Christensen Fires Rangers To Another Quality Win

5 goals, 4 at even strength, 3 world class Lundqvist saves, 2 fights, and one penalty shot.   Result = another quality victory (though this one was quality for the last 40-minutes only).  Nice momentum and secondary scoring entering the Olympic break.  Too bad we’re entering the break, injuries aside.  Got to love how the team is slowly starting to come together.  I did crack up, again, when Maloney referred to how the team is learning to grasp Torts’ message that offense will come from good defense.  Isn’t this Renney’s system???  (Sorry for harping on this, but I hate when professional players give up on a coach, especially when it’s such a good guy as Renney.)

Anyway, all things considered, a decent 3/4 of the season for the team.  I’d like to have seen more progress in terms of learning a system (kind of like how the Flyers have taken off) and a better PP, but I’m decently happy with the amount of playing time the youngsters have gotten.  So entering the break I’ve got a few thoughts on what each player needs to do to improve the rest of the way.  I focused on just the non–Olympians, cause if you’re in the Olympics you’ve got to be doing something right already.  Theoretically.

Christensen — confidence
Dubinsky — shoot
Anisimov — energy
Boyle — physicality
Avery — consistency
Prospal — his tan
Prust — convince the coaches you should play over Shelley
Lisin — control while speeding
Voros — fighting
Shelley — getting to know his teammates
Del Zotto — healing (and rest)
Staal — being the “man”
Girardi — clearing the puck
Rozsival — making plays with the puck/confidence with the puck
Gilroy — toughness
Redden — finding the fountain of youth