Steve Zipay at Blue Notes reports that Sean Avery has been moved to the top line with Vinny Prospal and Marian Gaborik, while Enver Lisin will be a healthy scratch tonight against the Penguins with Ales Kotalik skating on the fourth line with Brian Boyle and Aaron Voros.
...i love this move. One of the Rangers most successful lines over the course of the last few years was when Renney put Avery on the top line with Dubinsky and Jagr. I think Avery's going to be able to open things up for Gaborik.
Zipay also has this quote from the recently suspended Matt Cooke on his hit to Artem Anisimov...
"I have to finish my checks. That's what makes me successful, that's my job. Given the situation again... I have to take the body. That's my job."
...and that's why suspensions for head-shots need to be longer. This guy doesn't even care. Take the body? Is this guy kidding me?
Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants has more here.
3 comments:
Avery is the best player to play in Gretzky's office...dude can dish out passes to Gaborik all day from there. Good move.
I was thinking the same thing, Jack. Take a look at any game where the Rangers have good pressure (i.e. not the last week or so) and count how many times Avery gets the puck right in front of the crease from behind the net -- usually a beautiful pass with nobody there except the opponent's D (since usually the only person on Avery's line who can play in/near the crease is Avery). If Gaborik can get a feel for where Avery will put the puck, Gab's knack for "being there" could lead to a whole bunch of goals.
I love this move and I've been saying that this should have happened earlier. Avery is the only one who can skate w/ the top line, he protects the puck and he'll stick up for Prosp/Gab...so good move - finally.
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