“It’s gonna be good to play a hockey game”

It’s clear that this extended break is wearing on the New York Rangers.  They’ve practiced every day this week except one and they are raring to get back in action this Saturday against Edmonton.

No major lineup changes are expected when the New York Rangers finally get back into action on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.  It’s a 1pm start for the Blueshirts who will play their first game in eight days.

Day games were not kind to the Rangers last season.  They played 11 matinees and won only three of them.  They did lose five in overtime, but it’s clear that there’s something about day games that the Rangers didn’t like.

David Quinn said what everyone has been thinking after the fourth day of practice: “It’s gonna be good to play a hockey game.”

He also said that there will be no lineup changes except for Greg McKegg going into the lineup to replace the traded Vlad Namestnikov.   He was complimentary about McKegg saying “He plays at a pace, he’s an honest player he has had success in this league at that role.  He’s coachable.  Tell him something once, he does it.  He’s been in this league long enough to know what it takes to have success.”

He also said that he plans no changes  on the defense and the Jacob Trouba with Libor Hajek pairing and Brady Skjei with Adam Fox will be in action again.  He wasn’t willing to concede that the new pairings were the reason for improvement.  “Everybody was a little bit better.  Was it just because they played better or the pairings…too early to tell Maybe splitting up the two young kids and putting them with those guys made their game a little bit better.  We’ll find out.”

Regarding the second line, he complimented Chris Kreider and said that Ryan Strome has to be better and the center knows it.  He criticized the line for a lack of quickness. “There’s too much hesitation and there’s got to be a little more quickness in their recognition of when to go north, but not just throw the puck, carry it.,,,there’s too much circling,  (they’re) not physical around the puck enough.”

Alumni notes

J.T. Miller has gotten off to a great start with the Vancouver Canucks with a goal and four assists in three games. He’s playing on the top line with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser and is developing some chemistry with his linemates.

Neal Pionk is averaging 25 minutes a game on the top defensive pairing for the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets’ defense has been hammered with Pionk’s partner Josh Morrissey the latest to be sidelined.  He has two goals and an assist in three games.

Kevin Hayes has finally gotten the number one center slot he has always wanted in between Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek.  He has scored one goal in the two games the undefeated Flyers have played.

Vlad Namestnikov got an assist in his debut with the Ottawa Senators.  He’s playing left wing on the second line with Artem Anisimov and Connor Brown.

Kevin Shattenkirk has something to prove and has two goals and an assist in three games.  He’s still a minus one on the season.  If you want to see what the Rangers thought they were getting when they signed him, check out this goal he scored against the Maple Leafs:

With his two goals, Shattenkirk has equaled the total he scored in 76 games for the Blueshirts last season.  At $1.75 million he is a bargain for the Lightning.  At $6.65 million for the Rangers, he was  grossly overpaid.

Finally, Jimmy Vesey is scoreless in four games. but is plus two and  is contributing on the checking line.

Other notes

Still no word on whether K’Andre Miller will play in Wisconsin’s season opener against Boston College Friday.  He was suspended for violating a team regulation, but has been practicing with the team.  The University newspaper reported that he will be playing, but there’s been no confirmation from the hockey program.

The Wisconsin hockey team has been bolstered by the addition of Alex Turcotte, Cole Caufield, Owen Lindmark and Dylan Holloway with Turcotte and Caufield  first round draft picks. Look for Miller to have a big year with the new offensive guns on the team.