Bruins-Rangers Preview: Look for a better showing

The New York Rangers take the ice tonight in the second preseason game, smarting from the 4-0 spanking they got from the New York Islanders on Sunday night. While no one connected to the team is reading too much into the loss, if the Rangers don’t play better tonight, it would be cause for concern.

Coach Gallant spoke once again about a need for puck support and the need to play hard.  Talking about puck support he said “We didn’t have enough of that…the big thing is a lot of times, our D turned to put the puck up the ice and we were swinging. We can’t be swinging. We’ve got to get support. We’ve got to move the puck from our D to our forwards. ”

One line that should play against the Bruins will be Artemi Panarin-Ryan Strome-Kaapo Kakko.  it looks like Kakko is going to get a full shot at playing the wing on that line and Gallant was very complimentary about his skill level.   Asked if he complements those two, Gallant said “He’s very capable of being a complete hockey player.  You want him to do a little bit of everything, corner work, go to the front of the net. But also, he’s got a lot of skill for a young player….We want players going to the net, we want pucks going to the net.  When goal scorers score goals that’s where they score a lot of goals.”

He emphasized the “the NHL is all about putting  pucks to the nets, getting people there, screening the goaltender.”  That has to be music to the ears of Ranger fans who have for years complained about the Rangers aversion to standing in front or crashing the net.

The other line that looks to be a sure thing is the Kevin Rooney-Sammy Blais-Ryan Reaves line.  The expectation is that that line will be what Gallant wants, a line that “works hard, competes hard.”

Gallant would  not talk about who would be playing and indicated that some players who saw action in game one could also play in this one.

While the Rangers got off to a good start in the Islanders game, they were soon mired in special teams play and could get no flow going until late in the third period.  They need to stay out of the penalty box, but still play a physical game.  With Blais, Rooney and Reaves in the lineup, that should happen.

About the Bruins

The Bruins made a lot of changes in the off-season. Two long-time Bruins departed with David Krejci going home to the Czech Republic and Tuukka Rask still recuperating from  hip surgery and remaining unsigned.  They didn’t qualify Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie with both signing with Atlantic Division rival Toronto.

To replace them the Bruins signed free agents Nick Foligno, Linus Ullmark, Derek Forbort, Erik Haula and Tomas Nosek. Ullmark will contend for the top goalie role with Jeremy Swayman and Charlie Coyle will move onto the second line to replace Krejci.  Foligno will be a bottom six forward and Forbort should get a lot of minutes on defense while Haula and Nosek will be depth players.  The key signing was retaining Taylor Hall who will play with Coyle and continue to try to revive his career.

Despite the changes, any team that has a top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak has to be reckoned with.  Charlie McAvoy is poised to become one of the top blueliners in the NHL.  Still, the Bruins are in the middle of a remake and how they do this season is anyone’s guess.

The Bruins fielded a lineup that was made up mostly of prospects and wannabes in their 3-2 win over the Capitals on Sunday and they may play more of their veterans against the Rangers. The only player with the Bruins on a Professional Tryout is defenseman Aaron Ness and he didn’t play on Sunday.

In one side note with Ranger connections, former first round pick Dylan McIlrath, now a Capital, got tossed for an illegal check to the head of former Ranger Steven Fogarty, who signed with the Bruins.

McIlrath was given a suspension of two preseason and two regular season games.  The penalty  happened at the start of the third period and Fogarty did not return to the game after the hit.

Roster moves

The Rangers’ training camp roster is down to 45 with Matt Rempe returned to the WHL to play for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL and Karl Henriksson going back to the Swedish Hockey League to play for Frölunda.

Will Cuylle and Brennan Othmann are the two players who still need to be returned to their junior teams and may see action against the Bruins.

Players who should end up in Hartford still in camp include Ty Ronning, Jonny Brodzinski, Tanner Fritz, Tim Gettinger, Austin Reuschhoff and Anthony Greco.

While Lauri Pajuniemi, Justin Richards and Gregg McKegg are ticketed for Hartford, we may see them play against Boston as they contend for a job..

About the game

Gametime is 7pm and it will be televised on the MSG Network and nationally on the NHL Network.  Once again, there will be pregame show on MSG with coverage beginning at 7pm.  After this game, the Rangers next play in Newark on Friday.

Blue Line Station’s live conversation will be up during the game and you can join your fellow Ranger fans and talk about the team and the game.