St. Louis back with Richards; Talbot starts in Edmonton
Martin St. Louis of the Rangers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden on March 5, 2014. Credit: Mike Stobe
Jumping on a flight to Edmonton after practice at Max Bell Arena in Calgary, so if you didn't see this on Twitter, three key updates:
Coach Alain Vigneault decided to switch Martin St. Louis back to the right side, and reunite him with center Brad Richards and left wing Carl Hagelin. "He's more comfortable on the right side," Vigneault said. St. Louis did not generate enough on the left side of Derek Stepan and Rick Nash.
Richards agreed with the move: "He's played like a thousand games there."
Quotes from St. Louis later...
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Backup Cam Talbot will make his first start in goal since March 13, a 2-1 loss in Minnesota, on Sunday against the Oilers. Talbot is 11-6, with a 1.76 GAA and a .937 save percentage.
Coach Alain Vigneault said he and goaltending coach Benoit Allaire looked the the rest of the schedule and decided that this was the opening. Henrik Lundqvist is expected to play in Vancouver and Colorado in the final two games of this Western trip.
Vigneault also reunited the trio of Mats Zuccarello with Derick Brassard and Benoit Pouliot.
The other change is stranger: Fourth-line pest Dan Carcillo, who has recovered from the flu but has played just once in the last five games, practiced on a line with Rick Nash and Derek Stepan, replacing Martin St. Louis. "What you saw today I'm 75 percent sure is going to happen."
