Alain Vigneault on Oscar Lindberg: We have to be patient with him
New York Rangers center Oscar Lindberg looks to shoot the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period of an NHL hockey game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Rangers’ approach with Oscar Lindberg can be summed up in one word: Patience.
Josh Jooris returned Sunday night as the fourth-line center after rehabbing a separated shoulder, and Lindberg, who averaged about nine minutes in the previous three games, was a healthy scratch against Florida. With Mika Zibanejad now out with a broken fibula, Lindberg will return Monday night against Pittsburgh.
He had 13 goals and 28 points and was a plus-12 in 68 games in 2015-16 but has one assist in seven games this season.
“We have to be patient with him,” coach Alain Vigneault said Sunday. “That was a serious recovery [from hip surgery] that he had to go through in the summer, didn’t have training camp, and hasn’t had the luxury of a lot of practice at his position. I’d like to give him more, but a lot of times you’re playing the next day and you want to play your four lines [at practice] and he’s getting more reps on D than he is up front. But we still have a lot of confidence in him. Last year, as a rookie, he had some good offensive games. Right now, he’s just trying to find his rhythm.’’
Yandle scores in return
Former Ranger Keith Yandle, in his first visit to New York after leaving for the Panthers and a seven-year, $44.5-million contract, scored a power-play goal in the second period to tie it at 1. It was his first goal of the season.
Yandle is taking more of a leadership role with his new team. “It’s a nice thing to do,” the defenseman said Sunday. “Coming here, you had guys who had been around a long time: Dan Boyle, Marty St. Louis; on D, it seemed like some guys had been around quite a bit. Here it’s one of those things where I can be more of a mentor and help younger guys out and get used to the NHL life on and off the ice.”
Buchnevich out
Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich will undergo an MRI in an effort to determine the cause of lingering back spasms. He will not make the trip to Pittsburgh for Monday night’s game.
