October 15, 2001 -- When injury strikes, opportunity knocks, and now that Mark Messier is sidelined for the immediate future with, at the very least, badly bruised ribs, Ron Low has the chance to form three lines that make a lot of sense.
The Rangers will meet the Canadiens in Montreal tonight without the Captain, who may have to go on Injured Reserve in the aftermath of the injury he suffered late in the second period of Saturday's reasonably encouraging 2-2 draw in Ottawa.
If Messier does go on IR -initial X-rays proved negative, but new pictures may be taken in the next 48 hours - he'll miss not only tonight's match, but the one at home on Wednesday against the Devils, and then the games in Atlanta on Friday and in Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Because the Rangers don't have a sufficient number of complementary wingers to go around for Messier, Eric Lindros and Petr Nedved - that's the cost of losing Brett Hull to the Red Wings - Low has had to borrow Radek Dvorak from Petr to pay Mark. And while Dvorak, who will become an All Star once he truly understands how good he is, sure didn't suffer without Nedved, No. 93 clearly missed his mate. Now, however, Low can reunite Nedved and Dvorak, the most naturally dynamic combination on the roster. With Zdeno Ciger on the left, the line should click easily.
Joined by Mike York on Saturday, Lindros and Theo Fleury had their best game together, the long and short of it a combination that produced a number of scoring opportunities against the Senators. Moved back to the left - why Fleury, who consistently drove to the net from that side last year, didn't open the season at LW with the right-handed Lindros is one of those unsolved mysteries - No. 14 played his most feisty and focused match of the year. York played well and with grit. And No. 88, learning to play with his radar up at all times, produced his finest, most involved, most instinctive game yet.
Meanwhile, the Andres Johansson-Barret Heisten-Sandy McCarthy unit that opened Saturday as an energetic fourth line became an energetic and effective third line once Messier left the game. As Low won't roll four lines, this injury to Messier opens up ice time for this combination, one that has the ability to serve as a high-energy, banging, forecheck unit that can check.
Under this alignment, Manny Malhotra and Michal Grosek, expected to play with Rico Fata, will lose ice time. But this fourth line is fast, and should be able to at least buzz-saw when given the opportunity. And with Messier down, Malhotra (or Heisten) may get the chance to kill penalties.
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Dan Blackburn will get the start in net tonight . . . Rangers have been outscored by an aggregate 7-1 in the first period, are even 4-4 in the second, and have outscored their opponents 5-3 in the third period and in overtime . . . Blueshirts have outscored the opposition 8-7 at even-strength but have been outscored 7-2 on the specialty units, going 2-17 on the PP and a dreadful 7-20 on the PK . . . If Messier, who had played in 86 straight games since his return, does go on IR, Rangers are likely to recall Jeff Toms from Hartford.
The Rangers will meet the Canadiens in Montreal tonight without the Captain, who may have to go on Injured Reserve in the aftermath of the injury he suffered late in the second period of Saturday's reasonably encouraging 2-2 draw in Ottawa.
If Messier does go on IR -initial X-rays proved negative, but new pictures may be taken in the next 48 hours - he'll miss not only tonight's match, but the one at home on Wednesday against the Devils, and then the games in Atlanta on Friday and in Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Because the Rangers don't have a sufficient number of complementary wingers to go around for Messier, Eric Lindros and Petr Nedved - that's the cost of losing Brett Hull to the Red Wings - Low has had to borrow Radek Dvorak from Petr to pay Mark. And while Dvorak, who will become an All Star once he truly understands how good he is, sure didn't suffer without Nedved, No. 93 clearly missed his mate. Now, however, Low can reunite Nedved and Dvorak, the most naturally dynamic combination on the roster. With Zdeno Ciger on the left, the line should click easily.
Joined by Mike York on Saturday, Lindros and Theo Fleury had their best game together, the long and short of it a combination that produced a number of scoring opportunities against the Senators. Moved back to the left - why Fleury, who consistently drove to the net from that side last year, didn't open the season at LW with the right-handed Lindros is one of those unsolved mysteries - No. 14 played his most feisty and focused match of the year. York played well and with grit. And No. 88, learning to play with his radar up at all times, produced his finest, most involved, most instinctive game yet.
Meanwhile, the Andres Johansson-Barret Heisten-Sandy McCarthy unit that opened Saturday as an energetic fourth line became an energetic and effective third line once Messier left the game. As Low won't roll four lines, this injury to Messier opens up ice time for this combination, one that has the ability to serve as a high-energy, banging, forecheck unit that can check.
Under this alignment, Manny Malhotra and Michal Grosek, expected to play with Rico Fata, will lose ice time. But this fourth line is fast, and should be able to at least buzz-saw when given the opportunity. And with Messier down, Malhotra (or Heisten) may get the chance to kill penalties.
*
Dan Blackburn will get the start in net tonight . . . Rangers have been outscored by an aggregate 7-1 in the first period, are even 4-4 in the second, and have outscored their opponents 5-3 in the third period and in overtime . . . Blueshirts have outscored the opposition 8-7 at even-strength but have been outscored 7-2 on the specialty units, going 2-17 on the PP and a dreadful 7-20 on the PK . . . If Messier, who had played in 86 straight games since his return, does go on IR, Rangers are likely to recall Jeff Toms from Hartford.
