A four-game winless steak prior to the game in Atlanta on Friday night had the Rangers falling dangerously close to also-ran status in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. The club had fallen five points behind the eighth spot and even more discouraging was how passive they looked doing in.
Well, a funny thing happened on the way to oblivion for the Rangers—they discovered a few important things in the last two games. They can get balanced scoring up front. They can play a physical style against a bigger opponent and be successful. And Michal Rozsival and Sean Avery still wear Rangers jerseys and both can be effective players for this team down the stretch.
Okay, it didn’t hurt that Marian Gaborik came back to life with a three-point night in Atlanta and Henrik Lundqvist appears to have returned to form as well. Those two will still ultimately make or break this playoff run. But it’s important to note that they are now getting contributions throughout the line-up, none bigger that the ones Avery and Rozsival gave Sunday afternoon against Philly.
“When Sean is engaged and channels his emotion in the right direction, he is a very good hockey player,” John Tortorella said after the win Sunday. The coach had benched Avery in Atlanta on Friday for what he had termed his indifferent play of late. “He’s a key player for this team when he plays like this [Sunday].”
Avery had two goals, drew two Flyers penalties, finished his checks all night and was truly the central figure in a vital victory.
As for the forgotten man on defense, Rozsival scored the game winner with a second period power play goal of his own and logged a team high 24:20 of ice time. The often times beleaguered defenseman had a solid night in Atlanta as well.
Add to this the fact Eric Christensen has played three straight sparklers, Ryan Callahan has been on a mission since the break, Chris Drury is playing with a renewed purpose and Brandon Dubinsky actually beat somebody up, decisioning Flyers captain Mike Richards late in the third.
“We’ve ridden just a few guys to get to this point,” Tortorella added. “And now we’ll need everyone contributing to make this work in the final few weeks.”
While Tortorella’s incessant line shuffling continues, at least now the offense is starting to come from lines that don’t include a certain Slovakian winger. The bad news is the fact the recently thrown together Olli Jokinen, Vinny Prospal, Gaborik line was frighteningly quiet on Sunday. For Jokinen it’s becoming familiar territory as he’s tallied just twice in 14 games since joining the Rangers.
However, it’s safe to assume Gabby won’t be held off the score sheet often in the final few weeks and if he gets some offensive help from a few friends the Rangers will have added a dimension they haven’t had all year.
Let’s see: An angry Avery, a rejuvenated Rozsival and an on-again offense…sounds like the playoff push is back on Broadway.
ICE CHIPS
Biggest week of the season for the Rangers as they play two more at MSG—tonight versus seventh-place Montreal, who they trail by five points with a game in hand, then the Blues come calling on Thursday night. After that it’s eight of the next 11 on the road, beginning with a trip to eighth-place Boston on Sunday afternoon.
The news that the Bruins’ Marc Savard will likely miss the rest of season due to the concussion he suffered from the Matt Cooke hit last Sunday can’t exactly be viewed as bad news in Rangerland. For a club that has had trouble scoring all year, the loss of Savard is a huge blow to Boston.
Tortorella quotes of the week—both gems come from the post-game press conference after the win against the Flyers Sunday. “What, are you running this thing Stan?” he said to MSG analyst Stan Fischler after he had rattled off three straight questions to open the conference.
Then, after the last of those three questions, “That’s absolutely none of your business Stan,” when Fischler asked what was said to Avery after his benching on Friday night. “You guys love to make a big deal out of that stuff and I’m sorry but it’s just between player and coach—and that’s it.”