Kreider Skates Again, Headed to Tampa With Team
Andrew Gross at the Bergen Record reports that Chris Kreider (ankle/bone chips) was among 14 Rangers on the ice this morning for an optional practice before the team flies to Tampa.
Here's Kreider on his injury...
“It’s better than it was, there’s definitely improvement, it’s day to day. It’s hard to say, we didn’t do a ton of explosive drills. It’s hard to say, it’s probably better than it was."
Pat Leonard at the Daily News adds that Kreider will be joining the team on the flight, however, he is not likely to play.
...man this team could really use a shot in the arm with the return of a healthy Kreider. Hopefully he'll be able to give the Rangers the same jolt as in the playoffs last year when he hopefully returns next week.
Here are the 14 players who attended the optional practice Kreider, Pyatt, Stepan, Hagelin, Rupp, Boyle, Ferriero, Asham, Halpern, Bickel, Lundqvist, Biron, Gilroy, Eminger.
Leonard adds that the players with heavy minutes last night (Nash, Gaborik, Richards, Girardi, McDonagh, Staal and Del Zotto) opted out of practice.
...i criticized the team last week for taking a day off after a stinker, but the schedule as been brutal so I'm not going to kill the seven guys who took off. Does the team no help if they're burned out tomorrow night against the high scoring Lightning.
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Anyone see the Tampa game? Holy shit. Awesome power play. Tons of one-timer goals and accurate shots.
Montoya sucks.
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Good that Kreider is coming back, but I'm not counting on him being the deciding factor in the next game. I think we'll have a strong showing, though.
It's pathetic that so-called fans are going into panic mode after only a few games. Effort has been the key and it's missing right now. It's a short season but there is plenty of time to right the ship. The power play has been awful for years. When will there be a coach who knows how to coach the power play? They have no plan and stand around. It's so tough to watch teams with lesser talent move the puck so much better.
I think it may be the time to trade either Derek Stepan or Carl Hagelin very soon if these guys continue to not produce. Especially if Hagelin continues to take moronic penalties, but I guess the whole team has been since we are averaging around 5 a game
@slapshot13j Listen, I am very close to jumping on the panic train, but under no circumstances should the Rangers be trading either on of those guys. Once Cally and Kreider come back Hagelin will be back on the third line where he should be and Stepan will have two wingers he's worked well with in the past. It's only been seven games, let's not blow this whole thing up yet.
@KevinDeLury also this is not panic at all. The rangers will make the playoffs because if they don't they will be considered one of the biggest jokes in NHL history and torts or Sullivan will be kicked out. This is about molding the team for the playoffs. Not only do these players look horrid now, but it is a fact that they can't compete in the playoffs. What did they have 1 goal combined. We need players that shine in the spotlight, neither of these players has done anything to show me that they can.
@slapshot13j @KevinDeLury I disagree, I think both have shown glimmers of what they are capable of as far as being playmakers and hustling, but neither has been rewarded as far as scoring goes. They are both young and have big upsides and it would be a shame to see them go elsewhere and prosper simply because we jumped the gun since they aren't scoring. I think the biggest disappointment has been the almost team lack of spirit and drive that was ever present last year. Cally is a big part of that, but the utter lack of drive and emotion is disturbing! There are moments where they look like they have it but the JAM and the flow cant seem to be sustained. Is it Torts and his lack of trust or is it fatigue, or a lack of chemistry on the lines? I am not sure, but it goes far beyond two players. The personnel changes are always a challenge, but at least Nash can actually carry the puck into the zone instead of just dumping it. Hopefully his linemate will learn to actually come support him and we can start getting a few more offensive chances! LETS GO RANGERS!!!!
@KevinDeLury I love Hagelin and really wudnt want him traded either he has great speed, but he has completely lost the ability to score so something has to happen with him. As for Derek Stepan I think all rangers fans have been waiting for 2 years now for him to explode. And all he has been is extremely mediocre. Not bad enough to get rid of and not good enought to rely on or provide a spark. And for a lot of last year he was playing with Gaborik to so it's not for the players he has been paired with. All I am saying is I think we could get a better player if we were o send Stepan and a second rounder off.
I'm glad to hear that Kreider is on the comeback trail, though he needs to find his game before he will be of much use. As for the rest of your article, I am very concerned about how Torts already is grinding guys into the ice. Yeah, I understand the issues, but is a fully spent and exhausted Girardi as good as a fresh third liner... I don't think so.
