Tortorella cautiously optimistic about Rangers
Photo credit: Getty Images | Head Coach John Tortorella of the New York Rangers.
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BUFFALO - Who says the NHL schedulers are fair? The Rangers, who were tied for 18th in goals scored last season, open their 85th season here Saturday night against Ryan Miller, last year's Vezina Trophy winner.
The Rangers will counter with Henrik Lundqvist, whose save percentage (.918) and goals-against average (2.33) during the past three seasons are better than Miller's. But Miller's Sabres won the Northeast Division with 100 points last season and the Rangers (87 points) missed the playoffs after a shootout loss to the Flyers in the final regular-season game.
As a result, seven Rangers from last season's opener - Wade Redden, Chris Higgins, Ales Kotalik, Enver Lisin, Donald Brashear, Aaron Voros and goaltender Steve Valiquette - are no longer Rangers. Players acquired during the season, such as Olli Jokinen, also were jettisoned. Among those in their places: goaltender Martin Biron, wingers Alexander Frolov, Ruslan Fedotenko and Derek Boogaard, rookie center Derek Stepan and defenseman Steve Eminger.
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Asked Friday if this team is better than last season's, coach John Tortorella was cautiously optimistic. "I'm not going to make predictions," he said. "I'm not in that part of the business. I think the group is together; I think we're familiar. I think the additions of an experienced backup goalie . . . Frolov, we hope, is going to score some goals and help Gabby [Marian Gaborik], Stepan has stepped up . . . Fedotenko, who can give me some utility work. And the bottom line is the kids are intact, our core is still here and they're going to improve as we go along."
That youthful core - words used daily during training camp - includes defensemen Michael Del Zotto, Marc Staal and Dan Girardi and forwards Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky. The entire roster is younger. Only four players are over 30: Biron, Fedotenko, Michal Rozsival and Sean Avery. Captain Chris Drury and left wing Vinny Prospal, who are on injured reserve, also are over 30.
The Rangers have some quality depth in Hartford, an element that was missing last season: the inventive Mats Zuccarello-Aasen, who led the Swedish league in scoring last year, right wing Dale Weise and defensemen Ryan McDonagh, who was Stepan's teammate at Wisconsin, and Pavel Valentenko, a fearless Russian blueliner who was a training-camp surprise.
Notes & quotes: Tim Kennedy, Todd White and rookie defenseman Mike Sauer likely will be the Rangers' healthy scratches at HSBC Arena.
