Update, 10:54 a.m.:
As expected Steve Eminger is a healthy scratch tonight.

Original Post:
Jesse Spector tweets that Sean Avery, Vinny Prospal, Derek Stepan, Artem Anisimov, Chris Drury and Brian Boyle were the only forwards on the ice this morning, while Marc Staal was the only defenseman not to participate. Henirk Lundqvist was also not on the ice.

...man Rangers fans are fired up for tonight. Boudreau has no idea what he started. If you're going to the game tonight let him have it.

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Rangers fans looking to fire themselves up for Wednesday's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series against Washington can join in the pregame Rangers Playoffs Double-Decker Bus Tour, which will carry Rangers fans from Madison Square Garden to Times Square and back.

Wednesday's Playoff Bus Tours begins at 5 p.m. and will run for approximately 45 minutes each in front of Madison Square Garden on the Northwest corner of 7th Ave. and 31st St.. After boarding, the buses will leave at 5 p.m. Fans lucky enough to make it onto the buses will receive giveaways and more.

The second tour will begin approximately at 5:45 p.m., bringing fans back to MSG in time for start of the Rangers-Washington game.

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TheNYRBlog reader Tom A. sends me this Rangers highlight video to fire us up for tonight's crucial Game 4...



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The guys over at The Blueshirt Brigade send me over this ad they created based on Ron Duguay's most common, and fitting, postgame theme: Confidence...


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Yesterday I asked you guys on Twitter to come up with a Boudreau chant for Game 4 and while most of them had to do with the Capitals coach's weight ("JEN-NY CRAIG! JEN-NY CRAIG!") the one you thought was the best came from TheNYRBlog readers Shaun T. and James W. of Blueline Station:

Can You Hear Us?! Clap Clap ClapClapClap, Can You Here Us?! Clap Clap ClapClapClap

Unfortunately, I won't be at the game so I'm going to need your help spreading the word. If you're going to the game make sure you start this chant in your section early and often. If you're not try to spread the word to as many fans as possible.

Boudreau thinks that Caps fans are louder and more passionate than Rangers fans. So let's send him a message tonight that no one disrespects us like that.

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Playing in his first playoff game with the CT Whale Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist to help Connecticut tie their best of seven series with Portland at two with a 3-1 win.

Here's MZA on the win...

"I had good energy, and it was a great team win," said Zuccarello, who scored his first goal in six with the Whale since Dec. 15. "Without the good job by Dov and the penalty killing, it would have been a different game. But they're playing awesome, and we're the lucky ones to get to chip in with the goals."

...wow, the Rangers could really use that offense maybe they should call him up. ;)

Carl Hagelin (2007 - 6th) hit a pipe, had one shot on goal and was a +1.

Speaking of Hagelin here's him discussing playing with the Whale...



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John Tortorella's post practice press conference on Tuesday...



Erik Christensen, Brian Boyle, and Brandon Dubinsky meet the media following practice at the MSG Training Center...



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Bergen Record
- Rangers won't play mind games
- John Tortorella offers soft rebuttal
- Capitals at Rangers: Three keys

New York Post
- Rangers ignoring Caps' talk
- Torts tabs kids for key shift
- Rangers want to keep momentum
- Blueshirts' goal: Get inside Neuvirth's head

Daily News
- Rangers ready to show Bruce who's boss
- Bondy: MSG not loud, but it's not whiny

New York Times
-  Sharp Edge to Words in Rangers’ Hard-Hitting Series
-  Networks That Stood by N.H.L. Secure Deal


Newsday
- Rangers shift Stepan to wing for offense
- Fedotenko fills in well for Callahan
- Staple: Tortorella won't play Boudreau's games

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Dave Lozo at NHL.com takes a look at the effect the Sean Avery-Brian Boyle-Brandon Prust line is having on the series. Here is a quote from Boyle on why his line has been so good...

"We all know what kind of players we are," Boyle said. "We know what works for us, and that's the little things. When something comes up, there's a lot of communication. When we get back to the bench, we don't talk too much. We kind of know what we're doing.

"We're not that fancy. We don't have a big playbook."

...if a team wants to advance far in the playoffs they need an energy line that will get their teammates going if their is any lull in their game. And that's what this line has been doing since being united during Game 2.

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Updated, 4:01 p.m.:
Looks like Boudreau is backing off his original comments...

"You know, you guys mustn't have a lot of work to do, because they're making improvements to the arena. Are they not? Are they not making $800 million worth of improvements to the arena? It's a fabulous place to play, the atmosphere is great – it's the world's most famous arena. All I said was that the conditions in the dressing room were not up to par."

...absolutely hilarious how Boudreau is getting caught up in this ridiculous fiasco he created instead of being able to focus on Game 4. Man, if the Rangers can win tomorrow he is going to criticized big time for his comments.

Original Post:
Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants has this quote from John Tortorella on whether he thought Bruce Boudreau's comments regarding Marc Staal's high hit on Mike Green will have any affect on the refs...

"Our mindset is we're just focusing on what we need to do, which is playing the right way and getting ready for Game 4," Tortorella said. "We have confidence in the league and confidence in the officials that they won't be influenced by all the whining going on."

...loving the way Torts has handled this whole Boudreau comment issue.

Tortorella on Ruslan Fedotenko, who he says has turned into his Ryan Callahan:

"He's done all the little things. He's underrated as far as hitting and how stiff he is."

Tortorella on sending Mats Zuccarello back to the CT Whale:

"As far as developing players, bag skating Zuc every day is counter productive when he could play (in the AHL playoffs)."

Henrik Lundqvist on not to worrying about what the Capitals are doing at all.

"We're not thinking about how they feel," Lundqvist said. "We're still down. We need to raise our game. That's our focus. We're not going to think too much about where they're at mentally or physically."

Derek Stepan, who revealed he bruised his hand in Game 3, on not being a Calder Trophy finalist:

"It's been a great season," Stepan said. "You look at the guys around the league that broke into this league, I'm very lucky and very blessed that I had a solid year, I think. I felt great all year long. I have great teammates. The most important thing is what we're playing for right now."

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