cut it to 3-2 with 10:12 left.

• Overall the Rangers were outplayed, but when you have a line going like the top line was tonight, and has been, you can steal these types of games.