Rangers Rested For Overworked Isles

The Islanders may be 3-0 against the Rangers so far this year, but the deck is stacked against them as they make their second visit to the Garden tonight. After a light early season schedule, the Isles will be playing their fifth game in the last seven days today -- the Rangers by contrast are playing their third, coming off three full days off. The well-rested Rangers should not only be able to take advantage of the fact that the Isles played last night, they may also benefit from a bit of an Islander hangover from beating the league-leading (though recently slumping) Ottawa Senators in a shootout -- or if not a hangover, at least some slight dampening of the extra spirit the Isles usually bring to contests against the Rangers.

Of course, the usual caveats apply for the Rangers -- they need goals, goals from their silenced guns, goals from their power play. And in addition to that, they need to find a way to win without the passion Sean Avery usually adds to their game. Avery will undergo surgery on his left wrist this evening just as the Rangers are getting to play. Marcel Hossa will skate in his place on the second line, according to reports from today's morning skate in Rangers Report and Blue Notes. Marek Malik will be a healthy scratch. Petr Prucha will join the top power play unit, with Martin Straka dropping back to the point, and Ryan Callahan will return and might see some power play duty as well. Brandon Dubinsky was seen limping today with an ice pack on his knee, but he insisted he was OK.

See reports on Avery in the Daily News, Journal News, Newsday, Times, and Post. Newsday and NYR.com have game previews. Henrik Lundqvist is the co-subject of pair of articles -- in Newsday, his rivalry with the Isles' Rick DiPietro, and at NHL.com, his relationship with his twin brother Jor-el. NYR.com has more on the coaches' forum with fans. Prospect Park names the Rangers prospect of the week -- David Skokan.

Comments

[ant]

Im happy to see pruchs on the 1st line but i wouldnt mind seeing drury centering it not Dubi

[cwede]

the Jor-el spelling? - is that a Superman joke?

[Dubi]

No, that's just a dumb joke -- someone called him Joel the other day, but on TV they were calling him Jo-el, so I said that, and the other guy thought I was saying Jor-el, so I write it that way now to emphasize that I'm calling him Jo-el not Joel (although to be true to the Swedish pronunciation it would actually be Yo-el).

[i]

Why Straka on the point when he can't shoot? What are the 2 PP units?

[The Other Ryan]

Why is Hossa on the 2nd line? Put Callahan there!

[ant]

I think cally would play better with dru and pru connection.

[Colorado Mark]

Ant- Pruchs will be on the first Power Play unit, not the first line.

[ThisYearsModel]

Avery is out, Marcel Hossa will take his place. THAT is all you need to read. Why on earth does this stiff continue to get these chances?

[Tom]

so what do our lines look like altogether?

Straka-Dubi-Jagr
Hossa-Gomez-Shanny
Cally-Dury-Prucha
hollweg-Betts-Orr

If Dawes was where Hossa is(why he plays instead of Dawes I wish someone could explain to me) i'd agree with those lines completely...

[Rob]

Tom,

Could not agree with you more...
They have to sit hossa in favor of Dawes at some point. I have written this into Al and Stan a couple of times, I would like to see Cally play with Gomez and Shanny and Dawes with Drury and Pruchs. Cally is our closest answer to Gionta in terms of skating, speed and shot and he would mesh well with Gomez...

[joeymole]

THANKS DUBI ~ for all your latest posts, especially the jagr interview. real nice work and greatly appreciated.

seems like the theme for this whole regular season may well be the changes and inconsistency that injuries cause on the (rangers) team. hopefully this story line will change after the all-star break but the rangers (regular lines, pp teams, etc.) seem to be in a constant state of change.

again i admit to being a hossa fan but as stated by many recently how many chances can this guy get before he's dealt to another team to give it a go? maybe he should be dealt to atlanta to chill out with his brother for a while.

the islanders still playing with great confidence, especially after beating the no. 1 team in the east last night. so unless we exploit their weak d, get some early goals and stifle their no. 1 line it's gonna be tough to beat this team. still waiting for rangers to take the isles down a few notches.....

LETS GO RANGERS!

[lennynyr]

Both Moore and Dawes should be in there with Hollweg and Orr out. Dawes should be in Hossa's place, Hossa and Moore should be in Hollweg and Orr's place.

Disappointing!! :)

[Ryan]

I've always liked Hossa, but I find it astounding that he's being given another chance on a scoring line. What was it, 14 games on the first line without even a point? He should be on the third line at best. That way he's not under the same pressure to score and he can go about doing what he does best - killing penalties. Although he's not too defensively sound, I think Dawes should have been brought up..

[Ryan]

Lenny,

Agree with you about Dawes in Hossa's place, and Hossa in Hollweg's but in my mind you've got to leave Orr in the lineup especially when that idiot Simon's playing. For pretty much every game I'd like Orr in there though. Need that guy who keeps the other team from even starting something.

[Vishnu]

The lines below might seem a bit radical, but Avery's injury gives us a chance to try some things.

Prucha - Straka - Jagr : Bring back the Czechmates
Drury - Gomez - Shanny : Old school, North American line
Cally - Dubi - Dawes : Hartford line
Hossa - Betts - Hollweg/Orr

Will never happened, but I really want to see Prucha crashing the net while Straka and JJ play their puck possession game.

[lennynyr]

Ryan, Moore is a pretty big guy. Don't know about his fighting ability but he hits. True, you take out the best fighter (Orr) but you are adding speed plus some offensive ability and also a gain defensively. All that worth more than fighting ability in my opinion.

[Matty is off to nap]

Nothing will be disappointing tonight as long as we get the W ... imo ...

Go Rangers!

[Ryan]

Lenny,

Orr's not just about fighting ability though. He has the ability to stop people from going after our players based soully on the fact that they could have to deal with Orr. Our opponents know when Colton Orr is playing. Can't forget that game against Philly last year. Moore's a better player but he didn't strike me as a fighter, or at least an intimidating one. And I don't think we really need the defensive help at the moment. We may not be scoring, but defensively we're rather good. Also, what offensive help Moore could provide would be rather minimal playing 4th line minutes. I'd rather have him playing big minutes in Hartford then 5-10 here.

[Ryan]

Oh, and couldn't agree more Matty!

[Dubi]

Re: Colton Orr -- Let's see a show of hands, how many of your are getting sick of all the complaints posted on this and other Ranger boards about the opposition freely running the Rangers this season? OK... OK... Hmm, I don't see a single hand in the air. That's because there have been zero complaints about the Rangers getting run like they used to. That's because the Rangers aren't getting run like they used to. In fact, no one has run a Ranger since, hmm, let me see -- since Colton Orr sent Todd Fedoruk to the hospital with one punch.

Folks, discuss the removal of Colton Orr from the line-up all you like. Knock yourselves out. But don't expect him to miss a game until the second round of the playoffs. Tom Renney said he will never make that mistake again, and if you disagree with him, all I can say is go tell it to the mountain.

As for Hossa vs. Dawes -- Complain all you want, but until Renney trusts Dawes in every situation, he will rely on Hossa for his size and defense. You're barking up the wrong tree criticizing Renney for not trusting Dawes -- it's up to Dawes to round out his game, with the help of the coaching staffs in Hartford and New York.

[lennynyr]

Seems to me definitely a different standard regarding Dawes vs Hossa. Since Renney is a defensive minded coach, he is going to go longer with that type of player more than he is with just an offensive minded player. Another bad mark against Renney.

[lennynyr]

Hossa doesn't have to worry about rounding out his game to stay on the top three lines, how come Dawes does??

[lennynyr]

Good points made about keeping Orr in the lineup. I'm more concerned about Hossa on the 3rd line instead of the 4th.

[Rob]

Dubi,

I see your point, but it wasnt Dawes out there getting beat off the faceoff, costing us a goal. With all the defensive first players we have, whats wrong with someone who puts a little offense first? Im not saying we should play run and gun style hockey, but Renney keeps beating team defense into these guys and I think its making oour offensive guys play a bit more timid....

[Rob]

There is definitely a double standard when it comes to Hossa and Dawes and I cant figure out why. Like I posted the other day in response to a Daily news article, I am starting to understand what Hossa might be doing "off the ice" that keeps him in the lineup. Who says Renney isnt the second coming of Mike Keenan...

[rangerbill94]

All the concern about Hossa, who's on what line, why isn't Dawes here...none of that matters. Remember "Where's the Beef?", well I want to know "Where's the Passion?". If this team comes out at plays the "rope-a-dope game and does so without any passion, we will loose. This is our BIGGEST RIVAL, PLAY LIKE IT!!!!

[NCSteve]

Lookin' forward to tonight's game after the layoff. Great to see the Rangers' depth making a contribution, not just in the attack but in our own end as well. I agree with those who question Hossa, but from Dubi's excellent account from the coaches' interviews, it sounds like the Rangers are willing to continue to work with Hossa and fine tune his offensive skills as he continues to contribute defensively. I think he's worth sticking with.

Also, I am looking forward to more TOI for Prucha. The man is a force and has been the heart and soul of the team. His ever-present all-out effort continues to inspire and amaze. I would like to see him in front with Jagr and Straka. Seems obvious to me.

That leaves Drury and Shanahan with Gomez (??), the third line with Hossa-Dubi-Callahan, and Hollweg-Betts-Orr on the fourth.

Man, this is tough. Good luck, coach!

[ant]

Dubi i dont think Orr will be out of line up period.1st round 2nd round dont matter every team has a player that wouldnt mind laying Jags or one of our stars knowing that the only people he gonna have to answer to will eb Holly or SHanny

[Ryan]

Wow, tsn has us ranked #3 in their power rankings

[paulf]

Lenny, you need a lesson in logic. You say Renney is a defensive coach, so he chooses a defensively responsible player before someone whose defense is not acceptable.

Like it or not, that is prefectly consistent, the exact opposite of a double-standard. Anyone who wants to play for the Rangers MUST be up to par defensively. That's the bottom line.

I'm disappointed in Hossa's production this season, I thought he would develop his offense. He hasn't. But he doesn't hurt the team, he leads it in +/- the last I checked. If he doesn't start scoring, he will be reglegated to the fourth line or bench, but not until OTHER YOUNGSTERS ARE READY.

[lennynyr]

Paulf, as long as Renney has 2-way players. I totally agree with you but when he has a 1-way player like Hossa, I don't.

Unless you want to argue that Hossa is a 2-way player, do you??

[i]

Is Jagr really a two way player, or trying his best to be defensively responsible? And could it be affecting his offensive game?

[Dubi]

Double standard? "Off the ice"? The standard has always been consistent -- you gotta play defense. Dawes wasn't producing enough offense to justify his defensive weaknesses. Hossa is an interchangeable part for Renney -- one who goes to the press box when everyone is healthy, or when Dawes, a developing player who is still learning the game, is ready for his next chance. There is no mystery here, folks. The real mystery has nothing to do with Hossa and Dawes -- it has to do with Jagr, Drury, Gomez, and Shanahan.

[lennynyr]

OK I'll make a promise to all of you. If Hossa contributes and leads the Rangers to victory tonight, my lips are frozen regarding Hossa playing on an offensive line, but if the Rangers lose. and especially if Hossa being there is the cause, I'll be all over Renney. Fair enough??

[SamM]

lol.

what an offer...hmmm

[SamM]

would a Hossa's secondary assist which leads the rangers in victory count?

(that counts as a contribution right? haha)

[Jameson]

Hossa is a lot more sound defensively than Dawes...he might have a few ugly plays that lead to goals but overall he's solid, I mean he's an effective penalty killer. Dawes is nothing near that.

And I can't get over how up in arms everyone is about Hossa playing on the 2nd line. I'm more concerned with the way our stars aren't scoring than Marcel Hossa getting a chance to play on the 2nd line. Nigel Dawes needs to work on things, that's why he's in Hartford. Now if you want to make the argument that Prucha or Callahan should be on the 2nd line, I completely agree with you.

[rangerbill94]

lenny, if the Rangers loose, it WILL be Hossa'a fault, simply because he was out there and not Avery or Dawes or anybody other then him!

[Greg L.]

go HOSSA GO GO GO , do it buddy , i know you can , this is chance to show people ...and for Jagr , hes gonna have a great game!!!! RD cant stop all those shots like last time !! BTW im Back!!! i was gone fer a while , Rangers lost , i was sulking..GO GO GO GO RANGERS!!!!

[czechthemout!!!!!]

Yes Tom Renney's brilliance never stops.Marcel Hossa on the second line,Callahan on the third,brilliant.Martin Straka who can't shoot on the point during the powerplay,something that has been tried and failed over and over again,pricless.

Nigel Dawes "working" on some parts of his game in hartford,Marcel zero goals Hossa "working"on his game on the second line in the nhl,just bizzare.

When you have trouble scoring goals,you don't put out a lineup
with one third of the forwards having scored ONE GOAL between them.Nigel Dawes has more goals at this point in the season than Marcel Hossa will score in total this year.

[Greg L.]

...oh yeah RangerRick , i mean Bill ....i didnt like yer 1 post the other day about Jagr ....I know the team could go on with out him ....but the way your talking , like he sulking ..and tell him to stop wanting this N that ..He brings CHARACTER , He is a Vet , and a high quality Vet at that . He lost a step , big deal . When all our players can't score , who always comes up with the Play or the Goal ??..Jagr !!! Stop knocking our captain , i'd follow anything Jagr wanted . To me hes still MARIO JR . :)

[czechthemout!!!!!]

To all those Marcel Hossa defenders who bring up his "wonderfull"defesive prowess,just watch his "great"defensive skill in the last icelander game,and remember that in hockey you still need to score more than the other team to win games.

[czechthemout!!!!!]

this from zips blog-

Said Renney: "I like what Ted's doing with his team. They mount enough offense to win hockey games...to be honest with you, we've kind of done the same thing this year. The one thing we don't want to do is get into a track meet. We're better at it (defense) than we were a year ago, so too are the Islanders."

This is exactly why Tom Renney is a bad coach.He "coaching"to the isls strengh instead of the rangers strengh.We are alot more talented than the isls are yet the genious want's to have just enough offense to win the game,despite the fact that we should be more than happy to play them in a track meet.Ted Nolan knows he can't stay with us in an emotional offensive game so he quite cleverly will try to slow down the game and take the crowd out of it just like last game.Our "coach" seems more than happy to oblige him instead if dictating the pace and style of the game.Good Idea Tom.

[Dubi]

I suppose it would be futile to point out that every time we get into a track meet, we get blown out -- cf. Atlanta, Toronto. Right now, playing defense is playing to the Rangers' strength away from their weakness, not to the Islanders' strength. The Islanders' strength against the Rangers is adrenaline -- what better way to slow that down than stifling defense. The only reason we lost those three one-goal games to them was the power play -- that's what will ultimately make or break this team as currently constituted.

[SamM]

Prucha-Callahan buzzing..

[rangerbill94]

Did I hear that right??? Renney told the Jagr line that if they don't shoot on the PP he'll take them off the ice!!! ACCOUNTABILITY!!!!

Somebody is reading our posts.

[JagrGal]

Jags!!!!!!

[SamM]

is JAGR's scoring awake yet??

[rangerbill94]

He SHOOTS, he SCORES!

[SamM]

what was Gomez's penalty?