Bantering Points: Michael Sauer, Anton Stralman, And More
by Brandon C. on Dec 8, 2011 6:00 AM EST
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Andrew Gross brings us the latest news about the New York Rangers:
Michael Sauer will likely be out with a concussion suffered on the hit by Dion Phenauf. In return, Anton Stralman will play.
The only difference today was that Erik Christensen, a healthy scratch the past six games, skated as an extra on the third (possibly fourth) line of Sean Avery-Brandon Dubinsky-Brandon Prust. It’s conceivable that coach John Tortorella may want to insert Christensen back into the lineup at the expense of one of those three. The other healthy scratch for the past six games has been defenseman Anton Stralman, but he’ll be in the lineup for Sauer:
I don't personally feel that Christensen deserves a spot on the roster, better yet in the line-up.
John Tortorella had no thoughts on realignment, but had a strong opinion on his thoughts about Derek Boogaard and him.
"That's between Derek, myself and family. That's personal stuff. I feel strongly about that."
I certainly hope that's respected.
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don't do it!
I really hope EC does not take one of those three’s spot in the line up. If torts wants him on the ice give him a shovel and let him clean up the excess ice around the boards during time outs. What is it that torts sees in him? This team has done nothing but win and play pretty solid hockey since he went down and there is no place on this squad for him. Get him a bus ticket to Connecticut and tell him take Wolski also.
by The Richards-Gaborik Connection on Dec 8, 2011 6:22 AM EST via mobile reply actions
On second thought keep Wolski up just don’t dress him and send Rupp with EC. Thank you that is all.
by The Richards-Gaborik Connection on Dec 8, 2011 6:28 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
maybe
Just trying to light a fire under someone’s ass. Nobody on the 4th line has played consistently good for a while. But i agree that it shouldn’t mean EC goes back in unless they’re purposely playing for the shootout. I don’t see him scratching Dubi or Prust over Avery though if for no other reason than they’re part of the top two PK units.
by MyFavBaseballSquadron on Dec 8, 2011 7:58 AM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Unfortunately, Rupp kinda fills a void in the lineup...
We have nobody that can effectively deal with heavyweights that take liberties. While people like Sauer, Prust, and Dubinsky (among others) are more than willing to drop the gloves, they would get manhandled by someone with height, weight, and reach on them. Why risk injuring them? Once McIlrath is ready, we won’t need someone like Rupp on the roster—it is safe to assume that management thinks McIlrath is still two years away, hence the three-year contract to Rupp.
Dubi is my 2nd favorite player on the team but he needs to sit. Not because EC is better (he doesn’t, he sucks) but to wake up Dubi. He is totally lost out there right now other than on the PK. I go to the games and seeing that blank stare on his face while he is on the ice says it all. We can’t be having a $4M penalty killer. Time to sit.
+1. Dubi needs to extract his head from his rectum. He is so off his normal, physical game I have to wonder if he is hurt.
"Shoot the Puck Barry, Shoot the puck !" Bill Chadwick
by RangerFanInChicago on Dec 8, 2011 8:19 AM EST up reply actions
Here We Go Again
Dubinsky does not need to sit. Even without goal-scoring, his shifts are very important to the hard-working team ethic we finally have here.
George can probably demonstrate this better than I.
If there was someone waiting around that can be as effective, then sure, Dubi could sit.
The goal of the roster should be to have the 12 best forwards in the lineup for each game. Not necessarily most talented, but best for the opponent at hand (that caveat is to justify having Rupp in the lineup, who’d never be among the 12 best, barring injury.)
If Wolski were healthy, then I could see justifying Dubinsky out of the lineup. Dubi’s still more effective than EC or Rupp will ever be, his defensive value alone trumps them.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 8, 2011 10:19 AM EST up reply actions
listen, I love the guy. I have defended him tooth and nail against the detractors. But how can I now? I totally disagree with what you’re saying. his 5 on 5 minutes are down to a minimal. I don’t know that he had any 5 on 5 minutes in the third the last game. it’s all PK time now in the 3rd unless they are ahead.
Dubi has 2:23 at ES in the 3rd against TOR.
For the most part though, Tortorella went down to two lines that game. Mitchell/Boyle/Hagelin got less time than Dubi.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 8, 2011 10:39 AM EST up reply actions
so that’s 3 shifts. I didn’t think it was that much. I will say though, and I did say this at the game the other night, that I thought Torts made a big mistake not playing Dubi’s line more because it was their line in the 2nd that got the forechecking going before AA scored the goal. I thought going down to 2 lines was not the thing to do even though they were behind by a goal.
I don’t mind him going down to 2 lines, but not to start the period. 5, maybe even 10 minutes left down a goal, then fine. Scrambling that early reeked of desperation.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 8, 2011 11:11 AM EST up reply actions
It has to be a confidence issue with Dubi...
When he was on the second line with Richards and Callahan, he had the tendency to stay to the outside, letting Richards and Callahan lead the way, with him simply along for the ride. This is not the Dubinsky we need out there—he has to step his game up, not only to justify his contract, but to help the team from more than a defensive standpoint and show off the skill we all know he has. He’d had the “inconsistent” label on him for years, and with the way he’s playing right now, he won’t be shedding it anytime soon.
you saw that too right? when you go the games you can see the whole ice and I said exactly the same thing. Like Dubi was just trying to stay out of BR’s and Cally’s way when they entered into the offensive zone. that’s not the way he plays at all. this is not inconsistent play, this is no play at all. I agree with you 100%. it has to be a mental thing. maybe the pressure of his contract (living up to it) is too much for him.
I swear
to god if Christensen is back in the lineup tonight I may not even watch.
Seeing a lot of unbridled Christensen hate
I think it is not directly proportional to the way he plays.
Last year EC had 27 points in 63 GP with an average of 12:45 TOI/G, he was also a +3 and had 4 PP goals which tied with four other Rangers for fourth best on the team (that is a lot of fours). Now, that isn’t a great stat line but it is also not god-awful.
Is he terribly inconsistent offensively? Yes. We all know that. But let’s not overlook the fact that he is a $900k cap hit, that he is gone at the end of the year, and that he was another team’s waiver wire castaway. The Rangers have gotten a lot of Erik Christensen during his time with us. Though I can probably count the occurrences with the fingers of one hand, he has a wrist shot that has won us a few games.
I don’t like the guy much more than any of you do but let’s not act like we are going to lose just because the guy is in the lineup.
Just playing devil’s advocate and trying to keep things in perspective. Hope we win tonight.
@DigDeepNYR
"I like a man who grins when he fights." -Sir Winston Churchill
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
When Wolski is healthy..
Would this bottom six work?
Wolski/Dubinsky/Mitchell
Hagelin/Boyle/Prust
EC and Rupp safe/warm in pressbox.
by Gabby the Gutless Sniper on Dec 8, 2011 12:25 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Avery as well, make it a threesome. Not that Sean would be into that kind of thing.
by Gabby the Gutless Sniper on Dec 8, 2011 12:26 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
if ONLY Rupp isn't playing when he returns...
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
Id rather see
Wolski Dubinsky Hagelin
Rupp Boyle Prust
by CrazyRangerFan on Dec 8, 2011 6:34 PM EST up reply actions
No Christiansen,please!!!
If I see him in the line up today,i will quit as a Ranger fan!!!!!!!!!!
That is a bit extreme.
If your Ranger fan-hood can be swayed by a single player taking the ice for a single game, I do not know what to make of it.
My thoughts exactly.
How people can hold this much disdain and hatred of EC is more than a little bit curious to me.
@DigDeepNYR
"I like a man who grins when he fights." -Sir Winston Churchill
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
EC is a horrible player. He had an uninspiring camp but made the team over Avery and was supposed to be the "better"guy, he has done nothing. And clearly tTorts eats crow on the fact that Avery has been pretty good in his games back here. Sending him down/ waiving him is Torts being defeated by Avery, and they can’t have us see it like that. EC was always inconsistent, even though some of you guys wanted him as 1st line center. It is a surprise they went with him over Kennedy last season.
Absolute Worst Ranger Fan!!!!!!....yet incredibly realistic and usually correct.
As for myself, I don’t get upset at guys that play on the 4th line. They all tend to add marginal contributions, although EC does at least provide some value in the shootout.
But from the more common perspective he replaced a fan favorite, kinda sold him the same player out to the media (the fight against the Oilers last year) and gets hyped up by the coach while not producing a whole lot.
I’ll just wonder next year which player people will verbally burn in effigy when neither EC nor Avery are on the team.
by MyFavBaseballSquadron on Dec 8, 2011 2:47 PM EST up reply actions
Everyone hats EC
cause he prob banged everyones mom or sisters or girlfriends or wives
" Can You Hear Us" Best Chant in Sports History !!!!
Boooooooooooooo Dreaaauuuuu Boooooo Dreaduuu
Fuck the Capss !!!!
Daniel "Mustache" Carcillo YOU GOT FUCKED UP " Haley vs Carcillo "http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/104339
Yea….thats probably what happened
by The Richards-Gaborik Connection on Dec 8, 2011 7:19 PM EST up reply actions
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