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Rangers face Devils, a few points to watch, injury update |
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The Rangers play their third of sixth pre-season and first of back-to-back contests tonight at home against the Devils. New York fell 3-0 on Boston but defeated the Islanders 4-2 on Tuesday. The Blueshirts are on the Island tomorrow, then face the Devils on the road next Wednesday and Bruins at home to close out the pre-season next Thursday.
Lines:
Kreider - Zibanejad - Lafreniere
Cuylle - Brodzinski - Kakko
Othmann - Bonino - Wheeler
Blidh - Henriksson - Belzile
Miller - Fox
Gustafsson - Schneider
Jones - Emberson
Shesterkin
Domingue
A few items stand out and are areas to watch:
1) Mika Zibanejad, who was injured in the scrimmage Sunday and practiced in a regular jersey Tuesday, is in the lineup. We get a look at what might be the first line to start the season with Alexis Lafreniere to his right. Coach Peter Laviolette is going Laf a true chance at right wing in training camp and pre-season. A strong showing could enable him to open the year there.
2) Jonny Brodzinski continues to build off the solid year he had in Hartford last season. He is fighting a numbers game but could get a look see if a fourth line center is needed.
3) Will Cuylle has had a strong training camp. I would give him the edge over Brennan Othmann if one was going to make the team, partially based on the time he spent in Hartford and the cup of coffee he had last season. No reason to rush either one of them at this point. If Cuylle makes the team, it has to be as the third line left winger as playing him on the fourth line makes no sense. What that means for Jimmy Vesey if Goodrow-Bonino-Pitlick is the fourth line remains to be seen.
4) Despite what I said in #2, if Othmann goes out tonight and plays as he did Sunday, he could change some minds. What we notice about Othmann and Cuylle and Adam Sykora is they each play with an edge and physically. That was a quotient lacking in the past and is not a problem now.
5) Our first game action look at K’Andre Miller and Adam Fox. Offensively, I expect to see chemistry and attacking through the neutral zone. What I need to see is good communication and handoffs defensively, which is has been an issue for Miller and Jacob Trouba. We know how good the Ryan Lindgren- Fox pairing has been and how comfortable Fox is with Lindgren. This means Miller needs to show this duo would make sense, the same with Lindgren-Trouba.
6) Erik Gustafsson had a strong game Sunday and already has a comfort factor with Laviolette who coached him last season in Washington. He gets the first chance to skate opposite Braden Schneider in what could be the third pair to open the season. Zac Jones saw copious minutes Sunday and gets another opportunity to impress. He is likely penciled in as the seventh d-man since he would need to pass through waivers to be sent which is highly unlikely to happen.
7) PP1: Fox, Zib, Cuylle, Laf and Kreider
Cuylle getting a real chance to impress with first unit PP deployment.
PP2: Miller, Brodzinski, Othmann, Wheeler and Kakko
Miller at point and not Jones or Gustafsson. Kakko gets to use his improved strength in front of the net.
On the injury front, Artemi Panarin, who sat out the prior practice with a lower-body injury, was on the ice with the Rangers’ non-game group. A pretty good indication that the injury was not major as reported. On the flip side, per Mollie Walker, Laviolette said Filip Chytil, who left Tuesday’s practice with an upper body injury, will be day-to-day for probably a few more days, but the coach doesn’t sound overly concerned. Talk to me if by Monday he is not on the ice in a regular jersey, then I will be concerned.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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