Grachev called up from Hartford
John Tortorella likes to say that he coaches with his gut. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
On Wednesday night, Tortorella and his coaches went against the book and opted for goaltender Martin Biron over Henrik Lundqvist, who had played 141 of the last 146 home games. Biron surrendered two stoppable goals and the Rangers fell, 6-4, to the Thrashers. The team was flat for long stretches as well, and a three-game winning streak was over.
The coach has another chance to go with his gut Friday when the Rangers host the Carolina Hurricanes. He can play winger Evgeny Grachev, who was summoned from Hartford Thursday, with rookie center Derek Stepan, a combination that was very effective in prospect camp and the Traverse City tournament in September. Whether he chooses that option - and gives the two decent minutes together - is the question.
Grachev is here because Derek Boogaard has a finger infection from Saturday's fight with the Bruins' Shawn Thornton. Grachev skated in Hartford last season and went 12-16-28 in 80 games.
An MRI cleared center Artem Anisimov, who injured his right ankle blocking a Thrashers' shot, and the first line with Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan will remain together. But veteran center Todd White could replace inconsistent Erik Christensen between Alex Frolov and Brandon Prust, and Brian Boyle, who got some of Stepan's minutes in the third period, could skate with Sean Avery and Ruslan Fedotenko.
