Some of this, some of that

No real cohesive string to the post-practice interviews so here are some bullet-points of what the guys are talking about as they head into tomorrow night's game hosting the Devils. Devils are third in the conference, Rangers are seventh with 87 points after 76 games. The eighth-place Canadiens have 86 points after 75 games. And ninth-place Florida has 85 points after 76 games.

As posted, Corey Potter is up with the team for Mike Sauer and will play against the Devils. But John Tortorella expects Michal Rozsival to begin skating no later than Tuesday, and quite possibly tomorrow. Tortorella said as soon as trainer Jim Ramsey gives him the word that Rozsival's ready to play, he'll be back in the lineup. So that could be Thursday at Carolina.

Click below for a bunch of this and that notes out of the dressing room.

- Sean Avery is not being made available to the media until after tomorrow night's game. Obviously, there's plenty of interest in the Avery vs. Martin Brodeur angle and the Rangers don't want to add any fuel to the fire. Frankly, Avery's been very smart in the comments he's made to the media and the Rangers' PR staff has done a great job in allowing access to him yet protecting him when need be. Such as in this instance.

- Tortorella on Avery: "I think Sean has handled himself very well. I think Sean is smart enough to understand what this game means to us. That overrides everything. This is about discipline, concentrating. This is about trying to get two points. Worrying about the other stuff...it can't happen. It's not so much about Marty and Sean. I think Sean needs to be himself. He needs to allow himself, for his personality, to be there as a player. That's a big part of his game. He just can't cross the line and he's done a good job of that."

- Tortorella said it's not up to him to lodge a complaint with the NHL about whether Avery is being treated fairly by the officials.

"I won't be talking to the league. You may be have to talk to (Jim Schoenfeld) or Glen (Sather) if something has gone on there, that's not for me. I don't think he's being treated fairly. The question I have to ask is, if Sean was doing some of the things that are happening to him, would Sean Avery be called for a penalty. I think he would. That's when I think you find out whether it's fair or not. That's the question I have. I'm not going to bellyache about it anymore. At certain times you need to protect a player along the way here. I think Sean needs to be treated fairly."

- Tortorella on why he stormed out of his post-game press conference after 30 seconds in Atlanta, after saying his team "sucked" and he didn't care what his players had said about the game.

"I was mad. It's not a personal thing (toward the media). I was mad. I wasn't interested in ripping the hockey team publicly so I needed to step away. Is it right for you guys? Probably not and I know it isn't. I know you're looking for information. I wasn't interested in ripping the hockey team. I had my thoughts in my head that I was mad about the hockey team. I just didn't want to talk about it at that particular time. It's not fair to you guys but that's what I did."

- Marc Staal said the last time he played in a four-man defensive rotation - which was what Tortorella did in yesterday's 4-3 loss at Pittsburgh after benching veteran Paul Mara and the rookie Sauer - was when he was in juniors. Staal said he didn't feel as physically bad today as he expected, most likely because it was a fairly light practice. "When you're rolling like that (in a game) it's almost like it's robotic."

- Potter said he was told he was being recalled after playing for Hartford (AHL) last night and drove to Greenburgh, N.Y. this morning for practice. At 25, and with three games played for the Rangers this season, Potter has slightly more experience and maturity than other candidates such as Bobby Sanguinetti or Brian Fahey. Or Sauer.

"I've been in some big games and tough situations playing for Team USA," Potter said. "It was only three games but playing those three games does help. I would say I have a llittle edge up over everybody."

- Colton Orr said he was a bit surprised to be called for a five-minute major and a game misconduct for interference against Mark Eaton at 2:47 of the third period at Pittsburgh. He's also not sure whether there will be any further punishment coming from the NHL.

"I was just going down to play the puck around the boards," Orr said. "I was taking the puck and playing the body. Getting the puck out was the main objective. I didn't know I was getting a penalty right away. Maybe I didn't see him going down. I haven't seen it. I haven't heard anything about it. I have to deal with it and play it through."

Orr said being penalized for that hit would not change the way he approaches a similar play in a future game.

- Paul Mara said he was told he only played 5:14 against the Penguins because the coaching staff was not happy with his play on Matt Cooke's goal that made it 2-0 at 11:20 of the first period. Cooke got free in the slot to knock in a rebound. Mara said it had nothing to do with his left eye, which was swollen shut on Friday after he took a high stick in Atlanta on Thursday.

"It was a coach's decision," Mara said. "On that one goal, I made a bad read, a bad pinch. I talked to Schoney a bit after practice. Mainly it was because of that one play. In this league, you have to have thick skin and a short memory. That's what I'll do."

Tortorella said he considered himself a "clean slate" guy, meaning Mara's benching on Saturday will have no bearing on tomorrow's game.

"I think sometimes things go on in a game, a guy doesn't make a play, the next day we do our tape, we may do some correcting, there may be some conflict but once you do that, you move on," Tortorella said. "You need to give your athlete the chance to rebound. There's nothing better for me as a coach than having a (ticked) off athlete, mad at you. Then show me. I think that's the best way for some players to play so it's a clean slate."

Comments

[LI Joe]

"Potter’s season of ill-advised and poorly-timed penalties continues. The defenseman has 82 penalty minutes in 62 games, all minors except for a single 10-minute misconduct. His penalties have put his team down by two men eight times, and canceled out Wolf Pack power plays three times."

http://www.beyondtheblueshirts.com/

above excerpt is from beyond the blueshirts blog

[graves9]

think you should look at his stats again http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=1056&hubname=nhl-flames once you do that then I would recommend you come back here and post that you were tired when you made those comments as they lack credibility !
Keenan coached Jokinen in Florida you bleeping idiot! Look at Jokinen stats before '02(when Keenan became panthers coach)Use your head not you behind please.

[graves9]

So poor one eyed Mara is playing again? He clearly couldn't do much of anything yesterday why chance it again?

[Sec67RowG]

Three weeks ago this team was on 76 points with 16 games left. they've played 10 of those games, earning 11 points out of 20, but drawing only 3 out of an available 6 points from the 3 of those 16 games against the teams NOT currently making the playoffs.
Three weeks ago, 94 seemed the magic number to make the playoffs. that may actually be more like 95, 96 or even 98 now. That point left on the table in Atlanta, the two points not gotten against Ottawa last Sunday, not getting at least a point yesterday, all seem likely to haunt this team as they play a brutal schedule the next two weeks. 5 of the 6 games against teams ahead of the Rangers and the Canadians might as well be. And while not picking up points against teams not in the playoffs hurts, this team is 1-3 against teams ahead of it in the standings since that Bruins game.
The defense, porous all season long, is battered and wounded. The power play is as miserable as ever. And this team has no killer instinct--acknowledged by the players! 10 days ago the shootout win in Montreal made it seem likely the Rangers would make the playoffs. The results since would flip that around and with Ryan Miller back for the Sabres.....
Tortorella needs to stop dicking around with the edges of this team (Zherdev, Naslund, Mara, Korpikoski) and deliver a message to one of the leaders/veterans (Gomez, Drury, Redden) by sitting them when they screw up. Hell, really, is there anything wrong keeping Roszival OUT of the lineup?
The mid-level grinders are the ones carrying this team (along with Hank): Callahan, Avery, Dubinsky (who despite not scoring much, has become a checking machine), Betts, Sjostrom. Stars and selfish shooters are what this team is missing.
Monday is BIG. The Devils are coasting right now, but they love playing at MSG. And since if the Rangers DO make the playoffs they're likely to play the three classes of the conference (Bruins, Devs, Caps), tomorrow is a real measure of seeing if there is any shred of reality to this team.

[LI Joe]

sec67 - naslund is one of the 3 with a letter and mara is a vet as well so i don't see where you are coming from on the vets are getting a free pass. and as for rozy not worth the $ 5 mm per yr but helpfull anyway - we can't keep using only 4 dmen like the pitt game.

dubi with his 10 goals is helping lead the team - i hope you're kidding.

it won't take 98 pts. fla if they win all 6 can get 97 pts amd mtl if they run the table 7 games would get 100. both are highly unlikely to happen and we need just beat 1 out. buff can max out at 96 pts.

figure 94 or 95 pts will do it

[PuckCentral]

LI Joe - honestly, what is your problem w/ Dubinsky? Anytime you mention his name it's negative. He's a good player who gives his all every game. Like it or not, he is the future captain of this franchise. He is not an elite goal scorer and never will be. He's a top 9 NHL forward right now and hopefully down the road will blossom into a top 6 NHL forward. He is a team player, uses his body effectively and will defend himself and other teammates when it's required. He's had a rough season scoring goals (ever heard of the sophomore slump??) He's not the first player in his 2nd NHL season to struggle and he certainly won't be the last. If every player on this Rangers team put in the effort that Callahan & Dubi put in EVERY night then this team wouldn't be battling for a playoff spot right now.

[LI Joe]

puckcentral - i really think staal will be the captain in about 3 yrs. he is or will be a top 2 dman for many many yrs to come. the level of hype on him is pretty non existent - he plays very well and people let his on ice actions speak.

i go after dubi and his lack of stats because people go after players i feel are valuable (gomez/drury) and many wanted cullen (another i felt was good and has 22 goals by the way) gone to make room for dubi. all of the above had one thing in common - renney misused them with his overly defensive style. so the overhype of dubi and the complaining about players i like have made me less than patient when people tout him as 1st line center or future captain. i don't make up dumb nicknames for him like people do about the vets.

[Sec67RowG]

During the desert years of not making the playoffs ('98-'04) we had a team of overhyped, lazy veterans and no youth. My support of Dubinsky, Callahan, Girardi, Staal, etc. is that FINALLY, the Rangers franchise is trying to build with youth from the farm teams up. Dubinsky's stats suck this year for one very simple reason which echoes why the whole team's stats suck: NO JAGR, NO STRAKA.
But he throws himself into every shift, stands up for his teammates and skates great. Without the Czechs on his line (like he had last year), he never has space to move.
Just because Naslund has an A on his jersey doesn't mean anything, the guy is regularly invisible, which has to stretch to the locker room. If he's there to be the Swedish meatball for Hank, great. But for someone with an A he should deliver more than he does.
We've got half this team's salary cap locked up in four players who aren't producing the results to support it (Gomez, Drury, Roszival, Redden).
I wished we'd kept Cullen, he had speed and was fiery. But Jagr didn't like him.
As i stated yesterday, i agree with you LI Joe, Staal will be wearing a C, be an all-star, a Norris finalist and one of the 5 best NHL Defensemen within 3 years. But as long as Sather is around, we can count on that happening somewhere else.
All the other teams are getting hot, Rangers aren't. Besides the game with Montreal, none of the four teams (Rangers, Habs, Sabres, Florida) play each other--which makes it very possible knowing Rangers history for everyone else to go on a run while the Rangers stumble to the end. i want to think positively, but none of the suppossed big guys on this team are stepping up. The shootout in Atlanta proved that.

[LI Joe]

sec67 - oh i agree that there is a very strong possibility we won't make the playoffs.

i just brought up naslund and mara because you stated that the vets weren't be held accountable and i retorted that those 2 were.

i agree totally about redden and rozy crippling our cap. the other2 are overpaid but do offer some value. part of why we signed the centers was our dismal drafting record (see montoya and jessiman for starters)

staal will go nowhere. if there is 1 player they keep it's him. the guy will be a horse that plays 25 minutes a game. anybody else ANYBODY is on the table to move before him.

[graves9]

Uhh Joe, Cullen went because of cap room due to the signings of Drury and Gomez for 14 mill combined. Cullen was brought in as a second liner and in reality he is a very good third liner. He had a good second half in 06-07 because he was slotted there. Gomez , Drury, Naslund along with Redden and Rozsival have been far from valuable. They are one of the main reasons this team is only a couple of points ahead of the 9th seed.

[graves9]

That is not to say Dubi hasn't struggled either but he isn't being paid like an elite player though.

[stuart]

the porous defense is like 7th in the league.

with redden being a utter disaster and Henrik in my opinion only being good this year, there D is just fine, it is there lack of scoring that is the rpoblem.

redden made 2 huge mistakes yesterday but faced no ramifications for his foolery..

[LI Joe]

graves - i know why cullen was traded. doesn't mean i have to like it especially when they could have moved a rozy and not signed a redden instead. i just brought him up as context as to why i have less patience with dubi than i do for other players.

pretty much the same mentality as all the prucha fanatics who wanted everyone and anyone moved so their boy prucha could play - and play major minutes on the power play as well.

1 other thing about dubi. i'm more of the show me mentality. a few yrs ago all i heard was immonen (because he was part albeit small part of the leetch deal) and also orts. and that orts was destined to be the captain. well i call it as i see it. orts was a 4th line player. dubi is 3rd line center. neither is C material. in my opinion of course.

[graves9]

He had a very good rookie year and playoffs last year. He has had a bit of a sophmore slump but has still on pace to surpass his numbers of last year. I could see him putting up 55-60 points next year ala Zajac.

[Keith]

Wow-you guys are really going at it. I will say this-Stuart I agree that Hank is good this year. Too many times he is giving up the equalizer and the go ahead goals for the opponent. Sorry-I know he is the team's best player but he needs to make those key saves (like he has in the past) or I am not going to get off his back. I know he beats himself up but it's not enough. This is it for the team and they will only go as far as Lundy can take them. He needs to put them on his back or they don't make the Playoffs-period.

[Keith]

Furthermore-while I missed the meltdown in Atlanta and the loss to the most hated penguins due to some time off in Fla I am glad I missed those games. I am not writing them off yet but it's become clear to me that they are not interested in playing further this year if they can't win these games when they are most important. Fine-if they win a couple more they may limp in but they will be out fast. I am not sure who to get rid of really because there are so many that are hurting the team. I agree with LI JOe about Drury-Gomez makes a lot of mistakes but he is a useful player too. I don't pump up Dubi because so many do and I think he's a solid 3rd line center really. I did like CUllen but if I recall correctly he was a heavy minus guy when he was in NY. Doesn't mean he's a bum but LI JOe is right-he's got 22 goals which is more than most every player on the Rangers roster. Sorry but I don't see it happening this year guys-thanks Glen!