A new look for the Rangers top two lines

There will be a new look to the top two lines when the Rangers take on Pittsburgh Friday.  Although David Quinn said that the forward lines he used in practice yesterday were due to injuries, it now looks like he will use them in the Penguins game. Mika Zibanejad will have a new left winger in Alexis Lafrenière and Chris Kreider will shift to the right side.   Pavel Buchnevich will move to the second line playing right wing with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome.

Making this move will hopefully jump start Lafrenière who didn’t have much success playing the right side with Strome and Panarin.   It will also give Panarin a linemate who is off to a hot start. Hopefully the addition of Buchnevich will also give a boost to Strome who has been sleepwalking through this season so far.

David Quinn  was asked if the Buchnevich move was made to spark that line. He said “That’s why we did it…the way Buchie’s been playing s far, competing and playing in all three zones. Obviously he’s got skill to complement those guys as well, it’s worth looking at…we’ll see  how it goes.”

Mika Zibanejad skated in practice and looks ready to go. He said that he feels fine after a hard collision with the boards on Tuesday.

He spoke to reporters about the new line. “It will be fun. I haven’t played with Laffy at all and Kreids is on the right so I’m sure it will take some time.   I’m hoping/thinking it will turn out good.”

When  asked what impresses him about Lafrenière,  Zibanejad said “I think he’s very mature for his age, the speed he plays at and the way he sees the ice. It’s a step up from where he’s been playing, but he’s done a really good job from what I saw.  Maybe a goal will get his confidence up, a little more comfortable…..i really like what I see from him.  He’s a real pro, I m excited to get to play with him. ”

There may be a change on the fourth line now that Kevin Rooney is back from his injury.  Again, it is a question of who sits if he is back in the lineup.  The one candidate is Julien Gauthier since Quinn has been relying on Brett Howden on the penalty kill and he probably won’t sit Brendan Lemieux.

The good news is that Quinn is leaving the Chytil-Kakko-DiGiuseppe line alone as that line has been developing some chemistry.    Some may think that breaking up the chemistry between Zibanejad, Kreider and Buchnevich is a mistake, but for now the moves make sense.

The one issue with the line changes is Kreider moving to the right side.  He played a few games there last season and didn’t impress, but he hasn’t done much at even strength at his normal position.  The power play is clicking, but the Rangers need to figure out how to score five on five.

Robertson and Barron to Hartford

As expected, Morgan Barron and Matthew Robertson were shifted from the taxi squad to report to Hartford’s training camp.

The move makes a lot of sense.  Both rookies got a good taste of the NHL while practicing with the Rangers, but now with Hartford moving ahead with their training camp, it’s time for Barron and Robertson to get some playing time.  Robertson could still return to the Edmonton Oil Kings when the WHL season begins. Both players haven’t competed since March and after a ten month layoff, they need to play.

The Wolf Pack are due to begin their AHL season on Sunday, February 7 against Bridgeport with two preseason games scheduled for the end of this month against the Providence Bruins.  The XL Center in Hartford is currently undergoing renovations so it is unclear if the team will play there.  There won’t be any fans allowed so conceivably they could play in the building during construction.  The work going on now is in the suites area.

Another option is the Freitas Ice Forum on the UConn campus. That’s where the Huskies have been playing their home games instead of the XL arena.  28 teams will be playing in the AHL this season with three teams opting out of the season.

The Wolf Pack will play as one of three teams Atlantic Division along with Bridgeport and Providence.  The AHL has yet to announce the structure for the season.  The Atlantic is the smallest division in the league with two other division boasting as many as seven and eight teams.  If Hartford can only play those two teams, it could get petty ugly early.

The Rangers’ taxi squad is now down to three skaters and a goalie.  Keith Kinkaid is the netminder along with defensemen Libor Hajek and Tony Bitetto and center Colin Blackwell.