Miller recalled, Mashinter traded, and what about "La Lune"?

When coach Alain Vigneault was talking about Benoit Pouliot's game, and career, last month, the phrase that stuck was that the struggling winger, with his fifth team in five years, would only get "so many kicks at the can" and needed to produce.

One of the issues, Vigneault said, was losing focus, and tossed out a French phrase "dans la lune"...or as he translated, "goes to the moon".  In other words, Pouliot can drift and that's what he's done this season with the Rangers, who signed him to a one-year, $1.3 million free-agent contract in July.

Well, the calling up of J.T. Miller today may signal an eclipse of La Lune, who has two goals and five points in 29 games, and hasn't been very engaged. He was benched for virtually all of the third period in Buffalo, after committing a needless penalty with 3.9 seconds left in the 2nd and the Rangers clinging to a 1-0 lead.  His high-water mark?  A goal and assist in Detroit on Oct. 26.

Here's the bottom line: I doubt they would call up Miller, 20, to sit. The Wolf Pack play this weekend, and they have some injuries. So it's seems pretty certain that he will play, probably on the fourth line, against the Devils.  It probably also is a sign that Derek Dorsett (sprained wrist), who has missed three of the last five games, isn't healed enough to play Saturday.  At the very least, Miller, who can be cocky, will bring some energy.

Unfortunately, La Lune has simply waxed and waned instead of proving to Vigneault that he deserves a regular spot. 

As for the Kyle Beach for Brandon Mashinter trade, well, it's a roll of the dice. Beach has collected 422 penalty minutes in six seasons in the minors, but never played an NHL game for the Blackhawks. He's 6-3 and 23, so there's some upside, I suppose. He's been assigned to the AHL. Mashinter, 25, played six games in New York and didn't make a strong case to stick. But the Rangers do need size upfront, and maybe Beach gets a look down the road.

Rangers-Devs tomorrow....I'll be tossing in some bits and pieces here and on Twitter, but Newsday's Laura Albanese is carrying the rock at practice and MSG while I attend a family dinner.  Will be back, live and in person, at my post on Sunday for the Caps game.