Morning Skate: Report from MSG before Game 7
Chris Kreider #20 of the New York Rangers skates with the puck while being defended by Sergei Gonchar #55 of the Ottawa Senators. (April 23, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
A quick report from the Garden, where both teams just completed their morning skates:
Might we see rookie Chris Kreider on the PP or PK? Coach John Tortorella said: “I have no hesitation in putting him in all situations tonight.” …Brian Boyle (concussion) is out. Captain Ryan Callahan (hand, finger) skated in the optional and said he was fine…He’d have to undergo major surgery to miss this one tonight…Looks like same NYR lineup (no surprise) with John Scott, Jeff Woywitka and Steve Eminger scratches…Asked Artem Anisimov if he felt any different before Game 6, an elimination game as well. “No. I’m ready. I’m always ready.”…
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Continuing in the same vein as yesterday, Brad Richards said: “Part of the process is not losing your cool and using the energy in a positive way, I don’t know how it’ll all work out, you have to treat it more as an opportunity and not think about pressure. There’s pressure on both teams, certainly both want to move on…
Said Richards: “We’re in a comfort zone, been here for two days, and in MSG with our fans… I’d rather be here than anywhere else; it’s comfortable, doesn’t always mean you’re going to win. Still, it’s your building, you play all year to have a chance to do it in front of your fans.”
On 5 on 5 goals: “We’d love to get some to take some heat off our special teams.”
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On the Ottawa side: Zenon Konopka and Matt Carkner, who haven’t practiced for two days, are “available”, according to coach Paul MacLean. “At this point we’re keeping all our lineup options open.”
“Every game the first 10 minutes are important,” MacLean said. “But in Game 7, you’re a road team, you want to make sure you get out and get comfortable, I think that’s going to be easier to do. We’ve won in here lots of times, our players enjoy coming to New York City, they enjoy playing here, we just have to do it one more time.”
“Today is one of the most important games that I’ve every been in,” said Erik Karlsson, who was nominated for the Norris Trophy, and suggested that he needed to “be more efficient with the puck.”
MacLean on the Norris Trophy nomination: “I knew that he could skate real good, had the skills to be a really good player. He certainly played well enough to be a candidate.”
Last three guys on the ice for extra work for Sens: Klinkhammer, Stone, Borowiecki. If Carkner can't play, Matt Gilroy would go in, I suspect.
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