Rangers' Tortorella calls out, likes Avery's response
Photo credit: Getty Images | Sean Avery of the New York Rangers reacts after being called for a penalty as Justin Abdelkader of the Detroit Red Wings falls to the ice. (Dec. 6, 2009)
Sean Avery
Red Wings 3, Rangers 1
CHICAGO - The Rangers arrived here ahead of the first major storm of the winter with a relatively healthy 23-man roster. They will need all hands on deck Wednesday night at United Center, where the potent Blackhawks are 11-3-1.
Banged-up Wade Redden (shoulder) and Donald Brashear (hand, wrist) practiced with the team and rookie Ilkka Heikkinen is here as a seventh defenseman, in case Redden can't play for the sixth straight game.
With Sean Avery playing well after some "pointed conversations" with John Tortorella, the Rangers coach moved the feisty wing to the No. 1 line with Marian Gaborik, and returned Vinny Prospal to center from left wing, replacing rookie Artem Anisimov.
"I just hope the players understand as coaches, we're going to assess," Tortorella said. "If we don't like what we see and we don't think the players assess it correctly, it's our job to make sure they understand what we want them to do, at least how to present themselves on the ice. Sean and I had a couple of pointed conversations. To his credit, Sean's responded and that's why he's there. I just hope other people see that: If you respond, you're going to play. We're not trying to nail you to the bench but we need to find a way to get consistent efforts out of people and I think Sean's been very good for the last little while here."
Avery's return came in part because Anisimov wasn't ready for prime time. "I went head-on-head when [Detroit] loaded up their top line with [Tomas] Holmstrom, [Henrik] Zetterberg and [Pavel] Datsyuk. I thought it was too much for Artie right now. That's why we took him off. I think he's played really well and I don't want to screw him up as far as his development. I think Sean has created a lot of offense with those two."
If the Blackhawks "load up" with Patrick Kane, (27 points), Jonathan Toews (17) and Marian Hossa (six in six games), expect to see Tortorella counter with Chris Higgins, Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan, a line that he deployed in the 3-1 loss to the Wings.
Notes & quotes: Mark Messier, learning the NHL front-office ropes as a special assistant to GM Glen Sather, will be introduced Wednesday as general manager of Team Canada for the 2010 IIHF World Hockey Championships in Germany in May.
