Sean Avery, who will miss his ninth straight game tonight following wrist surgery, will make the Minnesota-Colorado trip, skate with the team, "and drive us bananas", said coach Tom Renney, because he is itching to play.
But he is unlkely to dress for Minnesota because he has some pain in his wrist, Renney said, which he'll have to live with the rest of the season.
Marcel Hossa, recovered from the flu, is a healthy scratch and could play Thursday against the Wild, Renney said. Defenseman Marek Malk, however, is under the weather, and will sit.
So here come the Pens, who are 9-7 on the road...
Comments (16)
Ok..... so we could've still easily fit Montoya under the cap for tonight to at least play a period.
So both Gomez and Drury showed up tonight. Nice. Should we be cautiously optomistic that they've found some chemistry, or do the Pens just stink defensively?
Sorry, almost forgot...
"Jags is on pace for 35 points... I said 35 POINTS! He isn't making his option triggers and isn't going to get 9.88 million next year unless he goes to Philly."
Wow, we needed that!
"Jags is on pace for 35 points... I said 35 POINTS! He isn't making his option triggers and isn't going to get 9.88 million next year unless he goes to the Islanders."
It only means as much as the result of the next game
Dan, the Pens goaltending was pretty damn weak tonight. Thursday will be a really good test on how far they've turned things around
Renney, you are a pure genius! Look at those line combinations! WHO KNEW pairing Jagr which the speed and shift Gomez would actually generate scoring chances! WHO KNEW putting Drury, one of the best centers in the game, above the third line would actually make him visible! WHO KNEW that Dubsinsky, though a fine rookie, was not ready to be a first-line center!
Man, why didn't I think of those lines, say, two months ago?
Okay seriously, Renney has been a great coach for the Rangers, but come on. How did it take him this long to realize what everyone else in the hockey world already knew. You got two great wingers, Jagr and Shanahan, and you spend millions of dollars on two great centers, Gomez and Drury. OF COURSE these guys had to be paired! Why else did we sign them? What half-intelligent coach would put Chris Drury, one of the best centers in the game, on the third line? Talk about a waste of talent.
Now Tom, PLEASE, keep these lines together and let them get better. It's not going to work out every game, but if we keep these guys together for the rest of the year, come playoff time we'll have that chemistry we need.
JAY he needed to make it his idea, or have Sather tell him what to do. Besides it's all the players fault when they lose, and his genius II when they win.
I have a feeling Avery will not be back until the middle of January. You know this guy is going to come back get into a fight and hurt his wrist again if it is not properly healed. I say the Rangers stay smart and let his wrist fully heal before they bring him back.
How much does Avery actually fight. He does when he has to but, that is not his style or job. I agree that our boy Avery can let his emotions get the best of him but, give the guy a little credit. As much as he is dying to get back in the lineup I don't see him doing something like that to go back on the shelf. The guy can not sit in his own skin when not on the ice.
What a game last night. They looked good. I hope they have found something here. But, last nights win means nothing if they go to Minnesota and Colorado and drop two. I want to see a winning streak!
Mike,
We will see. Let's hope they can just keep the forecheck going when they have a better d and goalie playing on the other side of the ice...and I know I've been hard on Drury and Gomez because they have been producing but they (and Jagr) make more money than almost everyone else on the team combined. Now Jagr on the other hand deserves whatever is coming to him because....
"Jags is on pace for 35 points... I said 35 POINTS! He isn't making his option triggers and isn't going to get 9.88 million next year unless he goes to Philly."
Anonymous,
I don't think Garth is dumb enough to hire Jags for too much. Wang already paid the price for Yashin and now where is he? I heard last night Recchi is actually playing again which is good. Maybe he didn't fall of the map after getting waived or not resigned but Yashin, Leclair, and Kaspar did. I also heard a rumor that the Russian teams are getting sponsored by the Russian govt (and the Russian mob, are they different?) trying to make their league more attractive to the worlds best players. Not sure if it will make a difference. Who would want to play in Siberia when you could play in Tampa?
"Jags is on pace for 35 points... I said 35 POINTS! He isn't making his option triggers and isn't going to get 9.88 million next year unless he goes to Philly."
If Jagr keeps up this pace, no one will care where he plays next year.
And with a 35-50 pt season this year, he won't be getting 7-9 million out of any team!
At this point, what does it matter? Winning first, Jagr second.
Ah, I have decided in my infinate hockey non-wisdom that Jagr should be to blame for the Rangers lack of production (which I think is justified seeing as he makes more money than anyone on the team and he's wearing the C). Although jumping on a bad defensive team and weak goalie is a sign that you have some good offensive weapons and killer instinct when you smell blood, I still feel he is to blame for the lack of production because he's the captain, he is paid to carry, pass, and shoot the puck resulting in high numbers, stand up for his teamates, and act like a leader, and he isn't doing any of those things. He is the one that is supposed to bring these guys together and make them a team. Not get in front of the camera after a losing game and say "It's fortunate we get another chance tomorrow night to PROVE we have a good club" Seriously, what is that garbage? "Prove", you have a good club? What does that say to other teams, and your teamates? "Oh, we had an off night?". All it says to everyone is that the captain doesn't have confidence in his team or himself. I say shut up and start playing like "the worlds best player right now", or start giving some of that paycheck back to the boss because you aren't really earning it. So in essence I've decided that in every post I will ride him until he starts producing like the worlds best player right now (yeah I know, like he reads an internet blog). Therefore....
"Jags is on pace for 35 points... I said 35 POINTS! He isn't making his option triggers and isn't going to get 9.88 million next year unless he goes to Philly."
Maybe I will add how much he is getting paid per point at this pace...$282,285/point. How much sense does that make? I would be personally embarresed that I have teamates laying down iin front shots for less, while all I was doing was worrying about whether or not "the team" could "PROVE" that they are a good hockey club.
"At $282,285/point, Jags is on pace for 35 points... I said 35 POINTS! He isn't making his option triggers and isn't going to get 9.88 million next year unless he goes to Philly."
I just recalculated. It's gone up since the first time I posted it. He's now on pace for 57...still not enough to hit the option trigger.
"At $173,333/point, Jags is on pace for 57 points... I said 57 POINTS! He isn't making his option triggers and isn't going to get 9.88 million next year unless he goes to Philly."
Renney shouldn't change the lineup from last night. All 4 lines were rolling. Let Avery heal and keep Hossa on the pine.
The D-men played good and Hank was vintage again.
Let's let these guys create some momentum.
JD,
EXACTLY! Early in the season he would have a little bit of chemistry and good shifts with certain line combos and then switch them up right away because they weren't banging a lot of goals in. They were getting tons of chances and just not burying the biscuit. I say keep things the way they are and let Sean and Marcel sit. The big question becomes, when Sean is ready, who do you sit? I say you can sit Hollweg or Prucha. Leave Dawes and Cally alone for now and see how it pans out over the next few games...recount...
6-3 with both Dawes and Avery in the line up (miscounted by one last time)
12-14 without one of them
6-4 with Avery in
10-12 without him
7-3 with Dawes in
10-12 without him
Also bear in mind that when both Dawes and Avery were in the lineup was when they went on the 5 game winning streak so the numbers maybe slightly skewed but I don't think they can be ignored. There also maybe something about having both the threat of one of the kids taking your roster spot and the most hated player in the league showing you up that makes people play harder. Whatever it is, it's definately significant that NYR has a winning record when one or both of them are in the lineup and a losing record when either or both of them are out.