A long morning session

The Rangers were on the ice this morning for about an hour and a half. John Tortorella is done with his conditioning skates so today and yesterday have mainly been about teaching - today the team worked on defensive zone breakouts and getting the puck through the neutral zone as well as different defensive coverages in their own end and in the neutral zone.

Tortorella has not settled on a lineup for tomorrow's game against the Capitals but did say Brandon Dubinsky would make his preseason debut.

Both Marc Staal (groin) and Wade Redden (back) returned to practice after missing yesterday. Staal said he still feels some tightness but said he wants to play tomorrow. My guess is that the Rangers might sit both Staal and Redden as a precaution, which would also allow them more evaluation time on Bobby Sanguinetti and Michael Del Zotto. Don't think there's any doubt any more that Matt Gilroy has made the team.

Also, it appears Henrik Lundqvist will play the full 60 minutes (or longer) both tomorrow and Sunday in the preseason finale at Washington.

This morning's lines and defense pairings:
Enver Lisin-Vinny Prospal-Marian Gaborik
Christopher Higgins-Brandon Dubinsky-Ryan Callahan
Evgeny Grachev-Chris Drury-Ales Kotalik
Donald Brashear-Artem Anisimov/Brian Boyle-Aaron Voros
Wade Redden-Matt Gilroy
Michael Del Zotto-Dan Girardi
Marc Staal-Michal Rozsival
Alexei Semenov-Bobby Sanguinetti
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Comments

[Mikeey]

Yoou would figure that at some point they would let Dubi play with GAborik.

Prospal is good but how about a
Vinny - Dubi - Gabby line.

[amos]

i truly detest seeing anisimov on the 4th line. he doesn't belong there and everyone except torts seems to realize that.

[Steph]

amos, i agree with you....and i would think that Torts would rather send anisimov back to hartford than play on the 4th line....no sense in having him only play 4-7 minutes a game than 20 in hartford. boyle is a shoe in for our 4th line. but then again, thats just my opinion.

[Ian]

I was thinking that instead of putting Gaborik and Dubinsky with Prospal, put Avery there when he gets back to add some sandpaper. Just remember how much chemistry Dubi and Avery had against Wash in game 7 last year....Plus Prospal has to play with two guys who can score and I don't think Dubi is one of those guys. Put Prospal on a line with Drury and Kotalik, then have a 3rd line of Anisimov, callahan and either avery or higgins, whomever does not play with Dubi and Gaborik.

[graves9]

Gilroy is a rover putting him with Redden is a bad idea considering how bad Redden is in his own end. Gilroy should play with Staal(who can cover up for Gilroy forays deep into the offensive zone)

[Charles]

I imagine that the chances are good, barring a trade, that Grachev will be down in Hartford ... so that opens up a 3rd line spot for AA until Avery gets back. Right now we seem to have an abundance of quality 2nd/3rd liners, but that abundance can quickly disappear with a couple of injuries --- last year's lack of significant injuries was a total FLUKE ... and Tort's system is more "injury prone" than Renney's.

[Dig it]

Thanks for the answer in the previous post Andrew. Appreciated.

[CP (Chris)]

I agree, Graves. Staal needs to play with Gilroy, DZ, or Redden. I just hope doesn't pair these defensemen based on offensive skill and mesh with the first and second lines.

Charles, I also, agree. I wonder how long it will take for the first injury to occur. I see Lisin, Gaborik, Prospal, and Higgins as the likely candidates; only because their wheels will be turning non-stop on the ice and a collision or blown wheel is likely.

[Rogan]

Graves, Chris -- Torts was saying he expected to split up Staal and Redden -- and he mentioned that he thought about Staal and Gilroy. Mind you, that doesn't explain the pairings in practice today.

[Rogan]

correction -- split up Staal and Girardi -- and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

[amos]

after scoring 37 goals in hartford, what is there left for anisimov to accomplish down there? his rookie year he was the youngest player in the AHL and still had a decent first pro year. last year he tore it up and for all his troubles he'll MAYBE get to be on the FOURTH line? that's f'ed up in my book.

[Rogan]

Anisimov is going to lock up the third line (sooner or later)

[bob]

Trade Drury, Parenteau, Potter for Brad Richards.

Trade Rozsival for a pick.

[Rogan]

I would assume that Dubinsky is getting a shot at second line center, with the possiblity of moving up to 1st line center at the start of the season.

There's no question there's a number crunch, but it's going to get sorted out. Anisimov has played his way on to this team.

[Rogan]

Bob's been drinking again.

[LI Joe]

very good proposal Bob. one guy has full no movement clause which obviously precludes trades, parenteau was avail to any team via waivers so no need for any to trade for him and that might e the case for potter as well. keep up the good work

[graves9]

I don't care what you guys say Bob cracks me up. He adds some humor if nothing else. Reminds me of the guy Jerome that used to call wfan 24-7.

[graves9]

Girardi looked almost Redden bad a lot of last years terrible turnovers and he gets beat wide all the time. I think he's a guy that could be and maybe should be used as a trade chip if his game doesn't turn.

[CP (Chris)]

I just sat down at my computer and started cracking up at these last few posts. I don't know why he picked Parenteau and Potter out of all of the guys in Hartford. I guess those are his nemeses of the day. I would take a 2nd round pick for Rozy, but no one is going to offer that kind of a deal until the trade deadline.

[CP (Chris)]

Graves, I've wondered, too, what Sather will do with Girardi in the long-run. I am a Girardi fan, so I'm biased. I love the fact he wasn't drafted, and think that because he wasn't, he has the drive to correct his play/flaws on the ice. I actually thought once he was paired with Staal that he was playing almost as well as Staal was last season. He plays bigger than his size, too, and I think that's an underrated characteristic from a defenseman.

[graves9]

I like him too and am rooting for him but the last few years we've seen some of his warts get bigger. I think him playing with a guy like Redden again will just compound his faults because Redden can't counter or counteract Girardi's flaws(just compound them)Would like to see his one ice vision improve as well as being more careful with the puck.

[CP (Chris)]

I don't know if you all saw this bit, but it makes me mad he didn't accept. I have pushed for Gauthier all summer long on this blog!

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports defenseman Denis Gauthier was invited more than once to NY Rangers training camp on a tryout basis but has declined.

[onetimer]

CP, the guy definitely is a banger (I still cringe on the hit he put on Straka at MSG a few years ago) though I wonder if Gauthier is built more for the pre-lockout NHL?

If in fact he was invited to tryout, Gauthier would potentially cause some fireworks with Avery, who once was reprimanded if not fined for his comments about French-Canadian players hiding behind their face shields. He had Gauthier in mind.

[LI Joe]

cp - from a few threads ago

no not law or contracts. it's accounting/finance for me

[graves9]

Gauthier can barely move He is dirty as hell but maybe just maybe he has something left. My guess either he is still looking for a one way contract or he won't play on a team with Avery.