1. I want to start this off by thanking you guys for your patience with the site and network changeover on Monday. It was the end of long project going back and forth with network admins, several deadlines broken and to see it go off without any major hitches was worth the wait. The positive feedback I’ve gotten has been incredible, so I owe you guys my gratitude. Also, this is my first time getting dependable site statistics since taking over and you guys are absolutely insane. The NYR Blog through the first 4 days has been the most clicked site network wide by a LARGE margin and that incredible support will only keep this blog rolling along for seasons to come.
2. As the Rangers begin to get healthy again, we’re going to be subject to more conversations as to how AV sees the lineup with 23 available skaters instead of 21. Defensively, I’m still waiting to see how Holden solidifies the Rangers bottom pair. He doesn’t make the Rangers any better or worse for wear. He doesn’t make plays with the puck that make him stand out in any way. Honestly, he probably should be the Rangers 8th defenseman behind McIlrath but saw top minutes with McDonagh. Staal and Clendening looked good together in St. Louis and were broken up for some reason once Klein came back. The Rangers can get away with this rotating door of moves back there for now, but at some point the blueline needs to become more solidified.
3. Up front… With Buchnevich out, Nash was moved up into that slot and looked much more engaged than he has playing with Hayes and Miller for the first two games. Certainly helps playing with better talent. If the Rangers are going to put Buchnevich back with Kreider and Zibanejad when Buch is healthy again and if have no interest in moving Vesey off the line with Stepan, having a player of Nash’s caliber serves no purpose on the third line getting 13-15 minutes a night. How they go about this down the line could be interesting with the defensive deficiencies they have and they wouldn’t be opening a massive hole in their depth to do that either.
4. Sean Day made his debut for the Windsor Spitfires last night and scored a goal in the first period to put his team up 2-0. We’ll continue to keep an eye on Day in the OHL as the season progresses along. Ty Ronning, the Rangers 7th rounder in 2016 was named to Team WHL in the Canada-Russia series which begins in two weeks. The OHL hasn’t announced their roster for this tournament yet, so it remains to be seen if Day makes the roster.
WATCH THIS: @NYRangers prospect @SeanDay66 scores his first goal for @SpitsHockey in his first game with the team. pic.twitter.com/MgNXpKwIZH
— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) October 21, 2016
PG VIDEO: @SeanDay66 says the boys & coaches made it easy to settle into his first game as a Spitfire. pic.twitter.com/iiw9DgQD6x
— Xy – Windsor Spitfires (@SpitsHockey) October 21, 2016
(Photo credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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