Blue Notes

OTTAWA---All three games that the Islanders played immediately after beating the Rangers were losses, leading some pundits to term the defeats the result of a "Rangers hangover."

So Tom Renney, will the Rangers have an Islanders hangover today against the Senators in a matinee here at Scotiabank Place after Thursday's 4-2 vanquishing of the Islanders?

"I don't think so," he said a few minutes ago. "I think we've got a pretty mature team, good leadership in the room that doesn't identify with anything less than the best effort---it doesn't always translate that way, of course. But I think we've had a day to kind of collect ourselves after that and to recognize that we've got a tiger by the tail here. This is a very proud team and we've got to be right on the ball or we'll be in trouble early."

With defenseman Paul Mara sidelined, Marek Malik was paired with former partner Michal Rozsival for the first time in 14 games."In fairness to guys who come back to the lineup it's always nice to work with someone you're sort of familiar with," said Renney. Marc Staal re-joined Jason Strudwick on the third pairing.

Malik, 32, had three assists in the opening game of the season against Florida and none in the next 10 games he played before injuring his ribs and back in a spill against the Capitals on Nov. 1.

Mara, who suffered a first degree shoulder sprain from a check by the Islanders' Trent Hunter in the third period on Thursday, "was real sore this morning", said Renney, and is day to day. Mara had played 22 consecutive games

More in a bit....