Rangers Notes: Higgins at Center, Parenteau back

From Ranger Rants: (click link for full story)

Here’s how: the left wing’s presence will allow coach John Tortorella to move Christopher Higgins from left wing to center on a line with Parenteau and Ales Kotalik (at least based on today’s line rushes). Tortorella also had Vinny Prospal centering Enver Lisin and Marian Gaborik and Brian Boyle back on the fourth line after he lost eight of 10 faceoffs in between Donald Brashear and Aaron Voros. Artem Anisimov and Sean Avery were on a two-thirds line today with RW Ryan Callahan missing today’s practice. Callahan was stiff and sore after blocking a shot from Pavel Kubina but Tortorella said the team’s sparkplug would be able to play tomorrow in Ottawa.

I know I am way overstating the obvious here, but Callahan really needs to get going. It's times like these where you earn that "A" on your sweater.

Obernauer at the Daily News also has some thoughts from John Tortorella on Parenteau being back:

"He deserves to be brought up versus others," Tortorella said today. "We’ve talked about a few other players down there, and this is the guy who’s been pretty consistent as far as what he’s done in that league. And each time he comes, each times he plays I think he gets more familiar with everything - surroundings, teammates, coaches, our travel, our schedule, everything about it - and you hope it starts growing on him and he becomes more consistent all the time. And then you never know where it goes."

In back to back games against 2 of the better OHL teams Werek had goals in both games so we kept watching him as he wound up on a 4 game goal scoring streak. If not for Evgeny Grachev then our vote for OHL Rookie of the Year would have gone to Werek who finished the season 32-32-64.